Why I hate lycra louts

[maviczap]

Do they pay road tax? That's why China is minted.

[Red Herring]

I think it simply comes down to manners. Some people are either ignorant enough not to appreciate that what they are doing is going to have an impact on others, or they do and simply don't care. In the case I gave the cyclist couldn't have failed to see the lorry indicators so they either believed they had rights up my inside and I wouldn't turn because they were there, or they had time to get through before I turned which was highly unlikely given they would not have had any view of the traffic on the roundabout. It's the assumption that's it my responsibility to avoid them, fuelled no doubt by all the media frenzy there is whenever some poor innocent green cyclist gets taken out by some big bully of a lorry driver, that drives the big wedge between cyclists and motorists.

Some motorcyclists are no better, I've lost count of the times I've been assessing some so called advanced rider and watched them filter to the front of a queue at a roundabout or junction, and then pull across into the centre of the lane to wait for the next opportunity to emerge, thus denying the car behind them that space. Don't they appreciate all they have effectively done is jump the queue?

(In case you're wondering a considerate rider will remain in the filtering position and time their arrival so that they either merge straight out into a space a larger vehicle couldn't have taken, or stop short, usually around the rear quarter of the lead vehicle, until such an opportunity exists.) It's called unobtrusive progress........

[Red Herring]

Originally Posted by Bibio

could be worse, you could live here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q5qxe3DqlI

The astonishing thing about that video is that there is a policeman with a whistle on traffic duty, and the cyclists heed him...... neither of which would happen in the UK!

[Grant66]

Bristol is a cycle friendly city...

Apologies for the watermark, did this to test some software.

Bikes are allowed in bus lanes in Bristol.

https://youtu.be/vwY0G5v9nek

In both locations there is a cycle lane to the left, actual proper cycle lane separate from the road.

Originally Posted by Mark_h

"Areas of white diagonal stripes or chevrons painted on the road. These are to separate traffic lanes or to protect traffic turning right.
•If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so.
•If the area is marked with chevrons and bordered by solid white lines you MUST NOT enter it except in an emergency."

Depends on whether necessary is the same as convenient.

No necessary isn't the same as convenient.

It's a "should not" not a "MUST NOT", so it isn't illegal, but that doesn't mean you should take it to the opposite extreme and just ignore them.

You "should" have a vaild reason why it is "necessary". So you can overtake on them for instance if you are in a 60 limit and there's a truck doing 40 hence they are holding up traffic. It becomes "necessary" in order to carry out the overtake. But if the car in front of you is Mrs Miggins doing 58mph in her Micra, sorry, but it's no longer "necessary" to do the overtake.

If you have an accident whilst driving over diagonals or chevrons, you will almost certainly be held liable by the courts, because the very fact you had an accident means it clearly wasn't "safe to do so".

Can't comment on the circumstance in this video because I wasn't there, haven't seen the lane markings at the traffic lights, and can't see in the drivers mirrors.

[Haircut]

Originally Posted by ophic

Then there's the "road tax".

What is this "road tax" you speak of?

I pay VED which is levied on the vehicle, but I do not remember paying any tax for the road . . .

I think bicycles are exempt becaue they have zero carbon emissions

[Mark_h]

When I'm on my pushbike I have 1x taxed motorcycle, 1 x taxed scooter and 2 x taxed cars sitting at home so I more than pay my way even if it were a valid argument.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by Haircut

What is this "road tax" you speak of?

I pay VED which is levied on the vehicle, but I do not remember paying any tax for the road . . .

I think bicycles are exempt becaue they have zero carbon emissions

Well done, you got the point I was making.

[punyXpress]

" I think bicycles are exempt because they have shedloads of hydrogen sulphide emissions "