Had to emergency stop going through the traffic lights

[tj2]

Where I live it appears that cyclists have a "cyclists right of way" and the highway code does not apply ie. cycling clubs riding the lanes 4 and 5 abreast..... NSL roads with barely 2 lanes. No insurance. The motorist would pick up any fine or insurance claim that was made for any accident that occured. I FECKIN HATE CYCLISTS THAT CAN DO NO WRONG






















Rant over

Terry

[Bibio]

Originally Posted by littleoldman2

How do you find their Dad.

Originally Posted by tj2

I FECKIN HATE CYCLISTS THAT CAN DO NO WRONG

Oh but they're saving the planet don't you know?

Interesting thing I was told: In the Netherlands, if you're driving along and some goon on his bicycle overshoots a give way line straight into your path and you hit him, it's your fault.

I was incredulous but the (Dutch) guy who told me insisted that it was true.

[appollo1]

Where i Live (St Andrews) is a huge university town with mostly foreign students. A lot of them cycle but have no idea about the hassle and near misses that they cause.

At night they ride along without any lights wearing dark clothes. Regularly ride along one way streets the wrong way. They have no regard for pedestrians using zebra crossings.

Recently my kids nearly got knocked over on a zebra crossing. I always make sure my kids are safety concious(sp) when crossing roads and we checked that the cars had stopped to let us cross when i noticed this prat making his way past the cars at speed with his shopping bags hanging from the handlebars and his huge headphones on his head. I told my kids to wait and stepped out then stopped right in front of him. He had to stop and nearly fell off his bike as he had no balance due to the bags. I pointed out that he would have hit my kids and should have stopped. In his broken English accent he basically told me to F off.

I was annoyed that he would have knocked my kids over but even more annoyed that he used language like that at me in front of my kids. He decided that he still had right of way and started to pedal off again. I was furious and as he moved away i kicked his back wheel hoping to make him fall off, but all i did was kick his spokes and nearly get my foot caught in them!!! grrrr

[punyXpress]

Times like that you need a stout stick to poke in his spokes and . . .

[Winder]

I work in Esher in Surrey which is part of the 2012 cycle route, thousands of cyclists descend on the roads at weekends to cycle the route and often ride 3 or 4 abreast blocking the entire lane and causing traffic. When in the traffic caused by cyclists other cyclists then overtake and undertake you about an inch away from the car leaving no room to manoeuvre if needed. Tossers

Originally Posted by Winder

I work in Esher in Surrey which is part of the 2012 cycle route, thousands of cyclists descend on the roads at weekends to cycle the route and often ride 3 or 4 abreast blocking the entire lane and causing traffic. When in the traffic caused by cyclists other cyclists then overtake and undertake you about an inch away from the car leaving no room to manoeuvre if needed. Tossers

Tell me about it, im stuck in my house as the route as it loops round all of molesey grrrr!
And they decide to block all the best bits of riding road outside cobham aswell.
Is it bad when they do this on the portsmouth road i just get in the middle of them all and keep making progress through the gaps.

[appollo1]

on the road from my house into St Andrews there is a cycle path running alongside the road. Regularly (mostly weekends) there are cyclists 2 or 3 abreast using the road and not the cycle path causing cars, buses etc to go at 20mph which is very dangerous as it is quite a fast road. a few months ago i was trying to get past a group of about 20 cyclists. when i finaly had a gap to pass them i realised that my windscreen was dirty so i applied the screen wash, unbeknown to me was the fact that the nozzle nearest the pavement was pointing into the kerb away from the window. i do believe that in looking in my mirror i witnessed the majority of them wiping their faces as i drove off!!

Just going to play devil's advocate here.

I don't think it's clear from the OP but what if:

cyclist goes through light on green just as it goes to red. He's not going very fast.
He DOES have right of way, as he has gone through the lights when green and it is the traffic coming through the now green set of lights who has to make sure their path is clear.

it sounds like from the OP that it was a blatant jumping of a red light - in which case fair play but you have to bear in mind cyclists do not necessarily have the power of a car and may be slower.

A lot of accidents on the road could be avoided - both cars, motorbikes, push bikes and pedestrians with a bit more understanding and patience on all sides.

Two wrongs certainly do not make a right, but cyclists get the rotten deal on the roads - forced to ride where there is a good chance of muck and potholes or broken up roads, lots of traffic lights around town put in place to stop motorised traffic accidents and it makes cycling a lot harder. That is not to say that I condone jumping a red light - they are there for a reason but a lot of the behaviour by cyclists I should imagine is born out of feeling like the ones being penalised regularly by other road users.

People should get used to cyclists being on the road - and it has nothing to do with saving the planet.

1. Fuel prices are increasing way ahead of inflation and will continue to do so.
2. Vehicle Excise duty gets expensive on cars and insurance can be expensive
3. It keeps you fit and is a good way to get around - I can cycle to my work (7 miles) faster than I can get there in the car.

Obviously there are quite a few things cyclists do that irritate other road users - but I can tell you about 15+ times where car drivers have done something that would have killed me if I had not taken action on my push bike and being motorcyclists you should all understand that.

Originally Posted by EssexDave

A lot of accidents on the road could be avoided - both cars, motorbikes, push bikes and pedestrians with a bit more understanding and patience on all sides.

i would add: consideration and common sense...