Question about push-bikes...

...now, I'm a placid person (sort of) - I just dont like being surprised.

Question - Would the rider be liable if their pillion (me) punched a guy trying to slide past us to go thru a red light? He got within mm of touching me, scared the hell out of me and caused SK to stop (pee'ing the people off behind him) to wait for the ***** to move before he could.

Just a thought.

[jambo]

remember there's almost never a conviction without a body...


Just a thought...

[fizzwheel]

I dont know how that would work. I wander if it would be classed as a non motoring offence ( IIRC from what I've read on the push bike forum a cyclist is classed as a pedestrian ) so it may well end up being a matter for a civil court. In which case I dont see how the rider would be liable. But the pillion might be as it might get classed as assault or something similar.

I'm no legal expert so I may have this completely wrong.... However as a cyclist, the cyclist that did that do you and Soulkiss this morning is a f*cking tw*t and deserves a good punch in the face, its morons like that, that give the law abiding cyclists out there a bad name.

[SoulKiss]

He really did just come from no-where - and I had positioned myself in a way to stop that from happening - as it is all to common for cyclists to do this in London.

The other day (the one where Fizz had the Ped incident) I got cut up by one cyclist where I had to brake reasonably hard and just missed his rear wheel by millimeters - didnt post about that due to the timing.

Of course the worst ones are the Cyclists on iPods.....

[fizzwheel]

I've read about it so many times on cyclng forums and in the press where cyclists whinge about almost being squashed by cars and lorries where they've moronically gone down the left hand side of them and then they get trapped when the vehcile they've gone down the left hand side of then turns left across them.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I've read about it so many times on cyclng forums and in the press where cyclists whinge about almost being squashed by cars and lorries where they've moronically gone down the left hand side of them and then they get trapped when the vehcile they've gone down the left hand side of then turns left across them.

I put it all down to lack of training tbh.

I know that there are many arguments against it - bring in mandatory training and you stop kids from getting out on their bikes etc, but the cycle lanes in London do nothing for cyclists.

They encourage them to hug the kerb, then when it comes to a right turn they have to make their way across up to 3 lanes of traffic to be in the right position.

This leads to the often seen event of a cyclist turning right at controlled junction from the extreme left of the left hand lane.

One of the best ones I saw (as a pedestrian approaching a crossing) were 2 cyclists in a bus lane, with a car coming past them on their right, but indicating to turn left, across them.

They knew that the car was turning across, and by the way he accelerated past them it was obvious that he didn't intend to stop and let them have the right of way (which they had). Instead of just slowing and letting the car go, they sped up and cut the car off, and hurled abuse at the guy who was now sitting across 2 lanes, blocking traffic.

Yes, they were in the right, but that doesn't help when you get hit by a car.

And don't even ask me about the reaction I got when I stopped on a pedestrian crossing on foot and had a go at a cyclist that was running the red light - to summarise, it was ME that was in the wrong.......

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by vixis

Question - Would the rider be liable if their pillion (me) punched a guy trying to slide past us to go thru a red light? He got within mm of touching me, scared the hell out of me and caused SK to stop (pee'ing the people off behind him) to wait for the ***** to move before he could.

Just a thought.

Don't know about liability, but I think you should have punched him! Cyclists jumping red lights, riding on pavements etc really grind my gears. If a cyclist is riding on the pavement, I'll grab their handle bars to have them off. Then I'll claim they rode into me....

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I dont know how that would work. I wander if it would be classed as a non motoring offence ( IIRC from what I've read on the push bike forum a cyclist is classed as a pedestrian ) ....

How can that be if you can be done for drunk driving on a bike? I know folks who have got points on their licence for riding a bike while drunk (not me!). Sounds to me like more cyclist bull**** as to why they think they are above the law.

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

Of course the worst ones are the Cyclists on iPods.....

Rubbish.



You can't cycle on an iPod.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

How can that be if you can be done for drunk driving on a bike? I know folks who have got points on their licence for riding a bike while drunk (not me!). Sounds to me like more cyclist bull**** as to why they think they are above the law.

That seems to be the problem, cyclists are somewhere between a Pedestrian and a Road User, and the laws are not consistant - if a cyclist has a driving license then they get points - but if they dont then they can't - and as you dont need to be licensed to be on the road.

I think that if a cyclist intends to be on the road they should have to do a Theory Test and a CBT equivilent. This will mean that they will at least know what the road signs mean, and they have been trained to deal with junctions and road positioning.

Hmmm theres an idea, stack copies of the Highway Code in a tankbag and then chuck them at cyclists when they break the law - wonder if they do them with a half-kilo of lead shot in the spine.........

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

How can that be if you can be done for drunk driving on a bike? I know folks who have got points on their licence for riding a bike while drunk (not me!). Sounds to me like more cyclist bull**** as to why they think they are above the law.

Like I said I wasnt sure if this is the case. I agree about the cyclist bullsh*t some of us do think we are above the law. But Soulkiss' point about cycle lanes in london being rubbish is true from what I've seen, Mind you the ones near my house are just as bad and poorly positioned which is why most of the time I cycle on the road as its safer.

I think the point about education is valid as well. But alot of the people I see cycling poorly are adults who I would imagine that have driving licenses already and manage to obey the road signs / road markings etc in their cars but who seem to not be able to manage to do this when they are on bikes. I dont think CBT / Theory test would actually help in those cases what they need is a a b*ll*cking or worse from a policeman...