Discresionary Cycle Lanes and the Police.

Originally Posted by philbut

Well from experience, it is indicating to motorists that if possible, they should leave room for cyclists to pass on the left. I find that if a cycle lane isnt present, cars and lorries etc will get real close the the curb and inadvertently prevent cyclists from passing. I think it's also a confidence thing for less experienced cyclists, who feel more secure having their own lane. I cycle in London and Oxford, and these lanes do work for me as a cyclist. Sure, people will park in them and cut you up occasionally, but on the whole people respect them the majority of the time.

Thanks Phil, that's a good point, I was thinking this was related to lanes along stretches of road rather than just in the run up to junctions. Having said that though I still don't see the point in them being descretionary, if there is need for a cycle lane (either at juncitons or along stretches of road) then that's what it should be and not left to other road users to decide whether they should enter it or not. If the cycle lane is not needed then it should not be there.

Up to a point I agree cycle lanes are a good thing but I find in my area they are simply a line painted down an existing road making the remaining lanes too narrow and increasing the risk of cars weaving onto the cycle lane they also disappear just when the cyclist needs them most, junctions etc.

[timwilky]

Wow, you lot down south get everything. I was told you have lanes for buses, now lanes for cyclists. Does this mean them nuisance road users are not allowed in our sections of road if they have there own bits?

Originally Posted by timwilky

Wow, you lot down south get everything. I was told you have lanes for buses, now lanes for cyclists. Does this mean them nuisance road users are not allowed in our sections of road if they have there own bits?

How bad is your riding if cyclists get in your way?

[timwilky]

Armoured gloves, they soon get out of my way

Seriously I have no problems with little jimmy and his dad cycling along the verge. It is when you get 30 of them crowding out the road and refusing to let you pass safely.

Why can they not cycle one behind the other and let other road users past. Especially if they have cycle lanes and refuse to use the damm things.

[Dave20046]

I bloody hate it when cyclists ride next to eachother in 2s,3s and occasionally 4s, in dangerous spots. I'm sure the highway code says single file ...

[yorkie_chris]

Just go braying it past at 10k rpm, maybe you could make some lycra dominos?

Originally Posted by Dave20046

I bloody hate it when cyclists ride next to eachother in 2s,3s and occasionally 4s, in dangerous spots. I'm sure the highway code says single file ...

Yep. You even get the odd nobber in London who doesn't like motorbikes in the bus lanes and will purposefully ride in the middle to stop you getting past. I pulled up next to one such nobber and pointed out that I was also a cyclist, and was not going to run him over or scare him with my bike, so would he mind moving the f**k out of the way in future. You get gits driving badly in every form of transport. I guess the thing with cyclists is there is no test so you gotta assume anyone on a push bike is liable to do all sorts of stupid stuff, which you as the more qualified and informed motorist must deal with.

Originally Posted by timwilky

Armoured gloves, they soon get out of my way

Seriously I have no problems with little jimmy and his dad cycling along the verge. It is when you get 30 of them crowding out the road and refusing to let you pass safely.

Why can they not cycle one behind the other and let other road users past. Especially if they have cycle lanes and refuse to use the damm things.

Totally agree. I'll bet it p's me off even more than you! Not only do I have the same issues of being held up by them as you but I have to put up with other road users 'tarring me the same brush' when I'm out on my own and treating me like a ****.

[Spiderman]

Ah SK, its usually me who encounters this kind of moronic plod, sadly for me i usually encounter the ones who have an MP5 slung across their chest too...and i dont argue with those fellas, much.

Perhaps they all heard i dont work in London no more and they best find someone else they can annoy with utter crud that pours out of their moronic mouths from their idiot infested brains.

Good news is you handled him well, so nice work mate.

i note he didnt bother saying anything to the guy in the avn in the ACB, clearly too much effort to walk round to the drivers side and ask him to do his window down even tho he had actually committed a minor offence there

Just 1 plod like him takes away all the good work 100 other plod do.

he wins my award for Doofus Of The Week.

[SoulKiss]

Update.

Decided to follow this up so called the complaints number on the City Police website.

Left a voicemail, got a call back.

I didn't intend to make a full complaint, so ended up chatting to the DS that called me, and based it all on the fact of the threatening behaviour.

So its been recorded as report of Dissatisfaction.

Still I actually got the impression that the DS I spoke to took it seriously.