AIBU to think people who are anti cyclists are hypocrites

[microfight]

I am always hearing people moan about cyclists and the normal argument is that they don't pay road tax and they jump red lights and generally a menace on the roads.
I was wondering how many of these people who moan about them jumping red lights do exactly the same thing as a pedestrian. I would say on my average cycle journey I have to shout, brake or ring my bell three or more times because a pedestrian has stepped out without looking or crossed the road when the red man is lit.

So, AIBU to think that many of the anti cycle brigade must be hypocrites because they don't abide by the highway code themselves.

I don't think that's true at all Nancy - still it would be good to see some stats. In my 31 years, I've never collided with a bike

aldiwhore,

If they're cycling say two abreast, that's actually fine and legal

it might be legal but it's not fine - it's dangerous and unnecessarily holds up traffic.

It's perfectly safe - in fact, quite possibly safer. It reminds drivers of the rules of the road

the police actually advise cyclists not to cycle in this way.

It forces cars to travel at a snail's pace - might make some motorists attempt to over take when it's not safe....and with a huge tailback of pissed off motorists i don't imagine the cyclist's safety will be the first thing on their mind when they do try and get past them.

If cars were building up behind me, I wouldn't stay out in the middle deliberately to build up a big queue, but bikes should be treated as cars, and shouldn't have to trundle along inches away from the kerb. If you were a slow moving car, you wouldn't mount the pavement to let faster moving traffic past.

then they need to behave like cars - stop at lights, stop at zebra crossings and not box the lead car in at any junction

Most cyclists do - but to justify driving badly on the basis that some cyclists break the law is hardly a great excuse!

cyclists in London don't - they just don't. I see it every day.

Nancy66 'Bennifer - no, it's nearly always because the cyclist is jumping red lights'

This is just simply not true. I for one NEVER jump red lights and regularly nearly collide with pedestrians walking out into the road without looking. This happens everywhere not even at lights!

nancy66 cyclists in London don't
That is such a ridiculous statement, what all cyclists in London don't stop at red lights? Some don't agreed but as I posted originally some pedestrians walk out in the middle of the road and some cars do crazy things..

ok, not all - only around 80%

Nancy66
I hope that was meant to be a joke.

Just wondering if so many cyclists jump red lights how come there are any left 'boxing in the front car at traffic lights' Surely there's no need for cycle boxes at traffic lights in London because cyclist clearly never stop!!

no, i'm not joking.

Well obviously even cyclists aren't stupid enough to jump a red light when there's oncoming traffic - so then they just box in the cars.

I think research shows that around 12% of cyclists jump lights, I know I never do

(Google CTC.org.uk and myths)

What do you mean, box in cars? Do you mean go to the cycle bit at the junction?

Figures from the London Accident Analysis Unit over the five-year period 2001-05, show that there were:

2 cyclists who died while jumping red lights:
7 motorbikers died jumping red lights (one of these collisions also killed a car driver);
3 cyclists were killed by drivers jumping red lights;
7 pedestrians were killed by drivers jumping red lights;
7 people (drivers or passengers) were killed in collisions between two motor vehicles (excluding motorbikes), at least one of which was jumping a red light.
It's true that there have been a few collisions between a person on foot and another on a bike which have resulted in a death. The last one in central London was about 2003 where a man leaving the Whitechapel Mosque without looking stepped into the road, hitting a passing cyclist. The impact from the cyclist's helmet killed the pedestrian. In the City cyclists end up worse off in over 75% of collisions with pedestrians.

" I for one NEVER jump red lights and regularly nearly collide with pedestrians walking out into the road without looking."

Perhaps you should be more aware of pedestrians then. Rather like car drivers are told to be more aware of bikes.

soup dragon
I said nearly collide because I am very aware of pedestrians. However cycling along a main road sometimes pedestrians step out (not at a traffic light) without notice.

I AM aware however i am not a mind reader that someone will do something silly.

Um, can I just point out that car drivers do not pay road tax? They pay vehicle duty to compensate for the pollution they spew out - which is why the lowest emission cars pay reduced or no duty at all, just like cyclists. Drivers do not PAY for the roads. We all do, in our ordinary unhypothecated taxes (income tax, VAT, NI etc, insurance tax, stamp duty).

There is no excuse for drivers to treat cyclists badly. It is a power thing - because they can, as they are bigger and stronger and in no personal danger (unlike the cyclist). It is completely utterly shameful and makes you hope that those particular drivers are not in positions of power over others in other spheres of their lives as no doubt they could think of a justification to physically frighten/ harm those less powerful than they are....

The argument that it might be justified to drive badly near cyclists, thus possibly maiming or killing them, because some cyclists sometimes jump red lights (harming nobody) is so ridiculously stupid that I am staggered anyone has the nerve to propose it.

well I got tooted by a driver who decided to drive 20 foot along the pavement, she wanted to park on the pavement and I was on the way walking along the pavement - I mean would you believe I had the flipping cheek to actually walk on the pavement I suppose though whilst she drives on the pavement she is keeping the roads safe for cyclists

TWO abreast I don't mind, they're as easy to get around safely as a tractor... but there's swarms of 10-20, single file with no room between, a train of cyclists or 3/4 abreast wobbling all over the shop.

I feel for the lone cyclists on our roads, its pretty hairy out there, but the swarms... no time for them if they're obstructing traffic, which they do.

I do pay road tax looked at my receipt
It actually uses the words road tax sooooooooooooo maybe the guildlines have just changed or sumthing :o

The government def call it vehicle excise duty (VED) although some people still refer to it as "road tax" in the same way as some people still call Stamp Duty Land Tax, simply Stamp Duty (which is a different tax) in common parlance,

and you def don't pay it if you have a non polluting vehicle although you DO still use the roads.