To ask cyclists to follow the rules!!!

[summeriscomingsoon]

Nearly hit by a cyclist going through a red light again as I was crossing the road. We have numerous offenders doing this.

Also going on the pavement to avoid traffic jams.

Cycling has increased so much since lockdown and great health benefits but some of them make me mad!!!

Aibu to expect them to behave as if they were a car on the road and stick to the rules.

with maybe the odd 20 thrown in

Loads of 20s now. Too many maybe. I think they're good around school zones but now it means you can take a long time getting clear of cyclists and have to pay alot more attention to your offside mirror

They're also not brilliantly marked and consequently I'm seeing loads more drivers doing 20 in 30 zones just in case

Driving from New cross to Croydon last night probably 60% of that journey is in 20 zones, 45 minute journey

@Chanjer either way, the limit is still almost three times the average actual speed. It's not cyclists holding the traffic up.

But you can't blame us all for the fact that your neice ran into the path of one that was somewhere they shouldn't have been.

This has to be one of the most insensitive comments I have ever read on here. So desperate are you to defend cyclists that you will stoop so low as to say something like this. Blaming a child for her life changing injuries and all the cyclist did was be 'somewhere they shouldn't have been'. Utterly disgraceful.

@Beseigedbykillersquirrels

But you can't blame us all for the fact that your neice ran into the path of one that was somewhere they shouldn't have been.

This has to be one of the most insensitive comments I have ever read on here. So desperate are you to defend cyclists that you will stoop so low as to say something like this. Blaming a child for her life changing injuries and all the cyclist did was be 'somewhere they shouldn't have been'. Utterly disgraceful.

Do you really think that was the purpose of that sentence? I didn't post it but was posting at the time of that part of the conversation. The person who posted it has apologised already to the aunt of the injured child, as they had misunderstood the situation. They didn't say that the child was responsible for their injuries. They didn't say that the cyclist was in the right. You have read all of that into the comment.

When car meets cyclist.... only one thing will happen, we know Lauren, an exceptional talent, ruined by someone who should now be behind bars and life time ban.

www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/lauren-dolan-says-driver-who-caused-her-crash-took-away-her-dream-of-competing-in-the-olympics-494014

Too many dick head drivers who think they own the road, have no idea of how to safely overtake a cyclist, a horse rider or even a pedestrian and a justice system that allows them too.

Whatever cyclists do or don't do, they rarely if ever, put car drivers in hospital.

Do you really think that was the purpose of that sentence?

Nah they're literally just a sock puppet stirrer

I’ve just read about Lauren on Devon Live. An aggressive overtake then slamming on the brakes, and that poor girl’s world turned upside down. So sad.

Similar happened to a friend’s child recently - but luckily he just bounced off the rear window. Idiot driver, desperate to save a few seconds , pushed past the child then slammed on brakes.

Cyclists aren’t all idiots. But if you’ve got that mindset, then you’re already approaching us with annoyance, and that’s when people do stupid aggressive things in cars. I know (and like) the person that caused my friend’s child’s accident. Ironically her child rides a horse. So you think she’d pass wide and slow. But these things are split second decisions and she made the wrong one - presumably in a rush. (Wouldn’t dream of asking her about it ).

It’s a split second that can ruin many lives, as with PP’s niece - which is the saddest story . Everyone needs to slow down, and think of others.

😂 One of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. Who do you think causes traffic jams on the M25?

Quote fail. That was to the poster claiming their car journey doesn’t inconvenience anyone.

To all cyclists who ring their bells at pedestrians but neither slow down nor stop, please consider that the peson may not have heard you due to hearing difficulties.

I can't hear on one side so instinctively step the wrong way. Many cyclists don't leave enough time for me to look both ways

@JohannaC

I once chinned a knobhead who ran into me on his bike and knocked me over. I'm still undecided on whether it was the right thing to have done!

You're undecided on whether assault was the right course of action?

My elderly relative ended up in hospital for a week with a broken elbow after being run into a cyclist who went through a red light. He swerved into her trying to avoid another pedestrian. What bothers me is that there is absolutely no record of this and I wonder if the recording of these incidents are very inaccurate. I feel that ultimately pedestrian spaces should be preserved for pedestrians only. Once a human being is given access to transport with wheels it will inevitably be abused and so bicycles should go with the cars not the pedestrians. Also I have found my small children do not understand the concept of shared space with bikes no matter how much I go on at them. Unfortunately they are completely spontaneous beings and don't walk in straight lines.

YANB unreasonable to ask cyclists to abide by the law.
YABV unrealistic to expect them too. They won't.

I think proportionally there are a larger amount of reckless cyclists than car drivers probably because it's a risky activity to cycle in the road and if you're taking that risk yourself then presumably your decisions on the whole would be more risky.

YANB unreasonable to ask cyclists motorists to abide by the law.
YABV unrealistic to expect them too. They won't.
@vimtosogood this works just as well.

Blaming a child for her life changing injuries and all the cyclist did was be 'somewhere they shouldn't have been'. Utterly disgraceful

I'm sorry if it came across like that. I wasn't blaming the child. I guess the order of the sentence made it seem that way?

@0gfhty

I think proportionally there are a larger amount of reckless cyclists than car drivers probably because it's a risky activity to cycle in the road and if you're taking that risk yourself then presumably your decisions on the whole would be more risky.

In other words, many of the non-reckless would-be cyclists feel unable to cycle safely because of the actions of reckless motorists. So they don't cycle.

@DdraigGoch

YANB unreasonable to ask cyclists motorists to abide by the law. YABV unrealistic to expect them too. They won't. *@vimtosogood* this works just as well.

If only there was a country wide system that could be used to track motorists breaking the law. Hmm.

Could be. But the answer isn't to let them have pedestrian spaces and ultimately making being a pedestrian a risk too. Pedestrians have no choice and so should be protected spaces.

@vimtosogood I'm not sure that GATSO sell a camera which detects left hooks, close passes and pulling out of junctions without looking.

Besides, it's not a lot of use fining motorists when it won't bring their victim back to life.

@0gfhty

Could be. But the answer isn't to let them have pedestrian spaces and ultimately making being a pedestrian a risk too. Pedestrians have no choice and so should be protected spaces.

Absolutely right. And the most effective way to achieve that and reduce the even higher risk of drivers to pedestrians, is to create more bike friendly road infrastructure and crack down hard legally and culturally on dangerous or anti-social driving until it becomes as unacceptable as drink driving.

As well as being where we legally should be, roads, being optimised for wheels and faster-than-walking-pace speeds, should also be where cyclists want to be. The reason that's not true for a visible minority of cyclists is 99% down to drivers.

Get bikes off the pavement by dealing with the root problem that puts them there.

This benefits pedestrians twice over, firstly by making them feel safer and hopefully reducing the 2 to 5% of pedestrian ksi accidents involving cyclists, and secondly by improving driver behaviour and so reducing the 95% to 98% of pedestrian ksi accidents involving drivers.

The problem with bells is that alot of people use them with different intention.

I don't use one because my bike and style of riding doesn't really put me in shared spaces very much and if I need emergency noise then I whistle or call out or spin my pedals back.

Most people I see/hear using bells actually mean don't move out of the way, they are trying to tell you that they're passing so please don't side step. I've never liked them because the message is unclear and there's definitely a percentage of dickheads who do mean move. Personally if I ever hear one from behind I don't move

If ever I do find myself riding in a mixed space then I coast at not much more than walking speed as far away as possible from the pedestrian. My cassette clicks really loudly so most people are pretty aware long before I'm near them anyway but you never know who's got headphones in or can't otherwise hear you. I'd never tell anyone to get out of my way because that's entitled behaviour, as with when I drive and interact with cyclists I don't expect them to move either

I think this level of care is possibly unusual but I've crashed into 3 pedestrians when they've run into the road and came off worse every single time so it's as much self preservation as anything

Also I never ride in those shared space cycle lanes or off road cycle lanes. They're more trouble than they're worth and I'd rather take my chances in the road