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AIBU?

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Original poster

9hrs is all it took!

770 replies

Finallylostit · 29/01/2022 10:45

The new highway code to cause anger!

I went for my morning cycle - no issues did nothing different than I normally do.

Home, shower, jump in car to get food shopping. I live down a country road - wide enough for 2 cars to pass with care, wide enough for a car to over take a cyclist sticking to the left of the lane, with the required space at certain points. Locals all know the places to do it safely.

Today 1 cyclist riding down the middle of the lane - now unsafe for car to pull over to other lane and pass - brilliant

Was he considerate of other road users and pulled over- no.

As on the other side were 8 riders riding two abreast high fiving each other and doing the finger to the motorists. Shouting its the law twats!
Were they considerate of other road users no.

Some of the new laws i think are sensible -
but the ride in the middle of the road, even if there is a cycle lane because you don't feel like it - is asinine

2 abreast packs of mamils hunting on weekends as they venture out of London - when they are generally rude enough as it is - gives those cyclists who are arseholes a legal right to now be an arsehole.

Be considerate and pull over to let cars and vans pass -
that is as likely as Downing Street not having another party in a lockdown!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
Tzimi · 02/02/2022 04:18

@Grasping I'm a bit surprised that you remove the reflectors from your bikes, as these are safety devices, which enable you to be seen at night! Why do you take them off, do they get in the way?

jgw1 · 02/02/2022 07:13

@Dovecare

Once these idiots are causing 5 mile tail backs they will need to change the law again
Which laws have been changed?
jgw1 · 02/02/2022 07:14

@ivykaty44

Once these idiots are causing 5 mile tail backs they will need to change the law again

Drivers love queuing, they do it ever week day on the M25, not sure that you’ll ever stop them doing this tbh and no laws against them being on the motorway. Often drivers do this on other major routes, usually just one person per car. Perhaps they should consider get more streamline vehicles without all the spare seats? May drastically reduce congestion-jyst an idea

When I used to live in London I couldn't understand why so many people would insist in sitting in their metal boxes going nowhere while I went past them.
Eleganz · 02/02/2022 07:26

It's the turning rules that may cause issues for me. Needing to give way to pedestrians waiting to cross at a corner or waiting for bikes to undertake you while turning left could lead to quite a few rear-endings, we'll see.

Tzimi · 02/02/2022 07:54

@Eleganz

It's the turning rules that may cause issues for me. Needing to give way to pedestrians waiting to cross at a corner or waiting for bikes to undertake you while turning left could lead to quite a few rear-endings, we'll see.
I agree. It's easier & safer for a pedestrian to wait until the traffic has passed before crossing the road, than it is to bring one or two lines of traffic to a halt just to let a pedestrian cross. Really, pedestrians should cross at a proper crossing if there is one.
ivykaty44 · 02/02/2022 07:58

@Eleganz Do you think British drivers are poor standard? Isn’t an issue in other countries that follow these same rules, so why do you think it will be in U.K.?

OneTC · 02/02/2022 09:28

I'm a bit surprised that you remove the reflectors from your bikes, as these are safety devices, which enable you to be seen at night! Why do you take them off, do they get in the way?

Can't speak for grasping but for me they just look naff

They're the first thing to come off a new bike, the bell is second.

I do light myself more than adequately when it's dark or gloomy though

ThirdElephant · 02/02/2022 11:32

[quote ivykaty44]@Eleganz Do you think British drivers are poor standard? Isn’t an issue in other countries that follow these same rules, so why do you think it will be in U.K.?[/quote]
I never understand this argument. 'It works fine in this country, therefore it should work fine here'.

Firstly, we are not the same as other countries. There are several key differences. Roundabouts, the side of the road we drive on, the density of cars on the road, the layout of roads in individual towns and cities etc.

Secondly, didn't someone state upthread that there are more predestrian-vehicle collisions in those countries than in this one? I've not fact-checked that though. Have you?

ivykaty44 · 02/02/2022 11:38

I've not fact-checked that though. Have you?

Yes

And could you say why driving on the opposite side of the road would make a difference or even why countries with roundabouts successfully implemented these same rules?

ThirdElephant · 02/02/2022 11:54

@ivykaty44

I've not fact-checked that though. Have you?

Yes

And could you say why driving on the opposite side of the road would make a difference or even why countries with roundabouts successfully implemented these same rules?

Could you please provide your sources? I'm impressed at your googling prowess. Admittedly, I didn't try very hard.

And because it's a different driving culture, simple as that. I'm just pointing out some of the many road-related differences between countries as an illustration of that. Different places, different people, different culture, different roads. It's folly to just blindly suggest that because something apparently works in place A, it'll automatically work in place B.

Tzimi · 02/02/2022 12:10

@OneTC

I'm a bit surprised that you remove the reflectors from your bikes, as these are safety devices, which enable you to be seen at night! Why do you take them off, do they get in the way?

Can't speak for grasping but for me they just look naff

They're the first thing to come off a new bike, the bell is second.

I do light myself more than adequately when it's dark or gloomy though

I actually bought a bell for my new bike, as it didn't have one when I bought it! I can't imagine not having some way of warning people that I'm coming, if they havn't seen me, especially sight-impaired people. I find it a bit vulgar shouting at people as I'm approaching! I don't mind reflectors on my bike, and in fact, it's a requirement to have some of the reflectors.
ivykaty44 · 02/02/2022 12:11

So which country would you like me to show you you the fact check?

OneTC · 02/02/2022 12:42

I can't imagine not having some way of warning people that I'm coming, if they havn't seen me, especially sight-impaired people. I find it a bit vulgar shouting at people as I'm approaching!

Yeah I'd just stop or slow down to walking speed if it was gonna be a close enough thing that a bell would be required. I don't shout at people either. If people are deaf, blind or, much more commonly, wearing headphones plus looking at a phone, then they won't hear a bell, or a shout and you're still none the wiser if they're gonna step sideways to avoid a puddle or whatever.

I don't really care so much about who's fault things are, like I said earlier I've had people accidentally dive in front of me when I'm on the road that resulted in a crash but the thing is I've got a bike, which is a potentially fast moving blunt instrument, and smacking a kids head with a handlebar could kill them, even at low speed. I always drive, ride and walk with the same idea, that no one should be doing anything they're not required to to allow me to be there. I don't want people to have to change direction, I don't want people to have to brake, I don't want people to get out of my way Smile

jgw1 · 02/02/2022 13:07

@OneTC

I'm a bit surprised that you remove the reflectors from your bikes, as these are safety devices, which enable you to be seen at night! Why do you take them off, do they get in the way?

Can't speak for grasping but for me they just look naff

They're the first thing to come off a new bike, the bell is second.

I do light myself more than adequately when it's dark or gloomy though

I've taken the brake lights off my car because I think they look naff.
OneTC · 02/02/2022 13:08

Good luck with that Grin

Tzimi · 02/02/2022 13:10

@OneTC

I can't imagine not having some way of warning people that I'm coming, if they havn't seen me, especially sight-impaired people. I find it a bit vulgar shouting at people as I'm approaching!

Yeah I'd just stop or slow down to walking speed if it was gonna be a close enough thing that a bell would be required. I don't shout at people either. If people are deaf, blind or, much more commonly, wearing headphones plus looking at a phone, then they won't hear a bell, or a shout and you're still none the wiser if they're gonna step sideways to avoid a puddle or whatever.

I don't really care so much about who's fault things are, like I said earlier I've had people accidentally dive in front of me when I'm on the road that resulted in a crash but the thing is I've got a bike, which is a potentially fast moving blunt instrument, and smacking a kids head with a handlebar could kill them, even at low speed. I always drive, ride and walk with the same idea, that no one should be doing anything they're not required to to allow me to be there. I don't want people to have to change direction, I don't want people to have to brake, I don't want people to get out of my way Smile

So many people on here assume that a cyclist would be riding up to people at full speed & ringing their bell frantically at the last minute just to frighten the bejesus out of pedestrians & force them to dive for cover! With me, it's just a matter of signalling in good time that there's a bike coming, so as not to take them by surprise and allow them to prepare if they need to.

Having said that, some cyclists do actually want to frighten pedestrians-not everyone has good intentions! This happened to me the other day when I was out running along my local pathway with my earphones in. I was keeping well to the left of the path, and a cyclist approached me from behind. But instead of overtaking to my right, where there was plenty of space, he deliberately shot past on my left, presumably to frighten me! This involved going onto the soggy grass, and if he had veered any further to his left, he would have ended up in a ditch!

Grasping · 02/02/2022 19:33

[quote Tzimi]@Grasping I'm a bit surprised that you remove the reflectors from your bikes, as these are safety devices, which enable you to be seen at night! Why do you take them off, do they get in the way?[/quote]
I don’t take them off, they’re not fixed to the bike when I buy it, just supplied, by law.

I rarely ride at night and have lights anyway.

Tzimi · 02/02/2022 20:32

@jgw1 I was just thinking, why don't I take my wing mirrors off my car, cos they stick out too much! Smile

jgw1 · 02/02/2022 20:43

[quote Tzimi]@jgw1 I was just thinking, why don't I take my wing mirrors off my car, cos they stick out too much! Smile[/quote]
I quite like the orange flashing lights on the side of my car, they are quite stylish, but I have noticed that many drivers seem to have removed the bulbs from theirs.

That's why they never seem to work I guess.

OneTC · 02/02/2022 20:51

I don’t take them off, they’re not fixed to the bike when I buy it, just supplied, by law.

The rear red and the pedal ones are required at night. Not just at point of sale like the bell

OneTC · 02/02/2022 21:04

I was just thinking, why don't I take my wing mirrors off my car, cos they stick out too much!

If you're driving round in a nice vintage (pre78) then yeah you can do this. 👍

You can do it to any other car if you can come up with an alternative solution for 2 of your mirrors

ftr in talking about removing the plastic OEM things that come on every bike, I'm not talking about leaving a bike non road compliant. I have several non compliant bikes (no brakes, no reflectors at all and I'm never ever attaching a light to them) but they only go to tracks and parks.

Madwife123 · 02/02/2022 21:21

@adulthumanfemalemum

Can't believe the amount of hate for cyclists. You might get held up for two minutes behind one. Big deal. They are getting some exercise and not polluting the environment. Why is your journey more important than theirs? We should all be using cars less, and part of that is making it safer to cycle and walk. In the Netherlands everyone cycles because it's so much safer to do so. If it's not safe to overtake a cyclist in the middle of the road it's not safe to overtake them at the edge. Just because you feel nice and safe squeezing past inside a metal box doesn't make it safe for them. Sometimes you'll just have to wait. Tough shit. I say this as a car driver and cyclist.
2 minutes?

It was 25 minutes for me this morning, while on my way to an emergency home birth call out.

If cyclists can see they are holding up loads of traffic they should pull over for a few seconds and let it clear.

jgw1 · 02/02/2022 21:34

It was 25 minutes for me this morning, while on my way to an emergency home birth call out.
If cyclists can see they are holding up loads of traffic they should pull over for a few seconds and let it clear.

Last time I drove on a motorway I was held up for over an hour.

If motorist can see they are holding up loads of traffic they should pull over for a few seconds and let it clear.

OneTC · 02/02/2022 22:03

25 minutes with no chance to overtake? 🤔

Momicrone · 02/02/2022 22:10

A cycling mid wife would be cool, they should make a TV show about that

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