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Original poster

Cyclists who act like they own the road should pay towards it

744 replies

dreamingofsun · 10/08/2023 10:18

So cyclists get priority on the roads, and are happy to ride two abreast so they hold all the car traffic up. Shouldnt they at least pay towards the upkeep of the road?

OP posts:
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18
WellPlaced · 14/08/2023 13:23

btw we were very quickly on some lanes and got delayed by a tractor, then a horse rider... live and let live?

absolutely, and the cars that overtake you on those lanes who you then have to wait behind when another car comes the other way. I bet the car driver doesn’t think for one minute that they’re holding the cyclist up!

Flickersy · 14/08/2023 13:25

EldenRing4 · 14/08/2023 13:21

I clearly stated that it was about pollution from tailbacks - not specifically by cyclists. Nobody has studied it yet but musing on it was the point of the post.... first sentence. Great reading comprehension skills.

As I ALSO stated the cyclists I encounter on my daily commute are excellent. No complaints there. But I have driven in other places where they hold you up for miles, or as people said large groups treating the road as a race track. I find that it's non-countryside people who have a sense of entitlement, as other slow moving vehicles like tractors for example pull in but cyclists somehow are incapable of doing so. IN the places where they are rude, unlike where I work.

That's why as ridiculous as it to say 'all cyclists are X Y Z' it's also ridiculous to pretend that SOMETHING going very slowly on a road causes no issues. I see that strangely nobody has replied to the seeming contradiction in whether or not something slow is a hazard as posted upthread.

Show quote history

The volume of tailbacks caused by car accidents, breakdowns, and sheer weight of traffic are infinitely larger than those caused by cyclists.

When I've spent hours in traffic jams, it's because of accidents. When I spent half an hour in stop start traffic on Saturday, it was because there were huge numbers of drivers trying to go to an event.

Cyclists are not the ones causing severe delays on our roads.

Alexandra2001 · 14/08/2023 13:27

@EldenRing4 lol!

Your very first sentence....

Has anybody done a study as to the increase in pollution caused by tailbacks behind cyclists?

Maybe re read before hitting "post" ?

DdraigGoch · 14/08/2023 13:29

@EldenRing4 I can tell you what the biggest cause of traffic jams is.

Wait for it...

Are you ready?

Traffic

Alexandra2001 · 14/08/2023 13:29

WellPlaced · 14/08/2023 13:23

btw we were very quickly on some lanes and got delayed by a tractor, then a horse rider... live and let live?

absolutely, and the cars that overtake you on those lanes who you then have to wait behind when another car comes the other way. I bet the car driver doesn’t think for one minute that they’re holding the cyclist up!

Yep... numerous times i'm out on my own in West Devon, car comes up behind (single track lane) i pull over, let them pass, then a 1mile later he is reversing back or stuck waiting for a reversing car...

all perfectly fine!!!

WellPlaced · 14/08/2023 13:29

No-one has bothered doing a study because there aren’t any tailbacks caused by cyclists

WellPlaced · 14/08/2023 13:31

Alexandra2001 · 14/08/2023 13:29

Yep... numerous times i'm out on my own in West Devon, car comes up behind (single track lane) i pull over, let them pass, then a 1mile later he is reversing back or stuck waiting for a reversing car...

all perfectly fine!!!

Show quote history

but if you then overtake them you get an angry fist wave 😂

Castall · 14/08/2023 13:57

@Frabbits

i think we can't ignore the safety of pedestrians from bikes and bikes from cars and so forth and I would be happy for the registration to be free and paid for by tax payers.

registration and insurance protects all.

Alexandra2001 · 14/08/2023 14:05

Castall · 14/08/2023 13:57

@Frabbits

i think we can't ignore the safety of pedestrians from bikes and bikes from cars and so forth and I would be happy for the registration to be free and paid for by tax payers.

registration and insurance protects all.

Where would you put a registration plate on a bicycle?

Kazzyhoward · 14/08/2023 14:07

Alexandra2001 · 14/08/2023 14:05

Where would you put a registration plate on a bicycle?

Show quote history

The same way they're put on mopeds and motorbikes!

Frabbits · 14/08/2023 14:10

EldenRing4 · 14/08/2023 13:08

Has anybody done a study as to the increase in pollution caused by tailbacks behind cyclists?

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/traffic-calming-measures-damage-environment-by-causing-tailbacks-6619809.html

That's not for cyclists - but tailbacks increases pollution.

It's a matter of scale here... If the entire road was cyclists, it's better than if it was all cars. But if it's a long line of cyclists holding up a long line of cars then I highly doubt that the pollution levels are lower.

And while you go on about the health benefits at the end of the day cycling is limited to those who live a certain distance away, don't have loads of stuff and it's only one person. As much as I for example would LOVE to cycle to work that would take me 2 hours! Not to mention carrying 3 laptops and assorted chargers.

Show quote history

Point 1:

Yes there has been studies.

No, cyclists "holding up cars" do not increase air pollution.

Point 2:

The average distance covered by motorists in the UK is less than 10 miles. Obviously, there are going to be people who have no choice but to commute by car, but it's blatently obvious there are many more lazy fuckers who could easily switch to cycling or even walking for a great number of journeys.

Frabbits · 14/08/2023 14:15

Castall · 14/08/2023 13:57

@Frabbits

i think we can't ignore the safety of pedestrians from bikes and bikes from cars and so forth and I would be happy for the registration to be free and paid for by tax payers.

registration and insurance protects all.

All that would happen is that the idea that motorists are subsidisingregistration for bikes would become yet another stick to beat cyclists with.

It's still putting barriers in the way of something that should be encouraged.

It's like requiring people to have a licence before they are allowed to put litter in a bin.

Frabbits · 14/08/2023 14:15

Kazzyhoward · 14/08/2023 14:07

The same way they're put on mopeds and motorbikes!

Show quote history

You know both of those things are significantly wider than a pushbike, right?

Castall · 14/08/2023 14:16

@Alexandra2001

i said registered I didnot say they need a big registration plate.

but thinking about it like an old tax disc holder on a moped or a small back plate like a moped just if top of head.

Castall · 14/08/2023 14:23

@Frabbits

the real issue is too much driving as our society has been built around it and people live to far from work and send kids to far to school and fly to much etc etc

that all needs to change but look at the ULEZ thing and the stupid cost of the railways

my point is about cyclist responsibility and so forth.

just saying it's puts people off should not excuse responsibility improvements. I am sure you don't mean that so the other option is to make cars so very very much more expensive.

I think I consider that peopleS consumption in all things needs to drop and responsibility increase. If people compare to now they appear to be angry but the truth is now people use to much without paying the full on cost.

it's a different debate to here. Wear I think cyclist should have insurance have to wear helmets and bikes be registered which does not mean a visible plate .

DatumTarum · 14/08/2023 14:24

Castall · 14/08/2023 14:16

@Alexandra2001

i said registered I didnot say they need a big registration plate.

but thinking about it like an old tax disc holder on a moped or a small back plate like a moped just if top of head.

What would this added layer of bureaucracy actually achieve?

What problem is it trying to solve?

Would it be cost effective?

Do you think it would discourage cycling?

What about children?

What about tourists?

Potential for fraud?

Castall · 14/08/2023 14:32

@DatumTarum

well for example that cyclists had done a cycling test for example. So discourage inappropriate behaviour from ignorance and improve safety

you call it bureaucratic thing I see it a appropriate safety measures.

cost effective - umm define a measure there could be many.

fraud - ummmm to zero no nothing can.

WellPlaced · 14/08/2023 14:37

@Castall
you call it bureaucratic thing I see it a appropriate safety measures.

safety for who?

DatumTarum · 14/08/2023 14:37

Castall · 14/08/2023 14:32

@DatumTarum

well for example that cyclists had done a cycling test for example. So discourage inappropriate behaviour from ignorance and improve safety

you call it bureaucratic thing I see it a appropriate safety measures.

cost effective - umm define a measure there could be many.

fraud - ummmm to zero no nothing can.

Is there a measurable problem with cyclists causing accidents?

MrsAvocet · 14/08/2023 14:44

There are very few countries in the world which have any form of bike registration/licensing scheme. Denmark has a kind of registration scheme but it's the manufacturers responsibility to register frame numbers, not the owners and as far as I can gather it is mainly an anti theft thing, not a rider control process.
Quite a lot of countries have tried but then abandoned rider registration schemes as unworkable. Maybe you should contact all those international governments and tell them where they went wrong Castall? There'sonly one country as far as I am aware that has anything like the ideas you're suggesting. It's North Korea.

WellPlaced · 14/08/2023 14:48

@Castall
How many bikes do you and your family own?

Brumbies · 14/08/2023 14:49

Some of the pro cyclist comments here are bordering on the ridiculous.

Frabbits · 14/08/2023 14:50

Castall · 14/08/2023 14:23

@Frabbits

the real issue is too much driving as our society has been built around it and people live to far from work and send kids to far to school and fly to much etc etc

that all needs to change but look at the ULEZ thing and the stupid cost of the railways

my point is about cyclist responsibility and so forth.

just saying it's puts people off should not excuse responsibility improvements. I am sure you don't mean that so the other option is to make cars so very very much more expensive.

I think I consider that peopleS consumption in all things needs to drop and responsibility increase. If people compare to now they appear to be angry but the truth is now people use to much without paying the full on cost.

it's a different debate to here. Wear I think cyclist should have insurance have to wear helmets and bikes be registered which does not mean a visible plate .

Requiring insurance/ registration will not make people more responsible. Insurance is only needed for cars because the liabilities involved are so potentially huge, which is just not the case at all with cyclists. Ditto registration.

As you say, too many people's lives revolve around driving everywhere. Therefore, we need to make the alternatives as easy and as cheap as possible.

WellPlaced · 14/08/2023 14:52

Brumbies · 14/08/2023 14:49

Some of the pro cyclist comments here are bordering on the ridiculous.

Such as?

do you cycle @Brumbies ?

Castall · 14/08/2023 14:54

@DatumTarum

yep!
and e scooters

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