van v. cyclist: driver sacked

[taff]

I've jumped red lights on a motorway bridge that does have a path to cycle round, but only halfway, and the only way to get to it was to ride in the lane that turns onto the motorway, a lane that's always full at times I finish work or ride on the two foot high grass verge that luckily includes glass and broken mirrors etc that runs along said motorway filter lane.

Junction 16, home of the idiot....because....there are 4 lanes clearly marked. Unfortunately, the majority of people want to go in the inside two lanes,which really annoys some people with cars who want to to all the way round to the right without actually being in any of the correct lanes. I get cut up regularly at that roundabout by people who just don't want to queue in the right lane, and when I wont let them in, beeped at, sworn at etc.
I laugh, I have an old van, they have shiny new cars.....MWAH HA HA HA HAAAA!!!

P.S. I don't cycle to work any more because it's too dangerous.Someone from my own workplace told me they nearly ran me over becuase they didn't see me...nice...they didn't though, phew.

[Alison]

If anybody ever wants a laugh and to see why most cyclists don't like using cycle lanes then I suggest that they should have a look at this Crap Cycle Lanes: Amazon.co.uk: Warrington Cycle Campaign, Dan Hiscocks, Tobias Steed: Books, I know the bloke who complied it following a theme on the Warrington Cycle Campaign webiste. Some truly awful examples of ridiculous and often dangerous provisions

[organic]

TS - I just watched those videos.
I've seen magnatom's stuff before and though he comes across as a bit of a whiny bugger somtimes I've seen some appaling stuff on the videos.

To me the first overtake didn't look close enough to bother with - though the comment about "not a jot" spoke volumes.

The second one was absolutely typical and one of those "be ready for them to pull out" moments for me. In fact, before I pulled out I'd have stuck my whistle in my mouth just in case.
A fine example of how effective the "scream like hell" technique can be.

The last one just made me shake my head. Easy to see coming and react to but a fine example of just how terrible some drivers are when it comes to either looking for or their attitude towards cyclists (whichever it was in this case).

[Two_Sheds]

TS and her obvious dislike of car drivers,

Not true. It should read TS's dislike of careless, inconsiderate drivers.

I like our A6, and I'd drive it if my left arm wasn't b*ggered. I've been on the back of my brother's R6 and loved it. Also zoomed up and down the A12 in a friend's midlife crisis, loved it.

At least car drivers pay for the roads.

Actually, as an income taxpayer, I pay for the roads. But I don't damage them.

Cyclists have a RIGHT to be on the road. Motor vehicle drivers need a LICENCE before they are permitted to join them.

I like that

you legally have to have reflectors but lights are strictly optional.

Bikes must by law be fitted with a fixed front and rear light, and new bikes must have a bell. BBC - h2g2 - Bicycle Lights

Of course, flashing lights fixed to the bike are illegal (but not if fixed to your body). Quite mad, because flashers are much more visible than fixed lights, esp, if you've got a dynamo that goes off when you stop (at traffic lights etc).

However, pedestrians are not legally required to hear you ringing your bell, and all my crashes have been in broad daylight (drivers tend to look more and be more wary at night time)

[HeyWayne]

Oh wow - Wayne - I can't tell, was that tongue in cheek or not???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTcu7MCtuTs

Cyclists have a RIGHT to be on the road. Motor vehicle drivers need a LICENCE before they are permitted to join them.

Of course, another opinion could be - drivers are tested, any numpty can get on a bike.

[organic]

Alison...
Highway code section 60.
A front white and a red rear light MUST be visible on bikes riding after dusk.
It really is the law.


As for the Warrington Cycle Campaign lot - they have some side-splittingly funny pictures.
You can see some in the "cycle facility of the month" here too:
Cycle Facility of the Month
Navigate with the arrows above the pictures for some real belly laughs at the stupidity of town planners (exception made for the rare breed who actually seem to think about what they are doing).


EDIT:
The facility of the month in July 2008 is about 150 yards from the finest and smoothest cycle lane I've ever seen. It's segregated, safe, well used... and less than a third of a mile long... on one of the main commuter routes. Oh well.
It is a VERY good cycle lane though. It has traffic lights just for bikes. A beautifully smooth surface that's grippy even when wet, a kerb between bikes and cars, further segregation from pedestrians. Truly a bit of perfection in the art of the cycle-lane.

[organic]

HW - I like that one too.
A suitably tongue in cheek response to a tongue in cheek remark.

It reminds me of the "gays on trays" and "pricks on sticks" insults thrown at eachother by the skiers and snowboarders (respectively) that I know. Much mirth - and when they consider the differences in the way they move - a nice and safe interaction too.

[Two_Sheds]

the stupidity of town planners

The cycle route that I mentioned earlier, up there ^ somewhere, is on Gt Yarmouth's nice shiny cycle map, and on their website.

The trouble is, that the section that goes from the schools to the main road (through a park where the dog walkers are) doesn't have any markings at all to show that it's a cycle lane. It just looks like a normal footpath, hence the abuse I get from walkers.

It IS a cycle path, it's always been a cycle path, but they just forgot to put any signs up. I've been corresponding with the council chap about it for the past 2 years, and he agrees with me that it's daft, but at the moment there is no money to put any signs up. (Oh, and some of the ones they have put up are back-to-front, causing great confusion). There's even a section that does have a blue cycle lane sign on it but 3 feet in front of it, next to the bike lane, there's a No Cycling sign as well

[Two_Sheds]

Right, lovely chatting with you all, it's been a good discussion and I hope we've all agreed to be a bit nicer to each other on the roads.

I think there'll be one more cyclist on the roads tomorrow, because Mr TS just called me to say he's been laid off.

[organic]

Oh crap!
That sucks... really sorry to hear it TS.

[lindyloo]

i am not against cyclists in any way, but i am not sure that i think that cyclists are paragons of the road... i do believe that most drivers of commercial vehicles are very responsible, certainly as regards passing horses, i find that van, lorry and bus drivers are fantastically considerate, so strangley, are young lads ( something to do with the insurance premium maybe).. however, i find, both driving, in car and with horses, that cyclists are not always as safety conscience as they could be; wavering around in the road, no signals, change lanes with out warning, no warning of stopping or slowing down,etc. take rests at the side of the road with 3/4 of thier bike at an angle in the road. none of which helps to keep themselves safe.

and as far as cyclists passing horses, i really wish they would say hello in return, , when i say hello to them. a silent cyclist can be very frightening to a horse, as it comes up from behind, at speed. dare i say it would be considered a courtesy to say hello and slow down? but i am sure that lots of cyclists do, or havent really thought about it, when they are cycling on a byway or bridlepath. however, quite often cyclists ignore our "hello, nice day" comment, which is very odd, if not rude. i am sure they dont mean to be, but please, cyclists, next time you pass a horse, say hello to that strange woman with them! ( end of mini-rant)

i am not saying that all cyclists are bad, just that some of them are not as road user friendly, and safety conscious as they could be. we all use the roads and byways, so we all have to take responsibility for our own, and other road users safety.

[northepaul]

TS are you aware of the ghost bikes in London?
Ghost Bikes | ghost bikes
A friend of mine from uni last year was one of the main photographers for the campaign (a rider himself). I believe he made a book of his photos to raise money for it.

[bobleponge]

TS, bad news Mrs, sorry to hear that.

Hope he finds something soon.
xx

[piskieinboots]

Not true. It should read TS's dislike of careless, inconsiderate drivers.

But (reading back) you were tending to lump all drivers together - however, I apologise

[RoadCar]

I got hit by a car once the driver had stopped and for the junction and it was my right of way, just getting round the corner, and the car hit me but I just carried on cylcing wish I had a go at her now, and the peds where just laughing about it. The driver never stopped in this case but if I could turn back the clock I would have had a go at her. I have to say that I am a bad cyclist I am the person who rides on the path, I use to ride through red lights but have stopped now and I do change my attiude towards motorist when on a bike, I guess I have had one too many bad experince. I remember a time I was going to college and a Lorry Driver stopped for me and waved me across to let me know nothing coming in the other lane, so that was nice of him. I don't cycle as much I cannot remember the last time I took my bike into town I only ride around the villiage now, I have notices the differents between town drivers and country driver, country drivers are much nice than town driver.

Daniel