Cyclists above the law
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From: mileburner on 27 Nov 2009 10:32 "Peter Grange" <peter(a)plgrange.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:fnqvg5dgv7fvpmd5fsu08tnd6olr5hh3o6(a)4ax.com... > On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:37:18 -0000, "mileburner" > <mileburner(a)btinternet.com> wrote: >> >>What I have often wondered about those multitude of give way markers on >>cycle routes is who the cyclist is supposed to give way to. The complexity >>of some of them, (where there are pedestrians and traffic at a junction) >>is >>so great that it is far easier to just use the road, and its safer. >> > Which is one of my objections to most shared-pavement cycle lanes. The > cyclist is expected to stop and give way at every side turning off the > road to which the cycle lane is parallel. In some cases this means a > stop every few yards, whereas on the road the cyclist, along with the > motorised traffic, has right-of-way over traffic joining from the side > road. This makes using the cycle lane for commuting, or any other > reason where time matters, a no-no, and puts the cyclist at risk at > each crossing point. There would be an uproar if the priorities were > reversed for motorised traffic, where safety would doubtless be raised > as an issue. It is also very difficult to teach a child to give way to cars coming from ahead, behind, to the right, to the left, all at the same time, and also to watch out for pedestrians both ways too. It is easier to simply teach them to ride a metre away from the kerb and ride on the road.
From: Tony Dragon on 27 Nov 2009 10:54 mileburner wrote: > "Steve Firth" <%steve%@malloc.co.uk> wrote in message > news:1j9ueyx.1mu5i2w1uedkqdN%%steve%@malloc.co.uk... >> Tony Dragon <tony.dragon(a)btinternet.com> wrote: >> >>> I don't recall being knocked over on the pavement by a motorist, but a >>> cyclist has managed to do this. >> Walking on pavements in London I have to dodge a flying cyclist every >> few hundred yards. Just a walk from place to work to sandwich bar can >> see me dodging a dozen or more pavement cyclists. Even more galling >> because there's a cycle lane on the pavement bu the cyclists choose not >> to use them. I've not had to dodge a single car in the last twelve >> months. >> >> There are also "Give Way" markings for cyclists which are use whenever >> the cycle lane crosses the pavement. Would you like to guess how many >> cyclists obey those markings? > > What I have often wondered about those multitude of give way markers on > cycle routes is who the cyclist is supposed to give way to. The complexity > of some of them, (where there are pedestrians and traffic at a junction) is > so great that it is far easier to just use the road, and its safer. > > So why don't these cyclists use the road then? -- Tony Dragon
From: thirty-six on 27 Nov 2009 10:58 On 27 Nov, 15:54, Tony Dragon <tony.dra...(a)btinternet.com> wrote: > mileburner wrote: > > "Steve Firth" <%ste...(a)malloc.co.uk> wrote in message > >news:1j9ueyx.1mu5i2w1uedkqdN%%steve%@malloc.co.uk... > >> Tony Dragon <tony.dra...(a)btinternet.com> wrote: > > >>> I don't recall being knocked over on the pavement by a motorist, but a > >>> cyclist has managed to do this. > >> Walking on pavements in London I have to dodge a flying cyclist every > >> few hundred yards. Just a walk from place to work to sandwich bar can > >> see me dodging a dozen or more pavement cyclists. Even more galling > >> because there's a cycle lane on the pavement bu the cyclists choose not > >> to use them. I've not had to dodge a single car in the last twelve > >> months. > > >> There are also "Give Way" markings for cyclists which are use whenever > >> the cycle lane crosses the pavement. Would you like to guess how many > >> cyclists obey those markings? > > > What I have often wondered about those multitude of give way markers on > > cycle routes is who the cyclist is supposed to give way to. The complexity > > of some of them, (where there are pedestrians and traffic at a junction) is > > so great that it is far easier to just use the road, and its safer. > > So why don't these cyclists use the road then? > They know a soft landing when they see it.
From: Squashme on 27 Nov 2009 11:56 On 27 Nov, 14:04, %ste...(a)malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) wrote: > Tony Dragon <tony.dra...(a)btinternet.com> wrote: > > I don't recall being knocked over on the pavement by a motorist, but a > > cyclist has managed to do this. > > Walking on pavements in London I have to dodge a flying cyclist every > few hundred yards. Just a walk from place to work to sandwich bar can > see me dodging a dozen or more pavement cyclists. Even more galling > because there's a cycle lane on the pavement bu the cyclists choose not > to use them. I've not had to dodge a single car in the last twelve > months. > > There are also "Give Way" markings for cyclists which are use whenever > the cycle lane crosses the pavement. Would you like to guess how many > cyclists obey those markings? Do you give off a particular scent? For example, ants give off food trail pheromones, and you are going to a sandwich bar. Anyway, all this body swerving should be useful for your rugby training. Always look on the bright side.
From: mileburner on 27 Nov 2009 13:10
"Tony Dragon" <tony.dragon(a)btinternet.com> wrote in message news:Qr-dnXFIg5Wma5LWnZ2dnUVZ7rhi4p2d(a)bt.com... > mileburner wrote: >> >> What I have often wondered about those multitude of give way markers on >> cycle routes is who the cyclist is supposed to give way to. The >> complexity of some of them, (where there are pedestrians and traffic at a >> junction) is so great that it is far easier to just use the road, and its >> safer. > > So why don't these cyclists use the road then? Possibly because... They think a cycle route is safer. They think that they *should* use it. They think that they should stay out of the way of traffic. They are frightened of traffic. Their mum told them to stay off the road. They don't like drivers shouting, tooting, tailgating, slicing past close or hurling abuse at them. Or they are just chickenshit :-) |