# how to be a bad cyclist.



## gavroche (26 Jul 2012)

On my ride this afternoon I caught up with this chap. As soon as I got to his back wheel, he stopped so i carried on and thought nothing of it. At one time i looked over my shoulder and there he was, inches behind me. I ignored him and carried on until i got to some traffic lights. They were on red so i slowed down to stop. He just rode past me, had a quick look to the right to see if traffic was coming and went straight through the lights. Needless to say i did not see him after that as by the time the lights turned green again , he was too far ahead. What an idiot!


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## Col5632 (27 Jul 2012)

Sadly you do get them


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## MattHB (27 Jul 2012)

I had almost this exact same thing a few months ago. Quite mad.


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## oilyormo (1 Aug 2012)

for me youve gotto take in the full picture.
was it obviouse nothing was coming? the road was clear?

if the chap in question jumped a red when it wasnt clear that the road was clear then yes he is a numpty.
but if the road was oviously clear and there was no risk crossing then i dont blame him.
i get so annoyed by the highways planners thinking that withought their imput, ie traffic lights roundabouts etc. then we d all run into each other. ok when during rush hours some sort of traffic organisation needs to be in place but ordinarily why cant we be trusted to use our own common sense. why do i get stopped at 5.30 in the morning at traffic lights when it is blatantly obviouse that there is no other traffic around? 
why do i have to stop at a railway underpass when lights are red when i can see that there is no traffic for half a mile coming the other way. 

sorry just sounding out at being treated like a retard by some of the town/highway planners round here


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## Cyclist33 (5 Aug 2012)

oilyormo said:


> for me youve gotto take in the full picture.
> was it obviouse nothing was coming? the road was clear?
> 
> if the chap in question jumped a red when it wasnt clear that the road was clear then yes he is a numpty.
> ...


Would that be the one on lumb brook road?!


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## oilyormo (5 Aug 2012)

no, but thats another example. i was refering to the Hawleys lane bridge at dallam, nr. eddie stobbart depot.
at one time the lights were removed, and nobody ran into each other, we all used our common sense. Then it seemed that some official decided that we need looking after and put the traffic lights back in. now we all have to stop at the red light even though the road is clear.


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## gavroche (6 Aug 2012)

oilyormo said:


> for me youve gotto take in the full picture.
> was it obviouse nothing was coming? the road was clear?


 You can only see may be 20 metres on the road of the right as it forks away so it is not clear to see if traffic is coming or not so the chap IS an idiot.


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## oilyormo (6 Aug 2012)

yep


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## sidevalve (7 Aug 2012)

oilyormo said:


> for me youve gotto take in the full picture.
> was it obviouse nothing was coming? the road was clear?
> 
> if the chap in question jumped a red when it wasnt clear that the road was clear then yes he is a numpty.
> ...


 OK, let's just get this absolutely clear 100% . It's OK for cyclists to ignore the rules as and when it suits. Secondly if the jumper makes a mistake and DOES get himself killed are you going to go around to the driver and say yep don't worry mate it wasn't your fault and the cyclists family and say "got what he deserved he was a numpty"? I have seen the result of killing someone in a no fault accident and trust me, not being to blame was NO comfort to the guy involved. He still has dreams several years later.
If the rules don't apply to cyclists _ they don't apply to cars, get over it.


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## oilyormo (7 Aug 2012)

what i'd ask for is a degree of common sense applied.
If we take cross roads for example, some are controlled by traffic lights and some have no control at all where motorists are required to use common sense and general etiquette to cross.

OK at 5.30 in the afternoon some roads are exceptionally busy and some sort of control is required to enable traffic to flow smoothly at busy crossings.
At 5.00 AM all crossings are genarally the same ie. traffic free. Why are we required to stop at a red light (wasting fuel and increasing emmissions) when it is obvious that there is no traffic and no risk in crossing if we all use our common sense.

an argument exists for turning lights off during off peak hours at SOME junctions and allowing common sense to prevail (some will need controll at all times ie where visibility is poor i know.) Or even allowing rlj's where there is absolutely no risks involved.

The same common sense could be applied where a pedestrian crossing is on red and it is obvious that the only pedestrian for miles can be seen to have already crossed over.
How many cyclists have stopped at a red light on a pedestrian crossing in the early hours of the morning when there is no one there and the person who has pressed the button is now on the other side of the road?


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## oilyormo (7 Aug 2012)

Lots of examples of lights being innoperative for whatever reason and the traffic does seem to flow a lot better and we dont seem to run into each other although extra care is required.


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## sidevalve (8 Aug 2012)

oilyomo, I admire you faith in people having "common sense". However nearly 30 years of working on traffic lights and motorway signals has convinced me "common sense" is VERY rare indeed. The problem with switching a junction off is simply EVERYBODY decides that THEY have right of way. I have been called to many accidents caused by exactly this problem [thankfully the police and ambulance services pick up the soggy bits, I just had to check the lights]. I'm afraid the majority of people are like sheep, they need to be told what to do and those of us with more brain cells than teeth simply have to accept it.


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## oilyormo (8 Aug 2012)

I believe people behave like sheep because in this country they are treated like sheep. especially motorists.

as a cyclist although i may be classed and treated as a motorist i consider myself more akin to a pedestrian.

a pedestrian can walk across a junction on red. most dont have a death wish and will look both ways and only when its safe will cross over, nobody bats an eyelid and no police prosecution. why doesnt a cyclist have that right (he/she can be across that crossing point far quicker).

refering to the original post as has been said there was very poor visibility in one direction and i therefore agree that the red light jumper was litterally playing russian roulette with his life. i just think that all the facts should come to light before anyone is condemned. and no it wasnt me by the way.


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## Michael8 (9 Aug 2012)

I go to work at about 04:45am and find that I can be stuck at lights for some time, with no cars about this can be annoying, so I tend to go over via the pedestrian crossing just to be on the safe side. I went out the other day for couple of hours of leisure cycling on my day off and waited at most traffic lights so it's more down to the pressure of getting to work in time and clocking in.


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## oilyormo (9 Aug 2012)

i agree michael. its exactly what i do. but the question i ask is why is it deemed to be safer using the pedestrian crossing rather than just riding accross on the road ? theres probably only 10ft difference.

i believe its less about getting to work on time though and more about being stopped by the police officer whos behind or the general public who think that we should all behave like lemmings and shouldnt dream of using our own initiative or thinking for ourselves


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## PpPete (9 Aug 2012)

Why not write to the council asking them to change the lights to peak time only?
Might not have any effect... but a bit more likely than whingeing on here.



oilyormo said:


> why is it deemed to be safer using the pedestrian crossing rather than just riding accross on the road ? theres probably only 10ft difference.


The law may be an ass - but as citizens we all have an obligation to try and stay within it.


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## oilyormo (9 Aug 2012)

or is it peoples attitudes with reggards to the person who can think for himself?


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## Pat "5mph" (9 Aug 2012)

oilyormo said:


> How many cyclists have stopped at a red light on a pedestrian crossing in the early hours of the morning when there is no one there and the person who has pressed the button is now on the other side of the road?


I'm a very bad very bad cyclist


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## Licramite (25 Aug 2012)

I suppose it comes down to common sense and how much of a death wish you have.

red light on pedestrian crossing , ok , it can be ignored if empty, and if you do collide with an unseen pedestrian, oops sorry. -

red light at a road junction - its a dangerous place, and oh its empty can easily turn into - oh shoot

now we are conditioned not to want to kill each other, and if your in an arguement with a car or lorry - your going to loose (unless your on a motorcycle - then your invincible and obviously made of high tensile steel and a head on collision with a lorry will leave it wrecked, and if you don,t think like this why do you drive like a complete kamikazi)

so if through your stupidity you do kill yourself under someones car, they are going to be upset about it for a very long time, even though it was you who through your own arrogance killed yourself on their car/lorry/mobility scooter

so always remember A) in the event of a collision with a vehicle - you loose - possibly your life or legs or spine.
B) just think of the person who is going to kill/cripple you - and the effect it will have on them (unless its me and I will just think - muppet tough shoot)

so is it so hard to stop for a few seconds. -


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## berty bassett (25 Aug 2012)

leaving myself open to insults can i ask the people who think its ok to go through red lights , where the line is drawn at what vehicle can go through red lights ? - i presume that push bikes can - so does that mean anything that moves less than 45 mph like scooters and horses ? or is it just us because it is so hard to unclip and put a foot down - i also have a car and a van - can i go through with them if i think its clear on the other side cos its real hard work changing gear and i am in a hurry


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## Dan B (25 Aug 2012)

berty bassett said:


> - i presume that push bikes can - so does that mean anything that moves less than 45 mph like scooters and horses ?


I'm probably not the best person to answer this, but as a a matter of curiosity, can you find any law to say that horses can't?

sent from my outboard brain


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## berty bassett (26 Aug 2012)

no i can't find any law that says a horse can't - mainly because i can't be bothered to try  but i would have thought if horses are rode on the road then they should adhere to the rules same as we should


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## Sara_H (26 Aug 2012)

Interesting arguments about jumping red lights.

Part of my route home takes me along a cycle path through a retail park, which then joins the road in the retail park car park with traffic lights to get back onto the main road. Sensors at these traffic lights dont sense me on the bike, and since I'm often travelling outside the retail parks opening hours I'd literally wait for hours for a car to join me to make the lights flip to green.

My answer is to hop onto the pavement and use a pedestrian crossing about twenty metres away, If there are peds (which there aren't, usually) I get off and walk, but no doubt my actions get all the passing motorists tutting about my actions.

At the end of the day, we're trying to navigate an infrastructure designed for cars. It seems obvious that other road users are going to have to use a bit of common sense and bend the rules occasionally.


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## Dan B (26 Aug 2012)

berty bassett said:


> i would have thought if horses are rode on the road then they should adhere to the rules same as we should


By that argument, so should pedestrians who are walking on the road


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## berty bassett (26 Aug 2012)

Dan B said:


> By that argument, so should pedestrians who are walking on the road


definitely !! wouldn't it be a lovely place if we all followed simple rules to make life easier - the trouble is when some think that the rules are stupid and shouldn't apply to them - then people who are trying to go through life easily have to start second guessing those who think they are above the rules


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## DougieAB (27 Aug 2012)

Talking of stupid cyclists, on Friday afternoon I passed a guy on a bike who was carrying a green plastic water butt with one hand as he stopped at lights to turn right. What goes through your mind to think "yeah, I'll take the bike to Homebase to buy that water butt" Muppet!


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## Dan B (28 Aug 2012)

berty bassett said:


> definitely !! wouldn't it be a lovely place if we all followed simple rules to make life easier - the trouble is when some think that the rules are stupid and shouldn't apply to them


If those people are pedestrians, then the rules (at least, the rules that require vehicle users to stop at red traffic lights) *don't* apply to them. No more than the rules about staying off the pavements or needing to be licenced to use the road. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## berty bassett (28 Aug 2012)

Dan B said:


> If those people are pedestrians, then the rules (at least, the rules that require vehicle users to stop at red traffic lights) *don't* apply to them. No more than the rules about staying off the pavements or needing to be licenced to use the road.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


i didn't mean that if you are walking on the path and you see a red light you should stop - that would be silly - although that is what happens at pelican crossings in a sort of way ( you wait for a green ) what i mean is that if everyone just does a simple thing like follow a simple rule then there would be no second guessing impatient people willing to put my life in danger , i also think that it no where near the same to compare a walking person to a horse - a horse is transport with a mind of its own and i should think they would definitely would have to stop at lights in fear of being spooked going through head long into traffic making it more dangerous in my opinion . i can't see how there is any similarity between a pedestrian and a 1 tonne 8 foot horse


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## Stonepark (28 Aug 2012)

Sara_H said:


> Interesting arguments about jumping red lights.
> 
> Part of my route home takes me along a cycle path through a retail park, which then joins the road in the retail park car park with traffic lights to get back onto the main road. Sensors at these traffic lights dont sense me on the bike, and since I'm often travelling outside the retail parks opening hours I'd literally wait for hours for a car to join me to make the lights flip to green.
> 
> ...


 

Write/email your council road department and report lights as faulty if they won't pick you up (whether road sensor induction loop or IR camera) and ask for them to be adjusted asap.


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## Dan B (28 Aug 2012)

berty bassett said:


> .
> i can't see how there is any similarity between a pedestrian and a 1 tonne 8 foot horse


How about between a cyclist and the driver of a 1 tonne 5 foot by 7 foot by 15 foot car? If there is no similarity, why are they bound by the same laws?

sent from my outboard brain


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## berty bassett (28 Aug 2012)

they have wheels ,travel at speed and can kill if they are abused !! just the same as a horse


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## Dan B (28 Aug 2012)

I've never seen a horse with wheels, but I'll take your word for it.


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## Nathan Berry (29 Aug 2012)

ive jumped red lights on a bike probably being a muppet but the lights were turning red as i was aproaching them 10 15 20 mph cant remember, the other traffic wernt moving yet so i thought sod it, im fed up of stopping at traffic lights every 5 seconds, but i wouldnt go across lights if there already red on a quiet road then ill probably jump them, i dnt think any lights would sense me anyway,


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## boybiker (29 Aug 2012)

gavroche said:


> On my ride this afternoon I caught up with this chap. As soon as I got to his back wheel, he stopped so i carried on and thought nothing of it. At one time i looked over my shoulder and there he was, inches behind me. I ignored him and carried on until i got to some traffic lights. They were on red so i slowed down to stop. He just rode past me, had a quick look to the right to see if traffic was coming and went straight through the lights. Needless to say i did not see him after that as by the time the lights turned green again , he was too far ahead. What an idiot!


 
I had this the other day on my commute! It really pi$$ed me off!


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## oilyormo (29 Aug 2012)

im not condoning jumping red lights at all. what im saying is that before you can call someone an idiot for going through a red light then you should take the circumstances into account.
IE: take two cyclists approaching a red light. all roads are obviosly clear of traffic as far as the eye can see (maybe 1/4 mile either way, say) pedestrians are walking across the junction (maybe elderly or women with pushchairs etc.). Both cyclist slow down, assess the situation and one decides its perfectly safe to cross with no risks whatsoever, the other stops and waites for 2 minutes or so. Is the red light jumper an idiot? Can you with hand on heart honestly say that youve never gone through in similar circumstances?


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## berty bassett (30 Aug 2012)

i come on this site because its fun and i learn a lot , not to get into arguments . so i am sorry i entered my opinion about others going through red lights . it has nothing to do with me what other cyclists do at lights and i should keep my views to myself . i hope i never have to pass an accident where someone has been hit going through lights . i live where there are not many lights and the ones that are here seem to be here for a reason , i understand that other places are lit up like christmas trees and it must be annoying stopping all the time - good luck and hope you don't hurt yourself or anyone else


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## Noodle Legs (30 Aug 2012)

sidevalve said:


> oilyomo, I admire you faith in people having "common sense". However nearly 30 years of working on traffic lights and motorway signals has convinced me "common sense" is VERY rare indeed. The problem with switching a junction off is simply EVERYBODY decides that THEY have right of way. I have been called to many accidents caused by exactly this problem [thankfully the police and ambulance services pick up the soggy bits, I just had to check the lights]. I'm afraid the majority of people are like sheep, they need to be told what to do and those of us with more brain cells than teeth simply have to accept it.


 
Couldn't agree more.

As I was always told, the problem with common sense is it's not common...................


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## KateK (31 Aug 2012)

I was hit by a cyclist going through a red light on a pedestrian crossing about 20 years ago. I got two cracked ribs and a knee that took two years to recover enough to walk reliably without pain. I always shout at cyclists going through red lights when there are pedestrians because it scares the hell out of me and shouting RED LIGHT!! helps relieve the anxiety, anyway they don't usually seem to be awake enough to notice that there is a light so I'm just waking them up. I always stop, its a matter of courtesy as well as law. I expect other road users to behave responsibly and I do my best to do the same. Round here we have lots of young adult cyclists and if we want them to survive to the same age as us older cyclists we have to help teach them the rules.


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