Bad Name

[youngoldbloke]

Using a mobile phone in 'motorised transport' used to be legal. That did not make it safe. The law was changed. Using a mobile phone on a bicycle may not be illegal but that does not make it safe. Trying to remove a fly from your eye while moving is not illegal, but that does not make it safe either. etc, etc, etc, etc ..........

 

[mickle]

That is not all.
Do you really not get the concept of basic courtesy.

Explain your basic courtesy to the great majority of drivers who do not give me enough space when they overtake me on my bike. To the many drivers who run the red light every day at the cross roads up the road. To the large minority drivers who exceed the posted 30 mph limit past the playground when the safe maximum speed is less than 20. To the people who park all over the local pavement so that mums have to push their prams in the street. To the drivers who think that the moment they catch sight of a 40 mph sign in the distance is the end of the 30 mph zone.

Before asking me if I give a toss about a cyclist pissing motorists off - not by breaking the law or endangering anyone - but by riding a bit slowly.

 

[freecyclist]

Mobile phone use whilst riding a pedal cycle is not illegal. So this fact can be discounted as irrelevant.

Yes it can be discounted if considerations of politeness and courtesy are completely meaningless to you.

 

[twobiker]

It would appear that the idea of giving way to some one to allow them to pass is seen as unpopular ,the next time a car driver cuts in front and then slams on his brakes, or drives so close to the kerb that you cannot get past, or passes and then turns left, then I can think " well I will get my own back by cycling really slowly on that A road".

 

[4F]

Repeating yourself now, 4F?

Well its a fair point would you not say Norm. Actually I would presume that all cyclists are deemed to be "slow" by motorised vehicles so what difference would there be if the alleged cyclist was travelling at 10 mph or 18 mph ?

I find it amusing that so many on here are defending impatient motorists.

 

[4F]

It would appear that the idea of giving way to some one to allow them to pass is seen as unpopular ,the next time a car driver cuts in front and then slams on his brakes, or drives so close to the kerb that you cannot get past, or passes and then turns left, then I can think " well I will get my own back by cycling really slowly on that A road".

I doubt the cyclist in question thought that way as he was too busy on the phone

 

[totallyfixed]

I would have thought that it just boils down to this, whether you are riding a bike, driving a vehicle or riding a horse your attention ought to be on the road and those that share the road with you, doesn't matter if it's illegal or not to use a mobile whilst riding a bike, we can all think of instances where the law is an ass. I don't care about the speed of the bike, it's not a factor, I defy anyone to hold a straight line whilst dialling / texting on a mobile, quite apart from the impression it gives as others have said. Strikes me to be tiny bit hypocritical to constantly vilify drivers on mobiles and we are seen to be doing the same

 

[mickle]

Using a mobile phone in 'motorised transport' used to be legal. That did not make it safe. The law was changed. Using a mobile phone on a bicycle may not be illegal but that does not make it safe. Trying to remove a fly from your eye while moving is not illegal, but that does not make it safe either. etc, etc, etc, etc ..........

Fair point. So you'll be able to provide a link to evidence that using a mobile phone whilst riding a pedal cycle is dangerous then? A few facts and figures, how many deaths and serious injuries are caused by mobile phone using cyclists. How many cyclist pedal over cliffs to their doom because they were distracted by their mobile. How many orphans are permanently disfigured. How a mobile phone using cyclist plowed into a bus full of kittens which exploded in a ball of flames.

Not a single one I would predict. Because cycling whilst using a mobile phone is very unlikely to cause a serious accident. It's a non issue.

Mobile phone use whilst riding a bike is not illegal, nor I would suggest is it even a minor threat to the mortality of the general population, so the mobile phone in the story is irrelevant.

Lets get back to talking about slow cyclists.

 

[twobiker]

I would have thought that it just boils down to this, whether you are riding a bike, driving a vehicle or riding a horse your attention ought to be on the road and those that share the road with you, doesn't matter if it's illegal or not to use a mobile whilst riding a bike, we can all think of instances where the law is an ass. I don't care about the speed of the bike, it's not a factor, I defy anyone to hold a straight line whilst dialling / texting on a mobile, quite apart from the impression it gives as others have said. Strikes me to be tiny bit hypocritical to constantly vilify drivers on mobiles and we are seen to be doing the same

 

[4F]

Lets get back to talking about slow cyclists.

Agreed, have we determined yet what speed is too slow for a fast cyclist thats wants to ride slowly ?

 

[freecyclist]

Explain your basic courtesy to the great majority of drivers who do not give me enough space when they overtake me on my bike. To the many drivers who run the red light every day at the cross roads up the road. To the large minority drivers who exceed the posted 30 mph limit past the playground when the safe maximum speed is less than 20. To the people who park all over the local pavement so that mums have to push their prams in the street. To the drivers who think that the moment they catch sight of a 40 mph sign in the distance is the end of the 30 mph zone.

Before asking me if I give a toss about a cyclist pissing motorists off - not by breaking the law or endangering anyone - but by riding a bit slowly.

So you are saying that the fact that there are inevitably some bad drivers justifies you cycling selfishly and with no consideration ?
That line of thought leads to a downward degeneration in behaviour.

 

[mickle]

....the impression it gives...

The old 'tarred with the same brush'/'giving all of us a bad name' myth eh? Surely an aspect of human behaviour we should be keen to eliminate.

Haven't we all stopped using such terminology when we refer to the discrimination issues facing people of colour, Romanies and homos.

I don't break the rules of the road any more than the next person but I'm starting to get a bit peeved by the notion that we should all ride around with impeccable road manners - because of the impression it gives. There are lots of good reasons for obeying the rules of the road. That we might give motorists a 'bad impression' is not one of them.

 

[mickle]

So you are saying that the fact that there are inevitably some bad drivers justifies you cycling selfishly and with no consideration ?
That line of thought leads to a downward degeneration in behaviour.

Please re-read my post, I'm not sure that you got it.

 

[twobiker]

Agreed, have we determined yet what speed is too slow for a fast cyclist thats wants to ride slowly ?

There was a TV program called "All the gear no idea" on a while back ,loads of kit but not a clue how to use it, cycling is more than just getting a bike and riding off into the sunset.

 

[mickle]

This is a great thread.