Cycling on TV tonight

[alecstilleyedye]

Those bikes with blues and twos - i wonder if there's ever been an instance where the copon a mtb has switched them on for a roadie, and the roadie has seen him on his mtb and "fancied his chances" so to speak, and got awaywithit?

i wondered about that point myself. do you think they'd call the chopper out to catch you?

 

[goo_mason]

I expected worse and was reasonable surprised. I thought it was pretty balanced, which was unusual for that kind of programme.

All in all, I thought motorists came off the worst from it all, though I have to say that the naked cyclists were a bit off-putting. Oh, and the twat who cycled through the reds when half of London's police were standing around in hi-viz watching. What a moron

 

[summerdays]

I also expected worse but thought it showed a balanced view, and thought the bit about lorrys turning was a good point to make and hopefully that point will get to a few who haven't thought about it.

 

[bonj2]

The RLJing thing is so biased as it's a picture of London that people will extrapolate to where ever they live. When I lived in York there were two quite bad RLJ incidents on a major junction where I lived a stones throw from with cars jumping and smashing cyclists. I myself got nearly polished off by a RLJer on the next junction down and regard it as the second most dangerous incident on a bike I've encountered. The two junctions in question were regular RLJ spots for cars. I only ever saw a handful of cyclists RLJ. I've never ever, ever seen a cylist RLJ in Sheffield. I didn't think there was any balance at all really when it didn't show much horrificly stupid driving that are the staple diet of such sister programmes on sky1/3, itv, bravo etc.

The lady wanting to get off to tennis and ballet was funny though.

oh I have.
Although to be fair nothing like half as much as i've seen motorists do it.

I expected worse and was reasonable surprised. I thought it was pretty balanced, which was unusual for that kind of programme.

All in all, I thought motorists came off the worst from it all, though I have to say that the naked cyclists were a bit off-putting. Oh, and the twat who cycled through the reds when half of London's police were standing around in hi-viz watching. What a moron

in a suit aswell tut tut

 

[Jaded]

I thought it was as balanced as a programme like that could be.

RLJers are as bad as Monster Urban 4x4ers. Give all the ****ers tickets. Aerosols.

The only bad bit for cyclists was not explaining Critical Mass until after showing angry motorists.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

My eldest two go to school in Hampstead (they take the bus - I'm pleased to say we've never ever taken them there by car ), but I had been thinking of encouraging them to cycle in the spring as it'd be good exercise and it'd probably be quicker.

I've got to say, having seen that footage of it during 'the school run' gave me second thoughts though

 

[Pete]

Remember, everybody, that the title of the programme was Road Rage. It was produced with the intention of showing the worst in everyone, that being the theme. Cyclists included. In fact the only people who didn't come off badly were the pedestrians: a few jaywalkers (of whom there are plenty in our cities) might have redressed the balance.

RLJers? Seen plenty, fact of life, not surprising the programme, again with a title like that - picked up on them. I would have liked to see footage of more cyclists obeying the lights - of which there are still a majority (as was mentioned in the programme). For example last year on one occasion I come to some lights on Brixton hill. About six to eight cyclists also there simultaneously, very mixed bunch, all independent of one another. I see not one jumping the lights. There are plenty of rule-observers out there.

The anger-management case in the cherokee was hilarious though! Quite honestly, I could not have seen his blood pressure more evidently and visibly ratcheting up as he works through his rage-beset morning, than if he'd had a cuff on his arm and a medic working the sphygmanometer right beside him! It was a dream to watch!

The school-run mums with their precious little Tamsins and Jemimas in the 4x4s - also hilarious.

Pity that the CM footage concentrated mainly on the bike waving-in-air clowns. I would have welcomed some shots of the rest of us CMers just cycling leisurely along London's streets - sometimes at speed (I've reached 25mph on a CM). And I didn't see anyone I recognised. Did anyone else?

 

[bonj2]

Pity that the CM footage concentrated mainly on the bike waving-in-air clowns. I would have welcomed some shots of the rest of us CMers just cycling leisurely along London's streets - sometimes at speed (I've reached 25mph on a CM). And I didn't see anyone I recognised. Did anyone else?

is it the done thing to overtake lots of people on CM and weave lots?

 

[Pete]

is it the done thing to overtake lots of people on CM and weave lots?

Come along to one, and find out. The main rule is, be sociable and friendly, and be seen for what you are - a cyclist.

 

[marinyork]

I don't think the title with road rage was too represenative though (especially the CM and the unfortunate victims featured - bad or positive events) or with cut out interviews talking about issues. It had a lack of too many complete fools and out and out aggression. Then again it really would have been a programme on bravo or something if it it had. Channel 4 have had a few programmes on the roads the last few years.

I suppose summerdays might have a point about the two left hand chops featured in the programme and if it gets anyone to think about that and cut down a few very serious accidents that is a good thing.

 

[Pete]

Thinking about what I said earlier, realise I left out some things. The plight of Jane McVitie - killed by a left-hook from a lorry - very sobering. And - equally moving if less tragic - the unfortunate 82-year-old man unable to cross the road to get to the synagogue - having to take a bus up and down the road - how much dafter can our roads policy get!? Maybe I was a bit harsh in mentioning 'jaywalkers' - although there certainly are some.

 

[Jaded]

92

 

[chris5y]

Hi Im new.I couldn't believe the number of cyclists jumping red lights.I was saddened by the death of that young girl too.
But the funniest thing for me was that woman complaining about men cyclists with little willies.

 

[Pete]

Looked again at the video.

The case of the cyclist crushed by the left-turning lorry was shocking. It was all captured on CCTV. The lorry overtook the cyclist and then immediately turned left on her. This is all perfectly clear from the footage. No way do we here have a case of a cyclist shooting up the nearside of a stationary lorry: something we all avoid doing (don't we?) and warn cyclists against doing. No: she did nothing wrong - I, for all the care I take, could equally have been that victim. So could any of us. How that lorry driver could claim she was in his 'blind spot' when she was in front of him, beats me.

She paid for perfectly sensible cycling with her life. For that lorry driver not to be jailed for Causing Death by Dangerous Driving, coupled with a lifetime ban, is a total travesty of justice.

 

[BentMikey]

In fact the only people who didn't come off badly were the pedestrians: a few jaywalkers (of whom there are plenty in our cities) might have redressed the balance.

I think you might like to change that. There's no crime of jaywalking here, and rightly so thank goodness.