Cyclist down - The Avenue in Southampton

[downfader]

http://www.dailyecho...after_accident/

Poor, poor motorists. Judging by the comments. Hope the cyclist is ok.

 

[her_welshness]

I really enjoyed reading your comments downfader, I unfortunately read the other comments before I came to yours and it was the same old guff: menace, RLJ-ing, use the cycle path, license blah blah blah. It was very similar to 'The Wright Stuff' this morning, very frustrating!

 

[jefmcg]

I just zoomed in on their googlemap. The cycle path ends abruptly at that intersection, without any crossing, putting a cyclist at any speed at more risk than being on the road. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the cyclist was on the path, as he'd be vulnerable from left and right turning vehicles, and the T road.

 

[downfader]

I just zoomed in on their googlemap. The cycle path ends abruptly at that intersection, without any crossing, putting a cyclist at any speed at more risk than being on the road. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the cyclist was on the path, as he'd be vulnerable from left and right turning vehicles, and the T road.

It may even be that he'd been coming out of the side road intending to turn right onto the cpath. I spoke to a few guys at work about this, its a s*** cpath and they hate it. They go around the long way. Same with the one around the back of town towards leisure world.

I havent been up that way on the bike in ages, but recollection says that it wasnt that well signposted either, and having been a passenger in a car down there its full of pedestrians and dogwalkers.

Interestingly... no one has answered my question on there comments still.

 

[PpPete]

I've not ridden down there for a while, but I have driven it and seem to recall the "cycle path" is adequately signed.
Not that I'd use it .... far too dangerous mixing it with the peds. And that crossing of Alma Rd ... WTF ?

Still let's not speculate on what happened - just hope cyclist is ok.

 

[smiorgan]

Never cycled down the avenue but driven down it not long ago (mum lives in Chandler's Ford). Can't say I was impressed with anyone's driving - further north it seems the road is a single lane but very wide so people tend to double up - bad design. (Always took the bus as a kid, never noticed when I was growing up)

And man, some of those comments...

I can take the nutters and the trolls who are in a minority... it's the ones who say "I'm sorry that the guy was injured, but if they will insist on riding a bike..." and "some cyclist run red lights, so what happened to this cyclist is acceptable". Probably nice, reasonable people otherwise, like my folks.

I've resolved, next time I hear a comment like that, to ask if they also think "I'm sorry she was was sexually assaulted, but if she will wear a short skirt..." is a reasonable attitude in the 21st century.

Good show for answering the comments, man. Looks like the last two have put the balance back towards sanity anyway.

Oh, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the cycle path and the junction actually contributed to the collision.

 

[JamesAC]

One of the replies to the newspaper article says:
"I can only comment from my own experiences, the majority of cyclists are an absolute menace who seem to think they are exempt from the rules of the road ..."

That's my perception, too, and I'm a commuting cyclist. When I stop at a red tl, I'm over- and under-taken by "cyclists" who don't even bother to slow down as they hurtle through pedestrians crossing at the green man. Junction a bit snarled up? No problem. Hop onto the pavement, mow down a few more pedestrians, hop back onto the road, dodge round a few trucks .. and so on.

It is a regrettable fact that there are many "persons on bikes" who give weight to motorists' opinions that "cyclists" are an absolute menace .. etc.

Maybe it's time we law-abiding cyclists did a bit more to put the record straight?

 

[Bollo]

I've not ridden down there for a while, but I have driven it and seem to recall the "cycle path" is adequately signed.
Not that I'd use it .... far too dangerous mixing it with the peds. And that crossing of Alma Rd ... WTF ?

Still let's not speculate on what happened - just hope cyclist is ok.

It's pavement with blue signs and paint, but it's fairly wide. I guess it's intended to link the common with the centre of town without eating into valuable tax-payer road space.

That section of road has a few issues - as smiorgan pointed out, heading south it comes at the end of a section of is-it/isn't-it dual carriageway, so drivers will jockey for position just as they approach the staggered Alma Rd-Nothlands Rd junction. Combine that with the choreography required to get cars on to and across the junction and you've got a classic SMIDSY recipe.

+Hope the cyclist is OK.

 

[numbnuts]

I have riden down the Avenue many times, but I have never used the cycle path as there are too many side roads and you would have to stop at every one.

 

[downfader]

I've not ridden down there for a while, but I have driven it and seem to recall the "cycle path" is adequately signed.
Not that I'd use it .... far too dangerous mixing it with the peds. And that crossing of Alma Rd ... WTF ?

Still let's not speculate on what happened - just hope cyclist is ok.

You're quite right, and I didnt intend to, so apologies for that. I did wish to convey that anything could have happened at that junction as it looks a bit nasty.

One of the replies to the newspaper article says:
"I can only comment from my own experiences, the majority of cyclists are an absolute menace who seem to think they are exempt from the rules of the road ..."

That's my perception, too, and I'm a commuting cyclist. When I stop at a red tl, I'm over- and under-taken by "cyclists" who don't even bother to slow down as they hurtle through pedestrians crossing at the green man. Junction a bit snarled up? No problem. Hop onto the pavement, mow down a few more pedestrians, hop back onto the road, dodge round a few trucks .. and so on.

It is a regrettable fact that there are many "persons on bikes" who give weight to motorists' opinions that "cyclists" are an absolute menace .. etc.

Maybe it's time we law-abiding cyclists did a bit more to put the record straight?

I've said for a while that we need to be more proactive. That includes setting an example to the younger riders.

I dont know what London is actually like day to day and hour to hour regarding behaviour, but I do know Southampton pretty well, and the memes that are on display. Here its pretty good behaviour (and by drivers), but the bad just upset people. I know for a fact that I'm not the only one affected, that the bad doesnt just happen to cyclists as pedestrians, motorcyclists and drivers I know (family and work mates) all tell me the same thing. We all want the same ends: safety and consideration.

I "counted" the RLJs today of fellow cyclists when I stopped. I didnt see a single one run the lights and felt pretty chuffed by that tbh. I saw 3 cyclists on pavements. I lost count of the good ones today.

Somehow we have to get the message out that its good vs bad. Not cyclist vs motorist.

...and thanks to those that left complimentary comment in support!

 

[ComedyPilot]

Maybe it's time we law-abiding cyclists did a bit more to put the record straight?

What.....like be MORE law-abiding than we already are?

Sorry, but IMO it's time NON-law-abiding cyclists and motorists had the ****ing book thrown at them.

 

[numbnuts]

What.....like be MORE law-abiding than we already are?

Sorry, but IMO it's time NON-law-abiding cyclists and motorists had the ****ing book thrown at them.

I'm with you on that

 

[ComedyPilot]

Is assUalt a new type of word, like innit, yuppie and 'spect?

 

[ComedyPilot]

I suppose it's too late to state that I was being funny....?


Oh, never mind, eh?

 

[ufkacbln]

What.....like be MORE law-abiding than we already are?

Sorry, but IMO it's time NON-law-abiding cyclists and motorists had the ****ing book thrown at them.

Do we have a scale fo punishments?

Short story in paperback for minor offences, major novel in hardback for more serious and a full set of encyclopedias for the worst offences