Cyclists Beware: The cancer is spreading

[Brandane]

They've made me rethink my intention and decide to pass them in the clear wide bike or bike/bus lane on their left disobeying their bloody sticker and additionally to hurl abuse at them as I do.

Who's the nobber now? You feel the need to hurl abuse at drivers (or do you mean, worryingly, hurl abuse at a sticker?) who are only doing their job?
Hint: It's not the drivers who put the stickers on the lorry.

 

[Lonestar]

I regularly see cyclists passing HGV's on the inside. Why risk your life?
I agree with these stickers, the bigger the better.

I'm not reading what's on the vehicle generally.I'm concentrating on what it and it's cousins are going to do next.

 

[mjr]

Who's the nobber now? You feel the need to hurl abuse at drivers (or do you mean, worryingly, hurl abuse at a sticker?) who are only doing their job?
Hint: It's not the drivers who put the stickers on the lorry.

They don't put the stickers on, but apparently enough of them are incompetent nobbers who think they can stop looking properly once they've started moving that it merits those stickers to help imply it's everyone else's fault for being near them on the roads.

 

[snorri]

[QUOTE 4495239, member: 259"]If the stickers that people are seeing are these:

[/QUOTE]
I've seen the equivalent signs on Danish lorries delivering equipment to windfarm sites, pity they didn't consider that we drive on the left in the UK.

 

[Lonestar]

Well I admit I've done it myself...silly passes up the inside and MGIF....

They don't put the stickers on, but apparently enough of them are incompetent nobbers who think they can stop looking properly once they've started moving that it merits those stickers to help imply it's everyone else's fault for being near them on the roads.

This is a thing.I watch them sometimes and sometimes try to get eye contact but nothing.Not even looking.You do get the odd good one though.I've also had some real nightmares watching some cyclists go up the inside of lorries though.

 

[Funkweasel]

Surely the answer is for cyclists just to not go up the inside of big lorries/buses at all? If it's sat at a junction, or approaching it. Just hang back. You all whinge about how car drivers complain you hold them up all the time. Well now's your chance to complain about motor vehicles holding you up for a few seconds.

Just stay behind the damn things until you know where they're going.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV-rhiGRFTE


And that other video I can't find about how much of a blind spot they have in front of the cab, probably even with the mirror that faces down.

Just don't go there.

 

[Buddfox]

Surely the answer is for cyclists just to not go up the inside of big lorries/buses at all? If it's sat at a junction, or approaching it. Just hang back. You all whinge about how car drivers complain you hold them up all the time. Well now's your chance to complain about motor vehicles holding you up for a few seconds.

Just stay behind the damn things until you know where they're going.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV-rhiGRFTE


And that other video I can't find about how much of a blind spot they have in front of the cab, probably even with the mirror that faces down.

Just don't go there.

Perhaps a slightly flippant response, but could you make sure you also tell all your female friends not to wear provocative clothing when they go out or get drunk, you know, in case they get sexually assaulted? After all, the message to them as well is surely "Just don't go there"

 

[mjr]

Surely the answer is for cyclists just to not go up the inside of big lorries/buses at all? If it's sat at a junction, or approaching it. Just hang back.

Is that ignoring all the discussion? More cyclists die when the drivers of these large blind vehicles fail to overtake them on the approach to junctions. Why are you only blaming the cyclists? Where are the stickers telling the motorists to obey the highway code? Why are blind vehicles not being phased out of all urban areas?

 

[Funkweasel]

Perhaps a slightly flippant response, but could you make sure you also tell all your female friends not to wear provocative clothing when they go out or get drunk, you know, in case they get sexually assaulted? After all, the message to them as well is surely "Just don't go there"

That's just silly, and not really relevant. Can you not tell all your male friends that when they go out, amongst potentially drunk females not to rape them all?
I'm NOT trying to absolve HGV drivers/companies of responsibility; I'm just saying it's irresponsible and stupid for a cyclist to go up the inside of such a vehicle, given that the dangers of doing so are extreme and well known.

Is that ignoring all the discussion? More cyclists die when the drivers of these large blind vehicles fail to overtake them on the approach to junctions. Why are you only blaming the cyclists? Where are the stickers telling the motorists to obey the highway code? Why are blind vehicles not being phased out of all urban areas?

I believe blind vehicles are being phased out, but it takes money, and no one likes spending money, or time, or effort unless they are forced to, and no one in power has the will to force them....and it's probably only applicable in London anyway... So, until there are no blind spots around vehicles, it's best to just avoid potentially being in one, no?

 

[Funkweasel]

Exactly how far back are you defining your exclusion zone?

Far back enough so if it turns and cuts the corner, which they pretty much have to, you won't be up alongside it... just behind it is fine, in my experience. I'm talking about situations where the traffic is stationary or stopping because the lights are changing to red.
Assume everyone is out to kill you, and will do something stupid, e.g. not indicate then turn across your path. Defensive driving cycling is your friend

 

[Funkweasel]

No, you misunderstood. How far back from the junction does the stationary lorry have to be to be your cut off point?

Ah I see, sorry. Good question. One I can't really answer, to be honest. I don't cycle in London, and where I do cycle it's not in cycle lanes - there either aren't any, or they're designed by morons who apparently just feel the need to put in X miles of "cycle lanes" somewhere in the area.

I don't filter up the inside of traffic approaching junctions - there's not the room to do so. I do take primary position where appropriate. I've been lucky too - the only vehicles I've almost been taken out by when they were overtaking have exclusively been Jaguars or Land Rover discoveries, on A/B roads just before blind bends, usually with a double solid white line down the middle.

Let's say about 10-15m so you could not be out of its forward blindspot, if I had to give an answer. I realise it must be a lot harder in more urban areas (i.e. London). York is terrible for the bendy buses, I'd give them a massive wide (long) berth.

 

[Buddfox]

That's just silly, and not really relevant. Can you not tell all your male friends that when they go out, amongst potentially drunk females not to rape them all?
I'm NOT trying to absolve HGV drivers/companies of responsibility; I'm just saying it's irresponsible and stupid for a cyclist to go up the inside of such a vehicle, given that the dangers of doing so are extreme and well known.

I can indeed - although thankfully it's not necessary - but under no circumstances would I say to my female friends 'just don't go there', which is what you are saying to cyclists. I acknowledged it was a flippant response, but it's also a helpful illustration for why the approach taken here winds people up.

 

[Funkweasel]

Ok, what if I'd said something like "Cyclists should really think about if it's a good idea to go up the inside of a HGV at a junction where it is indicating the intention of turning or may turn left"? Would that be better?

I didn't mean to wind people/yourself up, but there are enough risks to riding on the road without adding more that's easily avoidable. That was my intended point.

(At least until there's more protection/segregation/prosecution for dangerous motorists (and cyclists)).

 

[mjr]

So, until there are no blind spots around vehicles, it's best to just avoid potentially being in one, no?

Please tell us your wonderful solution for stopping such vehicles overtaking cyclists on the approach to junctions and putting them in blind spots.

 

[Metal8]

Hopefully the majority of cyclists don't undertake, but if it stops even just one person doing it, because they'd not thought about the issues before, then that's good

What he said