'Half of cyclists without lights...'

[Cab]

Well, at pub kicking out time, on one well lit road dominated by students, on one night.

Doesn't stop this headline though:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=457112

 

[wafflycat]

Sorry, no sympathy for unlit cyclists being on the end that headline from this cyclist. The fact there is street lighting is neither here nor there - it's law to have lights & use them when it's dark.

 

[ACS]

St Andrews is the same and not just at kicking out time. Clocks change next weekend and the entire student cycling community go into full ninja mode.

In fact if you have lights everyone knows you are not a student.

The manger of the LBS has often said that when students arrive to pick up their 'student special BSO' the only accessory they want is a basket on the front for book /beer/curry. Lights, pump, helmet? No that would be a waste of valuable beer chits.

 

[Cab]

Sorry, no sympathy for unlit cyclists being on the end that headline from this cyclist. The fact there is street lighting is neither here nor there - it's law to have lights & use them when it's dark.

Not looking for sympathy for them, merely commenting on how lamentably poor the conclusions drawn from the article are.

That at one time of year, at one time on one night on one road half of the people counted don't have lights does not mean that half of this cities cyclists don't use lights.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

While I agree that anyone riding without lights in the dark is a nutter, I can't quite shake the feeling that the councillors in question set out looking to hinder that traffic calming scheme.

It's all a bit too pat: "we know we'll find loads of cyclists without lights, then we can argue that we shouldn't spend money on the irresponsible idiots until they take care of themselves". Just seems a bit too convenient to me. Or am I being unduly cynical?

I'm in no way local to Cambridge, but assume said scheme would benefit peds and cyclists and be a burden on the "long suffering otherwise law abiding and tax paying motorist".

 

[Cab]

I'm in no way local to Cambridge, but assume said scheme would benefit peds and cyclists and be a burden on the "long suffering otherwise law abiding and tax paying motorist".

Pretty much how all road changes here are pitched.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Sorry, no sympathy for unlit cyclists being on the end that headline from this cyclist. The fact there is street lighting is neither here nor there - it's law to have lights & use them when it's dark.

+1

 

[ufkacbln]

The local paper her shot itself in the foot a couple of years ago with a similar article... front page picture of unlit cyclist at a junction and a "Where are his lights" headline.

Shame that the car adjacent had only one headlight and the one on the other side of the road had no rear lights on at all.

There are probably as many cars out there with inadequate, illegal or dodgy lighting, but it doesn't make the headlines

 

[Cab]

There are probably as many cars out there with inadequate, illegal or dodgy lighting, but it doesn't make the headlines

And if as few as half of all motorists aren't speeding or parking on pavements I'll be amazed.

For some context, also from todays local paper...

Lorry nearly mangles people at a bus stop:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=457218

Motorcyclist in a terrible state:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=457168

Car bursts in to flames at hospital:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=457192

And yet, the 'bloody cyclist' article is still there. Like, its the cyclists causing all of these problems...

 

[Alun]

"whilst the major offenders (drink-drivers, cyclists all over the road with no signals or protection and excessive speeders) "

I see a lack of "protection" makes a cyclist a major offender now just like a drink-driver !

 

[CopperBrompton]

There are probably as many cars out there with inadequate, illegal or dodgy lighting

No way.

I see quite a few cars with a light out, but it's still rare enough that it stands out to me. Cyclists without lights is something I see every day, everywhere.

You can buy 'be seen' lights for a fiver, battery included. There's just no excuse.

 

[Cab]

"whilst the major offenders (drink-drivers, cyclists all over the road with no signals or protection and excessive speeders) "

I see a lack of "protection" makes a cyclist a major offender now just like a drink-driver !

Ahh, yes, the comments. What can you say, seems to be the same kind of thing in local papers all over the country

 

[Cab]

No way.

I see quite a few cars with a light out, but it's still rare enough that it stands out to me. Cyclists without lights is something I see every day, everywhere.

You can buy 'be seen' lights for a fiver, battery included. There's just no excuse.

Rare? Not in my experience. Shockingly common for cars to have poor lights that aren't working well. In fact, I've never seen a BMW with working indicators...

 

[Cab]

Same paper today has as its headline website story 'Cash Strapped Council Can Raise Parking Fees' (bellyaching moan about how much car parking costs). The same as ever, really, complaining about the poor, misjudged, persecuted motorist right after 'bloody cyclists'.

 

[Bman]

I must admit I do see quite a few cars with dodgy lights. I dont know how illegal (if at all) these dodgy lights are, at least they have lights and are using them.

I would say in my town, especially now we are losing sunlight, I see about 75% without lights. And about 50% of those have no reflectors either!

I agree with most of that article. The one thing I object to is the phrase "Anti-Social Cycling". Cycling without lights is dangerous and illegal, not anti-social.