Pavement cycling/RLJ

[KitsuneAndy]

I do occasionaly RLJ, not at junctions though. (although there are a couple of nasty junctions in Norwich that don't have ASL's where I will cross the white line to ensure no one is going to drive into me when they turn green).

The timing on a load of the lights around Norwich appears to be crap, it's almost like the lights wait until there are no cars at all before changing. As a result people end up crossing well before the lights change. So if I'm cycling down a road and have just seen the people use the crossing and there is no one else around, then yes, I'll probably jump that red light.

I don't see how that is endangering anyone though.

 

[cchapman]

Some time ago a petrol-head work colleague was complaining about the unfairness of getting booked for doing 160k - "There was nobody else around, what difference did it make..........." Well, there was somebody else around and they booked him. As for rentboy, parents are usually very careful when naming offspring that they don't choose a name that can be mocked. Maybe "rentboy" is a boy named Sue.

 

[Fab Foodie]

LEE and Funtboy have convinced me that RLJ'ing is fine. I'm smart like them.
I'll be driving through London shortly. I'm gonna RLJ whenever I want. I'm also gonna actively encourage other drivers to do the same where they think they can get away with it.

 

[Trillian]

I did a RLJ and a pavement ride to get through North Bar Without in Beverley. Was sat on the road at the lights for 5 mins early one morning, they wouldn't change, (the opposite junction did about 3 cycles of letting cars through), don't know why, but the road did have those sensors that detect a vehicle. I didn't ride like an idiot though, and was wary of any peds.

thats a none functioning traffic light procedure iirc and is legal provided you've given the light chance to change, roll forward to be able to see clearly and treat it like a junction without traffic lights.

 

[Radius]

LEE and Funtboy have convinced me that RLJ'ing is fine. I'm smart like them.
I'll be driving through London shortly. I'm gonna RLJ whenever I want. I'm also gonna actively encourage other drivers to do the same where they think they can get away with it.

Whilst I do not agree with RLJ-ing in principle, I think you've taken what they said and basically changed it completely. Whether you agree or not, what they are saying is more or less that they only go through a red light if the road is completely empty of peds, cars etc, thereby not causing any inconvenience / possible danger / harm / fright. I somehow doubt they'd just cycle across a junction in full flow...

I have to admit to having jumped one or two lights if the above situation occurred, completely empty streets etc, and for those of you who said about what we'd say if cars jumped the red lights, no one seems to make much complaints about the peds who jay-walk constantly across busy roads, which IMO is far more dangerous than RLJ-ing an empty light stop.

Another thing to consider is: who do you think minds when someone RLJs at a completely empty light? It's not about speed / saving a few minutes, or superiority, just general smooth riding. If you have to stop, then it disrupts things. I stop at red lights, let me make that clear. However, I do not like stopping at red lights, it's disruptive to my ride. If there was a completely empty light ahead, there is no-one to bother about danger / risk / fright except myself, and being both a human being with a brain, and a capable cyclist, I am able to weigh up the pros and cons of stopping vs. not stopping in order to come to a decision. It may be against the law, but so is copying CDs for your friends, and so are half the videos on Youtube, but we engage in those activities.

I am not condoning any irresponsible behaviour in any way, and cyclists who RLJ in heavy traffic deserve punishment for possibly causing accidents, harm or even just shock to others. But surely so do peds who cross the road without looking at a non designated crossing point, and nearly send cyclists over their bars when they have to break with about a foot to spare.

 

[gbb]

Whilst I do not agree with RLJ-ing in principle, I think you've taken what they said and basically changed it completely. Whether you agree or not, what they are saying is more or less that they only go through a red light if the road is completely empty of peds, cars etc, thereby not causing any inconvenience / possible danger / harm / fright. I somehow doubt they'd just cycle across a junction in full flow...

I have to admit to having jumped one or two lights if the above situation occurred, completely empty streets etc, and for those of you who said about what we'd say if cars jumped the red lights, no one seems to make much complaints about the peds who jay-walk constantly across busy roads, which IMO is far more dangerous than RLJ-ing an empty light stop.

Another thing to consider is: who do you think minds when someone RLJs at a completely empty light? It's not about speed / saving a few minutes, or superiority, just general smooth riding. If you have to stop, then it disrupts things. I stop at red lights, let me make that clear. However, I do not like stopping at red lights, it's disruptive to my ride. If there was a completely empty light ahead, there is no-one to bother about danger / risk / fright except myself, and being both a human being with a brain, and a capable cyclist, I am able to weigh up the pros and cons of stopping vs. not stopping in order to come to a decision. It may be against the law, but so is copying CDs for your friends, and so are half the videos on Youtube, but we engage in those activities.

I am not condoning any irresponsible behaviour in any way, and cyclists who RLJ in heavy traffic deserve punishment for possibly causing accidents, harm or even just shock to others. But surely so do peds who cross the road without looking at a non designated crossing point, and nearly send cyclists over their bars when they have to break with about a foot to spare.

Well said Radius.
Common sense is the key.
You echo what i said before, there is'nt a person here that doesnt break the rules somewhere or other. If you are less than 100% perfect in EVERY area in life, you have no right to be so righteous in this particular discussion. That's not to say you cant have an opinion, but let's keep it real...no-ones perfect.

 

[Funtboy]

Whilst I do not agree with RLJ-ing in principle, I think you've taken what they said and basically changed it completely. Whether you agree or not, what they are saying is more or less that they only go through a red light if the road is completely empty of peds, cars etc, thereby not causing any inconvenience / possible danger / harm / fright. I somehow doubt they'd just cycle across a junction in full flow...

I have to admit to having jumped one or two lights if the above situation occurred, completely empty streets etc, and for those of you who said about what we'd say if cars jumped the red lights, no one seems to make much complaints about the peds who jay-walk constantly across busy roads, which IMO is far more dangerous than RLJ-ing an empty light stop.

Another thing to consider is: who do you think minds when someone RLJs at a completely empty light? It's not about speed / saving a few minutes, or superiority, just general smooth riding. If you have to stop, then it disrupts things. I stop at red lights, let me make that clear. However, I do not like stopping at red lights, it's disruptive to my ride. If there was a completely empty light ahead, there is no-one to bother about danger / risk / fright except myself, and being both a human being with a brain, and a capable cyclist, I am able to weigh up the pros and cons of stopping vs. not stopping in order to come to a decision. It may be against the law, but so is copying CDs for your friends, and so are half the videos on Youtube, but we engage in those activities.

I am not condoning any irresponsible behaviour in any way, and cyclists who RLJ in heavy traffic deserve punishment for possibly causing accidents, harm or even just shock to others. But surely so do peds who cross the road without looking at a non designated crossing point, and nearly send cyclists over their bars when they have to break with about a foot to spare.

There you go. Perfactly summed up and with no insults. I can learn much from this poster. Anybody who doesn't agree with it is a cock. Ah bugger....

 

[User482]

Here's my take. I don't pollute the air with shite on my way to work so I am allowed to take some liberties, as long as no one comes to harm. Which they never do. How many people die in car crashes each day? Remind me.

You must be awfully clever, to have such perfect knowledge of the road conditions that you can be 100% sure in all situations that no-one will ever be harmed or frightened by your "liberties".

Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[Funtboy]

You must be awfully clever, to have such perfect knowledge of the road conditions that you can be 100% sure in all situations that no-one will ever be harmed or frightened by your "liberties".

Two wrongs don't make a right.

I don't jump every red light I see. Only when I'm absolutely certain it will not affect anyone else. I don't do it in busy traffic or anything like that. You don't have to be clever to pull it off.

 

[User482]

I don't jump every red light I see. Only when I'm absolutely certain it will not affect anyone else. I don't do it in busy traffic or anything like that. You don't have to be clever to pull it off.

Ah right, so the same argument that the safespeed lobby use to justify breaking the speed limit then.

Given the vanishingly small number of times when you can be 100% certain that there is no chance of danger or fright for anyone else, it seems to me that it's far easier to comply with the law, and give every other road user one less stick to beat cyclists with. Are those few seconds saved on your journey really that important?

 

[swee'pea99]

Er, but it's not vanishingly small. It's large.

 

[User482]

think[/U] it is safe to speed. That's a long way from being 100% certain though, and as I said before, I doubt that you really need to save those few seconds.

 

[nickb]

I'm in the 'sometimes jump if I deem it safe to do so' camp.

How do the 'not under any circumstances' brigade treat pedestrian crossings showing red where the person has already crossed or the button was pressed by some kids having a laugh?

 

[marinyork]

I agree with User482, except the frighten proviso, there are a lot of idiots out there that will grumble about anything, even cyclists existing and following all rules of the roads. That aspect has little to do with RLJing/pavement.

 

[User482]

I'm in the 'sometimes jump if I deem it safe to do so' camp.

How do the 'not under any circumstances' brigade treat pedestrian crossings showing red where the person has already crossed or the button was pressed by some kids having a laugh?

I stop.