Riding on the pavement to avoid lights

[Tiberius Baltar]

[quote="marinyork, post: 1963658, member: 333] As with many things it's a case of taking a leaf out of the Flying Spaghetti Monster's sacred book and 'I'd really rather they didn't's rather than I'm going to get super angry about it. I'm sure it pisses quite a few people off a great deal, but I'm talking for myself and a few other of us that can't really see what the fuss is about.[/quote]

It not something that pisses me off personally. I spend an inordinate amount of time on the roads due to my job and seeing red lights being jumped is a daily occurence. I don't get annoyed I just think to myself that the person doing it is a prat and I would feel sorry for the person that they caused an accident with due to the selfish nature of their driving or riding.

My point was more about how cyclists are percieved by other road users and pedestrians. One inconsiderate cyclist makes us all a viable target for abuse and dangerous drivers. Its the bigger picture that I worry about rather than the individual incident because maybe the next cyclist that the angry van driver encounters is just a child who doesn't deserve to be bullied while riding along on his bike.

 

[lordloveaduck]

What's the point of having breaks if your not going to use them. To me red lights mean i can get my breath back

 

[Tiberius Baltar]

What's the point of having breaks if your not going to use them. To me red lights mean i can get my breath back

I wasn't going to bring that up lol. Sometimes I'm glad of the break ha ha ha so not only am I a considerate cyclist but I also get a breather

 

[marinyork]

My point was more about how cyclists are percieved by other road users and pedestrians. One inconsiderate cyclist makes us all a viable target for abuse and dangerous drivers. Its the bigger picture that I worry about rather than the individual incident because maybe the next cyclist that the angry van driver encounters is just a child who doesn't deserve to be bullied while riding along on his bike.

I know it was. I simply don't agree. As a newbie on here you may not have been exposed to the wide range of opinions on this topic where nobody will agree. Welcome to the forum .

As the transport research laboratory said a long time ago, cyclists are an out group. It is observed that cyclists are castigated for minor infractions that they may justify (rightly or wrongly) whilst more farcically (in my view) a motorist may justify remarkably similar behaviours for similar reasons and it's seen as not a problem.

And on the abuse thing, I always find it telling on this site. As a pedestrian which I was heavily before being a cyclist, I used to get way, way more abuse than I do as a cyclist (from motorists). All right so none of it is good, but what are you worrying about? Similarly I've seen the odd threads on here about sexism to female cyclists and joggers on here and raised an eyebrow at some of the opinions expressed. Out there in the day to day transport world you see all sorts of conflicts where the same behaviours are repeated in completely different modes of transport other than cycling and car driving, the very really weird thing about cycling is that we see don't see many of them and see it in terms of ourselves far too much of the time. I'm not really sure why this is, perhaps because as a ridiculed minority activity it takes a certain breaking from the mould and independence.

 

[Tiberius Baltar]

I know it was. I simply don't agree. As a newbie on here you may not have been exposed to the wide range of opinions on this topic where nobody will agree. Welcome to the forum . I'm not really sure why this is, perhaps because as a ridiculed minority activity it takes a certain breaking from the mould and independence.

I realise that forums will always bring up conflicting opinions and thanks for the welcome.

I agree entirely with your statement about breaking from the mould and being independant though. Ive often been asked quite aggressively "why don't you buy a car?" to which I reply "I drive for ten hours a day, this is my hobby" some people just don't get it. Its a similar reaction when I tell people that I wild camp in the Lakes or around Snowdonia. I get a strange look and a "oooh I wouldn't like to do that" but I enjoy the freedom and the fact that I'm entirely independant.

Its the same on a bike. No need for fuel no pollution and I go where I want as fast or as slow as I want its enjoyable. But some people just can't quite make that outlook compute in their brains and thats where the strange contortion of road laws comes into their objections to you being on the road.

 

[buddha]

Believe it or not, I was 'advised' once by the traffic police to ride on the pavement to avoid waiting at a light.
I suppose he had a point, given that the light was due to a roadworks contraflow and a tailback of around 1/2 a mile. I didn't bother though, and the lights soon changed.

 

[Silver Fox]

I squirted my water bottle at a young fella on Monday afternoon doing just this. He looked shocked and then a bit ashamed as I explained that drivers, walkers and other riders all got annoyed at his riding style plus he was making life harder for cyclists in general. It won't make him stop and he will continue to do it until either a copper catches him or he has a near miss at a set of lghts somewhere.
Im a firm believer that jumping a red light should be punished much more severely than it is and inconsiderate road users should be punished much more so people start realising that a bit of consideration and a bit of proffessionalism on our roads would make peoples lives much more enjoyable.

I'm all for people being educated in the error of their ways but I wouldn't make a habit of squirting water at a stranger, it could back fire on you and end up in fisty cuffs. Them scousers can be well 'ard like

 

[lordloveaduck]

If i could aford a horse, i would't have a bike.


PS i have noticed that bike police spend most of there time (all of there time) on pavements!

 

[Francesca]

Red lights mean STOP ...simple. What makes us different from car drivers using the road?...nothing, so we should adhere to all traffic lights /signs/whatever.

 

[Moodyman]

I'm all for people being educated in the error of their ways but I wouldn't make a habit of squirting water at a stranger, it could back fire on you and end up in fisty cuffs. Them scousers can be well 'ard like

Was a bloke on here whose location said Liverpool. He got shirty with some driver and punched his car. The driver chased in his car, got out a beat the cr8p out the cyclist.

The cyclist came on here to tell others not do the same.

 

[Sandra6]

I always see the police cycling on the pavement, and bizarrely when they were going down the cycle path the other day they chained their bikes to the railings and walked.
I always want to "cheat" my way round the lights but I know it would backfire and I'd end up stuck trying to cross a busy road so instead I sit in the traffic and feel like a numpty as every other cyclist passes me on the pavement.
I have done it to get passed a queue of traffic to a roundabout, I wanted to go left and there was no space for me to filter past so I took the pavement, but I just avoid going that way now.

 

[Risex4]

I'm afraid I may have to sheepishly put my hands up to this one.

Don't get me wrong, its not habitual; its only ever at one particular junction not far from home where the lights take an age to change regardless of traffic flow, I'm pavement mounted for about 5 meters tops as I go from one drop curb to the other - which 'merges' me straight onto a cycle lane - and the speed I do it at (a grunt of the peddles and a free wheel across the gap) means literally any pedestrian who is there is more likely to overtake me than anything...

But when you gotta go, you gotta go...

The whole pavement thing is a weird one. I've been ticked off before for merely standing/leaning astride the bike - feet firmly planted - whilst I was having a natter with someone (on foot) who had hailed me as I rode past them on the road. However I've equally seen, whilst personally on foot, any number of people - of all ages and description - saunter past a policeman without an eyebrow being raised.

 

[marzjennings]

COCKWOMBLE

Then a COCKWOMBLE I must be as I have in the past ( and maybe will in the future) hopped the curb to avoid a set of lights.

Is there a special badge I need to wear?

 

[MarkF]

I cycle on the pavement to avoid going through one particular large & very busy intersection, 6 lanes from each of the 4 entry/exit points. I'd had numerous close calls and angry arguments there, but the last incident was so frightening (and stupid) that I now hop onto the pavement and use the crossings, I don't save any time.

 

[redcard]

Ignore him. There must be more pleasing sights to look at on your way to work?

Yeah, but how do you know a pleasing sight when you have no point of reference?