I regularly cycle through red traffic lights. Bite me.
Am I doing the snarl a favour by getting out of the way or being a dumbass?
I am not David Cameron.
I regularly cycle through red traffic lights. Bite me.
Am I doing the snarl a favour by getting out of the way or being a dumbass?
I am not David Cameron.
You're also giving everyone else the excuse to treat you like dirt on the road. You won't be given much 'gentleman's wobble room'..
But seriously, aside from the risks to your own safety, don't you care how you might make someone feel if they hit you?
As a cyclist who happens to spend a fair amount of time on the road commuting, it's people like you that boil my blood. Car drivers who don't cycle don't have enough respect for cyclists as it is, and hopping red lights is one of the easiest ways to wind them up even worse!
Now I'll admit I'm no angel. I'll ride in such a way that sometimes will hold a driver up for a couple of seconds if it will give me a bit extra breathing room. I call it defensive riding, car drivers often call me something else. But seriously, jumping red lights is a proper 'no-no' in my book.
In fact, I'm seriously considering if this isn't just a troll thread to see how may peoples backs you can rub up the wrong way...
McClane (08-09-2009)
Personally I don't think cyclists should jump the lights, and that kind of behavior from the few will resulting is licensing all. My level of irritation depends on how the lights are jumped. Creeping around a left hand corner I don't see as to bad particularly when there is no traffic going forwards over a crossing, just turning right. However going right across the middle when there is traffic going forward, producing a side on crash its very much out of order, and hopefully natural selection with remove the idiots from our gene pool.
santa claus (07-09-2009)
I apologise to the responsible cyclists, but there are enough of you (a minority perhaps, but significant minority) who behave in such ways that makes me think that you are a hazard to drivers, pedestrians and yourselves. This would be only -one- example of several dangerous cycling I've witnessed. I think that roads should more often be built with cyclists in mind and but cyclists should take a practical test before being allowed on the road.
I would generally stop at all red lights unless it is clear that there are actually no cars around, in which case I'd jump away. I also find that If I miss the green light by a couple of seconds, just as it turns red, I'll still hop the red (assuming it's just a pedestrian crossing; I wouldn't do it at sa major cross roads, of course).
I like to think it as being both safe and reasonable
The problem with that is at clear junctions you are far more likely to meet a car going 30 or more MPH, even worse bikes can be all but invisible at night time. If I light is on red, I try to time my approach so I don't have to stop and back up to 20+ MPH by the time the light changes.
As a pedestrian and public transport user, the thing that gets me is the cyclists who jump red lights by cycling up onto the pavement to go around them, without bothering to slow down and expect the foot traffic to just get out ot their way.
We need a pitchfork wielding emoticon.
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Pob's new mod, Soviet Pob Propaganda style Laptop.
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Sorry photobucket links broken
I have a car, motorcycle and pilot's license. If I am made to have a cycle license I will get one. It won't stop me running red lights on my bike though.
Do you think that all car drivers, motorcyclists and pilots should have to have cycle licenses so that they can better understand the risks they pose to such vulnerable road users?
Your post in on the edge of trolling because you have not stated under what conditions you jump red lights - if it is on a deserted country road, with no other traffic, and you present no danger to other road users, or to yourself - then go ahead if it makes you feel good.
If however you jump a red light regardless of the consequences, then as a pedestrian who has nearly been hit by a cyclist jumping a red light light at a light controlled crossing, (and by cyclists riding on pavements) junction, I have no sympathy with your stance at all. Why do you think you are above the law, or that your journey is so important that you can arrogantly ignore the rights and wishes and safety of other road users (and yourself)?
And who will be the first to complain if you get knocked off your bike at speed while crossing a red light? And what innocent person who has a genuine medical emergency will suffer when the emergency services are diverted to you to patch you up after your stupidity?
If you are that impatient then dismount, cross the light, then get on again!
Now of course many of my comments are equally applicable to all road users - and it is slightly hypocritical of me because as a car driver I have broken a motoring law - although not recklessly as to the consequences. But then I don't go around boasting about it on an open forum.
Last edited by peterb; 07-09-2009 at 10:55 PM.
I spent a few months this year driving through Oxford every morning and evening. The standard of the cyclists there is appalling. They seem oblivious to all other road/pavement users, then get all uppity when someone has a go at them. I lost count of the times I was close enough to punch a cyclist as I walked across a pedestrian crossing.
The best comment I've heard from a cyclist was on the radio. They were discussing cyclists going through red lights and someone called in to say "The reason so many cyclists go through red lights is because their brakes aren't as good as cars." So a 1.5 tonne vehicle travelling at 30mph can stop faster than a ~100kg (including rider) bicycle at under 20mph?
A bicycle licence would be completely unenforcable. Anyone can just hop on a bike and ride it. It's not like a car where there is a registered owner who is responsible for its legalities. You would need some sort of bike ID/number plate on display on every bicycle and that just isn't feasible with all the bicycles already out there.
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