Is this Normal now?

[crusty]

I know I am going th get flamed for this, but here goes....

Me and the missus used a couple of Boris's bikes on Saturday to travel from the West End to Shoreditch.

Now I used to cycle in central London 10+ years ago and one of the best things was beating the traffic by ignoring traffic lights, rules etc, and everyone was doing it.

So I adopt the same policy and ran some red lights (it was safe to do so) and was making spirited progress. Next thing I know another cyclist starts shouting at me, I swear he was so upset that you would think he had just seen me rape his daughter (twice).

Anyway we end up having a rolling arguement about this.


Now I can except that my two wheeled behaviour may not meet with his (or anyone else's) approval, but really what the F"ck has it got to do with him?

So is everyone now so brain washed by H&S that this is to be expected?

PS And I wasn't even wearing a helmet

[louiebaby]

Running red lights always provokes a hell of a debate, here and on other forums.

I've had another cyclist launch into almost a full scale fight after I tried to set off on flashing ambers, and a pedestrian was finishing crossing on the far side from where I was. His justification was something about the Highway Code saying that the pedestrian must be completely off the road to proceed.

Now, he might have been right about that, it might even be a law, but he was being a prick about it. The nearest pedestrian at the time was a good 10 feet away, and only getting further away as we waited.

There are good cyclists, and bad cyclists. I'm not convinced that occasionally nipping through a red light when there is no other traffic about instantly makes you into a bad one.

[illmonkey]

Yea, fk it, lets all run red lights. It's not like it means there are other people with green light or anything.

I couldn't care if you got hurt if you ran a red light, its a risk YOU decided to take. Maybe think about the person who has to deal with your head smashing their windscreen and covering it in blood because you didn't check properly.

If it was safe to go, for a bike or a car, there wouldn't be a light, red or not.

[anonymous-user]

as a regular cyclist, i believe that cyclists should act like the rest of the traffic if we want respect from other road users. running red lights just annoys drivers who are far less likely to give an appropriate amount of consideration to any other cyclists that they meet on the road.

shouting at fellow cyclists is wrong but if you have had a near brush in recetn days tehn its probably understandable to be annoyed at red light jumpers... i just catch up with them when the lights go green and may on occassions, make a polite comment that jumping the lights really didnt do them any favours with the traffic behind.

100 cyclists waiting patiently at a red light goes unnoticed, 1 jumping the light tars all cyclists with the same reputation...

[anonymous-user]

crusty said:

Now I can except that my two wheeled behaviour may not meet with his (or anyone else's) approval, but really what the F"ck has it got to do with him?

So is everyone now so brain washed by H&S that this is to be expected?

I don't think it's to do with health and safety.

I think it's that he thought that your breaking the law gives all cyclists a bad name and increases hostility towards us.

[walm]

pablo said:

as a regular cyclist, i believe that cyclists should act like the rest of the traffic if we want respect from other road users. running red lights just annoys drivers who are far less likely to give an appropriate amount of consideration to any other cyclists that they meet on the road.

shouting at fellow cyclists is wrong but if you have had a near brush in recetn days tehn its probably understandable to be annoyed at red light jumpers... i just catch up with them when the lights go green and may on occassions, make a polite comment that jumping the lights really didnt do them any favours with the traffic behind.

100 cyclists waiting patiently at a red light goes unnoticed, 1 jumping the light tars all cyclists with the same reputation...

This.
RLJers bring us all into disrepute.

[mongoose94]

crusty said:

Now I can except that my two wheeled behaviour may not meet with his (or anyone else's) approval, but really what the F"ck has it got to do with him?

You deserve to 'flamed' for it...

People who run red lights and flout the law give ALL bike riders a bad name, cause accidents and generally get wind-up the motorists.
So as a lifetime bike racer i'd would have given you a mouthful aswell.

When it comes to looking for new sponsors outside of the cycling world, it's not surprising that a refusal usually comes with a lecture of how 'bicyclists cause havoc on the road.' The minority who don't give a f*ck (like yourself) give us all a hard time.

Rant over.

[crusty]

illmonkey said:

Yea, fk it, lets all run red lights. It's not like it means there are other people with green light or anything.

I couldn't care if you got hurt if you ran a red light, its a risk YOU decided to take. Maybe think about the person who has to deal with your head smashing their windscreen and covering it in blood because you didn't check properly.

If it was safe to go, for a bike or a car, there wouldn't be a light, red or not.

The light was red, no one died, or nearly died, or was even slightly hurt - it was safe to go.

[crusty]

el stovey said:

I don't think it's to do with health and safety.

I think it's that he thought that your breaking the law gives all cyclists a bad name and increases hostility towards us.

Does anyone on here ever exceed the speed limit? Can you live with the fact you are breaking the law and giving all motorists a bad name?

Or do you feel it is your civic duty to point out all motoring infractions to the offenders, 2 wheeled or 4?

[illmonkey]

crusty said:

illmonkey said:

Yea, fk it, lets all run red lights. It's not like it means there are other people with green light or anything.

I couldn't care if you got hurt if you ran a red light, its a risk YOU decided to take. Maybe think about the person who has to deal with your head smashing their windscreen and covering it in blood because you didn't check properly.

If it was safe to go, for a bike or a car, there wouldn't be a light, red or not.

The light was red, no one died, or nearly died, or was even slightly hurt - it was safe to go.

If a car done that, its an offence. Could cause an accident etc.

You'll do it one day, with a hangover or something and not look correctly, and get hit.

[shouldbworking]

Everyone else was doing it 10 years ago? well.. clearly that makes it alright then.

How do you feel about your future prospects as an oversized bonnet mascot?

[crusty]

I asked this question..

So is everyone now so brain washed by H&S that this is to be expected?

And got these answers..

You'll do it one day, with a hangover or something and not look correctly, and get hit.

How do you feel about your future prospects as an oversized bonnet mascot?



I guess that's a yes then

[illmonkey]

crusty said:

I asked this question..

So is everyone now so brain washed by H&S that this is to be expected?

And got these answers..

You'll do it one day, with a hangover or something and not look correctly, and get hit.

How do you feel about your future prospects as an oversized bonnet mascot?



I guess that's a yes then

I haven't been brainwashed, as I say, I couldn't care less for your health or safety. I also said think of the other person.

How do you get H&S with red light jumping? Its common sense. You clearly don't understand what a red light means or what H&S means.

A question: Would you jump a red light in your car?

[walm]

Crusty you can argue the hypocrisy of a bunch of morons in their car breaking the speed limit while hating RLJers until you are blue in the face.

Trust me - I have tried.

The sad conclusion is that the vast majority of drivers are indeed irrational or hypocrites.

There are two ways to deal with this.
A. Force the morons to see the error of their ways.
B. Accept reality and try to give the morons less reason to hate you: stop RLJing.


Every single rider on here knows there are plenty of perfectly safe RLJs to be done.
Just as every single driver knows that 75mph on an empty motorway is unlikely to kill any kittens.

From a safety perspective I am sure what you did was fine.

We aren't arguing about that.

We are arguing about the greater consequences of your actions.

These include the fact that the vast majority of the moronic driving public will jump on any chance to hate cyclists even more and give us less respect on the road.
RLJing encourages that attitude in these morons.

[ewenm]

I don't get why you're surprised that another cyclist might have an issue with you jumping red lights (regardless of the H&S aspect). You only have to read the cycling threads on here to realise that many drivers consider what one cyclist does to be indicative of what all of them do and use that to justify some pretty poor driving (at least from behind their keyboards).

I had it the other way round once. I stopped somewhat abruptly at a red light on my commute and the guy slipstreaming me bent his front wheel on the back of my frame, and then had a go at me for stopping.

[mongoose94]

crusty said:

So is everyone now so brain washed by H&S that this is to be expected?

It's not about the pressures of H&S, it's a little thing known as 'self preservation'

And also, not being a complete f***wit when it comes to undermining the whole cycling community

[Johnnytheboy]

So OP cyclist being shouted at by other cyclist is the fault of drivers somehow, walm?

I love PH's cyclist community - that's really brightened up my Monday.

[Roman]

walm said:

pablo said:

as a regular cyclist, i believe that cyclists should act like the rest of the traffic if we want respect from other road users. running red lights just annoys drivers who are far less likely to give an appropriate amount of consideration to any other cyclists that they meet on the road.

shouting at fellow cyclists is wrong but if you have had a near brush in recetn days tehn its probably understandable to be annoyed at red light jumpers... i just catch up with them when the lights go green and may on occassions, make a polite comment that jumping the lights really didnt do them any favours with the traffic behind.

100 cyclists waiting patiently at a red light goes unnoticed, 1 jumping the light tars all cyclists with the same reputation...

This.
RLJers bring us all into disrepute.

+1

I want as much empathy, co-operation & respect as possible form other less vulnerable users when on a bike for the sake of my own safety. You are much less likely to get that consideration when you may really need it further down the road as people who've seen you (or someone else) jump a red light no longer accord you the same respect and consideration as a proper fellow road user who plays by 'their' rules.

You may judge it safe to jump some reds but it does set a bad example for younger or less experienced riders who don't have the road craft, judgement or skills that you have.

Edited by Roman on Monday 27th June 11:26

[Gooby]

crusty said:

I asked this question..

So is everyone now so brain washed by H&S that this is to be expected?

And got these answers..

You'll do it one day, with a hangover or something and not look correctly, and get hit.

How do you feel about your future prospects as an oversized bonnet mascot?



I guess that's a yes then

Not me - BUT I no longer ride on the road as it is too dangerous so my opinion is mute...

[Garlick]

Do not feed?