Cyclists fighting back against oafish drivers

CWCDiver

This is one of my favourites http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoHxMxBDuoo

A PCSO tells a bus driver to knock motocyclists off their bikes and then a chap on a pushbike brings justice.

rustyboy21

Freddie_Snowbits wrote: »

Come on rusty, they will of use in one court, the coroner's court.

Thankyou freddie.

How was the shooting BTW? Or was it a few too many ales and not a good enough view?

I dont know about being in you sig, dont know whether I would be famous or infamous, are you likely to get banned?:D

esuhl

rustyboy21 wrote: »

Here is a scenario...

You are a cyclist and it is pouring with rain... and road traffic is heavy. You are only lit by an LED red lamp at the rear, you do not have any high viz gear on and your coat is covering up your lamp.

rustyboy21 wrote: »

It is a general question to a so called responsible cyclist

What I am asking though is that if you were in the same situation, actually riding that bike and came accross the scenario , what would you do...

If you think that it is responsible to cycle in low light levels with no front light, a concealed rear light and without any high-visibility clothing, then you clearly lack the understanding required to use the road in a safe and responsible manner. Please avoid roads or take taxis if necessary, for your own safety.

rustyboy21

esuhl wrote: »

If you think that it is responsible to cycle in low light levels with no front light, a concealed rear light and without any high-visibility clothing, then you clearly lack the understanding required to use the road in a safe and responsible manner. Please avoid roads or take taxis if necessary, for your own safety.

Exactly my thoughts.

It is one point that you are more likely to be injured/killed riding a bike, it's totally another point if you are doing that and not being equiped with the correct attire/safety items.

As freddie has said, what is going to come off worst, a big metal box or a piece of lycra on some tubular steel?

Everyone needs to make sure they are seen, whether on a bike, or in a car, and be aware of their surroundings.

MissUno

Anyone regardless of transport mode who disregards safety and puts themselves and others in danger on the road, should not have the privilege of using it. Like myself, driving makes me overly anxious, which would make me a bad driver, so I don't drive.

rustyboy21

MissUno wrote: »

Anyone regardless of transport mode who disregards safety and puts themselves and others in danger on the road, should not have the privilege of using it. Like myself, driving makes me overly anxious, which would make me a bad driver, so I don't drive.

Missuno, nice to see you join this thread ! ( I am not being sarcastic BTW)

I agree with what you say, people need to take account of what thay are doing and what is happening around them, in order to stay safe.

Peoples driving skills have diminshed over the years and cyclists don't seem to be getting pulled up by the police anymore for having defective/ill equiped bikes.

When I was a kid, I remember getting a smack on the back of the head by a policeman, when he caught me riding on the pavement, I went in and told my mum and dad what happened and got a clip round the ear again, for doing it ! People have no decency or thought for others anymore.

Freddie_Snowbits

rustyboy21 wrote: »

Thankyou freddie.

How was the shooting BTW? Or was it a few too many ales and not a good enough view?

I dont know about being in you sig, dont know whether I would be famous or infamous, are you likely to get banned?:D

Benny got his axe out and did a few numbers from the old days, curry got cold, Freda got her hair down and I missed the curry.

Freddie_Snowbits

esuhl wrote: »

If you think that it is responsible to cycle in low light levels with no front light, a concealed rear light and without any high-visibility clothing, then you clearly lack the understanding required to use the road in a safe and responsible manner. Please avoid roads or take taxis if necessary, for your own safety.

At my road end, that be the regalia most cyclist wear!

Cool_Mint

CWCDiver wrote: »

This is one of my favourites http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoHxMxBDuoo

A PCSO tells a bus driver to knock motocyclists off their bikes and then a chap on a pushbike brings justice.

It looks to me like the motorcyclists were deliberately winding him up, he was directing heavy traffic while some idiot was blasting his horn every 5 seconds and the tax-protester bikers seem to have gone round the roundabout three or four times.

He's only a community support "officer" not a real police officer so he was out his depth.

Azari

rustyboy21 wrote: »

But as I have already stated, I don't find the cyclists who are ' lycra clad' an issue.( They are quite nice to look at actually, most of them !) It is the ones who dont dress correctly, don't have the correct equipment which is mandatory for a bicycle as per highway code, who cause the most problems, who do not know the rights of the road and think they are invincible.

I think we've already established that you are from 'oop North' whereas I'm a 'soft Southern git' which may explain the difference in our perceptions here. (Although, obviously I do see people with inadequate clothing/equipment riding like morons going for their Darwin awards.)

I feel that you won't answer that little questionaire, as there are similarities in the scenario, which ring true with the article.

The scenario is so different as to make it pointless. (pouring with rain, rear light, long coat - you've just tailored the scenario to get the result you want.) I would never be involved in that scenario in the first place because if I needed a rear light I would not ride with it obscured. Ever.

The rider shouted at the van driver as he was going round a bend,

And yet if he had been in a car and sounded his horn at someone getting to close it would not even have warranted a mention.

did have adequate time to brake and stop a collision, but decided not to do so and confront the van driver.

I wish you would look at what actually happened rather than keep spouting nonsense.

There were two quite separate incidents in that clip.

In the first the van driver got far too close going around a bend and moved to the right when the cyclist caught his attention. I very much doubt the driver would have got into any trouble for that.

The cyclist then progresses quite safely.

The van driver then begins another overtaking maneuver where he has adequate room to complete the maneuver safely but, before he is even half way past the cyclist, swerves to the left when he should have been moving to the right to safely pass the parked car ahead.

There is no way the cyclist could have anticipated that and your assertion that he should have slowed down merely shows that you have virtually no road sense.

Yes, the van driver was a neanderthal, who was on the agressive side from the off

Which gave him 5 points on his licence which means he's 5 point nearer to a ban the next time he does something stupid.

Another point of the cycle cameras is that the view which is shown by the camera, is only as the cyclist sees it. Therefore it will not show up his position on the road, other very close obstacles, pedestrians etc. In effect they will only give a very blinkered view of the actual incident, therefore should not be passed as legitimate evidence in court.

I think the courts are in a much better position to ascertain what is and is not admissible evidence than someone who has seen a clip on a news sight and has already shown a breathtaking ability to try and shift blame from where it clearly belongs onto an innocent party.

Let's be honest, your whole participation in this thread has been one huge, increasingly lame, attempt to shift the blame from the driver who was found guilty in a court of law to the cyclist who was found guilty of nothing.

Your continued attempts to try and maintain that any road user must anticipate someone randomly swerving to the left is, frankly, pathetic.