60 Cyclists To Sue Edinburgh Council

RichardD1970

frisbeej wrote: »

With your love of cyclists and quoting regulations... shouldn't you be off breaking Space Core Directive 196156?

Sorry to be pedantic but that should be Space Corp Directive 196156

Tilt

brat wrote: »

This is what Altarf, Tilt Johno and the rest of the bridge dwellers cannot grasp. We are not our brother's keepers.

"We" are not our brother's keepers either Brat. I openly (as I have done before) concede that there are too many incompetent drivers out there as well. Drivers who havn't a clue when and how to use their lights, drivers who obviously don't understand what zig zag markings at a pedestrian crossing mean, drivers who thing the middle lane on a motorway is the "driving lane".

I could go on but the fact remains that unlike cyclists, drivers tend not to put themselves at un-necessary risk as they are surrounded by a metal box. Some cyclists however ride if they are on a death wish and it is them who give the responsible, law abiding cyclists a bad name.

Believe it or not, I don't think a ban (as suggested by Altarf) would work anyway because the cyclists who are the problem here would simply ignore any restriction just as they do red lights, one way streets and riding on pavements.

Altarf

Retrogamer wrote: »

Still doesn't stop pedestrians walking in front of me though. For my hand signals to be useful, it requires that pedestrians look at them as well which rarely happens.

I don't know if you're ever had to do an emergency stop on a bicycle with one hand because a pedestrian can't be bothered to look, but i can assure you it's not much fun.

If I am already crossing the junction, and Highway Code rule 170 applies (which given the previous comments cyclists are unaware of), then even if you have your arm out, you need to stop and not the pedestrian stop walking as they have the right of way.

Retrogamer

Altarf wrote: »

If I am already crossing the junction

They're not. They're stepping out into the path of me a lot of the time at the last moment.

Altarf

Retrogamer wrote: »

They're not. They're stepping out into the path of me a lot of the time at the last moment.

And all the cyclists that (try) to do it to me, can see I am already crossing the road and ignore it.

I have *never* had a *single* cyclist stop when they should, or at least before they were persuaded to.

esuhl

Tilt wrote: »

I could go on but the fact remains that unlike cyclists, drivers tend not to put themselves at un-necessary risk as they are surrounded by a metal box.

Are we living on the same planet?! Drivers put themselves and everyone else at unnecessary risk precisely because they are surrounded by a metal box. They have a feeling of invulnerability that no cyclist has.

frisbeej

Altarf wrote: »

And all the cyclists that (try) to do it to me, can see I am already crossing the road and ignore it.

I have *never* had a *single* cyclist stop when they should, or at least before they were persuaded to.

Really? Not a single one? What a special and wonderful life you must lead.

Altarf

frisbeej wrote: »

Really? Not a single one?

Nope, not a single one.

Ting, Ting, go their bells as they try (and fail) to bully their way through.

frisbeej wrote: »

What a special and wonderful life you must lead.

It is quite nice, thanks.

esuhl

Altarf wrote: »

Nope, not a single one.

Ting, Ting, go their bells as they try (and fail) to bully their way through.

Don't tell me your one of those militant two-legged terrorists who goes out of their way to block cyclists and stop them overtaking?

You make cyclists use their brakes when they have right of way, and all their momentum is lost. The pollution caused by the extra granola and tofu cyclists need to eat to recover from such lost energy has probably killed all the owls in Wales by now. But I wouldn't expect pedestrians to obey the rules of the road.

Kamikaze walkers seem to have a death wish! It's as if they don't realise how much danger they're putting themselves in by wandering in the road and cycle paths, surround by people travelling at more than double their speed on metal bikes. A pedestrian is likely to come off much worse in an impact, but they just don't get it. There should be jaywalking laws to make pedestrians use footpaths and crossings where they're provided.

It's crazy. Pedestrians demand all these zebra crossings and don't even use them! And cyclists, and the public in general, have to pick up the tab. :mad:

brat

Tilt wrote: »

the fact remains that unlike cyclists, drivers tend not to put themselves at un-necessary risk as they are surrounded by a metal box.

Sorry, but that's just completely untrue. There are in the region of 200,000 injury RTCs every year in this country. There are probably 10 times as many non injury RTCs and 100 times as many near misses, almost all of which involve drivers putting themselves and others at unnecessary risk.

Some cyclists however ride if they are on a death wish...

The death wish you refer to is often a misinterpretation of perceived risk by the driver who has no knowledge of what the cyclist is or isn't aware of. That's why, despite the constant reference to muppet cyclists with death wishes, it doesn't actually translate into the expected rash of accidents and incidents.

...and it is them who give the responsible, law abiding cyclists a bad name

which is a completely wrong, bad attitude, borne of prejudice.