My rants - pedestrians and freaking muppet housemates

[Timbo]

Originally Posted by purple vonny

Now I feel better too. It's nice to have a bit of a rant now and then.

I thank you.

Here's to a feel gud Friday !!!!
Let's all go to the Pub!!

ACK,,,ACK,,,ACK,ACK,ACK...........

[Steven]

and another thing
I thought it was law that a bike should have lights if you out in the dark?????

ok I'm not tarring you all with this
yes a lot do but equally a lot don't and they probably don't realise how dangerous it is!!!!

but it must be good to live so close to work to be able to use your bike!

steven
ps you have never seen anyone cycle over a pedestrian crossing before? excuse me while I laugh

[Richard Mason]

1. When I'm in the car, the cyclists and pedestrians are all dumb selfish cnuts.
2. When I'm walking, the motorists and cyclists are all dumb selfish cnuts.
3. When I'm on my bike, the motorists and pedestrians are all dumb selfish cnuts.
4. If I put the bike in the car, drive somewhere, park up and then ride the bike, all of the above will apply over a 15 minute period.

[SilvaFish]

Originally Posted by Steven

and another thing
I thought it was law that a bike should have lights if you out in the dark?????

ok I'm not tarring you all with this
yes a lot do but equally a lot don't and they probably don't realise how dangerous it is!!!!

but it must be good to live so close to work to be able to use your bike!

steven
ps you have never seen anyone cycle over a pedestrian crossing before? excuse me while I laugh

Only if cycling on a road, I believe, even on a cycle path it's only advisory; a bit like helmets, it's only advisory.

[Steven]

Originally Posted by SilvaFish

Only if cycling on a road, I believe, even on a cycle path it's only advisory; a bit like helmets, it's only advisory.

Does that include cycling on a path (not cycle path) coming to a side road and going straight across it?

I rest my case!

[captainnemo]

When are cyclists going to be required to carry insurance like other road users? At present they get the advantages of road use with none of the financial penalties that motorists have to absorb.

I particularly resent the large amounts being spent in London on exotic cycle lanes, separated from the carriageway by a spaced curb (thus inconveniencing pedestrians as well as eating into the normal carriageway. Camden seems obsessed with this foolishness which naturally increases congestion for other road-users by narrowing the available carriageway. Given the derisory take-up of cycle use in London there is no justification for this particular road modification.

Except of course that the proliferation of cycle and bus lanes artificially increase the perceived levels of congestion and allow Livingstone to carry on with the pretence that his little tax scam actually addresses congestion....it doesn't, and I hope people notice that he's now trying to swing the focus onto environmental concerns (this from a bloke that has flooded London with poxy articulated buses that do about 10 to the gallon)

I don't have a down on cyclists when they act responsibly and I don't tar them all with the same brush. However, I do see an awful lot of them ignoring the rules of the road and at night there seems to be a cavalier attitude to bike lights. If I hit a cyclist that I don't see I can confidently make one prediction: I ain't going to come off worse from the collision. If I was tooling around on a mode of transport that offered virtually no protection (aside from those daft helmets that look like alien faeces) I'd be a lot more concerned to be visible. Just a thought.

[nickb]

Originally Posted by KneeJerkReactionary

When are cyclists going to be required to carry insurance like other road users? At present they get the advantages of road use with none of the financial penalties that motorists have to absorb.

I particularly resent the large amounts being spent in London on exotic cycle lanes, separated from the carriageway by a spaced curb (thus inconveniencing pedestrians as well as eating into the normal carriageway. Camden seems obsessed with this foolishness which naturally increases congestion for other road-users by narrowing the available carriageway. Given the derisory take-up of cycle use in London there is no justification for this particular road modification.

Except of course that the proliferation of cycle and bus lanes artificially increase the perceived levels of congestion and allow Livingstone to carry on with the pretence that his little tax scam actually addresses congestion....it doesn't, and I hope people notice that he's now trying to swing the focus onto environmental concerns (this from a bloke that has flooded London with poxy articulated buses that do about 10 to the gallon)

I don't have a down on cyclists when they act responsibly and I don't tar them all with the same brush. However, I do see an awful lot of them ignoring the rules of the road and at night there seems to be a cavalier attitude to bike lights. If I hit a cyclist that I don't see I can confidently make one prediction: I ain't going to come off worse from the collision. If I was tooling around on a mode of transport that offered virtually no protection (aside from those daft helmets that look like alien faeces) I'd be a lot more concerned to be visible. Just a thought.

How do you feel about all those foreigners coming over here taking all our jobs?

Do you write the Daily Mail editorials by any chance?

[MarkP]

Originally Posted by captainnemo

I don't have a down on cyclists when they act responsibly and I don't tar them all with the same brush. However, I do see an awful lot of them ignoring the rules of the road and at night there seems to be a cavalier attitude to bike lights.

I've cut most of your whinge, but feel like making an observation; it seems to me that the use of lights on cyclists is slowly increasing. I suspect that it's due to small, bright, efficient LED-based lights that are now available.

Oh, sod it, here's another: Cycle use is increasing quite dramatically as a result of Mr Livingstone's policies. Just compare current levels to pre-congestion charge days. It's strange how many people hate our mayor, yet he seems to do well at the polls.

Personally, as a cyclist, I dislike cycle lanes as I feel forced to share road space with slow morons whose riding skills usually involve a complete lack of interest in their surroundings. Also, drivers often demonstrate a lack of awareness or interest in their existence.

As for Camden's efforts, at least one section of bi-directional cycle lane seems designed to kill off cyclists as quickly as possible - the bit on the Byng Place / Gordon Square interface. I expect they only allowed it to be built because it's so close to UCH's A&E department. It reminds me of Weymouth's attempts to kill off cyclists on the roudabout where the A354 and A353 meet on the way into town. I wonder why that cycle scheme was scrubbed?

[StuartC]

1) get a car, you cheapskates and join the traffic jams like the rest of us ;P

2) try and obey rules of the road - overtaking on the inside? creeping up the inside at lights and then slowing everybody down as they have jumped to the front of the queue and create an obstruction to the smooth flow of traffic pulling away from the lights.

3) Lights? I nearly took somebody out on an unlit section of the A19 at 10:30pm a couple of weeks ago. Zero lights or visibility gear. It was only the reflectors in the back of the pedals that stopped him getting a shunt...but it would've been my fault of course.

4) Insurance for damage to persons and property? cause an accident or bump into a vehicle? No insurance? Driver ends up bearing the insurance costs....


[lights blue touchpaper and steps back to enjoy the show!]







PS: I know most of you are not like this and are probably also vehicle drivers too, but it does grate a little!

[Scubee]

Originally Posted by MarkP

As for Camden's efforts, at least one section of bi-directional cycle lane seems designed to kill off cyclists as quickly as possible - the bit on the Byng Place / Gordon Square interface.

That bit doesn't do much for pedestrians, either. I nearly got knocked over there a few weeks ago.