ThuRANTSday

[Captain Colonial]

This story has definitely pushed a few of my hot buttons:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40960346

First of all, the trial is ongoing so won't comment on the guilt or innocence of the accused, but I'm heartily sick of dangerous cyclists on the roads (and pavements!) harming people AND heartily sick of people not paying a blind bit of attention because they're too focused on their phones, causing accidents, injuries and many other issues.

It's high time bicycles were made to have a number plate (issued and made ONLY by the government, perhaps by prisoners) so bad cycling could be reported, which would also help stolen bicycles to be found more quickly if they could be read by ANPR cameras in police cars.  The behaviour of bad cyclists ends up unfairly tarring the good cyclists, who are the majority, with the same brush.

Pedestrians who cause a nuisance due to being busy and distracted from making love to their phones while walking should get a public order ticket as well.  I've lost track of the smartphone idiots who bump into me or make me take evasive action.  Why are dumb people allowed to have smartphones?

Rant over for now...

[Thrustyjust]

I am a cyclist and when going to London for client meetings, I can see why they die. I actually have no sympathy for them either, mainly because they are incredibly stupid and rely of the cars hate cyclist to survive. I am amazed more dont die. As for riding a track bike ( same as you would at Manchester velodrome, without obstacles and people and buses and cars) , also shout on them being stupid. I have ridden fixed wheel and on the roads around my home, but would have a front brake on it , but they are crap and wont stop anything in an emergency. Wearing a helmet is a personal thing, but having airlifted a mate from the Brecon Beacons , who is now wheelchair bound , because he wore a helmet, meant I didnt have to face his funeral. There will be a lot of talking of this incident on the cycling forums and the majority will see him as an idiot, who sadly killed someone.

As for number plates , well speak to the government and see if they have millions to support this and implement. But I have 11 bikes, which is a lot of paperwork and potential cost. And where do you draw the line on age to register ? Timmys first bike aged 2 ?. I do have insurance through my household and BCF . As you say about tarring people with brushes. Sadly we are a country who dont actually like cyclists . Times I have been almost hit into hedges on blind bends as drivers are impatient for 5 seconds and almost have head ons with on coming vehicles. I even get abuse from people walking their dogs in the park, cycling to work everyday, because the cycleway is where they want to walk, with stringy leads across footpaths and cycleways. So, its something as a cyclist we have to tolerate too.  Its a problem, which will never be sorted in my lifetime, so I you just carry on and ignore it. 

[John K]

Unfortunately it is not the mode of transport but the muppet on it.

My first reaction is to agree with Scott because as a regular user of the crossings just outside Monument tube station or the Bank, I've lost track of the times I've nearly been mown down by a cyclist or mobile phone obsessed 'business person'

And this nadger riding a track bike on the public roads is a spanner of the highest order.

But...

How many nadgers do we see on the roads in Max Power wannabe Civics, Fiestas, Pugs etc (with plates) also driving in exactly the same way the tool was riding his bike.

For every idiot cyclist or horse rider on the roads around here, there has been twice as many utterly decent ones who appreciate you have gone out of your way to avoid them and genuinely wave and thank you.

So it leaves me to conclude it's the person and not the mode of transport. Feet, bike, horse, car all have their own fair share of muppets.

I do wish every day for some some of common sense / decency test for which failure results in deportation to Mars.

[Captain Colonial]

That's why I'm in favour of number plates on bicycles, so that those few rotten cyclists can be identified and brought to justice, just as rotten car drivers who don't respect cyclists can be brought to justice through identification.  At the moment, they are free to pedal off and disappear.  Stolen bicycles are also currently one of the favoured tools of late night burglars.

Yes, there would be a cost, but with bicycle thefts through the roof and decent bikes costs hundreds of pounds, if not more, a small one off admin fee is not unreasonable.

[DonPeffers]

Audrey Fife was a keen touring cyclist I knew thru the CTC and in 2013 was knocked off her bike by a car coming out of a side road and not seeing her. She sadly died.

This was the second cyclist the driver Gary McCourt had killed (first one was a 22 year old male in 1985 and McCourt served 8 months for reckless driving).

He got community service for the second death.  See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-24240127

A car is a much more lethal weapon than a bicycle and normally it's in the cyclist's best interest to avoid a collision.

As for the case Scott quotes the cyclist has been charged with manslaughter.

"British Courts don't do justice; only law". (quote from Stephen Fry's Solicitor friend).

[Thrustyjust]

1 hour ago, Captain Colonial said:

 

Yes, there would be a cost, but with bicycle thefts through the roof and decent bikes costs hundreds of pounds, if not more, a small one off admin fee is not unreasonable.

If I sold all my bikes, I could almost build another Westfield S2000. The bikes that usually get stolen are £100 'bangers' . It is unusual to loose an expensive bike, as those people usually would kill if it was attempted to be removed from their possession. As for number plates on bikes, there is nowhere to fit one that would be visible to people . In the same way that prats on superbikes use postage stamp rear plates , so they cant be seen, but at 150 mph , not 15 mph.

[Captain Colonial]

6 minutes ago, Thrustyjust said:

If I sold all my bikes, I could almost build another Westfield S2000. The bikes that usually get stolen are £100 'bangers' . It is unusual to loose an expensive bike, as those people usually would kill if it was attempted to be removed from their possession. As for number plates on bikes, there is nowhere to fit one that would be visible to people . In the same way that prats on superbikes use postage stamp rear plates , so they cant be seen, but at 150 mph , not 15 mph.

That's why I see the government producing and supplying the plates to ensure the size and fonts are readable.  They could be in the same position as motorcycles or behind the seat but smaller as they are going much slower.

[Thrustyjust]

12 minutes ago, Captain Colonial said:

That's why I see the government producing and supplying the plates to ensure the size and fonts are readable.  They could be in the same position as motorcycles or behind the seat but smaller as they are going much slower.

My current speed record is 61mph on road. So, it maybe flapping like a car plate ......................

[jeff oakley]

The Captain being controversial, who would have thought it.

IMHO there are stupid drivers, stupid pedestrians and stupid cyclists. The vast majority of all of those groups of road users are not stupid, but the minority distort the view of the others.

Yes the roads are not ideal but they are needed to be shared and all that the tinkering that has been done is never going to be enough for cyclists. As a CPC trained licence holder it is shocking how many risks that some cyclists take but that is not to excuse idiot drivers. The anger it creates when a cyclist is killed is understandable but even when a driver is found innocent, many cyclists refuse to accept it even though they have not heard the evidence the courts do. As for the number plate idea, it is a none starter, the system could never cope.

Much better to try to train people at a young age, truckers in London for many companies are put on bikes in the city so they see it from the cyclists view, there is not anything for cyclists. Above all we need to accept there are idiots and drive, ride and walk expecting everyone is one of them you might meet.                                                                                                                             

[Blatman]

The behaviour of bad cyclists ends up unfairly tarring the good cyclists, who are the majority, with the same brush.

Not in London it ain't  

 

[Captain Colonial]

42 minutes ago, jeff oakley said:

 

The Captain being controversial, who would have thought it.

 

Controversial? Trying to create a level, fair and safe playing field for all road users?  It's a good job you didn't see my previous policies of mandatory sterilisation of all dangerous cyclists, and killing the first born male child of any adult who pushes the button at a pelican crossing when no traffic is about, then crossing early against the lights and afterwards leaving an empty crossing with a red light that forces drivers to needlessly stop, and sticking all babies on flights in the hold.  Those might be considered controversial.

[Thrustyjust]

1 hour ago, Blatman said:

 

 

Not in London it ain't  

 

I did state in my post about how London cyclists are mental, selfish and lucky to stay alive. One of my engineers, sat at a roundabout , lights went green, he pulled away and 'bang' a cyclist across the bonnet. Cyclist gets out, gives him major verbal, tries to lynch my engineer. Unbeknown to the cyclist, the rozz were watching it all. Picked the cyclist up by his ears and booked him. It was him who jumped red lights and was obviously aiming for Strava times.

Seeing so many of the cyclists with headphones on and track bikes in London, means they will die, soon.  In the same way that a car with no brakes can go round a banger track, so can a track bike go round a track. But if a car goes on the road with no brakes it will end , quickly. Bikes with fixed wheel is a courier 'trend' and looks funky, but unless you have a death wish, should not be on the road, let alone a place of massive continual hazards.  The law should be changed to have a working front and rear brake on a bike at all times, as certain British Standards require bells and reflectors. The bike he rode was a Planet X, which is basically a company who sell parts , which you custom build a bike, so there maybe loopholes in them not selling a complete bike and this may take their responsibility of the BS requirements, so should be down the the rider, as a complete bike is down the the manufacturer to meet the standards.

[jeff oakley]

1 hour ago, Captain Colonial said:

Controversial? Trying to create a level, fair and safe playing field for all road users?  It's a good job you didn't see my previous policies of mandatory sterilisation of all dangerous cyclists, and killing the first born male child of any adult who pushes the button at a pelican crossing when no traffic is about, then crossing early against the lights and afterwards leaving an empty crossing with a red light that forces drivers to needlessly stop, and sticking all babies on flights in the hold.  Those might be considered controversial.

You will never succeed in that aim, what you see as level, cyclist see as a mountain and some pedestrians will not see it at all.

Some of your other comments, especially the babies of parents who do not give a toss on flights, seem quite rational in comparison.

[Lyonspride]

I'm inclined to agree with what the cyclist said, even with a front brake he wouldn't have stopped, most likely would have wiped out and hit more pedestrians.

What I do think is that he was probably going stupidly fast.

 

At the end of the day, they're making an example out of him.

[Blatman]

Quote

Bikes with fixed wheel is a courier 'trend' and looks funky, but unless you have a death wish, should not be on the road, let alone a place of massive continual hazards.

I was a motorcycle despatch rider in London from the mid 80's to the mid noughties so I am familiar with cycle couriers. To the casual observer DR's and CC's look "mad" but as with any place of work, when you are familiar with the environment, even a hazardous environment, it gets easier. I don't believe I survived 20 years and around 700,000 miles just on pure luck and my boyish good looks...

I appreciate there is always a certain amount of randomness whenever humans are in the mix so something is likely to happen BUT it's often "amateurs". Amateurs are usually the cycling fascists who assume right of way EVERYWHERE and expect (EXPECT) everyone else to get out of the way even when they are on the pavement or jumping red lights. Then when (yes when) they crash they come over all victimised and the blamethrowing begins. Boils my number 1's. 

Final thought. DR's, CC's and even car drivers(!) don't set out to deliberately crash in to things and people. On a motorbike or push bike crashing in to almost anything is going to hurt and very likely cost you a collar bone in to the bargain so it is actively avoided. Whilst it's good sport to wail on the two wheeled fraternity, they're actually not the kamikaze breed they might appear to be. It's just that some of them are nunneys...  

nunneys was actually tango whskey alpha tango sierra  Nunneys doesn't have quite the same impact