Cyclist with a death wish

[unixman_again]

Last night I was in Brum negotiating the roundabout with the Chinese Pagoda on it. Brummies will know that at the mo this area is even more of a nightmare than usual, with loads of extra traffic owing to the endless roadworks related to the demolition of the central library. I'm sitting there, waiting for a break in the traffic. One appears and I go. Luckily I saw the idiot on the bike, no lights, dark clothes, chatting away on his phone as he wobbled across in front of me. It was a very near miss!

 

Unfortunately, I was in no position to head off after him and point out his attempt at a Darwin Award.

 

When I ride my bike at night, I have four lights on the bike, at different heights and often lights on me too. I also wear a reflective Sam Browne belt. Why are there so many idiots who ride bikes at night without lights?

[dry]

I know how you feel. I saw a cyclist last night with a red flashing light on the front of his bike. If that's not a recipe for disaster I don't know what is...

[foofighterjim]

Last night I was in Brum negotiating the roundabout with the Chinese Pagoda on it. Brummies will know that at the mo this area is even more of a nightmare than usual, with loads of extra traffic owing to the endless roadworks related to the demolition of the central library. I'm sitting there, waiting for a break in the traffic. One appears and I go. Luckily I saw the idiot on the bike, no lights, dark clothes, chatting away on his phone as he wobbled across in front of me. It was a very near miss!

 

Unfortunately, I was in no position to head off after him and point out his attempt at a Darwin Award.

 

When I ride my bike at night, I have four lights on the bike, at different heights and often lights on me too. I also wear a reflective Sam Browne belt. Why are there so many idiots who ride bikes at night without lights?

 

Yes, that roundabout was practically gridlocked last night. I managed to get through quite well with some careful filtering on my motorbike. It also doesn't help when they close the tidal lane on the Aston Expressway AGAIN! It has only been active for three months this year and I can't even see what purpose closing it serves, I suspect this was contributing to the issues in town; so expect more of the same between now and Christmas.

[Chuckster]

That area along with the rest of the city centre is nightmare to travel in during rush hour traffic. Thankfully, I no longer work in Brum, but I do, however, love the city despite what people may think of it.

[mikeprice]

A few weeks ago I was driving along a country lane with no street lights

The road has a 10 foot wall on the left separated from the road by a 2 foot wide pavement

As I went round a corner a cyclist wearing dark clothes - including a dark hoody with the hood over his head - was riding towards me on the pavement

as he was ON HIS PHONE - he managed to wobbly off the pavement onto the road - and continued to ride on the road ON THE WRONG SIDE as I drove towards him

 

Good job I was driving slowly and nothing was coming towards me otherwise I don't know how I would have missed the idiot!!

 

Oh - obviously he had no lights of any kind and nothing even slightly reflective

 

I annoys me when I see stats about cyclists being run over by drivers - they need to take out idiots like this and idiots who undertake lorries and cars who are signaling left at a junction so we can see how many are caused by idiot drivers and how many by idiot cyclists!

[Sephiroth]

Worst that I've come across is a cyclist riding at about 11pm along a road lined with dense trees either side (i.e. extremely dark) with no lights, wearing all black on a black bike. I only saw him at the last second and very narrowly avoided what would most likely have been a fatal collision.

 

Fortunately I was in a position to stop and explain in no uncertain terms what a pillock he was. I think he was genuinely rattled by it though, judging by the demeanor.

 

I don't understand why people are so determined to get hit whist on their bikes. I occasionally cycle 8 miles to work, and would never dream of going without being lit up like a Christmas tree (two lights on he front, one high beam and one low level, and 2 red lights on the back at different heights) and with my high-vis on. I value my organs too much

[mats]

"Someone did something bad".

 

People misbehave. Live with it.

[localzuk]

I think there needs to be a separation of terms for cyclists and these sort of users. Just "bike user" or something. A cyclist knows the rules of the road, knows how to stay safe and knows not to be chatting on a phone on his bike!

 

Muppets who just jump on a bike with no thought are not cyclists IMO.

[Sephiroth]

"Someone did something bad".

 

People misbehave. Live with it.

 

I agree with the sentiment, though when their "something bad" results in their death by my car, I can't just sit idly by. If they have a death wish, that's fine, just don't involve others. I don't want my children (who were in the car at the time) to witness a fatal collision like that.

[Sephiroth]

I think there needs to be a separation of terms for cyclists and these sort of users. Just "bike user" or something. A cyclist knows the rules of the road, knows how to stay safe and knows not to be chatting on a phone on his bike!

 

Muppets who just jump on a bike with no thought are not cyclists IMO.

 

Completely agree. I still hold the opinion that people should have to pass some sort of test before cycling on the roads though. everyone else does.

[localzuk]

Completely agree. I still hold the opinion that people should have to pass some sort of test before cycling on the roads though. everyone else does.

 

I did a cycling proficiency test when I was in school. Covered all the important stuff, and the rules of the road were drilled into us! It should be made compulsory.

[truebluesteve]

As I pulled up at a junction the other night a cyclist (because that's what he is in the same way as idiot motorists are still motorists) who was riding on the pavement with no lights, went straight across the road in front of me. He never looked - he probably didn't have time because he was travelling so fast. Fortunately I was able to stop in time but a split second later it might have been a completely different scenario.

 

While I get that 'proper' cyclists don't behave in this way, there are an awful lot of people on bikes - possible even the majority of those that I see, that just don't give a t*ss about other road users or pedestrians.

[Oaktech]

It's not just restricted to them being a danger to themselves and cars...

 

I was cycling home last night (I'm a bit of a lycra warrior and I use SPD-SL pedals) and I was on a cycle path when some bloke swerved off the road, onto the cyclepath right in front of me, causing me to anchor up, shout at him, and pull in behind him. I followed him for about 50 metres. The path narrows and we began to go up a sharp incline, he stops dead, right in front of me, right in the middle of the path. Firstly I almost ran into him, secondly I only just unclipped in time. He proceeded to get off his bike and walk the wrong way down the road through a traffic light controlled junction. He must be completely deaf because he didn't react at all when I told him *exactly* what I thought of his riding.

[Sephiroth]

I did a cycling proficiency test when I was in school. Covered all the important stuff, and the rules of the road were drilled into us! It should be made compulsory.

 

I did the same kind of thing. It's very informative and does teach you a lot. The problem is, at least for my age group, that it was not a popular thing to do and wasn't particularly easily accessible. I had to travel 15 miles to the nearest center that did it, and when I got there, there were only about 20 there for it (of a possible ~3000-4000 children of age in the area).

[localzuk]

To be fair @truebluesteve, there's a heck of a lot of drivers who are like that too. The quality of driving down here is truly shocking - HGVs going through our tiny village with skinny roads at 50, taxis not indicating, old people driving at 20mph in a 60 zone, etc... There's a section of road a couple of miles from here that has nearly weekly car-rollings as cars take the corners too fast and just flip over and end up in one of the fields. The poor post office in my village has had to rebuild his garden wall twice in the last 6 months, and the guy across the road has had to once as well.

 

It comes down to complacence I think - people are so used to their route that they fall into the trap of complacency. They kinda drift around instead of paying attention. Dangerous whatever vehicle you're in!

 

I did the same kind of thing. It's very informative and does teach you a lot. The problem is, at least for my age group, that it was not a popular thing to do and wasn't particularly easily accessible. I had to travel 15 miles to the nearest center that did it, and when I got there, there were only about 20 there for it (of a possible ~3000-4000 children of age in the area).

 

 

It was done at our school for us, with our local estate being used later into the course. We run it here too, but only about 20 kids out of 150 do it (its only offered to one year I believe).

Edited December 2, 2015 by localzuk

[truebluesteve]

To be fair @truebluesteve, there's a heck of a lot of drivers who are like that too. The quality of driving down here is truly shocking - HGVs going through our tiny village with skinny roads at 50, taxis not indicating, old people driving at 20mph in a 60 zone, etc... There's a section of road a couple of miles from here that has nearly weekly car-rollings as cars take the corners too fast and just flip over and end up in one of the fields. The poor post office in my village has had to rebuild his garden wall twice in the last 6 months, and the guy across the road has had to once as well.

 

It comes down to complacence I think - people are so used to their route that they fall into the trap of complacency. They kinda drift around instead of paying attention. Dangerous whatever vehicle you're in!

 

Totally agree about the errant motorists - I was just keeping to the topic of cyclists otherwise my rant would never end! The thing with cyclists is that you are extremely vulnerable to the poor driving/complacency of other road users so why put yourself at extra risk by riding without lights, on your mobile, without a helmet and ignore traffic signals. Beats me!

[mats]

I think there needs to be a separation of terms for cyclists and these sort of users. Just "bike user" or something. A cyclist knows the rules of the road, knows how to stay safe and knows not to be chatting on a phone on his bike!

 

Muppets who just jump on a bike with no thought are not cyclists IMO.

 

Indeed. Just like badly behaved motorists aren't motorists. And naughty truckers aren't truckers, they're, er, people driving trucks? More seriously, the problem with "cyclist" is that it covers everybody from Chris Froome to the mother going to the shops with a child on the back. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for the other.

 

As for compulsory training, don't pretty much all year 6 kids get Bikeability training (which replaced cycling proficiency about 20 years ago)?

[mats]

Isn't it time somebody started about cycling on pavements? I see we've covered running red lights.

[truebluesteve]

Isn't it time somebody started about cycling on pavements? I see we've covered running red lights.

 

Aren't pavements meant for cyclists (er.. bike users) anyway, so what's the issue!

[Sephiroth]

As for compulsory training, don't pretty much all year 6 kids get Bikeability training (which replaced cycling proficiency about 20 years ago)?

 

Unfortunately not. I believe that it is offered in most areas, but there is next to zero publicity. At least, not in this area. I had mine at a nearby middle school who were offering it at the time, but were the only school in the pyramid to do so, iirc.

[localzuk]

Indeed. Just like badly behaved motorists aren't motorists. And naughty truckers aren't truckers, they're, er, people driving trucks? More seriously, the problem with "cyclist" is that it covers everybody from Chris Froome to the mother going to the shops with a child on the back. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for the other.

 

As for compulsory training, don't pretty much all year 6 kids get Bikeability training (which replaced cycling proficiency about 20 years ago)?

 

Jeez, has it been that long since I did my cycling proficiency?! It isn't compulsory that's for sure. Only a small percentage of our kids do it each year.

[LeMarchand]

Isn't it time somebody started about cycling on pavements? I see we've covered running red lights.

 

...and failure to use hand signals. And not using provided cycle lanes.

 

Aren't pavements meant for cyclists (er.. bike users) anyway, so what's the issue!

 

Pavement for pedestrians (unless otherwise indicated) is my motto.

[localzuk]

...and failure to use hand signals. And not using provided cycle lanes.

 

The decision whether to use a cycle lane is entirely up to the cyclist. Many cycle lanes aren't in any way useful. Many down here are downright dangerous! There's a great one which is just over a foot wide, and has lamp posts every 20m right in the middle... Really useful.

 

Pavement for pedestrians (unless otherwise indicated) is my motto.

 

Another issue from what I've experienced - many areas are terrible at actually delimiting what is a pavement and what is a cycle path. Sometimes the same stretch is both. Some have signs up, some have them regularly, some don't. Some have groove slabs to indicate needing to keep things separate etc... It's just a mess.

[Oaktech]

The decision whether to use a cycle lane is entirely up to the cyclist. Many cycle lanes aren't in any way useful. Many down here are downright dangerous! There's a great one which is just over a foot wide, and has lamp posts every 20m right in the middle... Really useful.

 

There is one that I have to use that has an avenue of trees in it. the tarmac is like a washboard because the idiots who constructed it tarmac'd right up to the trees and the trees have grown and raised massive chunks of the tarmac.

 

I've complained to the council several times and they've done a bit of something, but almost made it worse by putting a bad patch on it.

[bald_pig]

I think there needs to be a separation of terms for cyclists and these sort of users. Just "bike user" or something. A cyclist knows the rules of the road, knows how to stay safe and knows not to be chatting on a phone on his bike!

 

Muppets who just jump on a bike with no thought are not cyclists IMO.

 

I have a name for them, not repeatable here, mind you!