I hate cyclists unless I am on a bike myself, then it’s all the other traffic that are zb’s 
Nothing wrong with running red lights if it’s safe to do so. The only reason other vehicles don’t do it is because they have a registration plate that can be photo’d and used to trace the driver.
“in 2009, the most recent year for which figures are available, no pedestrians were killed in Great Britain by cyclists, but 426 died in collisions with motor vehicles out of a total of 2,222 road fatalities.”
And of those 426, I guarantee that 426 drivers were prosecuted - regardless of whether the cyclist was at fault under the current legislation…
OK. it’s this bloke …
“Now, at least in built-up areas, one stereotype, rightly or wrongly, is of well-paid men in expensive leisuirewear with a sense of entitlement and a refusal to conform to the same rules as everyone else.”
… that gives us cyclists a bad name. We’ve all met him, all wanted to punch him, but he is a minority who gives us all a bad name.
Same as the car driver who will do ANYTHING to get in front of you, or the bloke who potters along at 55.9mph, but speeds up to 56.1mph when you try to overtake. For every motorist that ■■■■■■ you off there are 100’s that don’t.
Just as most cyclists don’t know about blind spots on a lorry etc, most motorist don’t realise what cyclists have to put up with. Try cycling around town or on country roads for a month and I guarantee at some point you will pray for a motorist to get stopped at lights so you can catch up with them and punch them in the head cos they nearly killed you simply because they didn’t want to wait for 10 seconds to overtake. Sounds familiar?
They should be banned from the roads altogether and forced to use proper cycle paths or tow paths and if there isn’t one or the other between the places they want to go, tough ■■■■, buy a car like all normal people do. 
Rob K:
They should be banned from the roads altogether and forced to use proper cycle paths or tow paths and if there isn’t one or the other between the places they want to go, tough [zb], buy a car like all normal people do.
Just like trucks should be banned from town centres and only be allowed on motorways at night and if a truck needs to deliver to a town centre? Tough ■■■■, send in 20 transit vans instead
Squiddy:
I hate cyclists unless I am on a bike myself, then it’s all the other traffic that are zb’sNothing wrong with running red lights if it’s safe to do so. The only reason other vehicles don’t do it is because they have a registration plate that can be photo’d and used to trace the driver.
Oh dear oh dear oh dear. So would it be ok for a cyclist to ride down the side of your vehicle, scratch it right down the side with the handlebars, then ride off safe in the knowledge that without the registration plate you couldn’t trace them? The difference is the same, both scenarios are against the law, so where do you draw the line? Obey the law regardless of the vehicle you’re in charge of.
This post is a wind up surely
I was invited to speak on BBC Radio Leicester yesterday morning on the issue of cyclists and I was on the air at the same time as another Roger who delivers cycle training in Leics schools (Cyclemagic)
Cyclemagic have taught over 1500 young people in the past year to cycle properly and of their responsibilities as well as the rules of the road
Some schools refused to have them do this even though it is FREE!!
That means that those taught have the knowledge of how to do it right in the same way as motorised drivers have
That leaves thousands of cyclists who have not been given the knowledge
Those with the knowledge do not always choose to act as they should be they cyclists or drivers
All we can do as a society is to educate all road users and then let those road users make their own choices but without that education being done in the first place then we are on a hiding to nothing
I have noticed if i cycle along the canal tow path on the left side,walkers and cylists move over to my left,where i have to swerve them.For some reason,dog walkers call back their dogs,which were walking fine,as when they get called back,again have to swerve,leave the dog,to what it was doing,while i can pass unhindered and without all the fuss of having to be polite and pleases and thank yous all round,on a 30 mile ride,i would never get anywhere.
If all kept to their side of their path,it would be simple,as everyone would know which side to be on.Large groups would see me coming from a long way away,and i see them moving over to block the side of the canal that i was on.If they stayed where they were,there was a big gap for me to pass them all.
MrHappy:
Squiddy:
I hate cyclists unless I am on a bike myself, then it’s all the other traffic that are zb’sNothing wrong with running red lights if it’s safe to do so. The only reason other vehicles don’t do it is because they have a registration plate that can be photo’d and used to trace the driver.
Oh dear oh dear oh dear. So would it be ok for a cyclist to ride down the side of your vehicle, scratch it right down the side with the handlebars, then ride off safe in the knowledge that without the registration plate you couldn’t trace them? The difference is the same, both scenarios are against the law, so where do you draw the line? Obey the law regardless of the vehicle you’re in charge of.
This post is a wind up surely
The only time I have ever had a cyclist make contact with my vehicle was in London. He cycled head first in to my n/s mirror and fell off. When he got up he appologised.
As for running a red light… How many times have you been stopped at a pedestrian crossing and there are no pedestrians crossing? If I’m on my bike I will take a good look around and if there is no one on or near the crossing I will continue with my journey. Even Borris Johnson condones this for cyclists. The main difference is if I make an error of judgement and fail to see a pedestrian, the worst that will happen is 100kg of bike and rider will collide with a pedestrian at a low speed and either harsh words will be exchanged or some cuts and grazes. If a 1000kg car fails to see a pedestrian then it gets nasty. If a 20000kg truck fails to see a pedestrian it gets fatal.
Squiddy:
The main difference is if I make an error of judgement and fail to see a pedestrian, the worst that will happen is 100kg of bike and rider will collide with a pedestrian at a low speed and either harsh words will be exchanged or some cuts and grazes. If a 1000kg car fails to see a pedestrian then it gets nasty. If a 20000kg truck fails to see a pedestrian it gets fatal.
This was my argument on the grounds of safety
Is it better to have cyclists mixing with pedestrians or cyclists mixing with motors?
IMO - it is safer to have cyclists (or pedestrians on wheels) mixing with pedestrians
Squiddy:
Rob K:
They should be banned from the roads altogether and forced to use proper cycle paths or tow paths and if there isn’t one or the other between the places they want to go, tough [zb], buy a car like all normal people do.Just like trucks should be banned from town centres and only be allowed on motorways at night and if a truck needs to deliver to a town centre? Tough [zb], send in 20 transit vans instead
The difference is that unlike trucks 
cyclists serve no useful purpose, so your argument = fail. 
toby1234abc:
I have noticed if i cycle along the canal tow path on the left side,walkers and cylists move over to my left,where i have to swerve them.For some reason,dog walkers call back their dogs,which were walking fine,as when they get called back,again have to swerve,leave the dog,to what it was doing,while i can pass unhindered and without all the fuss of having to be polite and pleases and thank yous all round,on a 30 mile ride,i would never get anywhere.
If all kept to their side of their path,it would be simple,as everyone would know which side to be on.Large groups would see me coming from a long way away,and i see them moving over to block the side of the canal that i was on.If they stayed where they were,there was a big gap for me to pass them all.
You’re not the only one to notice this. And why do they insist on moving onto the smooth dirt when the tyre tracks are, leaving you to move onto the rough stuff that resembles the surface of the moon? They were happily walking on the rough stuff to begin with
I get sick of all the thank yous and mornings and how’dos as well. Just STFU and get on with your thing and let me get on with mine without all the pointless chit chat. 
Squiddy:
MrHappy:
Squiddy:
I hate cyclists unless I am on a bike myself, then it’s all the other traffic that are zb’sNothing wrong with running red lights if it’s safe to do so. The only reason other vehicles don’t do it is because they have a registration plate that can be photo’d and used to trace the driver.
Oh dear oh dear oh dear. So would it be ok for a cyclist to ride down the side of your vehicle, scratch it right down the side with the handlebars, then ride off safe in the knowledge that without the registration plate you couldn’t trace them? The difference is the same, both scenarios are against the law, so where do you draw the line? Obey the law regardless of the vehicle you’re in charge of.
This post is a wind up surely
The only time I have ever had a cyclist make contact with my vehicle was in London. He cycled head first in to my n/s mirror and fell off. When he got up he appologised.
As for running a red light… How many times have you been stopped at a pedestrian crossing and there are no pedestrians crossing? If I’m on my bike I will take a good look around and if there is no one on or near the crossing I will continue with my journey. Even Borris Johnson condones this for cyclists. The main difference is if I make an error of judgement and fail to see a pedestrian, the worst that will happen is 100kg of bike and rider will collide with a pedestrian at a low speed and either harsh words will be exchanged or some cuts and grazes. If a 1000kg car fails to see a pedestrian then it gets nasty. If a 20000kg truck fails to see a pedestrian it gets fatal.
Well you were lucky that the cyclist in London did stop, although you didn’t answer my original question, would it be ok for a cyclist to do that and ride off? And if you approach a crossing on red in a car/truck and nobody is crossing, would you have a good look around and drive through if clear? Even if there were no cameras? Whats the difference? All road users are supposed to abide by the highway code, this is half the reason why cyclists get zero sympathy, because they do believe that there are a different set of rules for them.
As for Boris Johnson…He condones it…whoopee do, that is the only thing that doesn’t surprise me here. I wouldn’t let him run a bath, never mind London.
And as for it getting fatal when a cyclist and 20 tonnes come together, if that doesn’t help cyclists think about the consequences of their actions then nothing will.
Rob K:
Squiddy:
Rob K:
They should be banned from the roads altogether and forced to use proper cycle paths or tow paths and if there isn’t one or the other between the places they want to go, tough [zb], buy a car like all normal people do.Just like trucks should be banned from town centres and only be allowed on motorways at night and if a truck needs to deliver to a town centre? Tough [zb], send in 20 transit vans instead
The difference is that unlike trucks
Well you may as well argue that cars serve no useful purpose either. I use my bike to get to and from work (where I drive a truck) and to get around town. Yes I run the odd red light or two, but no one has died. I also use pavements when I can, but I get grief from the pedestrians on the pavement so I hop on to the road where I get grief from the motorists. If I wasn’t on my bike I would be in a car probably doing all the things that annoy you like overtaking you or using my fog lights when there is no fog or simply adding to congestion.
Yes it’s true that without trucks nothing would get delivered and the country would grind to a halt. But without cars or bikes or pedestrians there would be no one to buy the stuff delivered by trucks so it’s wrong to say that any type of road user serves no purpose.
Even the lycra clad stereo type ■■■■■■ cyclist had to buy his swanky bike and ridiculous lycra suit from an outlet that was delivered to by a truck. If he wasn’t on the road then some truck driver would be out of a job.
I just think it’s a bit hypocritical the way truck drivers moan that they are demonized by other road users for being a hazard or a hinderence due to a lack of understanding on the part of the other road users, but when the boots on the other foot and THEY are held up by another road user then it’s fair game to demonize cyclists.
Where is 44tonne anyway? I get the feeling he has thrown the “cyclist hand grenade” in to the forum and is now sitting back munching popcorn
Squiddy:
Rob K:
Squiddy:
Rob K:
They should be banned from the roads altogether and forced to use proper cycle paths or tow paths and if there isn’t one or the other between the places they want to go, tough [zb], buy a car like all normal people do.Just like trucks should be banned from town centres and only be allowed on motorways at night and if a truck needs to deliver to a town centre? Tough [zb], send in 20 transit vans instead
The difference is that unlike trucks
Well you may as well argue that cars serve no useful purpose either.
No. Cars can do the same speed as trucks and vice versa for the most part = no issues mowing down old dears like cyclists do, no congestion issues caused by cyclist not doing a decent speed and no issues from cyclists coming down the inside of vehicles and getting flattened.
Where is 44tonne anyway? I get the feeling he has thrown the “cyclist hand grenade” in to the forum and is now sitting back munching popcorn
I taught him that.
This is a simple one they should carry 3d party insurence to ride on any public road they should also have to be tested as there competence in riding
This private members bill will never make it through all the stages to become law, very few of these actually do, David Steel got the abortion thing through on a private members bill, the exception rather than the rule, she may just as well try and bring in the death penalty for those who don’t clear up after their dogs! I’d vote for that if I could!
‘Crazyperson who used to drive a truck’
I agree that cyclists should have a compulsary test which they must pass and every year made to do refresher type coarse.
The compulsary test would be kept on a police database so when the police stopped a cyclist they could check if they had passed the test and had completed an annual refresher type test,if they had not passed the relevent tests then the bike would be seized and the cyclist fined.
Initial test £75.
Refresher test (annualy) £30
It’s about time these cyclists started to pay there way!
Macmillan was a Scottish blacksmith who is credited with the invention of the pedal bicycle.
Kirkpatrick Macmillan was born in 1812 in Dumfriesshire, the son of a blacksmith. He did a variety of jobs as a young man, before settling into working with his father in 1824. At around that time he saw a hobbyhorse being ridden along a nearby road, and decided to make one for himself. Upon completion, he realised what a radical improvement it would be if he could propel it without putting his feet on the ground. Working at his smithy, he completed his new machine in around 1839.
This first pedal bicycle was propelled by a horizontal reciprocating movement of the rider’s feet on the pedals. This movement was transmitted to cranks on the rear wheel by connecting rods; the machine was extremely heavy and the physical effort required to ride it must have been considerable. Nevertheless, Macmillan quickly mastered the art of riding it on the rough country roads, and was soon accustomed to making the fourteen-mile journey to Dumfries in less than an hour. His next exploit was to ride the 68 miles into Glasgow in June 1842. The trip took him two days and he was fined five shillings for causing a slight injury to a small girl who ran across his path.
He never thought of patenting his invention or trying to make any money out of it, but others who saw it were not slow to realize its potential, and soon copies began to appear for sale. Gavin Dalzell of Lesmahagow copied his machine in 1846 and passed on the details to so many people that for more than 50 years he was generally regarded as the inventor of the bicycle. However, Macmillan was quite unconcerned with the fuss his invention had prompted, preferring to enjoy the quiet country life to which he was accustomed. He died on 26 January 1878.
They were at it even then!