Actually, all of this whining reminds me of a badass story I was told once. I was doing work experience, and one of the engineers there had come down from Melbourne, where he rode to work. He got knocked off his bike by someone who tried to run a red light. He got back up, kicked the guys bumper in, and rode off.
A message to all Cyclists.
- Thread starter Gentleman_Reptile
- Start date
To be fair I haven't taken public transportation in that many different places so it is possible that you just have far higher tolerance for being stuck in a tight space with far to many people and trying to plan your day around bus times. I also had a big post giving more info about why outdoor conditions are hostile to cycling but then I derped and closed the tab so the short version is: suburbs are too spaced out while the city roads are hellish even in a car and large parts of both get scary after dark, and the weather tends to be 85+ and humid in the summer and less than 30 and snowy/rainy in the winter, with only small periods featuring consistently nice weather.manic_depressive13 said:
CAPCHA: never gonna give you up.
Said I to my 2001 accord. I do so love the convince of being able to drive.
If you apply this to insurance in general this is pretty damn good point, if someone on a motorcycle or driving a car hits my car the cost of repairs comes out of their mandatory (in the UK) insurance. If an idiot cyclist damages my car I am probably going to be out of pocket for hundreds of pounds. Thats not an implausible amount either, a light cluster for example on many modern cars is worth more than many of those bikes you see around.WWmelb said:
We aren't allowed to cycle on the pavement, in most countries it is this way.
Its called the highway code for a reason, it applies to everything on the road, we have every right to be on the road just not act like an idiot.
In fact in the UK you are required by law to have cycling insurance but the police don't check up on you.
Its called the highway code for a reason, it applies to everything on the road, we have every right to be on the road just not act like an idiot.
In fact in the UK you are required by law to have cycling insurance but the police don't check up on you.
That's a good point, and your standard issue monocle needs to be returned to the authorities at once.Blunderboy said:
I'm a cyclist, I ride a great big Made in the US Scott and I've lived in London, it costs 16 pounds a year to insure yourself on a bicycle. I did actually slam into an Audi A4 (metallic green) and my insurance did pay for the damages.J Tyran said:
Unfortunately most other cyclist either don't know about the insurance or don't care, which paints us all in a bad light because it means the majority are ignorant to the facts or are RULE BREAKING RECKLESS SCUMBAGS.
edit: totally my fault too, I was checking out a girl.
Yeah the problem is enforcement, most Police officers don't know its a legal requirement because its not seen as a huge issue, we also have to stop for red lights... like my earlier post stated since we are on the road all the same rules applies to us cyclist, which means we have just as much right to be there but we need to stick to the same rules, I've been stopped for speeding.J Tyran said:
I'm in Paris now and the old boy (I love old people[footnote]old people didn't get to that age by being decrepit, they got to that age by surviving wars and polio and generally being ninja's[/footnote]) I speak to when getting a baguette in the morning tells me everytime that when he was young cyclist had to have registration plates, I would heartily welcome that today.
You can sue, not sure how or if it would be worth the effort though. Unless you could run it through the small claims court, which I am not sure if you can you would probably have to stand out the court and legal fees until the court rules them to be at fault. Then they would have to pay costs and compensation.FelixG said:
In all honesty I have no idea how you would go about it.
Can you link me to where it states this on a UK site? I checked through .gov and so on, cant find any mention of it being a legal obligation. The closest I could find is one site discussing how they were considering making it a legal requirement 2 years back but no update on it. Genuinely curious as my partner rides a bike every day to work but doesnt have such a thing!DigitalSushi said:
I personally hate cyclists on the road but I have a more justified reason. Here in Milton Keynes we have a redway system, a sort of widened footpath designed for cyclists and pedestrians that runs parallel to the grid road system. It was designed of course to allow cyclists and pedestrians to essentially go where ever a car could without having to be right next to busy roads (every road outside of a housing/shopping area is 60/70, depending on lanes).
The system is near perfect as it keeps the majority of cyclists safe on their path which is not attached to the road (so no cars to swerve near them) while on the other side of the see-saw it keeps cyclists off of the high speed roads. Note however I said "the majority" and "near perfect" because unfortunately despite this system we still get a small percentage of cyclists who insist they need to be on a 70mph road doing 15mph, cycling in the middle of the lane. That is pretty rage inducing stuff! As every junction here is a roundabout its just plain dangerous for them as well, especially when some of the other cars take the roundabouts at high speed.
Dear cyclists,
When I was seventeen working across town, I didn't have a driver's license or desire to get one and was happy peddling across to get to my job. One morning I got to work and nobody else showed up, so I went back home.
I remember approaching a crossing on a road. I don't remember if I stopped, looked briefly or just blazed right through.
What I do remember is waking up on the other side of the road three feet from my bike, my head pounding with a concussion that lasted two days, and my helmet shattered from the point of impact on the pavement.
If not for my helmet, I would absolutely have been killed.
Fucking wear them I have zero sympathy for any cyclist killed because he was too cool/uncomfortable/cheap for a helmet and brained himself on the road
And if you're going to occupy the road, you need to obey the same rules and basic self-preservation measures as cars, or you'll at best annoy everybody, or at worst become dead.
A cyclist who was well-known with commuters and even the police - multiple citations - for flying out into a particular roundabout finally ate it a few months ago. Traffic in his lane had stopped, and as usual he sped right out into the open. He never stopped or so much as glanced up for oncoming traffic.
A garbage truck doing 40mph directly struck him, destroyed his helmet and split his skull open, as well as devouring his bike and ruining his body.
He was dead before he hit the ground, where he left a smudge of where his fucking brain matter spilled out on the road for eight days after it had been scooped up.
I've cut off cyclists. I've faked out swerving to hit them. I look out for them in lanes where they should be, and they do for the most part behave themselves. But the few bad eggs are not only annoying and inconvenient, but dangerous, not just for themselves but for the motorists who have to put in the effort to not kill people.
Please be good,
- Sansha
When I was seventeen working across town, I didn't have a driver's license or desire to get one and was happy peddling across to get to my job. One morning I got to work and nobody else showed up, so I went back home.
I remember approaching a crossing on a road. I don't remember if I stopped, looked briefly or just blazed right through.
What I do remember is waking up on the other side of the road three feet from my bike, my head pounding with a concussion that lasted two days, and my helmet shattered from the point of impact on the pavement.
If not for my helmet, I would absolutely have been killed.
Fucking wear them I have zero sympathy for any cyclist killed because he was too cool/uncomfortable/cheap for a helmet and brained himself on the road
And if you're going to occupy the road, you need to obey the same rules and basic self-preservation measures as cars, or you'll at best annoy everybody, or at worst become dead.
A cyclist who was well-known with commuters and even the police - multiple citations - for flying out into a particular roundabout finally ate it a few months ago. Traffic in his lane had stopped, and as usual he sped right out into the open. He never stopped or so much as glanced up for oncoming traffic.
A garbage truck doing 40mph directly struck him, destroyed his helmet and split his skull open, as well as devouring his bike and ruining his body.
He was dead before he hit the ground, where he left a smudge of where his fucking brain matter spilled out on the road for eight days after it had been scooped up.
I've cut off cyclists. I've faked out swerving to hit them. I look out for them in lanes where they should be, and they do for the most part behave themselves. But the few bad eggs are not only annoying and inconvenient, but dangerous, not just for themselves but for the motorists who have to put in the effort to not kill people.
Please be good,
- Sansha
They want to be treated the same as cars, fine, more power to 'em. In that case, they should all be pulled over and smacked with a fine for obstructing traffic, same as an automobile would. They only get away with it because they're not two-ton death machines, the smug assholes, leaving cops better things to do
BELIEVE ME, it's always minors that I see without a helmet and they are always riding in front of, if not beside, police. So the reason I'm upset, more or less, it that there are minors riding on the streets with no helmets and the police can't be bothered to set them straight.AwesomeWunderbar said:
This. Is the same as every driver's gripe with cyclists. Luckily enough, streets actually have lanes fucking designated for cycling, unlike sidewalks which are, believe it or not, exclusively meant to be walked upon (unfortunately.) Yeah, we get in, 'murica on a whole has no sympathy for you. But cutting everyone off and making them late isn't the same as lobbying for a more efficient system of transportation, nor is it saving the planet. Sure it might keep you in shape, but only until you're dead.TizzytheTormentor said:
This attitude right here is what makes me want to bludgeon cyclists. You're not better than me just because you ride a fucking bicycle everywhere you go. Some people live out where the buses don't run, have to get up to go to work before the buses start running, don't have bus service in their area, or live far enough away from their workplace that riding a bicycle isn't practical. Get off you environmental high horse, ride your bike on the side of the road where you belong and stop being such an entitled little prick.manic_depressive13 said:
Unfortunately, in the UK there isn't a great deal of cycle lane coverage in most cities. So cyclists are supposed to be on the road with the cars. As a pedestrian, I get really annoyed by cyclists who cycle on the pavement.Gentleman_Reptile said:
Cyclists: You are not pedestrians. You are legally vehicles. If you are too old to have stabilisers on your bike, then you are too old to cycle on the pavement. So get back on the bloody road and stop trying to run me down!
Of course, a better solution would be to build more cycle lanes. Then all three groups can have their own room and live in harmony. But that takes money and space. In the current economy, London has neither to spare.