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Topic Originator: Parboiled
Date: Sun 30 Jan 07:20
New changes to the Highway Code came into effect yesterday of which you are all aware I’m sure ...yes, that cyclist hogging the middle of the road and looking over his shoulder laughing has the right to be there, so tough!
The one about turning into a side road and stopping to give way to a pedestrian waiting to cross will see an increase in bumper bumps I’m sure!
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Topic Originator: Buspasspar
Date: Sun 30 Jan 08:40
parboiled I might be wrong but when I passed my test 50 + years ago I am sure the H.C. said a pedestrian has right of way when crossing a side road ??
We are forever shaped by the Children we once were
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Topic Originator: DBP
Date: Sun 30 Jan 09:01
Shame we have to legislate for common courtesy but not surprised these days
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Sun 30 Jan 09:09
In Canada it`s been this way for years. No issues from what I saw but it felt weird as a non-local pedestrian.
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Topic Originator: Parboiled
Date: Sun 30 Jan 09:23
I always thought that you had to stop if someone was waiting at a zebra crossing.
When I took my test, the first crossing we came to there was a lassie with a toddler pushchair waiting at the kerb. The driver in front of me ignored or didn’t see her and drove right through, I stopped and the examiner grunted approvingly.
Was only a few minutes into the test and I felt afterwards I could have failed right there. In the event it gave me a bit of confidence and passed. First time!
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Topic Originator: da_no_1
Date: Sun 30 Jan 10:23
Quote:
Parboiled, Sun 30 Jan 07:20
New changes to the Highway Code came into effect yesterday of which you are all aware I’m sure ...yes, that cyclist hogging the middle of the road and looking over his shoulder laughing has the right to be there, so tough!
The one about turning into a side road and stopping to give way to a pedestrian waiting to cross will see an increase in bumper bumps I’m sure!
Do you mean cyclists "hogging" the road to avoid potholes and drains?
"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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Topic Originator: The One Who Knocks
Date: Sun 30 Jan 11:11
Here lies the body of Michael O`Day
Who died defending his right of way
The right was his and his will was strong
But he is still just as dead as if he was wrong.
And although my eyes were open
They just might as well be closed
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Sun 30 Jan 11:54
You`re supposed to give cyclists the same space you`d give a car to cycling in the middle of the road should be no issue.
I`m convinced people have forgotten how to drive. Last week I nearly had someone in the side of me at the big ASDA car park as he seemed to have forgotten the whole give way to the right thing and pulled out beside me as I was already halfway round! Yesterday I had an old boy just pull out in front of me too and this was followed by having to get down a street where a car had just been abandoned in the road.
I`m sure there are plenty pain in the backside cyclists but for each one of them there will be ten tail-gaiting, mobile phone using, amber gambler idiot drivers.
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Topic Originator: DBP
Date: Sun 30 Jan 12:14
Let’s not forget speeders. I remember the other week I said to my wife that I probably speed most of the time, 35 in 30`s etc so would really be conscious of obeying the limits.
Literally first journey, 2 mins from the house driving down Garvock hill, a residential street with primary kids on both sides walking to school… doing 20mph as per the speed limit and had a guy behind me right to up backside. Accelerating and braking as he caught me the whole way. One point he Almost trying to undertake me as I moved to the middle to go straight over the Speed bump, waving arms about and tbh it didn’t get much better after that.
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Topic Originator: Wotsit
Date: Sun 30 Jan 12:39
Cyclists on the pavement annoys the hell out of me until I remember what it was like riding a motorbike on British roads, when I could out accelerate most cars, and I`m more understanding of why folk choose to do that.
My least heart-warming interaction with a UK car driver was when the guy who knocked me off of, and wrote off, my bike in Edinburgh told me about how the whole thing was stressing him out and that he needed another joint to calm down.
Cyclists behave like they do because their lives literally depend on assuming that every car driver is stoned and on their phone.
The enemy travels by private jet, not by dinghy.
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Topic Originator: Lenstar
Date: Sun 30 Jan 17:46
No real issue with this but I feel that all cyclists should have to have a cycling proficiency license before being lawfully allowed to use the same roads as motorists and the same as motorcyclists should be contributing to the UK road tax scheme.
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Sun 30 Jan 17:56
There is no UK road tax scheme. It`s an emissions tax. Cyclists don`t emit any emissions (well...) so are tax exempt. Same with electric vehicles and a fair few petrol engines.
Probably value in insurance for cyclists but when does that start? If I do the occasional bike ride on the weekend would I need it? What if I only cycle on country paths? What about kids?
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Topic Originator: The One Who Knocks
Date: Sun 30 Jan 18:23
If I`m understanding this properly every junction is now in effect a zebra crossing. If a pedestrian is in the vicinity of the junction then vehicles in all directions need to yield until the pedestrian has vacated the junction area.
And although my eyes were open
They just might as well be closed
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Topic Originator: Lenstar
Date: Sun 30 Jan 18:27
Just my thoughts but to be able to use the roads you should be qualified to do so whether to be daily, monthly etc so all cyclists should be proficient and be tested as such and even more so children, I mean if its a case of monkey see monkey do then I think it should be regularised to keep them safe.
I just think that everyone who uses our roads should help pay for the upkeep?
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Sun 30 Jan 19:00
Most cyclists will also have cars. They will also most likely be taxpayers. Plus the wear and tear from them riding a bike is almost zero. How often do you see a potholed cycle path? The most damaging vehicles to roads are HGVs and buses.
Would a unicyclist get half off?
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Topic Originator: DBP
Date: Sun 30 Jan 21:27
Yeah- the old road tax argument! 😂
We haven’t paid road tax the whole time I’ve been alive… it is vehicle excise duty and as said above it’s based on emissions. So I pay it for my car, my motorcycle and not on any of my 4 bicycles.
Given my bicycles are zero emissions, the VED payable would be zero (just as they are for electric cars). However for me to register ask my bicycles, that would come at an admin cost. Payable by all of us who pay VED - so if you want your car VED to increase then that’s fine, but I don’t.
As a side note, there were 3.3 million bicycles sold last year, so that’s a a lot of admin!!!
Also, statistics show that 0.8% of journey miles (or 1.2% off actually journeys) were taken in Scotland by bicycle - not an awful lot for people to be getting their knickers in a twist about really!?!?
Post Edited (Sun 30 Jan 21:29)
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Topic Originator: GG4
Date: Sun 30 Jan 22:24
Most cyclists I can abide by and give them fair room. What boils my p*** is idiots like the ones I encountered earlier today cycling side by side, slow as paint drying going UP the coal road. Down to first gear in car till the brow of the hill with cars crawling in front and behind. Can`t they see how bloody stupid this is?
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Topic Originator: dave67
Date: Mon 31 Jan 01:43
parboiled I might be wrong but when I passed my test 50 + years ago I am sure the H.C. said a pedestrian has right of way when crossing a side road ??
New rule is. If a pedestrian is waiting to cross. You have to give way to them now.
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Topic Originator: DBP
Date: Mon 31 Jan 09:14
While it may have held you up for a few mins, probably the safest way for everyone in that scenario.
Single file would invite you to pass and not enough room too as narrow road and let’s pretend someone coming the other way, what would you do, drift left into them… also longer overtake single file so more likely.
Side by side you treat them like any other slow moving road user and only pass when safe to do so
Even if I was going up that road on my own, defensively for my own safety, I would be in the middle of the lane
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Mon 31 Jan 09:36
Tbh, the side by side thing would only annoy me me if it was a narrow road like the coal road. You`re supposed to give a car width so it shouldn`t matter if they`re single file or side by side.
I think too many people get anxious around cyclists. There`s a pressure to get round them as it feels like it`s you holding up the traffic rather than the cyclists. This leads to people doing dodgy overtakes.
It`s the same with 20mph zones. People shouldn`t feel pressured by someone behind them and people also shouldn`t be tail-gaiting someone for doing the limit.
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Topic Originator: DBP
Date: Mon 31 Jan 11:02
Funny thing Jake is rather than feeling pressured when I’m sitting at the speed limit and some one is right up my erse… it just makes me slow down a little more!
I’ll do 30 in a 30, but some one tailgating me and I start doing 26! 😇😂
But on a serious note, I don’t invite anyone to overtake me less I feel it’s safe to do so, I do that by commanding my space, especially where there’s junctions, roundabouts, etc. (defensive riding like I do in the motorbike)
Had too many folk pulling out in front of me, left hooking me, squeezing me into drains etc when going past when not enough room with oncoming cars etc… even when I’m keeping up with the traffic when commuting in Edinburgh, folk feel the need to overtake and then forced their way in front and slam on the brakes
I really don’t care if anyone spends a few mins more in their journey if it means i I get home in one piece.
Also, when I’m on the motor bike, I’ll sit behind cars when we’re all moving, even though I’m much quicker - so the least they can do is pay me the same courtesy
Post Edited (Mon 31 Jan 11:10)
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Topic Originator: The One Who Knocks
Date: Mon 31 Jan 11:26
You mean you never overtake when on a motorbike?
And although my eyes were open
They just might as well be closed
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Mon 31 Jan 12:24
I do the same DBP. I slow it a bit, quadruple check before entering a roundabout, look both ways multiple times at a junction.
The worst people are delivery drivers. Had to brake to avoid a head on collision with one on the road between Kelty and the bus museum last week. He had to squeeze in between two other cars to avoid smashing into me.
I don`t cycle but have respect for those who do. The infrastructure in this country is still so poor. Wee paths at the side of the road are fine for a wee family bike ride, but how would you get from Pitcorthie to the town centre off road? We`re about to see new roads put in to the north of Dunfermline. I`ll bet they`ll have a token cycle path that randomly comes to an end as you reach Townhill.
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Topic Originator: Parboiled
Date: Mon 31 Jan 14:55
Good point on infrastructure Jake.
When I got off a ferry in Ostend 55 years ago first thing I noticed was cycling by all ages was much more prevalent, with ample provision of dedicated lanes.
Was amused to see a lady old enough to be my granny tootling along, fag in mouth, her shopping in a basket.
I was well used to seeing hundreds of men cycling out the Dockyard, but the thought of my mum on a bike never mind a granny ...never!
Not just this aspect either, the integrated rail, tram and bus services were so efficient and easy to use.
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Topic Originator: DBP
Date: Mon 31 Jan 21:07
I don’t overtake in a motorbike when we’re all driving along the road on a single lane road in towns for example.
On the open road yes, when I can overtake in the other side of the road, just like I would a cyclist in my car
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Topic Originator: Jeffery
Date: Mon 31 Jan 23:07
"Spending per person
Here’s where it gets interesting. On average, the UK spends under £2 per person per year on cycling. This is a stark contrast to the Netherlands, where around £24 per head funds cycling annually."
https://www.stolenride.co.uk/uk-government-pledges-2-billion/
Cycling provision in the UK is pretty poor so there will continue to be complaints of poor behaviour from all groups.
I cycle a lot more indoor than outdoor but when I do venture out, riding in the gutters is dangerous with the state of the roads. I`m glad the highway code is being amended.
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Topic Originator: parsmad68
Date: Tue 1 Feb 06:12
Road funding for cyclist is so bad in this country funding comes from the charity Sustrans for new cycle paths. Without them the route north on the A9 would have been impossible for cyclists.
On the subject of overtaking on hills and blind corners, food for thought for people who don’t cycle. A cyclist can easily hear and see oncoming traffic that a car cannot. In situations where I am climbing a hill where I know there is an oncoming car (and it is impossible for the car waiting for me to pass) I will hold out a stop to the waiting driver. When he is safe to go I always ensure I give clear direction to the waiting driver. If there is an oncoming car on a very tight road (as I avoid trunk roads where possible) then I will also in addition to the stop signal pull out slightly wider to try to indicate to the following driver not to pass. Only once this young driver ignored the advice I gave him and narrowly avoided a head on collision (both drivers emergency stopped). If I wasn’t there then it would have been a head on due to speed.
The issue is the road network funding to keep cyclists and cars apart is appalling. Consider the upgrade of the dualling of the A9. A perfect opportunity to consider to remove all cyclists from going through Bankfoot, etc on the way north. But no, it continues to be a hit and a miss patchwork network.
Dunfermline is a great example of terrible planning. Some great short routes that just stop so you must join the main carriageway. For example coming from Lochgelly to Kincardine, there are some routes but they do not connect, until you get to the bliss of the old railway line.
I have heard some amount of cr@p from people who only drive like the following “cyclists will think they own the road now”, etc. but the truth is if you behave that way as a cyclist you will be dead sooner than later. I agree there are bad cyclists as well as bad drivers, it is part of life.
The cyclist must be courteous and allow traffic to pass when it is possible by stopping or waving cars on.
I have been cycling (and driving) for years and I actually think my interactions with cars was getting much better. There were less instances per ride than ever before. However I genuinely worry given the backlash from the driver only community is to legalising what should have been expected protocol and common sense that there is a priority of road user.
For the driver only community, there is a joke in the cycling community after the announcement of another dead cyclist that “the car driver was unhurt”.
I understand the frustrations of car drivers, but common sense from both communities and useful government funding is the best way forward.
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