Some Professional Cyclists don't follow traffic laws.

[Johnnytheboy]

TankRizzo said:

Do PH cyclists have some sort of Godzilla button they press to summon their colleagues to form Devastator whenever an anti-cycling thread is posted?

I've always imagined it like poking a stick in to a wasps' nest.

[Mr2Mike]

yonex said:

Yes, I can see how you make the connection, 100+ year old professional bike race, pack of racers and barriers being closed mid race......and someone on a boris bike commuting

Much like all these summer bikers out now travelling at warp speed, obituaries will start rolling soon no doubt....

The connection was a sarcastic one, as I'm sure you know. Commuters ride through red lights knowing exactly what they are doing (for the most part). It's pretty obvious these cyclists rode through the barriers knowing exactly what they were doing, but if they really were "panicked and confused", should such fluffy brained sheeple really be riding on a road?

[anonymous-user]

Mr2Mike said:

The connection was a sarcastic one, as I'm sure you know. Commuters ride through red lights knowing exactly what they are doing (for the most part). It's pretty obvious these cyclists rode through the barriers knowing exactly what they were doing, but if they really were "panicked and confused", should such fluffy brained sheeple really be riding on a road?

Yes, they were racing and the red mist came down. It wasn't to the letter of the highway code (the equivalent of) but nobody was hurt. Now, is there a wider point you are making or does that wrap it all up?

[heebeegeetee]

RobinBanks said:

I'm agreeing with civicduty here.
1. It's a fact that the cyclists broke the law - no one should be able to dispute that.
As such they should face the penalty that I would face were I doing the same.
Clearly those who passed the level crossings despite the barriers being down and knowing that they were breaking the law consider themselves more important than the law.
I would also disqualify those who wilfully crossed a blocked level crossing and leave them open to prosecution.

2. 'Race' is not an excuse. I can understand that it's frustrating if you get there first and you're held up and all the others can catch up but I still don't see how that's more important than the laws that the rest of us happily follow every day.

1. All of that is true, but you're missing the point, which is...

2. No we don't. We don't at all, not even close. As motorists we must be the biggest law breaking group in society. You might seek to obey every single law, I doubt it but you might, but 99.9% don't. Most motorists can't even get lights and indicators right.

And that is the point, the numptiness of one of our number wagging a finger at others. I'll remind, it isn't cyclists who are killing and injuring tens of thousands every year, so what they do almost doesn't matter.

[irocfan]

funkyrobot said:

yonex said:

Burn them.

Seriously though when did PH become the home of anti-cycling? It is literally every other day...

It's been rumbling for a while now:

Someone on a bike knocks a pedestrian over = all cyclists are evil bds
Cyclist with helmet cam = road menace who is only going out looking for trouble (but a dash cam on a car is 'required')
Cyclist on the road = cyclist with no insurance or road tax (even though some cyclists insure their bikes and also drive vehicles that they pay VED on)
Etc.

Anyway, back to the topic. It isn't just cyclists that misuse level crossings:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4817.aspx

actually I thought exactly the opposite... someone comes on here daring to criticise a cyclist and all of a sudden the lycra gods appear to defend said miscreant and lambaste the motorist in a similar vein to vegans/climate change bods etc etc. Face it some cyclists are tts - no doubt about it, in all likely-hood more drivers are tts (by mere dint of there being more motorist than cyclists). The main thing to remember on the road whether you are ambulatory, cycling or driving is "don't be a dick", not a hard thing to remember

[Mr2Mike]

yonex said:

Yes, they were racing and the red mist came down. It wasn't to the letter of the highway code (the equivalent of) but nobody was hurt. Now, is there a wider point you are making or does that wrap it all up?

The point I am making is that your excuses for the cyclists stupid behavior are themselves ridiculous. It's not defensible. Being pumped up on adrenalin might make you more aggressive, but it certainly doesn't diminish your responsibility.

Appalling road rage behavior such as viciously cutting up cyclists isn't "to the letter of the highway code" but is usually driven by the red mist, would you happy for that to be overlooked provided no-one gets hurt?

[anonymous-user]

Mr2Mike said:

The point I am making is that your excuses for the cyclists stupid behavior are themselves ridiculous. It's not defensible. Being pumped up on adrenalin might make you more aggressive, but it certainly doesn't diminish your responsibility.

Appalling road rage behavior such as viciously cutting up cyclists isn't "to the letter of the highway code" but is usually driven by the red mist, would you happy for that to be overlooked provided no-one gets hurt?

That's the rub, you can't see a difference between a single out of the ordinary situation and what happens on the roads. I haven't defended it I said it was not that smart but that I understood why it happened. The fact is you need to read more into the situation....I can't help you with that.