Thanks for making our roads safer Mr Cyclist !

[anonymous-user]

Sorry for Mail link:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8552401/G...

Brave cycling heroes, knights of the road...

ETA: Perhaps Ritchie should've hired Freeman ?

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 23 July 13:24

[Durzel]

The Daily Mail seems pretty sympathetic towards him, or perhaps they're looking to start a fight.

"Ritchie appeared to be stationary in his motor in a traffic queue with Apple headphones in to make legal calls hands-free."

...except he wasn't, he was messaging and in any event "making legal calls hands-free" doesn't involve touching the phone, you can answer by tapping the AirPods.

I know there is sympathy from some quarters about people using their phones whilst stationary, with it being "in the spirit of the Law", etc. However, there is a possibility, a reasonably high one too I would say, that someone who is using their phone could be startled by a beep from behind because they haven't noticed traffic moving, or suddenly noticing that traffic has moved, leading to them not fully taking stock of their environment before setting off briskly to catch up.

There must presumably have been studies to show that using a phone whilst driving, even in those situations, leads to an attention span dropoff that is inconsistent with safe and careful control of the vehicle.

[wainy]

Without trying to kick off / start an argument.

So what happens to the cyclists that ride with hands off the handlbars, texting / using their phone as they wonder about the road?
Seen it quite regularly recently.
Would they get points on their licence if they had one?

[gazza285]

wainy said:

Without trying to kick off / start an argument.

So what happens to the cyclists that ride with hands off the handlbars, texting / using their phone as they wonder about the road?
Seen it quite regularly recently.
Would they get points on their licence if they had one?

Very little, the mobile phone legislation relates to operating a motor vehicle.

[agtlaw]

wainy said:

Without trying to kick off / start an argument.

So what happens to the cyclists that ride with hands off the handlbars, texting / using their phone as they wander about the road?
Seen it quite regularly recently.
Would they get points on their licence if they had one?

Wearing a helmet would be a start; see video.

[Previous]

wainy said:

Without trying to kick off / start an argument.

So what happens to the cyclists that ride with hands off the handlbars, texting / using their phone as they wonder about the road?
Seen it quite regularly recently.
Would they get points on their licence if they had one?

Probably not.

Ultimately about risk. Realise GR wasn't moving at the time. Hypothetically rather be hit by a cyclist than a RR (Ideally neither).

I've no issue with cyclists behaving like this. We all know we shouldn't be using phones at the wheel.

[BMWBen]

wainy said:

Without trying to kick off / start an argument.

So what happens to the cyclists that ride with hands off the handlbars, texting / using their phone as they wonder about the road?
Seen it quite regularly recently.
Would they get points on their licence if they had one?

Also what about other people, doing other unrelated things, and possibly breaking rules that may or may not exist? Do they also make breaking this rule less illegal? It's important we consider this I think.

[MC Bodge]

agtlaw said:

Wearing a helmet would be a start; see video.

Not compulsory and in countries where riding is popular for getting about and isn't viewed by many as some sort of perversion or statement of communism, not widely adopted.



Some people on bikes break the rules, as do some people driving cars.

Ps. There is no such as road tax.

[ChocolateFrog]

BMWBen said:

wainy said:

Without trying to kick off / start an argument.

So what happens to the cyclists that ride with hands off the handlbars, texting / using their phone as they wonder about the road?
Seen it quite regularly recently.
Would they get points on their licence if they had one?

Also what about other people, doing other unrelated things, and possibly breaking rules that may or may not exist? Do they also make breaking this rule less illegal? It's important we consider this I think.

A simple concept, not easily grasped by some.

[NMNeil]

"The filmmaker already had nine points on his licence but received six more"
So the roads will be safer for the next 6 months thanks to the cyclist.

[ChocolateFrog]

MC Bodge said:

agtlaw said:

Wearing a helmet would be a start; see video.

Not compulsory and in countries where riding is popular for getting about and isn't viewed by many as some sort of perversion or statement of communism, not widely adopted.



Some people on bikes break the rules, as do some people driving cars.

Ps. There is no such as road tax.

If you cycle in this country without a helmet be prepared to get 'the look' constantly.

Won't be long before you see runners wearing them.

[MC Bodge]

ChocolateFrog said:

If you cycle in this country without a helmet be prepared to get 'the look' constantly.

Won't be long before you see runners wearing them.

Is this to make people driving cars feel less guilty when they drive closely to/collide with people on bikes or on foot?

[tarquin274]

What impresses me most about this story is the creativity of the DM commenters in getting the word "" past the swear filter...

Either way it does seem to be a fairly unanimous appraisal.

Edited by tarquin274 on Thursday 23 July 14:17

[Roger Irrelevant]

BMWBen said:

Also what about other people, doing other unrelated things, and possibly breaking rules that may or may not exist? Do they also make breaking this rule less illegal? It's important we consider this I think.

Indeed. I think that until nobody of any description breaks any laws, real or imagined, then nobody should get in trouble for breaking the law. It's only fair.

[MB140]

gazza285 said:

Very little, the mobile phone legislation relates to operating a motor vehicle.

That’s what irks me. Cyclist blatantly braking the rules of the road. Ie drive through a red light. Have a driving license then points for in that. Don’t have a license then create a ghost one and when someone eventually needs to learn to drive. Guess what your starting with points.

I mean if you rode a scooter on the road until recently you could get points on your car license. Why not riding your push bike using a phone or jumping red lights or speeding etc. Seems reasonable.

[gazza285]

MB140 said:

gazza285 said:

Very little, the mobile phone legislation relates to operating a motor vehicle.

That’s what irks me. Cyclist blatantly braking the rules of the road. Ie drive through a red light. Have a driving license then points for in that. Don’t have a license then create a ghost one and when someone eventually needs to learn to drive. Guess what your starting with points.

I mean if you rode a scooter on the road until recently you could get points on your car license. Why not riding your push bike using a phone or jumping red lights or speeding etc. Seems reasonable.

You only get points if you are caught. It is not a car licence, it is a driving licence, and if you are caught breaking the law enough to acquire enough points, then it is removed from you.

Cyclists that are caught breaking the law are also subject to the threat of penalty, but as there is a right to cycle on the road this cannot be removed.

As Mr Ritchie seems incapable of not being caught, perhaps he should be less reckless with the law.

[martinbiz]

All I can say is what a sad F**k, must have way too much time on his hands

[MC Bodge]

MB140 said:

That’s what irks me. Cyclist blatantly braking the rules of the road. Ie drive through a red light. Have a driving license then points for in that. Don’t have a license then create a ghost one and when someone eventually needs to learn to drive. Guess what your starting with points.

What irks you and many others is that you think that people on bikes, possibly even those who are not jumping red lights, are cheating at life, (by not having to queue, no "road tax", no licence) at your inconvenience and holding you up - even if it is minimally compared with the delays due to other cars in traffic jams and junctions....

A lot of people ignore the bad behaviour of people driving cars and focus on people riding bikes.

A bike is self-propelled. People riding them don't drive them. It is like walking with added wheels. Anybody is allowed to ride one. You could ride a bike too if you are not prevented by disability.

If more UK people rode bikes, urban areas would be better as would the health of the people of the UK.

[dundarach]

I like his videos.

I'm not a cyclist, or that desparate to check fecking facebook\whatsapp\instagram or any other ste.

I am amazed however, he's not been punched.

If you choose to be so brazen as to be caught by him, you deserve all you get, he's not hard to miss if you watch the way he patrols up and down, up and down, up and down...

He's certainly easier to spot than say a small child escaping and running in front of your vechicle.

[MB140]

MC Bodge said:

MB140 said:

That’s what irks me. Cyclist blatantly braking the rules of the road. Ie drive through a red light. Have a driving license then points for in that. Don’t have a license then create a ghost one and when someone eventually needs to learn to drive. Guess what your starting with points.

What irks you and many others is that you think that people on bikes, possibly even those who are not jumping red lights, are cheating at life, (by not having to queue, no "road tax", no licence) at your inconvenience and holding you up - even if it is minimally compared with the delays due to other cars in traffic jams and junctions....

A lot of people ignore the bad behaviour of people driving cars and focus on people riding bikes.

A bike is self-propelled. People riding them don't drive them. It is like walking with added wheels. Anybody is allowed to ride one. You could ride a bike too if you are not prevented by disability.

If more UK people rode bikes, urban areas would be better as would the health of the people of the UK.

Sorry but you’re completely wrong. What irks me is that they are road users like everybody else. They should have to abide by the rules of the road like all other users and if they can’t abide by the rules then they should be reprimanded as a car or motorbike users. i.e a fine or points on a ghost license.

I have no ill feeling toward them not paying ‘road tax’ (Yes I know it’s not road tax, your words not mine) because they put out no pollution. I just want the rules and the punishments to be EQUAL.

I mean this country is all about equal rights (and rightly so). But equal is equal.