Rear ended at a set of lights today.

[oyster]

So it's finally happened.

For years I've been vehemently following the highway code and stopping for all red lights as a law-abiding cyclist. This morning I got hit from behind by a fellow cyclist who plainly didn't expect me to stop for such a thing as a red light on a pedestrian crossing.

He hit me with quite a whack, luckily no damage to me or my bike, but I gave him a might ear-bashing (adrenalin-based I think). He did apologise to be fair.


Left me wondering how many cyclists go through red lights and never, ever have a collision, yet I stop at them and get hit. The irony.

[Johnny]

I'd be most upset with that tbh.

An ear bashing would be getting off lightly.

[thepawbroon]

One thing I've learned during my increased interest in cycling, increased use of my cycle for commuting (in London) and participation in cycling-related internet forums:

Red Light Stopping / Jumping is a very emotive topic and should be avoided! OOPS, I've fallen in the trap!

Anyway, red light or no red light, there's no excuse for a rider running into the back of you. Your anger-rant was warranted. Any chance you can remember any of it? I could do with a few new insult phrases to add to my collection. At the moment I'm over-using my favourite:

"For f**k's sake pay some f**king attention you sh*tty little c**k-sucking c*nty-baws f**kwit"

[THX]

I hopped a red light once (I don't usually) got an ear bashing off a fellow cyclist.

Huge, wide open road off the back of a trading estate. No traffic, no pedestrians - not for miles. The only reason the crossing was active was down to a(nother) fellow cyclist who couldn't face using the road (fair enough)

He'd long gone, but the lights remained red. So over I go, at a snails pace after slowing to a crawl. My rule conscious friend caught up with me, gave me an ear bashing (made everyone look bad, apparently. Not that there was anyone around to see) and powers on ahead.

Form your own opinions.

[JPJ]

I had similar to the OP last year, but mine didn't involve a red light but a bus. I was following the bus along the bus lane, when it came to a stop. As I couldn't get around it at the time, I also slowed, at which point a fellow 'cyclist' hit my back wheel/back of the frame and then crashed to the floor.

He tried to blame me for stopping, however another 6 feet further and it would have been the back of the bus that he hit instead.

I checked he was okay (kindly) before suggesting that he paid some bl**dy attention to what was going on ahead.

[Daveyraveygravey]

I overtook a fellow cyclist in Brighton a few weeks ago, early on a quiet Sunday morning. He had long straggly hair, no helmet, and was on an old clanky rusty bike. A set of lights went red and I slowed to stop, gently, and as he sailed past me I heard him tutting and then calling me a few choice phrases...

[aka_kerrly]

Daveyraveygravey said:

I overtook a fellow cyclist in Brighton a few weeks ago, early on a quiet Sunday morning. He had long straggly hair, no helmet, and was on an old clanky rusty bike. A set of lights went red and I slowed to stop, gently, and as he sailed past me I heard him tutting and then calling me a few choice phrases...

...before being smashed of his rusty bike and left in a heap by a poor unsuspecting motorist...

It's only a matter of time.

OP: have to say I opened the thread thinking a car had hit you from behind , i'm quite surprised it was another cyclist - what a fool!

[duckwhistle]

A brake light would be handy on bikes especially in traffic.

[aka_kerrly]

duckwhistle said:

A brake light would be handy on bikes especially in traffic.

Brake lights on push bikes, seriously?

Given that a far far too large number of cyclists have an inability to put lights on for night time expecting them to have brake lights on for every journey is impossible to enforce.

[Usget]

duckwhistle said:

Paying some bloody attention would be handy on bikes especially in traffic.

FTFY

[TonyHetherington]

I must admit - I've gone through a couple of red lights. But in the middle of nowhere, with no cars to be seen (or people), the sensors don't pick you up on a bike. I've waited and waited and never been picked up, so slowly gone through (normally little bridges only wide enough for 1 car, they're 10m long, but traffic light controlled).

But always, always stop elsewhere.

I overtook a cyclist (MAMIL) not so long ago, at quite a pace. 10mins later he caught me up. Bloody hell, I thought, I must have slowed! Then I stopped at next set of lights, he just went riding through like they were green. Ah. That's how.

[Gizmoish]

A girl on a Pashleyish thing biffed into my rear tyre on Old Street last week. Turned round and gave her the sort of look that didn't need words to go with it...

[Hackney]

A cyclist pulled out in front of me on a roundabout this morning (I was going straight across to take the 2nd exit, he entered from the left and took the same exit without slowing down)
As I pulled level I just said, you're supposed to give priority to traffic from the right. He muttered something aggresive sounding as I went past him.

Trouble is, when it's a lorry that flattens him there will be
a) no shortage of cyclists / cycling groups calling for said lorry driver to be strung up
b) a whole load of costs for the emergency services, and (not least)
c) a lorry driver with that on his conscience despite his total innocence

And cyclists wonder why people get angry with them for breaking the law.... I really don't understand why he'd take the risk

[Gizmoish]

Hackney said:

I really don't understand why he'd take the risk

As I've said previously - a large number of cyclists in London aren't drivers and simply don't know that the rules apply to them. They've been riding like that since they started, either at three years old or three minutes ago.

[JQ]

Gizmoish said:

A girl on a Pashleyish thing biffed into my rear tyre on Old Street last week. Turned round and gave her the sort of look that didn't need words to go with it...

Blue Steel?

[The Walrus]

JQ said:

Blue Steel?

Magnum I would have thought

[oyster]

Hackney said:

A cyclist pulled out in front of me on a roundabout this morning (I was going straight across to take the 2nd exit, he entered from the left and took the same exit without slowing down)
As I pulled level I just said, you're supposed to give priority to traffic from the right. He muttered something aggresive sounding as I went past him.

Trouble is, when it's a lorry that flattens him there will be
a) no shortage of cyclists / cycling groups calling for said lorry driver to be strung up
b) a whole load of costs for the emergency services, and (not least)
c) a lorry driver with that on his conscience despite his total innocence

And cyclists wonder why people get angry with them for breaking the law.... I really don't understand why he'd take the risk

Presumably you have issues with cars breaking speed limits if the law means so much to you?

[yellowjack]

oyster said:

Hackney said:

A cyclist pulled out in front of me on a roundabout this morning (I was going straight across to take the 2nd exit, he entered from the left and took the same exit without slowing down)
As I pulled level I just said, you're supposed to give priority to traffic from the right. He muttered something aggresive sounding as I went past him.

Trouble is, when it's a lorry that flattens him there will be
a) no shortage of cyclists / cycling groups calling for said lorry driver to be strung up
b) a whole load of costs for the emergency services, and (not least)
c) a lorry driver with that on his conscience despite his total innocence

And cyclists wonder why people get angry with them for breaking the law.... I really don't understand why he'd take the risk

Presumably you have issues with cars breaking speed limits if the law means so much to you?

This is a good point. We've all, I'm sure, seen threads where non PHers are vilified because they dared use horn/high beams in response to an overtake (despite said overtake being obviously 'in excess of posted limits'), yet a cyclist does something that cars do all day, everyday (failing to give priority as instructed by road markings) and suddenly the world is nearing it's end

Slightly off topic, but it does involve red traffic lights...

...For four days last week, I decided that, on balance, it was safer for me to cross the road and ride 50 yards on the footway rather than turn right from one side road, onto a main road only to have to stop at temporary traffic lights, then to have to turn right off the main road immediately after the single lane section for the roadworks. This was because, although I'd done it properly, without incident, about half a dozen times, I'd had one halfwit arrive behind me at the red light, then get upset when I 'beat him away' from said light, and, despite my position and clear signal to turn, he overtook me AT the point of my right turn. I didn't make the decision to cut along the footway lightly, but it seemed to make more sense, removed the risk of tts trying to murder me, and avoided further delay to motorised traffic. BUT. That still didn't stop some loudmouthed balding asshat from yelling something crude and telling me I should be "on the road". Well. Earth calling asshat! I was "on the road" you frothing idiot. Look it up, FFS. And as soon as I was around the corner, off the main road, I got back onto the quieter carriageway through my estate

Thankfully that particular set of temporary lights has now gone, but God only knows when the water people are finally going to finish their marathon attempt at setting the world record for the biggest number of times you can re-open the same bloody hole as part of the same 'improvement' project

[aka_kerrly]

Gizmoish said:

Hackney said:

I really don't understand why he'd take the risk

As I've said previously - a large number of cyclists in London aren't drivers and simply don't know that the rules apply to them. They've been riding like that since they started, either at three years old or three minutes ago.

Actually that's a good point. It does amaze me how many people in London have never had a single driving lesson let alone know anything much about the highway code.

[supersport]

aka_kerrly said:

Actually that's a good point. It does amaze me how many people in London have never had a single driving lesson let alone know anything much about the highway code.

I was discussing this exact thing with a mate who has just bought a motorbike. On his CBT there was a 16 year old lass, they both left at the end of it on their bikes. He being in his 40s and having been driving for 20 odd years knew the rules of the road etc. She having had no formal training what so ever in the high way code or how the road works then just bimbles off into the city centre traffic. Quite scary really when you think about it, and explains the behaviour of scooters and the like.

You only have to sit outside a school at kicking out time to see teenagers hell bent on dying young leaving on their bikes, fast forward six months and some of those are then on the roads on scooters etc.