Police pull over 'two abrest' cyclists - argument ensues
Discussion
Yeah. I get quite annoyed by them as well. I live in the Staffordshire moorlands and a lot of cyclists use the country roads now. More often than not I take the back roads to Curborough sprint circuit near to where I live. It seem they have cycling races using these back roads, or groups of them are just out for a ride. These are B roads fast and twisty and a joy to drive on but more often than not you get held up by cyclists, not much fun when you're creeping around 15 mph behind them and they won't give way. The cycling races they have have no warning to road users. So imagine coming round a bend at 50 mph and being confronted by a group of around 20 or so bikes! It seems there's getting more and more on our roads now. Perhaps they should be paying a form of road tax!
cb1965 said:
It's interesting as I read over and over again about how poorly designed cycle lanes are and that is why cyclists never use them preferring instead to mix it with the cars etc.
Why, instead of conducting protests such as lying in the road and playing dead, don't the pro cycling groups try and offer their obviously way more expert views to the authorities and help them design proper cycling facilities?
I suspect I know the answer, but let the fun commence.
(Derek Smith length post ahoy)Why, instead of conducting protests such as lying in the road and playing dead, don't the pro cycling groups try and offer their obviously way more expert views to the authorities and help them design proper cycling facilities?
I suspect I know the answer, but let the fun commence.
I can answer that, a bit.
I have in the past had dealings with cycling groups with regard to spending pots of funding, via something beauracratically called Local Highways Panels (via a County Council, and at another time, a City Council). There is/was a set amount of money for local improvements in each borough/district, which was set aside from pothole repair or changing light bulbs.
The cycling groups were invited to comment, as they were usually the first, loudest, and most vociferous complainers that our proposed schemes were car focussed - which is fair enough, our schemes do tend to benefit motor vehicles as they are the most common vehicles on the road. So, we'd ask the cycling charities/groups for their input to give them a fair crack of the whip wrt sustainable transport solutions.
An example of something they suggested (and have not shut up about in 8 years)?:
A segregated (kerbed) cycle lane up the middle of a major A-road in to the city, with right-of-way over the (very much narrowed) vehicle lanes either side. Not thinking that this would essentially turn the entire road into two one-way roads with no means to turn right out of any side roads, or right in to any side roads. This included industrial areas, delivery yards, residential roads, and bus routes. The road already has shared use paths, and the only accident history in 3 years is a single slight accident, where a cyclist rode in to a pedestrian at a controlled crossing. They wanted buildings demolished at either end of the road to make room for roundabouts to allow the inconvenienced vehicles to turn round. Utter pipe dream, and would have cost millions.
New zebra-style crossings which are also for cyclist use were suggested - i.e. as soon as the cyclist hits it, they have right of way. They've seen them somewhere in Europe and think they should be brought in here - regardless of the fact they are unknown and would require a huge education campaign for drivers. (For information, new sign and marking arrangements are VERY rare. There are many many hoops to jump through to get non-prescribed (ie non-normal) markings allowed.
There was no suggestion for cycle lanes, advanced stop lines, better parking areas or more joined-up cycle routes etc. Every proposal they put forward was at the direct detriment to all other road users. Special diagonal cycle-only ("you must stop pedestrians from using them") lanes across major intersections - practically unworkable, and highly confusing for all other road users having diagonal signals. Remove cars from roads during peak hours. Allow cycling through ped-only areas of the town centre. The suggestions were completely OTT and unworkable - yet try and explain that the pot of money isn't millions, but thousands, and they go running to the local MP crying about unfairness. More than once I've had to explain to an MP or Councillor how some things aren't feasible, but the cycle group reps (which is normally a retired librarian or someone who doesn't understand about practicalities of highway engineering/traffic management) just don't appear to listen. One cyclist guy in particular winds himself up so much before these meetings that his hands shook, and he couldn't help but shout. They tend to get your back up a bit.
That said, I used to commute 5 miles each way in to Cambridge, all of it on off-road cycle routes, and I never once had a puncture, saw smashed glass all over the place, dog s
t, poor maintenance, got run over, nearly got run over, etc. It was a pleasure to ride in there. I can only think the people who complain about glass on the cyclepaths live in stty areas. So, in typical PH style, to those I say "work harder and move somewhere nicer". 
Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of that incident it does sum up the arrogant, smug attitude of a lot of cyclists. It’s time they are held accountable for their actions just like every other road user and be licensed (and be made to have insurance). They are only so cocky because they can get away with it without consequence.
RB5Steve said:
Yeah. I get quite annoyed by them as well. I live in the Staffordshire moorlands and a lot of cyclists use the country roads now. More often than not I take the back roads to Curborough sprint circuit near to where I live. It seem they have cycling races using these back roads, or groups of them are just out for a ride. These are B roads fast and twisty and a joy to drive on but more often than not you get held up by cyclists, not much fun when you're creeping around 15 mph behind them and they won't give way. The cycling races they have have no warning to road users. So imagine coming round a bend at 50 mph and being confronted by a group of around 20 or so bikes! It seems there's getting more and more on our roads now. Perhaps they should be paying a form of road tax!
One of the first things as an advanced driver you will learn, is not to drive faster than you see. So if you are going around a blind corner then 50mph is unlikely to be an appropriate speed. lee44 said:
Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of that incident it does sum up the arrogant, smug attitude of a lot of cyclists. It’s time they are held accountable for their actions just like every other road user and be licensed (and be made to have insurance). They are only so cocky because they can get away with it without consequence.
They are accountable like every other road user. How can they not be?heebeegeetee said:
They are accountable like every other road user. How can they not be?
They are unregistered, and are not required to have third party insurance. Those two things make them unique in terms of road transportation, and both things reduce the chance of them being held accountable for their actions.No registration makes them hard to trace. A friend of mine was waiting at a set of lights in Lambeth a few weeks ago when a cyclist filtered up the middle, wobbled and scraped his bar end against the front wing of the car causing visible damage to the paint work. The cyclist shrugged, rode through the red light and disappeared. No registration, so completely untraceable. No insurance, so probably not able to pay anyway. Had it been a motorcyclist, the outcome would have been very different.
Nanook said:
peterz3 said:
Whats wrong with people now a day's when a police officer stops you and tells you are doing some thing that's wrong or dangerous you should listen and obay not argue the toss with them,totalk d $ck heads
Peterz3
Even when they're wrong?Peterz3
I've been pulled over before in an HGV to be told "You're not old enough to drive that son", before he'd even asked if I had a licence, or if he could see it.
Nanook said:
Hol said:
At least he didn't pull you over for that correctly spaced number plate, you were stressed about earlier this year.
I don't recall ever having been 'stressed' about a correctly spaced numberplate, however, this is the most impressively petty dig I've seen in a long time.Have you been saving that one up? Or did you read my post and go trawling back through months of s
t I've posted to find that 'gem'?! 
Also, just so you don't have to worry about it, the truck doesn't have a private plate on it yet.
I am surprised you could forget, as you were (really-really-really) insistent that you were being personally insulted, hence your username has stuck in my mind.
It was only after somebody caught on to the fact that you simply didn't understand (what everybody else automatically did) that you were asked by one poster to put up a picture of the number plate you had been arguing about for multiple posts.
Only to be told that your plate was not miss spaced, and was totally was devoid of any knobbiness.
Ring any bells?
Limpet said:
They are unregistered, and are not required to have third party insurance. Those two things make them unique in terms of road transportation, and both things reduce the chance of them being held accountable for their actions.
No registration makes them hard to trace. A friend of mine was waiting at a set of lights in Lambeth a few weeks ago when a cyclist filtered up the middle, wobbled and scraped his bar end against the front wing of the car causing visible damage to the paint work. The cyclist shrugged, rode through the red light and disappeared. No registration, so completely untraceable. No insurance, so probably not able to pay anyway. Had it been a motorcyclist, the outcome would have been very different.
This is horrible and should not happen. But then when we stat needed number plates for bikes how much cost are we adding and freedom being taken away. What happens with under 16s? What happens to all the people trying to make ends meet. The knob that scratched your car would be the type to not have ether anyway.
No registration makes them hard to trace. A friend of mine was waiting at a set of lights in Lambeth a few weeks ago when a cyclist filtered up the middle, wobbled and scraped his bar end against the front wing of the car causing visible damage to the paint work. The cyclist shrugged, rode through the red light and disappeared. No registration, so completely untraceable. No insurance, so probably not able to pay anyway. Had it been a motorcyclist, the outcome would have been very different.
This is horrible and should not happen. But then when we stat needed number plates for bikes how much cost are we adding and freedom being taken away. What happens with under 16s? What happens to all the people trying to make ends meet. The knob that scratched your car would be the type to not have ether anyway.
It doesn't matter. What matters is the loudmouth section of cycling need to grow up and get out of that infantile stage and accept responsibility for their actions and interactions with other road users. If that means licenses, excuse duty and registrations so be it.
Edited by princealbert23 on Tuesday 30th May 17:32
Limpet said:
heebeegeetee said:
They are accountable like every other road user. How can they not be?
They are unregistered, and are not required to have third party insurance. Those two things make them unique in terms of road transportation, and both things reduce the chance of them being held accountable for their actions.No registration makes them hard to trace. A friend of mine was waiting at a set of lights in Lambeth a few weeks ago when a cyclist filtered up the middle, wobbled and scraped his bar end against the front wing of the car causing visible damage to the paint work. The cyclist shrugged, rode through the red light and disappeared. No registration, so completely untraceable. No insurance, so probably not able to pay anyway. Had it been a motorcyclist, the outcome would have been very different.
Limpet said:
heebeegeetee said:
They are accountable like every other road user. How can they not be?
They are unregistered, and are not required to have third party insurance. Those two things make them unique in terms of road transportation, and both things reduce the chance of them being held accountable for their actions.No registration makes them hard to trace. A friend of mine was waiting at a set of lights in Lambeth a few weeks ago when a cyclist filtered up the middle, wobbled and scraped his bar end against the front wing of the car causing visible damage to the paint work. The cyclist shrugged, rode through the red light and disappeared. No registration, so completely untraceable. No insurance, so probably not able to pay anyway. Had it been a motorcyclist, the outcome would have been very different.
princealbert23 said:
Knee-jerk whataboutery at best and most probably completely wrong as roadside cameras can easily spot errant number plates.
So why do the motoring insurers bureau think that there are 1 million uninsured drivers on the roads?Knee-jerk whataboutery? More like a sense of perspective! Uninsured drivers are involved in fatal accidents every 3 days in the UK. I'm not saying it's OK that someone damaged your friends car but that's probably the same kind of person that leaves you a nice ding in the car park with no means of recompense, despite them being insured...
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