B'Jesus have you seen the War On Britain's Roads Thread in the Telly Bit?
Discussion
It'll make you angry. Go in there only at your own peril...
After my previous posts on the show I thought it hypocritical not to watch it, and thought it not to be as sensationalist as the build to it suggested.
The guy in the glasses did seen a bit earnest and Droid Guy perhaps needs to get an indoor hobby but on the whole I thought most of the cyclists such as the Scottish guy and the ones representing the MAMILs were given a fair hearing.
The organ donor couriers at the end though were despicable.
After my previous posts on the show I thought it hypocritical not to watch it, and thought it not to be as sensationalist as the build to it suggested.
The guy in the glasses did seen a bit earnest and Droid Guy perhaps needs to get an indoor hobby but on the whole I thought most of the cyclists such as the Scottish guy and the ones representing the MAMILs were given a fair hearing.
The organ donor couriers at the end though were despicable.
Don1 said:
I'VE GOT A CAMERA!!!! I'VE GOT A CAMERA!!!!
Honestly, as a car driver and a cyclist, these muppet cyclists made me cringe - I had to turn off I was so wound up. There is a massive difference from riding defensively and deliberately marshalling traffic...
+1 with the 'i've got a camera' comment!Honestly, as a car driver and a cyclist, these muppet cyclists made me cringe - I had to turn off I was so wound up. There is a massive difference from riding defensively and deliberately marshalling traffic...
I didn't turn off but have seen a number of these and similar clips previously on Youtube.
The chap who started to shout out the reg plate of the Zafira soon shut up when the guy jumped out.
I ride for pleasure and fitness - i wish i could ride to work - but it's 45 miles each way and there are no showers at my current office. So a 2.5-3 hr ride each way, with a day's work is a no no i'm afraid. As such, most of my riding is with a positive frame of mind and in decent weather - rather than 'i'm wet and miserable and trying to get to a dull job'.
In all honesty, i just think it's a progression of road rage - nothing new really - just more common than it was. I remember when that chap got stabbed in the road rage incident a few years back - and all of a sudden 'road rage' was invented. It was nothing new - just not been publicised as not quite as severe or extreme.
I did find myself agreeing with both sides of the argument last night!
As such, i'm probably going to give the other thread a miss also - probably wind me up which ever side of the coin the argument is from!
Couldn't believe how one-tracked the taxi driver was - even after being shown footage, he still insisted that he was past the cyclist and therefore entitled to turn in and couldn't grasp that if the guy on the bike could touch the side of his taxi, he wasn't past him 
Guy in glasses had a few good points but seemed to go on a bit too much, the ranting at the end was pathetic and did him no favours, make your point and move on!
Didn't like the fat guy who tried to defend the indefensible (i.e. yes, driver was too close....but the cyclist shouldn't have been there). Quite an eye opener though. Was a sad story about the cement mixer girl but IMO, she shouldn't have been there, I know it's easier with hindsight though. RIP.
Guy in glasses had a few good points but seemed to go on a bit too much, the ranting at the end was pathetic and did him no favours, make your point and move on!
Didn't like the fat guy who tried to defend the indefensible (i.e. yes, driver was too close....but the cyclist shouldn't have been there). Quite an eye opener though. Was a sad story about the cement mixer girl but IMO, she shouldn't have been there, I know it's easier with hindsight though. RIP.
Don1 said:
I'VE GOT A CAMERA!!!! I'VE GOT A CAMERA!!!!
Honestly, as a car driver and a cyclist, these muppet cyclists made me cringe - I had to turn off I was so wound up. There is a massive difference from riding defensively and deliberately marshalling traffic...
Yes quite. Honestly, as a car driver and a cyclist, these muppet cyclists made me cringe - I had to turn off I was so wound up. There is a massive difference from riding defensively and deliberately marshalling traffic...
I think there are many cyclists who see their role as some sort of gladiatorial traffic police officer. They hide under the guise of 'defensive' riding and 'controlling their road'. Very irritating.
NDA said:
Yes quite.
I think there are many cyclists who see their role as some sort of gladiatorial traffic police officer. They hide under the guise of 'defensive' riding and 'controlling their road'. Very irritating.
I know what you're saying, but unfortunately, it's the safest way to ride in London. Not many people are going to ram you from behind. They'll get annoyed, but you'll be alive...I think there are many cyclists who see their role as some sort of gladiatorial traffic police officer. They hide under the guise of 'defensive' riding and 'controlling their road'. Very irritating.
NDA said:
Yes quite.
I think there are many cyclists who see their role as some sort of gladiatorial traffic police officer. They hide under the guise of 'defensive' riding and 'controlling their road'. Very irritating.
They might be just looking after themselves though, best to give them the benefit of the doubt rather than being like that moron who overtook on double white lines. I like to look round and give a hand signal before taking up 'primary' position and give the driver a wave to say thank you as I move back over (even if he will in all likelihood go 200m up the road and then get stuck in a line of cars that I can (CAREFULLY) overtake (ON THE RIGHT). I think there are many cyclists who see their role as some sort of gladiatorial traffic police officer. They hide under the guise of 'defensive' riding and 'controlling their road'. Very irritating.
Irritation is one thing, snapping and doing something irresponsible is different. No-one thinks a tractor is anything more than irritating, even if it is going slower than a cyclist and no-one pulls out over double white lines (well OK, very few do) to pass them. Just because a cyclist is a smaller thing to get past doesn't mean it is acceptable to squeeze past them/knock into them or expose oncoming traffic to danger in trying to get past where it is not suitable to do so.
The program certainly didn't wind me up as much as I thought it would. To be fair to the BBC they tried to show both points of view with the overall emphasis on safety and raising awareness.
Yes the guy with glasses was borderline irritating but he had some valid points.
I think everyone would agree that there were idiots from both camps on display. The genuine incidents, like the one where the guy neary got wiped out by the lorry on the roundabout, are much more concerning to me than silly little bickering between people who think they are God's gift...
Yes the guy with glasses was borderline irritating but he had some valid points.
I think everyone would agree that there were idiots from both camps on display. The genuine incidents, like the one where the guy neary got wiped out by the lorry on the roundabout, are much more concerning to me than silly little bickering between people who think they are God's gift...
One8Two said:
I think everyone would agree that there were idiots from both camps on display. The genuine incidents, like the one where the guy neary got wiped out by the lorry on the roundabout, are much more concerning to me than silly little bickering between people who think they are God's gift...
and indeed, on the other camp, the guy who hit the lady right up the arse at the end. I'm sorry but you can't say "but its a cycle lane" when you were only intending to give her no room at all whilst passing at speed. zebedee said:
and indeed, on the other camp, the guy who hit the lady right up the arse at the end. I'm sorry but you can't say "but its a cycle lane" when you were only intending to give her no room at all whilst passing at speed.
Apart from anything else, the lack of bell makes it 100% the cyclists fault.zebedee said:
One8Two said:
I think everyone would agree that there were idiots from both camps on display. The genuine incidents, like the one where the guy neary got wiped out by the lorry on the roundabout, are much more concerning to me than silly little bickering between people who think they are God's gift...
and indeed, on the other camp, the guy who hit the lady right up the arse at the end. I'm sorry but you can't say "but its a cycle lane" when you were only intending to give her no room at all whilst passing at speed. 
Even a verbal "beep beep" whilst scrubbing off speed, anything to let them know he was there, cyclist 100% at fault for that one.AyBee said:
Was a sad story about the cement mixer girl but IMO, she shouldn't have been there, I know it's easier with hindsight though. RIP.
When watching the CCTV she was riding on the left and the cement mixer overtook and then turned in? I thought...Thats how I saw it anyway, I may well be wrong.sider said:
Were those the guys racing through the streets and generally crashing into people??
Yeah but that's like totally cool y'knowhttp://www.premiumrush.com/
sparkyb999 said:
AyBee said:
Was a sad story about the cement mixer girl but IMO, she shouldn't have been there, I know it's easier with hindsight though. RIP.
When watching the CCTV she was riding on the left and the cement mixer overtook and then turned in? I thought...Thats how I saw it anyway, I may well be wrong.donfisher said:
See also Lucas Brunelles Line Of Sight, handily, the full movie is on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0npCFw9TEnATell you what, chaps, the level of debate in here is so much more civilised than in the TV section...in there most want run all cyclists off the road as a matter of principle, you yoghurt-knitting self-righteous tree-huggers. Which of course we all are. To a man. I mean it's obvious isn't it? We choose to undertake some journeys under our own steam, which in the 21st century surely is a bit queer and left-field. In the same way every driver is a thick headed, selfish, arrogant Mr Uppity, hell bent on shoving everyone out of his way.
Strange how real life with all its struggles, compromises, roles, ambiguities and grey areas is easy to stereotype and generalise on when you're sat behind a keyboard, on your own.
Strange how real life with all its struggles, compromises, roles, ambiguities and grey areas is easy to stereotype and generalise on when you're sat behind a keyboard, on your own.
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