It’s all very well and good old Boris Knob-Jockey championing cycling in the city, but how about he also educates these idiots on road etiquette!?
Since when did cyclists grow balls (or lose their brain cells) and think it’s ok to cycle in the middle of the road, sit IN FRONT of you at the lights, do that stupid hover-I-don’t-want-to-put-my-feet-down-thing, and jump out from stationary traffic without looking who else is filtering past the traffic.
Frick me - today was a pearled of a bad cycle day - but I swear they’re getting worse… Concur???
Meh they’re about the same… some are good and will aknowledge other users of the road - to those I not politely to say thank you. Other are complete prats and act like they own the road - those hear4 letter words.
I have been recently adopting the attitude that all road user categories are like that. I’ve seen bikers, taxi drivers and car drivers do stupid things and then others do very nice things…
The only bastarts for sure are Addisson Lee… I’ve yet to come across one to let me through or give me enough space
Think all the cyclists have seen the vid posted on here of the guy ‘cut up’ by a van and thought they’ll be safer riding in the middle of the road…but forgetting that in order to get there they need to CHECK OVER THEIR SHOULDERS first. :crazy: They’re getting worse IMO. In fact it’s becoming distracting.
Might not make me popular … but in my opinion … they are perfectly entitled to ride down the middle of the lane if they choose to. If for example, riding in the gutter would mean they are too close to parked cars that will open their doors/send them flying … etc etc … then I’m in favour of them taking themselves out of the way of harm … then blatting past them once there is enough room to make an overtake safely. shrug
yea fine but they have to shoulder check. There is no way of knowing if they are going to head for the centre of the lane because they have no indicators and don’t use hand signals. It has got to the point where they just randomly swerve out into the middle of the road to ‘own’ it. Again, fine if they give some warning not fine if you have to swerve to avoid into oncoming traffic (as happened to me tonight as it happens). :doze:.
everyone gets in the way of someone else at some point. A large number of motorcyclists are travelling slower than me when I’m on the ktm. That could be you. But when I get past, I try to pick a safe place to overtake so that no-one is put in danger and I always nod or wave to say thanks.
I agree re the shoulder check - I do it on my bike and moto and occasionally I see something I wasn’t expecting. It’s usually untrained road users who don’t use it. That goes for scooter riders and cyclists too.
This morning riding from N16 to SE1 I encountered about 20-25 cyclist at traffic lights and all but one jumped the lights at least once…three did it at the first light (Newington Green) and then I started counting (sad I know)
In the Olden Days when we were young you had to take the Cycling Profficiency Test before you were allowed to go to school on yer cycle.
A nice policeman attended the school every Saturday afternoon for about six weeks to teach it, we had bollards etc in the playground to cycle round before going on the road. Usually aimed at 1st year in secondary school - about age 11.
Most peoples’ Mum & Dad would not let them on the road on a pushbike until they did the course too. (In those days kids were reluctant to disobey parents at risk of thrashing/no pocket money /both).
Everyone wanted to cycle to have the freedom to get about so we all took the course.
Does it still exist?
Obviously we couldn’t make them all do it, but wouldn’t it solve a lot of problems:ermm:
Another plus point - by the time bike/car lessons came around, we were used to road signs, lane discipline, basic rules of the road etc etc.
My school didn’t run the course - although lots of us did ride to school. My journey was only 2/3 minutes through my housing estate … 15 minutes down the towpath of the canal … then 2/3 minutes once you got off the towpath to the gates of the school. Didn’t go near any traffic situations - so didn’t really miss out on them I suppose … although with talk of certificates, badges and cards - I do feel hard done by :PMy brother and sister have done two levels of the test - once at primary school, aged 7/8’ish - to teach them what to look out for when playing in the street with their friends etc - and again, a few months ago, during their first week at secondary school - so they understand road signs etc - should they decide to commute.Bit of a waste of time really - considering the school is atop a bloody great hill … and with a school of 700/800 kids … less than 20 bother :laugh:
Courses still run, but here’s the rub - in the school I taught at, it cost £20.
Sadly £20 was beyond some of our parents, so only those who could afford got the training Why this isn’t free for kids whose parents are out of work is beyond me.
Cycling Proficiency will not benefit you if your a cyclist in london i know this because i’ve done both it may have bin a while ago but i still remember how basic and how most of it is common sense
I did my cycling proficiency at my school to with PC Carpenter… And there was a pass rate too! If you weren’t good enough you had to retake! Some of these little 50cc bikes are so light and relatively slow… Why then must they take a CBT and and cyclists don’t… There’s not a lot of difference!! :blink:
It’s for kids…some of whom don’t have that much common sense.
When about 10, I remember setting a small fire in a ditch with a mate, and then seeing who could run through it the slowest…luckily one of us grew up into a sensible fully paid up responsible member of society:P
i cant see why boris gets the blame, cycling ha sbeen pushed for a while now b4 he became mayor, i know he has done the bike hire scheme but cycling has become big for a few yrs now.
but yes they should have to take some kind of cycling course.
