Really freakin frustrating, Red lights

[MikeyOz]

Went out for a gentle roll late this morning.... couple of riders went past me, happened to come across one of the riders again at the 2nd last set of lights before getting to Mordy. From a previous ride I just happened to recognize who this rider was, was a well known footballer, coached a side unsucessfully for a few years and lives in Brighton.

Pedestrian lights, lights change, lady with 2 dogs start crossing, I have already started breaking ages ago to slowly approach and stop at the lights, previously mentioned person just blissfully, cruises straight through the lights, wearing iPod, both ear buds in place and carries on, while the lady unleashes at him. Did not flinch, just kept on going, probably did not hear a word of it.

I just kind of drop my head and sigh, lady looks at me and says, "Thanks for stopping" I can't remember what I replied back.

I just don't understand.... I mean its not like there was a pack of riders, fairly slow pace, cruising along and its just like, "Ehh I'm not stopping, can't be stuffed"....

After everything thats happened along that road.... people just don't seem to give a sh&t, I know its not all riders.... but for every 99 people that might stop at a red light, the 1 that goes through is all everyone sees.

 

[flyingdutch]

'spud'?

 

[hippy]

Went out for a gentle roll late this morning.... couple of riders went past me, happened to come across one of the riders again at the 2nd last set of lights before getting to Mordy. From a previous ride I just happened to recognize who this rider was, was a well known footballer, coached a side unsucessfully for a few years and lives in Brighton.

This happens all the time in London. Mostly gumby commuters, some racer-types, lots of couriers.

I've changed my tune though after riding here for 2yr. I now run some reds.
The 'gaining respect from drivers' thing doesn't gel with me any more. The 'safer following the law' isn't necessarily true either.

Think of it this way: If 20 people run a slow red and I choose to stop, drivers are gonna start expecting people to run that light. So if I'm stopping, I'm now the odd one out and more likely to get smacked because they are assuming I'm gonna jump the red.

I don't blast through reds, narrowly missing side-traffic (I save that move for buses) I slow right down and proceed with caution. I'd rather run a red now and clear the intersection, getting myself in front and visible by the stream of traffic than remain stuck to the front car, only to be cained by the one behind it.

Also, pedestrians here cross whenever and wherever they want, often blind to traffic so it's not like you're any more likely to meet one at a crossing - they're usually 15m back jay-walking through the cars, getting ready to pop up in front of you as you filter to the front.

hippy
"you've changed"

 

[EuanB]

This happens all the time in London. Mostly gumby commuters, some racer-types, lots of couriers.

I've changed my tune though after riding here for 2yr. I now run some reds.
The 'gaining respect from drivers' thing doesn't gel with me any more. The 'safer following the law' isn't necessarily true either.

Think of it this way: If 20 people run a slow red and I choose to stop, drivers are gonna start expecting people to run that light. So if I'm stopping, I'm now the odd one out and more likely to get smacked because they are assuming I'm gonna jump the red.

I don't blast through reds, narrowly missing side-traffic (I save that move for buses) I slow right down and proceed with caution. I'd rather run a red now and clear the intersection, getting myself in front and visible by the stream of traffic than remain stuck to the front car, only to be cained by the one behind it.

Also, pedestrians here cross whenever and wherever they want, often blind to traffic so it's not like you're any more likely to meet one at a crossing - they're usually 15m back jay-walking through the cars, getting ready to pop up in front of you as you filter to the front.

hippy
"you've changed"

The attitude of London cyclists has recently been given print in one of the broadsheets of the UK: http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/features/article1746929.ece

Jumping red lights is plain sensible

City commuter Paul Nuki says cyclists who break the law (carefully) survive longer




Imagine you are pedalling along a one-way, three-lane trunk road in central London at rush hour. You come to a halt at a set of red lights, as do the hundreds of agitated, overheated, mobile phone-distracted drivers behind you. Ahead the road branches into two, but before it splits it is joined by four new lanes swinging in from the right.
...

 

[MikeyOz]

I understand all of these arguments..... I still don't argee with them, but anyway.

The situation I stated did not include anything like this! Pedestrian lights where a pedestrian has pressed the button and is waiting to cross, actually starts crossing and the cyclist just decides to go through anyway. There were no trucks, no 4 lanes of traffic, no agitated drivers behind.

It was a case of the cyclist deciding, screw it, I am going to go through the lights I cannot be bothered stopping.

Some mornings if I am out very early, when I am going through a green light, I actually have to look out for cars going through the red lights, not bothering to stop. No one around, no problems.

And yes sorry to take so long to get back FD, yes you were correct on your guess

We were talking about a VERY quite calm day down Beach Road around Mentone, not peak hour London.

 

[Bleve]

On May 11, 9:05 am, MikeyOz <MikeyOz.2qe...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> I understand all of these arguments..... I still don't argee with them,
> but anyway.
>
> The situation I stated did not include anything like this! Pedestrian
> lights where a pedestrian has pressed the button and is waiting to
> cross, actually starts crossing and the cyclist just decides to go
> through anyway. There were no trucks, no 4 lanes of traffic, no
> agitated drivers behind.
>
> It was a case of the cyclist deciding, screw it, I am going to go
> through the lights I cannot be bothered stopping.
>
> Some mornings if I am out very early, when I am going through a green
> light, I actually have to look out for cars going through the red
> lights, not bothering to stop. No one around, no problems.

You have to do that at every intersection anyway, if you want to stay
alive.

 

[MikeyOz]

You have to do that at every intersection anyway, if you want to stay
alive.

yeah but "usually" during daylight hours they don't do it, but in the wee early hours..... some mornings it is almost like there are no red lights.

 

[hippy]

It was a case of the cyclist deciding, screw it, I am going to go through the lights I cannot be bothered stopping.

Ah, yes, unfortunately this happens here a lot as well.
Just search for RLJ on any british cycling forum. Eeek!

hippy

 

[AndrewJ]

On May 7, 11:35 am, MikeyOz <MikeyOz.2q6...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> Went out for a gentle roll late this morning.... couple of riders went
> past me, happened to come across one of the riders again at the 2nd
> last set of lights before getting to Mordy. From a previous ride I
> just happened to recognize who this rider was, was a well known
> footballer, coached a side unsucessfully for a few years and lives in
> Brighton.
>
> Pedestrian lights, lights change, lady with 2 dogs start crossing, I
> have already started breaking ages ago to slowly approach and stop at
> the lights, previously mentioned person just blissfully, cruises
> straight through the lights, wearing iPod, both ear buds in place and
> carries on, while the lady unleashes at him. Did not flinch, just kept
> on going, probably did not hear a word of it.
>
> I just kind of drop my head and sigh, lady looks at me and says,
> "Thanks for stopping" I can't remember what I replied back.
>
> I just don't understand.... I mean its not like there was a pack of
> riders, fairly slow pace, cruising along and its just like, "Ehh I'm
> not stopping, can't be stuffed"....
>
> After everything thats happened along that road.... people just don't
> seem to give a sh&t, I know its not all riders.... but for every 99
> people that might stop at a red light, the 1 that goes through is all
> everyone sees.
>
> --
> MikeyOz


bookim danno - what else can you do?

(yes, i've been known to run a red light, but not anymore)

 

[monsterman]

I've been trying to convert red light runners on my daily commute over the last week - with varying degrees of success. If I have a good hard look at myself, I think I started doing this as a way of venting some serious work-related frustrations / finding some conflict (its a jungle out there people), but in general my intentions were good ... .. ..

2 have actually ended up apologising and recognising the possibility that their actions may influence the attitude of drivers to cyclists at large. Of the other 2, one told me get broader shoulders and that he wouldn't change any time soon. The other bellowed at me to fsck myself - he was a complete crazyman - incandescent with rage. I've seen nothing like this for years. He had such wild raged-out eyes and popping forehead veins that I allowed myself to get quite excited at the very real prospect of witnessing spontaneous combustion. OK, I did egg him on and bait him for a few hundred metres. He tried and tried but just couldn't hold my wheel (I had heaps in reserve). Alas, he turned off before I got to see him to flare into a pile of smoking ashes.

 

[Michael Warner]

On Wed, 16 May 2007 15:23:06 +1000, monsterman wrote:

> wouldn't change any time soon. The other bellowed at me to fsck myself
> - he was a complete crazyman - incandescent with rage.

I've found that ticking off other cyclists for (most commonly) running red
lights and riding without lights usually gets an abusive response. I
suspect that they do it at least partially in order to start fights.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

 

[bilico]

yeah but "usually" during daylight hours they don't do it, but in the wee early hours..... some mornings it is almost like there are no red lights.

I Think so!

 

[idan ouzan]

The problem is that the frames they sell are not suitable for anything except the slender handlebars.. The bell is loud and easy to operate. Pedestrians often smile and wave their hands when they hear it. I like it much better than a single-tone ringtone, which is usually not loud enough.