Red Lights - What do you do?

A couple of Questions:

1. Do you run red lights?

2. What do you do when people cruise past you when you're stopped at a red light, patiently waiting for it to go green?

I personally don't run red lights and have a tendencey to scream at people who do... this morning, however, myself and another roadie were sitting at the lights just as you come off the Indooroopilly Bridge (heading towards UQ) when an older lady on a touring bike with panniers cruised straight past us. Despite waiting probably 2 minutes for the light, I passed her about 1km ahead and said to her "You represent a lot of people when you run red lights - not a good idea". Not sure what her response was (was wearing headphones), but I hope she takes it in...

 

I personaly don't run red lights now... I used to feel quite ok about running pedestrain red lights but have since changed my tune...

I always feel inclined to tell people the mistake they're making, but knowing that if someone had said as much to me in the 'dark days', i'd probably have ignored it, I can't be bothered wasting my breath... At least if I stop at the red they ran through, drivers will realise that we're not all idiots... And if I pass him/her further up the road regardless, well, I'll feel very pleased with myself...

Eddie(unconfrontational is my middle name)c

 

Used to when re-commenced cycling as a adult, not anymore though. A big no no now.

Stay where I am, possibly utter a few loud 'instructive' words, or simply ignore them. Catch up later & cane past to annoy them.

 

LotteBum wrote:

> 1. Do you run red lights?

Yes, but only when I judge it's safe to do so.

> 2. What do you do when people cruise past you when
> you're stopped at a red light, patiently waiting for it to
> go green?

I figure they have a different idea of what's safe than I do.

My reasoning for running red lights is based on three things:

Firstly, I think it's safer to get a "head start" on the cars behind, so that they're not breathing down my neck while I'm clipping in.

Secondly, I find that not all lights will register the presence of my bike.

Finally, I reckon by not polluting the environment to the same extent as the cars, bikes are entitled to some concessions. Selectively obeying road rules is one of these.

Of course, I only ever run the light when I feel it's _safe_ to do so. Anyone who gets hit when running a light has only themselves to blame.

Regards,

Suzy

 

On Tue, 5 Apr 2005 12:13:41 +1000, LotteBum
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>A couple of Questions:
>
>1. Do you run red lights?

No, unless it's late at night, there's no cars and the bike hasn't set
off the magnetic trigger.

>2. What do you do when people cruise past you when you're stopped at a
>red light, patiently waiting for it to go green?

If it's some rebel without a cause, let 'em go - if it's someone in
a bunch ride I'm in, yell at them

If it's some generic oaf, depends on my mood
If it's Stu, I push him into the gutter.

 

Hey LotteBum,

1. I never run red lights (apart from when I was at school and would
hoot down this big hill on my BMX with traffic lights at the bottom -
most excellent fun!!).

Nowadays, I figure that I'm a representative of the cycling community,
yada-yada-yada, so should do the right thing. Still get itchy feet
sometimes though when there isn't much traffic around......

2. I just ignore 'em, maybe shake my head a few times. No point
arguing, I figure, because that just usually makes them defensive and
stuborn... They'll learn there lesson when they get t-boned by a driver
coming the other way...

Hope your monstrous commute is still going well!!

Cheers,
Absent Husband (who didn't feel like riding in this morning - so was
pleased when he discovered it was raining!!)

 

suzyj wrote:
> LotteBum wrote:
>
>
>>1. Do you run red lights?
>
>
> Yes, but only when I judge it's safe to do so.
>
>
>>2. What do you do when people cruise past you when
>>you're stopped at a red light, patiently waiting for it to
>>go green?
>
>
> I figure they have a different idea of what's safe than I do.
>
> My reasoning for running red lights is based on three things:
>
> Firstly, I think it's safer to get a "head start" on the cars behind,
> so that they're not breathing down my neck while I'm clipping in.
>
> Secondly, I find that not all lights will register the presence of my
> bike.
>
> Finally, I reckon by not polluting the environment to the same extent
> as the cars, bikes are entitled to some concessions. Selectively
> obeying road rules is one of these.
>
> Of course, I only ever run the light when I feel it's _safe_ to do so.
> Anyone who gets hit when running a light has only themselves to blame.
>
> Regards,
>
> Suzy
>
>

On ya Suzy, same sentiments as me. Also anyone yelling at me for going
through a red light I consider safe can explain to me how they have
never broken any road rules in a car, on a bike or as a pedestrian.

DaveB "common sense over laws any day"

 

LotteBum wrote:
> 2. What do you do when people cruise past you when you're stopped at a
> red light, patiently waiting for it to go green?

See my 12:02 post in 'Some Kind of Monster' and add "Red means stop,
dickhead".

hippy

 

On Tue, 05 Apr 2005 12:52:53 +1000, DaveB
<[email protected]> wrote:


>
>On ya Suzy, same sentiments as me. Also anyone yelling at me for going
>through a red light I consider safe can explain to me how they have
>never broken any road rules in a car, on a bike or as a pedestrian.

Anyone who runs a red light and gets seen doing so by
anyone else is compounding the belief in the viewers that
cyclists don't play by the rules. This does "us" no favours
at all. As we're vulnerable (both physically and politically)
it is in our interests to maintain good public relations. Remember,
when you ride, you're an ambassador, not just someone who
thinks they don't have to play by the rules because it doesn't
suit them.

Won't make a difference, you'll still run 'em, but if you
get shouted at, you deserve it.

 

DaveB wrote:
> On ya Suzy, same sentiments as me. Also anyone yelling at me for going
> through a red light I consider safe can explain to me how they have
> never broken any road rules in a car, on a bike or as a pedestrian.
>
> DaveB "common sense over laws any day"

I'm sort of in agreement with that but at the same time I feel like I'm
giving drivers an excuse to break the law if I do so myself..

More importantly, anyone who gets in front of me by "cheating" deserves
to get their arses kicked!

still evil hippy
P.S. DaveB.. my phone batt had gone flat, sorry dude!

 

>>Do you run red lights?

selectively. My theory, which of course some people will think is balderdash, is that a red light means stop for a car and caution for a bike. Yes, we use the same roads so the rules are the same, but does this mean that the rules should be the same?. I think that a bike weighing under 100kg total going through a red light at 30kph will do a whole less damage than a car or truck, weighing upwards of 1000kg, going at 60kph+. In fact, really, the only person to be hurt if a bike runs the red is generally going to be the cyclist themselves, in which case "tough luck". You make your choice, you deal with the consequences. When i was couriering i used to run upwards of 150 red lights a day, but it comes down to how you do it. You dont go blaring through the middle of the intersection at 40kph. You do it cautiously and selectively and most of the time no one will even notice you.

>>What do you do when people cruise past you when you're stopped at a >>red light, patiently waiting for it to go green?

Its none of my business. Its no ones business to lecture someone on the rights and wrongs of the road unless (a) they ask for your opinion or (b) they are a cop, or (c) you have lived the life of a convent monk/nun and never thought sinful thoughts or taped a show off tv.

 

Have done a bit more thinking and I have to admit, I really only get aggro when I see a cyclist cutting a pedestrian crossing rather than a normal intersection. Which I'll admit is weird because pedestrian crossings are a squillion times safer. But I think in my own odd mind it's more that if you want to take your chances with the cars, then fine - It'll only be your loss (except for the possible emotional trauma to the driver involved), but cutting through pedestrian crossing risks slamming into pedestrians, where they will undoubtedly be harmed.

Weird, I know...

 

>Hope your monstrous commute is still going well!!

Going fabulous thanks! Have been riding off road a fair bit too. Rode with a Dutch girl (who has previously raced World Cup!) the other day.

>Absent Husband (who didn't feel like riding in this morning - so was
>pleased when he discovered it was raining!!

Actually, this is something you're going to have to get over. Even Irode in the rain today, and I'm the biggest flaming sissy you've ever met!

Oh.. I just found out that one of my mates is the Orbea rep. So um... I want an Orbea!

Lotte

 

Carl Brewer wrote:
> On Tue, 5 Apr 2005 12:13:41 +1000, LotteBum
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>A couple of Questions:
>>
>>1. Do you run red lights?
>
>
> No, unless it's late at night, there's no cars and the bike hasn't set
> off the magnetic trigger.
>
>
>>2. What do you do when people cruise past you when you're stopped at a
>>red light, patiently waiting for it to go green?
>
>
> If it's some rebel without a cause, let 'em go - if it's someone in
> a bunch ride I'm in, yell at them
>
> If it's some generic oaf, depends on my mood
> If it's Stu, I push him into the gutter.
>
>
>

Yeah but he never runs red

--
Nick

 

LotteBum wrote:
>
> A couple of Questions:
>
> 1. Do you run red lights?
>
> 2. What do you do when people cruise past you when you're stopped at a
> red light, patiently waiting for it to go green?
>
<snip>

I don't run red lights because I'm a road user and I'd be pretty pissed
off if the cars started running red lights.

Also I like the opportunity to chat to the people in their cars, give
'em a big grin and say g'day, try to make them smile. It's nice to make
yourself memorable. Next time some cyclist is slowing them down they'll
get annoyed and then go "but that chicky in the pink was so friendly..."
and maybe be a bit more forgiving.

TangoBravo

 

A1: Stop anytime other than late late at night, and then only run them if no one can see me..

A2: Let them go. Cant be aresed prosletising.

T

 

On Tue, 5 Apr 2005 13:24:59 +1000, byron27
<[email protected]> wrote:


>>>What do you do when people cruise past you when you're stopped at a
>>>red light, patiently waiting for it to go green?
>
>Its none of my business. Its no ones business to lecture someone on the
>rights and wrongs of the road unless (a) they ask for your opinion or
>(b) they are a cop, or (c) you have lived the life of a convent
>monk/nun and never thought sinful thoughts or taped a show off tv.

Applying Reductio ad absurdum[1] to this position suggests that
if you saw someone repeatly running over a child in the street with
a RAV4 you would not intervene because you're not a cop, the driver
doesn't look like they're interested in what you think, and once you
borrowed a pen from work and never gave it back.

"Tops! The world needs more people like you! They really make the
world a better place for all of us!"


[1] http://www.iep.utm.edu/r/reductio.htm if you're unfamiliar with
the logic behind this.

 

Carl Brewer wrote:
>
> Applying Reductio ad absurdum[1] to this position suggests that
> if you saw someone repeatly running over a child in the street with
> a RAV4 you would not intervene because you're not a cop, the driver
> doesn't look like they're interested in what you think, and once you
> borrowed a pen from work and never gave it back.
>
> "Tops! The world needs more people like you! They really make the
> world a better place for all of us!"
>
>
> [1] http://www.iep.utm.edu/r/reductio.htm if you're unfamiliar with
> the logic behind this.
>
>

err refer to previous post "common sense over laws any day".

DaveB

 

Carl Brewer wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Apr 2005 12:52:53 +1000, DaveB
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>>On ya Suzy, same sentiments as me. Also anyone yelling at me for going
>>through a red light I consider safe can explain to me how they have
>>never broken any road rules in a car, on a bike or as a pedestrian.
>
>
> Anyone who runs a red light and gets seen doing so by
> anyone else is compounding the belief in the viewers that
> cyclists don't play by the rules. This does "us" no favours
> at all. As we're vulnerable (both physically and politically)
> it is in our interests to maintain good public relations. Remember,
> when you ride, you're an ambassador, not just someone who
> thinks they don't have to play by the rules because it doesn't
> suit them.
>
> Won't make a difference, you'll still run 'em, but if you
> get shouted at, you deserve it.
>
>
>

There are no ambassadors.

Not for cyclists, drivers, pedestrians, skateboarders, rollerbladers,
runners, crawlers, jumpers, whatever.

Why is it that all cyclists must see themselves as part of a great
benevolent global cyclist community?

Why do you feel represented by all other cyclists? Do you feel
represented by other drivers too? Do you shout at cars that run red
lights, or pedestrians who cross on a red?

These are serious questions, btw, I'm not just being argumentative

I don't generally run red lights. I will if there is no traffic around.
I sometimes even ride on the foot path and do a hook turn without
waiting for the green. But I don't impede or endanger others.

And I don't generally abuse people because they endanger themselves
doing things I don't agree with.

--
Nick

 

1) I'm with Carl here. I don't even cruise through at night. Usually stop & see if the sensor works for bikes. I'll only blow through reds if in some stupid hurry like being chased by wolves or simular....

2) Most useful phrase for these types is a quick "Good On Ya!"