Phew! That Was Close!

The reactions vary depending on nationality. & the French would surrender.

But isn’t that their tradition Rick?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

ZRX re you 32, Is that why you were deported?, 🙂
Jim,
Lincoln .7

The reactions vary depending on nationality. The Italians & Spanish would get very excitable amid much arm waving & shouting, Dutch would just pick up the mess, separate the bikes & carry on, Japanese would apologize profusely, Germans would start fighting among themselves & the French would surrender.

When I lived in Cambridge one form of entertainment was stepping off the pavement in front of a group of ESL students on their rental bikes & then stepping back onto the pavement just before the impending mass collision. If you timed it right with a mate on the other side of the road & another group of ESL students you could bring the town center to a grinding halt

Nothing has changed LOL.

Ironically they relaid a major junction in Cambridge at i think nearly a million pounds.It was to allow cyclists a right of way over cars .First week 2 cyclists collided with serious injuries–that worked well then.
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Cyclist-fights-for-life-after-two-riders-in-collision-at-revamped-safety-junction-in-Cambridge-20131005102516.htm

http://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/hundreds_of_cyclists_injured_on_cambridgeshire_roads_1_1226173

When I lived in Cambridge one form of entertainment was stepping off the pavement in front of a group of ESL students on their rental bikes & then stepping back onto the pavement just before the impending mass collision. If you timed it right with a mate on the other side of the road & another group of ESL students you could bring the town center to a grinding halt

I have to say that when in London on a weekday I have not noticed any cyclists going through red lights.
Ok, I get that it is done but I haven’t seen it happen in front of me.

SNAFU, I did exactly the same as you did with your son. I wouldn’t let him have a car rather than a M/Cycle, but I did pay for his D/lessons, and when I retired, I gave him my car, when I was fortunately in a position to get myself another.

Nope – my eldest isn’t old enough for another nine months, although he does want one, and a motorbike. Not greatly impressed with his concept of responsibility since his big plan upon getting a bike is to spend his college lunch breaks spinning donuts and challenging cars in a race to the gates.

I (as a motorist) have seen more motorists ignore red traffic lights than I have cyclists (for the record I noticed two cars and a van yesterday, and two the day before, whereas I can only remember seeing just ONE cyclist go through a red light that was unnecessarily holding up traffic,

:dev2: You need to drive through Cambridge on a reasonably regular basis,cyclists are MUCH worse than car drivers – – oh i drive and cycle BTW.

SNAFU, I did exactly the same as you did with your son. I wouldn’t let him have a car rather than a M/Cycle, but I did pay for his D/lessons, and when I retired, I gave him my car, when I was fortunately in a position to get myself another.
I too was a keen M/cyclist, and have owned and ridden several, but with a car, you have the protection that you don’t on a cycle.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Alot of cyclists have a massive chip on their shoulder and think they are above the law. I could imagine if a cyclist who was doing this was injured they would blame anyone but themselves. Where I live, the vast majority of cyclists are idiots who speed along the pavements, ignore red traffic lights, ram pushchairs if they are not moved out of their way (I have seen this happen myself). If I saw a cyclist come off as they were riding along the pavement, I would be the last person to offer to help them because I would think ‘serves them right’.

Good grief, ban the lot of them! [where is that damned rolleyes smilie?]

Seriously, are there really that many of them or is it that one or two incidents have tainted your view?
A cyclist is just flesh and blood on two wheels: if a cyclist and a car get together which one do you think would come off worst?
I (as a motorist) have seen more motorists ignore red traffic lights than I have cyclists (for the record I noticed two cars and a van yesterday, and two the day before, whereas I can only remember seeing just ONE cyclist go through a red light that was unnecessarily holding up traffic, ie there was nothing else waiting except us, a frequent state of affairs at those lights).
Inconsiderate cyclists on the pavement are a bloody nuisance BUT I can remember a woman cyclist dying (a few years ago) after being hit on the head by the wing mirror of a van from behind; both my daughter and I have been run off the road by drivers who couldn’t be bothered to drive around us – I had a big bruise on my hip from the cars wing mirror, which the indignant woman driver wanted me to pay to repair!
Just as big an annoyance are mobility scooters – I had a neighbour whose Achilles tendon was snapped after being hit by one who left him lying in agony on the pavement; even the police said there was a big problem with ignorant drivers but not enough of one to try and find them.
But top of the list must be motorcyclists. If I rode a vehicle that was as inherently unstable as a motorbike I wouldn’t do the things I’ve seen them do – a fireman I know bought his son a really nice car with the promise never to ride a motorbike (and I would too if I’d had to scoop bikers brains up off the road, with my hands into a bucket, as often as he has). Bikers all appear to be maniacal control freaks with a death wish – I know this is not completely true, but the stupidity of the few taints the rest.

Here is one to stop your heart(especially if you were driving that train)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX166_iVBM0

Coppers on the beat? You are joking Linc, aren’t you?

True Paul – happened to me this morning!

The ones of all ages to really watch out for(pedestrians and cyclists) are the ones with earphones in who just trundle across the road without looking !

They wouldn’t IF there were a Copper around,(Some hope these days).
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Most adults? Maybe but a helluva lot do ride inconsiderately and on the pavement!

I think that most adult cyclists are O.K. it’s the kids that are the problem, they never signal, just swerve out all over the place. Ie, off the pavement, onto the road.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

If you slow down for cyclists you may find they are easy to avoid.
I don’t cycle, I drive. Never had a problem with them.
As to Motorbikes, well they are doners in the waiting.

comet, sounds like you have the same sort of cyclists as we have here in Milton Keynes. They think they own the road and the redway (the redway is a pathway set out for both people walking and cyclists but cyclists think it’s just for them)
I hate having to walk along the redway and have these people zoom past me at some speed. Some have the courtesy to use a bell when they are coming along, others just wiz by. The redway is wide enough for us both but they always feel they need to come in close proximity to me and who I’m walking with.

I remember on a driving lesson back in 2006 when going up a very steep hill, the cyclist ahead of me decided that rather than pull over and let me go before the hill he would keep in front of me and struggle up the hill instead. If I remember right I went up that hill in first gear.

Ironically they relaid a major junction in Cambridge at i think nearly a million pounds.It was to allow cyclists a right of way over cars .First week 2 cyclists collided with serious injuries–that worked well then.
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Cyclist-fights-for-life-after-two-riders-in-collision-at-revamped-safety-junction-in-Cambridge-20131005102516.htm

http://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/hundreds_of_cyclists_injured_on_cambridgeshire_roads_1_1226173

Gary. +1
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Roads are so crowded now and bikes can go as fast if not faster than cars in traffic that cyclists should be made to wear crash helmets,moped riders have to and they do about the same speeds.