CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Riding in Edinburgh - The new rules according to me

(8 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by Radgeworks
  • Latest reply from condor2378

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  1. Radgeworks
    Member

    I have decided a few things recently,based on responses and threads on here, and my own personal experiences of even the last 2 days for example, that you can just about forget about the highway code, road traffic act, land reform act etc etc when you take to the roads here.
    Why, because they are utterly useless in the real world of Edinburgh. Not one person driving badly gives a monkeys about the law, safety or anything else, why should i?
    I have tried remonstrating,and its just not worth it.
    I have tried complaining,stock replies, fob offs etc
    I have been to the polis, why did i even bother?
    I have tried cycling as safely as possible, and yet still have found my life or health threatened by a minority of idiots in motorised vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
    Therefore, i will not try to remonstrate ever again,
    i will not report bad driving anymore,
    i will not report bad anything anymore.
    Its all really pretty futile i have come to realise, any complaint to a business etc, is most likely regarded as a blip at best.
    And will be disregarded sooner or later.
    I will continue to ride as safely and considerately as i can,(not always truly legally,salmoning Rose St first thing pre 7am is standard, as opposed to negociating along deathtrap Princes St), but i do always try to be legal anyway, so anyone that "messes" with me during my journeys, will now absolutely feel my full unbridled wrath.
    I have hivis, i wear an "H" on the roads, i use my bell with consideration and frugally. I have reflectors and lights.
    So Ive done more than enough.
    Any driver choosing to mess with me now on the road, will meet a very very frightening person indeed.
    Gloves are off now,as are all bets, period.
    Be safe out there folks........

    The Radgeworks

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. sallyhinch
    Member

    The real rules of the road

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Radgeworks

    In my younger, less hinged days I may have been through the Travis Bickle phase you are about to embark on. So I can completely understand what you are saying and what may have brought you to this point.

    I'm not in that phase any more. My weapon is politeness. I discovered I could completely disorient the average motorist by addressing them as 'Sir' and wishing them a good morning. I ask for favours. I wonder if they might have seen me. It's a bit like judo - you use the other's power and anger against them. Most 'angry' motorists are just sad that their lives have come to the point where they are stuck in a tin box for hours on end each day.

    Just a thought.

    IWRATS

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. MeepMeep
    Member

    I often get very angry and confrontational when my life is put unnecessarily at risk, particularly (but not limited to) when on my bike. Saying that, I know it affects me almost cumulatively over the course of a week's commuting and come a Friday I'm more likely to be cycling aggressively rather than simply assertively - this often causes me more problems as there's a 'out to get me assumption' kind of mentality attached.

    I've gone a bit full circle and am trying to just be resigned to my daily disappointment at the stupidity that classes for a fair chunk of driving in the city. If I die, I die - the jury will care less for my life than that of the driver - the public won't be outraged at such pathetic sentencing (where guilt is even proven) - yaddayadda...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. Radgeworks
    Member

    Some excellent posting here. Cheers. :-)

    @ Sallyhinch, excellent link thank you,it helps and also kinda confirms my position a bit.
    @ IWRATS, I am now approaching 40, so have put up with around 26 years of this nonsense, i have tried the lot,so not quite a Travis Bickle, but i DO like the comparison, I wont be buying a load of guns though... (yet? LOL), and i have found politeness of very limited use, it was my default setting however.

    I think realistically i am probably heading towards the MeepMeep mindset, especially the last paragraph, wise words there indeed.
    If i ever get there, it will be better than where i have ended up mentally now.

    Be as safe (as possible) folks,
    enjoy the nice weather coming in eventually.

    Oh and THANK YOU all...

    Radgeworks.... ;-)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. gembo
    Member

    Anger is an energy as johnny rotten said but it won't make any difference and is ultimately destructive.

    You just have to let it go. Become a zen Buddhist cyclist. Admittedly I still emit the odd expletive but not directly at the driver and I will employ the horizontal open arm movement as in, what are you doing?

    The roads are more dangerous for us but good drivers have to put up with bad drivers too.

    You need to keep safe and use all concentration to avoid incident. This is not a scenario where we can win. Just stay safe.

    Use our energy to make all roads safer rather than confront individual idiots like the guy in Dundee who was done for dangerous driving, left court and tried to drive away. Police lifted him but PF declined to re prosecute????

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    "good drivers have to put up with bad drivers too"

    That's actually a useful thing to remember.

    It's a shame that the police don't do a lot more to target/catch bad drivers.

    But if that's what they expect PF to do...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. condor2378
    Member

    +1 Radgeworks

    I cycle aggressively in the sense that I'll take primary at pinch points and have been known to chase down stupid drivers and confront them (see a couple of videos on Bad Driving thread). I am bedecked in Hi-Viz and richous fury and would love to be able to ditch both for a more relaxed style of riding but, same as MeepMeep, I get angry when people try to kill me.

    The real obstruction to wider cycling is the attitude of other road users.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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