CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

RLJ Day???

(13 posts)
  • Started 14 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from smsm1

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  1. Without wishing to cast aspersions the 4 or 5 RLJing cyclists I saw today (one incorporating some pavement cycling as well) looked, each and every one, like students. A supposition borne out by being at the east end of the Meadows.

    And this was no 'kicking it just to get through' or 'taking an early green'. 3 of them went through a red as the lights had gone green for perpendicular traffic after a pedestrian phase. By the last one I was feeling slightly exasperated, but I suspect my 'oh come on....' fell on deaf ears (there was a tunnel vision in her eyes that said 'I know I'm doing wrong, but if I acknowledge no-one then that makes it alright.'

    I know it's not actually that dangerous to anyone but themselves, and that each actually got through the uintersections safely, but going through the mind of every driver around there? 'Bloody cyclists, they all think that they can just break the law.' And while I can argue very successfully against such assertions (there's a video coming on this sometime soon) it's more difficult to do with a windscreen between you.

    Oh, and one final muppet of the morning heading along Shandwick Place. The car was stopped at a pedestrian crossing, indicating left to turn into the street just after the barriers around that crossing. You were going straight on. Going up his inside just as the lights turned green was not only stupid, but could very easily have lead to you being toast against the barriers had the driver not be very very alert. Which was surprising. Cos it was a private hire cab.

    Whinge over. Happy Tuesday everyone.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  2. Claggy Cog
    Member

    On the way to work the other day this woman was cycling on the pavement, and looked to have been doing for some time, and set to continue to do so, which I found remarkable... broad daylight, clearly marked cycle lane, quite a wide road (albeit busy) and absolutely no reason that I could fathom for doing so, she even had a helmet on. The other cyclist on the pavement had lights, and a high visibility jacket, again on a road that has clearly marked cycle lane, quite wide (though poor condition)just after it had become dark... he even had shorts on, which would suggest he was HARD, big wus more like!! That was two adults in two days cycling on the pavement. It was faster going on the road, not having to negotiate bus shelters, people, dogs, and other sundry street furniture.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  3. LaidBack
    Member

    he even had shorts on, which would suggest he was HARD, big wus more like!! That was two adults in two days cycling on the pavement.

    One (depressing) version of cycling in the future :-(

    People busy putting their perceived safety ahead of others. I see a few of these pavement pootlers now who shun roads even when they are empty. This of course is a side effect of bombarding people with the 'roads are dangerous' mantra.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  4. Claggy Cog
    Member

    @Laidback, yup you're probably right about the 'roads are dangerous' mantra. It is actually easier riding on the road and I cannot see the sense in pavement cycling at all. You surely would have to stop at every junction, left turn, plus avoid street lamps, signposts, etc., etc., a complete pain in my view. Also many pavements are not actually well-maintained and have holes, dips, lumps, bumps, poor repairs, uneven flags and so on.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  5. "People busy putting their perceived safety ahead of others"

    Which is one of the reasons we see so many SUVs on the road - a common excuse being they are 'safe'.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  6. recombodna
    Member

    Also many pavements are not actually well-maintained and have holes, dips, lumps, bumps, poor repairs,

    Unlike the roads??

    Posted 14 years ago #
  7. ruggtomcat
    Member

    not to mention full of slow moving blind invisible plodders :)

    Posted 14 years ago #
  8. Claggy Cog
    Member

    @recombodna - that was the point, the roads are not well-maintained in Edinburgh and using the pavements is not a better option for the same reason... so you may as well use the road, as there are, in fact, fewer obstacles and yes there are no pedestrians, for whom the pavements were built.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  9. They were at it again this morning! Grrrr!!!

    Posted 14 years ago #
  10. Stepdoh
    Member

    me included, but it was those silly double ones at st johns post office, and the junction was packed and there was no one on the crossing, and the ones ahead were green, and, and,

    Posted 14 years ago #
  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Chap on white Merida CX doing a left turn onto Saughtonhall Road through the red lights at the 4-way intersection of Western Corner. Yes the crossing was devoid of pedestrians and there was space to make the turn, but that's not the point. The way he approached the junction it looked like his intention was to RLJ all along - rather than a case of taking an opportunity.

    Older cyclist ahead of me on white MTB in a blue lycra suit and awesome wooly British 1980 Winter Olympics bobble hat got in the dissaproving shake of the head to say "you're letting us all down, mate" before I could.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  12. smsm1
    Member

    I've started shouting "Funny looking green light" to cyclists that fly past me while I'm stopped at a red light. Later on, I sometimes see them making a effort to stop at the red lights and looking round to see if I'm there.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  13. smsm1
    Member

    Just 4 or 5 red light flyers? I can see that many at each of the busier junctions on a peak time trip in London. If you do tell some of them off, they will just scowl at you, as though the traffic lights don't apply to them.

    Posted 14 years ago #

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