This morning I was riding west along Bernard Terrace with the lights ahead red, a couple of vans waiting at them and a couple of cyclists already in the cycle reservoir, where I joined them.
Just as our lights to cross Clerk Street went green those at the bottom of Hope Park Terrace, to enter the Meadows, turned red. So while slightly quicker than the cyclist to my left, I didn't kick on, so wasn't about to streak ahead. We had not even fully crossed Clerk Street when there was a beep behind me. Freewheeling downhill I pointed out the red lights ahead and carried on into the reservoir there.
Once stopped I turned to see my aggressor, now indicating to turn left, and looking rather annoyed with me. I pointed out the red lights again, and was simply met with a waving of arms that clearly meant 'you should have moved over left'. What? So that you could pass me, then pull in to stop at the red, whereupon I would simply have moved in front of you again? I pointed to my watch trying to get over the fact that really he wouldn't have saved any time.
Actually, I went so far as to work it out. It's a distance of 112 metres, which I covered in 16 seconds (according to the video). At a constant 30mph he would have covered the same distance in 8.5 seconds. So, he would have saved 7.5 seconds. Except... The lights, as has already been pointed out, were red. So he would have merely had 7.5 seconds longer sat at them...
There seems an utter disconnect in logic, as well as a lack of any ability to look any further ahead on the road than what is directly in front. I had a chat with one of the other cyclists about it while we were in the reservoir (given the lights had changed to red 16 seconds before we got there, there was plenty time to talk).
And it got worse really. He turned left, then immediately right into Melville Terrace, hared along there faster than the cars on Melville Drive, but stopped about a third of a mile on, so was just stopping by the side of the road as I went past on Melville Drive...
(oh, and there was no flashing light, no emergency delivery...)
posts
