CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Criticising other road users?

(14 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by fimm
  • Latest reply from wee folding bike

  1. fimm
    Member

    On Monday evening I was at the Gorgie Road/Dalry Road junction, waiting at the red light to turn up Henderson Terrace. Suddenly the car behind me started hooting - I couldn't work out why, as the lights were red had been so for a while. When the light went green and I started off, I noticed that the driver of the car waiting to go from Henderson Terrace to Murieston Place was on his phone, so I made big pointing and "I see you on your phone" gestures at him. As the car that had been behind me at the lights came past me, he hooted again - and then I think I saw him making a thumbs-up gesture at me... so I guess he didn't have a problem with me on my bike, but had noticed the driver on the phone before I did.

    However, in the past couple of days I've also been passed by several cyclists who have gone through red lights that I've been stopped at. I'm always tempted to shout "RED LIGHT" at them - but I never actually do.

    Which leads me to wonder why am I more willing to point out the phone use than the red light infringement? And should I start shouting at cyclists?

    (There's a good arguement that the law-breaking cyclists bring less danger than the law-breaking car drivers, but I don't think it is that simple...)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. wingpig
    Member

    "I'm always tempted to shout 'RED LIGHT' at them - but I never actually do,"

    I try to avoid actually shouting (in case it looks bad to passing pedestrians), but do try to always point out when I see someone skipping a red. A cyclist's more likely to hear than the driver of a car which has done the same thing.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. amir
    Member

    Mind you, it appears that the hooting motorist was also not following the highway code:

    "112

    The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. You MUST NOT use your horn

    while stationary on the road
    when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am

    except when another road user poses a danger.

    [Law CUR reg 99]"

    Not sure if the final line is a sufficient get out.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. earthowned
    Member

    In the past when I have told blatant RLJ cyclists off it has become quite confrontational. Not pleasant for either involved and not likely to change behaviour. I reckon a non-judgemental approach the message is more likely to be listened to. Now I tell a little white lie and say that the police are seriously cracking down on RLJs.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. gembo
    Member

    60 quid for each RLJ I heard

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. Lezzles
    Member

    I always say 'Red light' to cyclists. I always say it to cars too however they never seem to hear me.

    I also always make hand gestures to motorists on their mobile phones. The husband seems to think it is only a matter of time before I get punched by someone.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. Puzzle
    Member

    I've caught up with a couple further down the road, and asked if they were ok, if they had seen the light. It's brought interesting results. Often they have explained why they felt it was ok......it's safer, need to get a head of the traffic. So far they have taken the 'you give the rest of us a bad rap' ok. That may be because I'm a woman doing the confronting, or maybe I'm just sneaky with my approach ;)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. Kirst
    Member

    I yell "red light!" and "get off the pavement" and "put the phone down, moron!" whenever I feel the urge.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. AKen
    Member

    There's a guy who I sometimes see sitting on a bench down in the Grassmarket with a bottle of cider who's a bit like that.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    Father Jack?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. LivM
    Member

    I'm with Fimm, that I'm more likely to challenge / point out that I've observed a mobile phone-using driver than a RLJ-ing cyclist. I think my rationale is that I'm pointing out behaviour that is more likely to result in a scary heavy metal box going somewhere out of control that could hurt me, than a fragile squishy person doing something dangerous to their own person.
    It's the selfish gene.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Kenny
    Member

    I think I'm getting soft in my old age. When I see a RLJ twat, especially if I'm at the head of a queue of cars at a red light, I tend to say nothing but instead hold my arms out wide in a "what the hell are you doing?" type way and shake my head in a very obvious way. Clearly, they can't see me do this since they are normally cycling away from me, but I do it to try to empathise with the drivers behind me, so that they recognise I'm not a twat as well, and that I actually pay attention to red lights. I figure it's worth drawing their attention to *me* so they do recognise that not all cyclists do it.

    I even waited at a temporary set of traffic lights today between Drylaw/Davidsons Mains while I got totally drenched by the rain, despite the fact there was no-one coming the other way. As I say, I'm getting old.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. Tom
    Member

    mkns - not old, sensible.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. Smudge
    Member

    @mkns, that's pretty much what I do as well. Does this mean we need a virtual corner of CCE where we can hang our tweed caps, nurse a pint and mutter darkly about "youngsters"? ;-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. wee folding bike
    Member

    I tend to say nothing but instead hold my arms out wide in a "what the hell are you doing?

    I was doing that a couple of weeks ago when a taxi driver wound down her window to talk to me about it. She seemed to know what route I take in the morning as she said she sees me a lot. I had to tell her that she had just committed a three point offence right outside the Cop Shop but assured her that nobody ever gets done for stopping in the bike zone.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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