Red light jumper gets short shrift.

[Simon Mason[_2_]]

A cyclist who moaned about getting a 30 quid fine for cycling through a red
light gets no sympathy in our local paper.

http://www.swldxer.co.uk/zredlight.jpg

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

[mtbnewbie[_4_]]

As a cyclist I too have no sympathy for this rider. It is riders like
him that give all of us a bad name. The bad apple that spoils the
bunch.

That being I must admit that I myself have been a bad apple the odd
time too. I have run the odd red light and sometimes a stop sign too,
though very infrequently.

I am not proud of this and if I was to get caught and given a ticket I
like to think I would be resposible enough to own up to it and pay the
fine without moaning about it. After all it is against the law and I
don't have the right to run the red, no matter how inconvienient or
trivial it may seem to stop.

Having read this I hope I will think more clearly the next time the
urge to jump the light or skip a stop sign hits me. It may very well
save me from being hit myself.


--
mtbnewbie

[Robert Johnstone]

Simon Mason wrote:
> A cyclist who moaned about getting a 30 quid fine for cycling through a
> red light gets no sympathy in our local paper.

Quite right too. The last person on a BSO who I commented on going
through a red light at a crossing ("That was a red light you just went
through!") replied with "Get a proper bike!". I was wheeling my Brompton
over the crossing at the time. I couldn't help laughing like a drain (a
drain that laughs loudly in the street, that is...).

Bob

[spindrift]

Robert Johnstone wrote:
> Simon Mason wrote:
> > A cyclist who moaned about getting a 30 quid fine for cycling through a
> > red light gets no sympathy in our local paper.
>
> Quite right too. The last person on a BSO who I commented on going
> through a red light at a crossing ("That was a red light you just went
> through!") replied with "Get a proper bike!". I was wheeling my Brompton
> over the crossing at the time. I couldn't help laughing like a drain (a
> drain that laughs loudly in the street, that is...).
>
> Bob


I stopped at a zebra crossing on Shoreditch High Street and both the
lady on the crossing and I yelled after a cyclist who zoomed up on the
pavement.

"Sorry" he said when i caught up with him:


"I've no brakes!".


There really is no answer to that, or to the cyclist who jumped every
red light going down City Road and who, when I reminded her that it
was dangerous, agreed heartily and said:


"Once a car nearly hit me!"

[Roger Merriman]

Robert Johnstone > wrote:

> Simon Mason wrote:
> > A cyclist who moaned about getting a 30 quid fine for cycling through a
> > red light gets no sympathy in our local paper.
>
> Quite right too. The last person on a BSO who I commented on going
> through a red light at a crossing ("That was a red light you just went
> through!") replied with "Get a proper bike!". I was wheeling my Brompton
> over the crossing at the time. I couldn't help laughing like a drain (a
> drain that laughs loudly in the street, that is...).
>
> Bob

i find that catching up to them partical if they are going for the
"courier" look and leaving them for dead on a bike with paniers, front
basket etc, drives the point home! ;-)

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

[bugbear]

mtbnewbie wrote:
> As a cyclist I too have no sympathy for this rider. It is riders like
> him that give all of us a bad name. The bad apple that spoils the
> bunch.
>
> That being I must admit that I myself have been a bad apple the odd
> time too.

If we're in "chest baring" mode, I've run red lights.

But only on Pelican crossings with excessive
"red time" where the people who pressed the button
are long gone, and no other peds are near.

I feel this is reasonable-ish.

BugBear

[David Hansen]

On Mon, 19 May 2008 11:35:46 +0100 someone who may be
(Roger Merriman) wrote this:-

>i find that catching up to them partical if they are going for the
>"courier" look and leaving them for dead on a bike with paniers, front
>basket etc, drives the point home! ;-)

I am told that overtaking some poser while riding a Brompton and
wearing a floral dress causes the poser what appears to be great
discomfort as he (it nearly always is a he I suspect) tries to catch
up and overtake.

While I have never done this in a dress, floral or plain, some
people in lycra, sun glasses and so on do seem somewhat upset to be
overtaken by someone on a small wheeled bike. It must be some part
of the male persuasion which does not affect me.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

[Phil Cook]

David Hansen wrote:

>On Mon, 19 May 2008 11:35:46 +0100 someone who may be
(Roger Merriman) wrote this:-
>
>>i find that catching up to them partical if they are going for the
>>"courier" look and leaving them for dead on a bike with paniers, front
>>basket etc, drives the point home! ;-)
>
>I am told that overtaking some poser while riding a Brompton and
>wearing a floral dress causes the poser what appears to be great
>discomfort as he (it nearly always is a he I suspect) tries to catch
>up and overtake.

There are tales of stealth tourists with panniers full of polystyrene
in the Lancashire Moors area who go looking for roadies to burn off up
the drags.

When I was a roadie I often felt aggrieved by the local oiks on BSOs
who would burn us up as we staggered back to town after a training
ride. I eventually learned to ignore them.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

[Mark[_3_]]

On Sun, 18 May 2008 13:34:34 +0100, "Simon Mason"
> wrote:

>A cyclist who moaned about getting a 30 quid fine for cycling through a red
>light gets no sympathy in our local paper.

When waiting at a red light a few days ago a motorist next to me
looked at me with a very puzzled expression and said "why are you
waiting there?"

--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Owing to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking most articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.
See http://improve-usenet.org

[Martin[_2_]]

bugbear wrote:
> mtbnewbie wrote:
>> As a cyclist I too have no sympathy for this rider. It is riders like
>> him that give all of us a bad name. The bad apple that spoils the
>> bunch.
>>
>> That being I must admit that I myself have been a bad apple the odd
>> time too.
>
> If we're in "chest baring" mode, I've run red lights.
>
> But only on Pelican crossings with excessive
> "red time" where the people who pressed the button
> are long gone, and no other peds are near.

Many pelican crossings are gradually being replaced with puffin
crossings, which AIUI should reduce the "red time" after peds. have
finished crossing.

> I feel this is reasonable-ish.

[JNugent[_4_]]

Mark wrote:

> "Simon Mason" > wrote:

>> A cyclist who moaned about getting a 30 quid fine for cycling through a red
>> light gets no sympathy in our local paper.

> When waiting at a red light a few days ago a motorist next to me
> looked at me with a very puzzled expression and said "why are you
> waiting there?"

Cognitive dissonance.

[Simon Mason[_2_]]

"Mark" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 18 May 2008 13:34:34 +0100, "Simon Mason"
> > wrote:
>
>>A cyclist who moaned about getting a 30 quid fine for cycling through a
>>red
>>light gets no sympathy in our local paper.
>
> When waiting at a red light a few days ago a motorist next to me
> looked at me with a very puzzled expression and said "why are you
> waiting there?"


I would have said "why aren't you on the 'phone?" ;-)


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

[Tom Crispin]

On Mon, 19 May 2008 17:55:55 +0100, Martin >
wrote:

>
>bugbear wrote:
>> mtbnewbie wrote:
>>> As a cyclist I too have no sympathy for this rider. It is riders like
>>> him that give all of us a bad name. The bad apple that spoils the
>>> bunch.
>>>
>>> That being I must admit that I myself have been a bad apple the odd
>>> time too.
>>
>> If we're in "chest baring" mode, I've run red lights.
>>
>> But only on Pelican crossings with excessive
>> "red time" where the people who pressed the button
>> are long gone, and no other peds are near.
>
>Many pelican crossings are gradually being replaced with puffin
>crossings, which AIUI should reduce the "red time" after peds. have
>finished crossing.

I am often impressed with modern toucan crossings. They seem to be
able to detect when all cyclists and pedestrians have finished
crossing.

[Martin[_2_]]

Tom Crispin wrote:
> On Mon, 19 May 2008 17:55:55 +0100, Martin >
> wrote:
>> Many pelican crossings are gradually being replaced with puffin
>> crossings, which AIUI should reduce the "red time" after peds. have
>> finished crossing.
>
> I am often impressed with modern toucan crossings. They seem to be
> able to detect when all cyclists and pedestrians have finished
> crossing.

Puffin and some modern toucan crossings have sensors to detect when
pedestrians are still crossing, and change the lights for road traffic
accordingly. I think that these don't have a flashing amber phase, but
have a red-amber phase instead, like traffic lights at road junctions.

[Tom Crispin]

On Mon, 19 May 2008 23:03:12 +0100, Martin >
wrote:

>
>Tom Crispin wrote:
>> On Mon, 19 May 2008 17:55:55 +0100, Martin >
>> wrote:
>>> Many pelican crossings are gradually being replaced with puffin
>>> crossings, which AIUI should reduce the "red time" after peds. have
>>> finished crossing.
>>
>> I am often impressed with modern toucan crossings. They seem to be
>> able to detect when all cyclists and pedestrians have finished
>> crossing.
>
>Puffin and some modern toucan crossings have sensors to detect when
>pedestrians are still crossing, and change the lights for road traffic
>accordingly. I think that these don't have a flashing amber phase, but
>have a red-amber phase instead, like traffic lights at road junctions.

Yes, the toucan crossings I am thinking about in particular have
things that took like small CCTV cameras pointed at cyclists and
pedestrians. One of the crossings is a split crossing - with a
central reservation for cyclists and pedestrians. I think such
crossings are monstrosities: why should cyclists and pedestrians have
to wait TWICE at one crossing. But this crossing seems to be able to
detect which way people are crossing so the wait at the second light
is minimal.

The very worst toucan crossing I have come across requires cyclists
and pedestrians to wait SIX times for lights to change, shown in
orange on this aerial shot.
www.johnballcycling.org.uk/photos/gw

[Mark[_3_]]

On Mon, 19 May 2008 18:18:22 +0100, "Simon Mason"
> wrote:

>
>"Mark" > wrote in message
...
>> On Sun, 18 May 2008 13:34:34 +0100, "Simon Mason"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>A cyclist who moaned about getting a 30 quid fine for cycling through a
>>>red
>>>light gets no sympathy in our local paper.
>>
>> When waiting at a red light a few days ago a motorist next to me
>> looked at me with a very puzzled expression and said "why are you
>> waiting there?"
>
>
>I would have said "why aren't you on the 'phone?" ;-)

LOL!

--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Owing to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking most articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.
See http://improve-usenet.org

[Paul Boyd[_2_]]

On 19/05/2008 23:26, Tom Crispin said,

> Yes, the toucan crossings I am thinking about in particular have
> things that took like small CCTV cameras pointed at cyclists and
> pedestrians. One of the crossings is a split crossing - with a
> central reservation for cyclists and pedestrians.

You should try a newly installed one in Weston-super-Mare (by Asda, for
the locals!). It is a split crossing in the sense that there is a
central reservation, but no lights or buttons on the reservation. The
green men are angled so that when you're crossing you can't actually see
any, and the lights have changed in favour of traffic as I'm crossing
the second half (on foot). There is a post with a push-button on one
side, but the sensor doesn't cover it so you lose your "turn" in the
sequence if you wait by the post. The council's response to my
complaint was that it was all working as it should....

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

[Roger Merriman]

David Hansen > wrote:

> On Mon, 19 May 2008 11:35:46 +0100 someone who may be
> (Roger Merriman) wrote this:-
>
> >i find that catching up to them partical if they are going for the
> >"courier" look and leaving them for dead on a bike with paniers, front
> >basket etc, drives the point home! ;-)
>
> I am told that overtaking some poser while riding a Brompton and
> wearing a floral dress causes the poser what appears to be great
> discomfort as he (it nearly always is a he I suspect) tries to catch
> up and overtake.
>
> While I have never done this in a dress, floral or plain, some
> people in lycra, sun glasses and so on do seem somewhat upset to be
> overtaken by someone on a small wheeled bike. It must be some part
> of the male persuasion which does not affect me.

heh i notice that those commuters who take it seriously aka courier look
a likes, and such do seem to get a little upset as by the time they've
cliped in i've pootled off from the lights and quite often have gone
some distance by the time they've got them selfs in to gear, if one
keeps repeating the perfomace they do seem to get a tat anoyed as one
shouldn't be left behind by a bloke in work clothes on a cheap hybrid +
full paniers etc.

people are funny old things.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

[TimB]

On May 19, 8:42 am, spindrift > wrote:
>
> There really is no answer to that, or to the cyclist who jumped every
> red light going down City Road and who, when I reminded her that it
> was dangerous, agreed heartily and said:
>
> "Once a car nearly hit me!"

Which for some reason reminds me of the person who refused to buy
South African fruit in apartheid boycott days, only for the shopkeeper
to say 'I understand, it's the thought of those black hands on your
fruit'..... There's no answer to that.

[JNugent[_4_]]

TimB wrote:

> spindrift > wrote:

>> There really is no answer to that, or to the cyclist who jumped every
>> red light going down City Road and who, when I reminded her that it
>> was dangerous, agreed heartily and said:

>> "Once a car nearly hit me!"

> Which for some reason reminds me of the person who refused to buy
> South African fruit in apartheid boycott days, only for the shopkeeper
> to say 'I understand, it's the thought of those black hands on your
> fruit'..... There's no answer to that.

John Dankworth (husband of Cleo Laine) tells that almost exact story. He
says he asked for some oranges off a barrow in Covent Garden, then
changed his mind when he saw that they were a product of South Africa.
The stall-holder said "You'e probably right - you never know what
nig-nog's 'ad their 'ands all over 'em".

[MJ Ray]

Paul Boyd > wrote:
> You should try a newly installed one in Weston-super-Mare (by Asda, for
> the locals!). [...madness...] The council's response to my
> complaint was that it was all working as it should....

Please can you forward me a copy of that? I think it contradicts a
response I had, that it was awaiting correction by the constructors.
--
MJ Ray - see/vidu http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Cycling on Satellite TV: http://www.cyclingfans.net/satellite
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Webmaster cooperative @ WsM, Somerset http://www.ttllp.co.uk/

[Paul Boyd[_3_]]

MJ Ray said the following on 26/05/2008 12:58:

> Please can you forward me a copy of that? I think it contradicts a
> response I had, that it was awaiting correction by the constructors.

I've just checked work email, and I don't have the response either here
or at home. This was not long after the lights were installed, and it
went something like "We'll get someone to look at it" followed a bit
later by "They're working properly".

TBH, I tend to do what everyone else does at these new-fangled crossings
- just cross when it's clear. I did think that being able to get caught
in the middle was not good (so no choice but to chance it when it looks
clear), but I didn't discover this until after the original emails, so
that wasn't part of the original complaint.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/