AA urges drivers to "think bikes" in new road safety campaign

Guyz2010 wrote:

paulrbarnard - Jeeze you need to chill out amlittle. My comments weren't aimed at 'real' cyclist just the ones that give us a poor name who probably don't subscribe to this site. You know the ones that jump red lights on a rusty Appollo bike at night pi55ed up with no lights and not the keen sports rider. I believe my comments are still relevant.

There are no 'real' cyclists, just lots of very different people who happen to be using a bike. Nobody gives 'cyclists' a bad name other than self-serving motorists, the whole 'bad name' thing is drivel.

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

Guyz2010 wrote:

paulrbarnard - Jeeze you need to chill out amlittle. My comments weren't aimed at 'real' cyclist just the ones that give us a poor name who probably don't subscribe to this site. You know the ones that jump red lights on a rusty Appollo bike at night pi55ed up with no lights and not the keen sports rider. I believe my comments are still relevant.

There are no 'real' cyclists, just lots of very different people who happen to be using a bike. Nobody gives 'cyclists' a bad name other than self-serving motorists, the whole 'bad name' thing is drivel.

I certainly don't buy the idea that cyclists should all be judged because some people on a bike behave badly. And you know what, I don't think most motorists do judge things like that.

But it is a bit of a catch 22 thing really. Sometimes some of us on here are a bit parochial and even when a cyclist is to blame for some incident jump to their defence.

It's a bit like the aggro that some Muslims get because when they get the opportunity to condemn Islamic terrorists, they mutter something about condemning all terrorists and then going on to list a litany of grievances and provocations. Which looks and sounds like a bit of tacit support rather than condemnation.

I have plenty to say about bad driving. Lots of us on here have pretty strong views on that. I don't know for a fact but most of us drive as well as cycle at least all my cycling mates do. That aresehole riding a bike like a complete pillock might be a fellow cyclist today but when he is in his car tomorrow he is unlikely to have had a personality implant. Tomorrow he could be your worst nightmare.

It's not to do with whether you are a cyclist or not really but whether you are a considerate road user. If you ride and drive I think that gives you a perspective that makes you more considerate. But it probably is a mindset as well.

The arsehole on a bike is probably just as big an arsehole in a car as well. They are probably just an arsehole.

Condemn them for being an arsehole inconsiderate road user by all means, that what I do. Whatever their form of transport.

deleted 'cos wrong thread!

Guyz2010 wrote:

My comments weren't aimed at 'real' cyclist just the ones that give us a poor name who probably don't subscribe to this site. You know the ones that jump red lights on a rusty Appollo bike at night pi55ed up with no lights and not the keen sports rider. I believe my comments are still relevant.

I used to ride a rusty Apollo bike at night pi55ed up home after Friday night post-work pub outings. I did have lights, but Never Readies might as well not have been there. I'm still not a sports rider. Nice to know you don't consider cycle commuters real. They probably think you're a grumpy judg-mental idiot too.

Simon_MacMichael wrote:

a.jumper wrote:

The only permanent page on the AA's website about cycling is http://www.theaa.com/travel/safe_walking_cycling.html

No it's not - there's another linked in the article above and it's from 2012.

Oh I thought that was a dated news item, not a permanent page. It's pretty awful, a mix of bike-bashing and stating the obvious. Cyclists get told not to jump red lights (because of a fine? Nah, don't do it because it's often annoying and/or hazardous to you or others) while drivers get no similar caution, despite being responsible for most red lights jumped and routinely blasting through a cycleway/road junction that I use. Even parking in cycle lanes or driving into an advanced stop box is only "committing a road traffic offence" or "against the Highway Code" rather than mentioning the penalties.

The AA is basically repeating TfL outrages that helped provoke the "Stop Killing Cyclists" protests in London. They seem to be a false friend.

Simon_MacMichael wrote:

Not sure how you found it (Google?) but it looks like a page that should have been archived - the difference in page design suggests it wasn't part of the website revamp.

I found it by going to www.theaa.com, not seeing anything to do with cycling on that page, typing cycling in the search box top right and clicking the most likely-looking result.

Simon_MacMichael wrote:

Some of the advice you mention - riding in single file on narrow roads, for instance - is in the Highway Code, so it's difficult to blame the AA for citing that.

No, it's very easy to blame them: at best, including that bad advice shows that they're clueless. At worst, I expect much of the bad advice only got into the Highway Code thanks to "get 'em off the road" lobbying by motorist organisations over the years.

Guyz2010 wrote:

However cyclist are their own worst enemies riding around through red lights, in the dark with no lights, with only a care for themselves.
Before I get shot to bits by my fellow two wheeled peddlers, I cycle as much as I drive a year.

There you go thats exactly the sort of crap that gets me mad.

I DONT RIDE THROUGH RED LIGHTS. I HAVE LIGHTS WHICH I USE AFTER DARK.

You are perpetuating the myth that all cyclists break the law all the time. That is what motorists use to justify their hatred of cyclists. It's just complete bollocks. In the last couple of years I have seen THREE cyclists, yes just three, jump a red light and that was all at the same time on a sportive in Somerset. The rest of the cyclists who stopped, probably 20 or more at that time, gave them a proper bolocking for it.

Now it is probably different in London, but I don't live in London and consider anything that happens inside the M25 as being largely irrelevant to the world at large.

Oh and I drive more than I cycle, probably 10 to 15K in the car and only 3K on the bike. Does that make me a motorist or a cyclist? I don't feel the need to justify being a cyclist...

hampstead_bandit wrote:

its a positive move from the AA

this evening I cycled from Kingston-Upon-Thames to Regent Street in Central London to Camden Town NW1.

Unfortunately I saw more sketchy behaviour from fellow cyclists than the various motorists I encountered during my 20 mile journey.

One lady on a bike with no lights, just seemed intent on jumping every red light in her path. I saw approximately another 20 cyclists with no lights, riding in the dark. I saw cyclists riding on the pavements at various points of my journey. I had a number of cyclists riding 'at me' going against the traffic flow, and one guy on a road bike going straight through a red light and nearly riding into me, told me to "f*ck off" when I shouted a warning at him. Saw numerous cyclists jumping red lights, causing motor vehicles to swerve to avoid them.

I saw a good number of "boris bikers" just doing whatever the hell they liked including riding against traffic on 1-way streets, riding across open traffic crossings (causing all the traffic to brake hard) and wobbling down the pavements

I agree that motor vehicles have much higher probability of killing people, but cyclists of all shapes and sizes need to start using some common sense on the highway, and stay off the darn pavements!

You know what, everywhere else in the world nobody cares, it's only bike, you London folk need to lighten up.

Simmo72 wrote:

Agree with oozaveared. It is like some people think that cars shouldn't be on the roads

It's not just "like" that. Some of us do actually think that.

Simmo72 wrote:

and that cyclists are all holier than the pope.

You don't have to have believe anything about morals to realise that cars are noisy, dangerous climate changing pieces of s**t and that life would be more pleasant without them.

Simmo72 wrote:

Get real, there are more cars on the road, we don't live in Amsterdam. We have to take what we can and not scorn any initiative.

OK, let's make you safer by painting a nice wee paint stripe in the gutter to make you safer. It's a recognition (which you seem to desperately crave) that there's a place for you on the road.

Simmo72 wrote:

until the government forces every vehicle owner and manufacturer to fit an anti run over cyclist sensor, its not going to be a perfect world. Even then, there will be people on this site who whinge that the sensor interferes with their fcuking garmin.

Your lack of ambition rears its flopping head again.

Ush, just wake up and get a reality check. We are not going to get 40 million people to give up their cars. I suggest you go live on jersey.

I ride a bike for christs sake, I'm not happy about the state of the roads and I hate bad driving (and bad cycling) but I know I'm not going to get 1/2 the country to relocate their home or place of work so they can ride a bike everywhere. What do we do, have all companies give us an extra 7 hours of a week so we can ride in on our gay little fixie with narrow bars and hipster jeans. FCUKINGHELL, get a grip.

By all accounts, why not stop there. Chuck the bike away and buy a horse. I don't think your pedal biased utopia is ever going to happen unless you want us to head for 3rd world status.

Can I also suggest when you buy your next bike, your swim over to taiwan and back then ride it from Turkey home This way you won't create any unnecessary road use, such as the truck that would deliver it to the distributor and shop.

Yes, people should use bikes for short distances more, no they don't because a) its always raining, b) they are scared of the roads and don't want to put their children at risk c)they are fat and lazy d)their bike will be stolen when they
leave it e) they are so business with coping to keep their heads above water, balancing stresses at work with family and the ever rising living costs that spending an extra 30 minutes on the bike isn't an option

You are a fool and contribute nothing to resolving the issue with such a bigoted view of the roads.

The word BALANCE is alien to so many people.

Simmo72 wrote:

The word BALANCE is alien to so many people.

Wonderfully ironic. Thank you.

bikebot wrote:

For those who are sniping, you would do well to know who your friends are. Edmund King is a pretty decent guy and one of the few representative for motorists who does speak up on cycling issues.

Mr Jansen was the patronising git I was referring to...
I've never run a red light on a bike and know the highway code and follow it. Surprisingly I even find it easier to keep to the speed limits on my bike even though I don't have to legally. How many people in cars can say the same? I had points on my license years ago for speeding in a car, I used to 'amber gamble' at the lights but it seems that doesn't matter according to the popular wisdom I only break traffic laws when I'm on a bike, so don't worry about all the infractions you make when driving, it's fine as long as you look out for cyclists.