Police set the law straight after car passenger's 'use the f*cking bike lane' rant at cyclist

Philh68 wrote:

Why is it people in cars can’t understand that a road bicycle is designed to be ridden on roads?

Simple....... Culture long engrained car culture, and a lack of most folk being able to ride a bike

Whereas in countries like Holland they understand bike use, because everyone uses one at a very early age

Philh68 wrote:

Why is it people in cars can’t understand that a road bicycle is designed to be ridden on roads?

Maybe they get confused with all the off-road vehicles that get driven on the road.

racyrich wrote:

As usual it's the utter inconsistency in policing that's infuriating.

Launch a threatening tirade at a cyclist while armed with 1.5 tons of motor vehicle, police do nothing.

Launch a tirade at a commuter for eating an egg - £1500 fine.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/12/city-worker-fined-1500-screaming-commuter...

 

Strictly speaking, the passenger was not in charge of the vehicle, but I get your general point.

Pantster wrote:

So police have acknowledged "2 road rage incidents" yesterday alone. What are they doing about them other than posting on social media

 

A bus horn is not for blasting at cyclists. That use is contrary to Highway Code. They have a video of abuse being shouted from a car at vulnerable road user. What are they doing about that?

 

unless action is taken it reinforces people's view that they can get away with it

Totally agree.

There's no place for aggression and emotional responses on the streets (though it can be difficult to not respond when on a bike) and certainly not when you're in control of heavy machinery.

I'd hope the police sent out warning letters to the registered keepers at the very least.

biker phil wrote:

I get that so many times, use the cycle lane, use the fucking cycle lane. I've been close passed by Stagecoach buses, then brake tested by them, only to be told to use the cycle lane. If I had the balls, wouldn't it be great to have an iron bar, cunningly camouflaged as a pump, in a sling on the top tube? Close pass, BANG! The local dent repair man would love cyclists!

It's my understanding - although may be of urban myth - was that the Emergency Stop button got moved from the outside of the bonnet on buses to the inside due to people hitting them out of revenge for bad driving.

The engine in a bus is at the rear, and the Emergency Stop was also at the rear - normally on the offside pillar - perfectly positioned for a quick press and go manoeuver.

Few things funnier than watching the face of a bus driver when he finds out his bus aint going anywhere.

Oldfatgit wrote:

biker phil wrote:

I get that so many times, use the cycle lane, use the fucking cycle lane. I've been close passed by Stagecoach buses, then brake tested by them, only to be told to use the cycle lane. If I had the balls, wouldn't it be great to have an iron bar, cunningly camouflaged as a pump, in a sling on the top tube? Close pass, BANG! The local dent repair man would love cyclists!

 

It's my understanding - although may be of urban myth - was that the Emergency Stop button got moved from the outside of the bonnet on buses to the inside due to people hitting them out of revenge for bad driving.

The engine in a bus is at the rear, and the Emergency Stop was also at the rear - normally on the nearside pillar - perfectly positioned for a quick press and go manoeuver.

Few things funnier than watching the face of a bus driver when he finds out his bus aint going anywhere.

Awesome I will try that next time, because there will be a next time.

biker phil wrote:

Oldfatgit wrote:

biker phil wrote:

I get that so many times, use the cycle lane, use the fucking cycle lane. I've been close passed by Stagecoach buses, then brake tested by them, only to be told to use the cycle lane. If I had the balls, wouldn't it be great to have an iron bar, cunningly camouflaged as a pump, in a sling on the top tube? Close pass, BANG! The local dent repair man would love cyclists!

 

It's my understanding - although may be of urban myth - was that the Emergency Stop button got moved from the outside of the bonnet on buses to the inside due to people hitting them out of revenge for bad driving.

The engine in a bus is at the rear, and the Emergency Stop was also at the rear - normally on the nearside pillar - perfectly positioned for a quick press and go manoeuver.

Few things funnier than watching the face of a bus driver when he finds out his bus aint going anywhere.

Awesome I will try that next time, because there will be a next time.

Not something I'd ever recommend, as it'll only escalate the situation, but... https://youtu.be/cgkOP31Njeo

Always try your best to have patience for bad/dangerous practice and be the better person!

BIGWATTS wrote:

Always try your best to have patience for bad/dangerous practice and be the better person!

While this is my general approach, perhaps more out of fear of repercussions. I often find myself in dilema about what being the "better" person is? Is it letting it slide, or is it making sure such eliminating the bad/dangerous practice - and what measures are acceptable when that bad/dangerous practice is already life threatening.

As many here have already stated this behaviour has become prevalent because there is no deterent/punishment. How much more must we take before we say the law doesn't protect us and we must take matters into our own hands? How many more need to die? How many more near misses? How many more mindless assaults?

I worry that constantly taking the being a "better" person approach is more detremental than good in the long run.

biker phil wrote:

I get that so many times, use the cycle lane, use the fucking cycle lane. I've been close passed by Stagecoach buses, then brake tested by them, only to be told to use the cycle lane. If I had the balls, wouldn't it be great to have an iron bar, cunningly camouflaged as a pump, in a sling on the top tube? Close pass, BANG! The local dent repair man would love cyclists!

Pull the emergency stop on the back of the bus, sorted.

srchar wrote:

I mean, I understand why the give-way markings get ignored. This is the view a driver gets when they obey them.  It's impossible to see what's on the main road.

 

Give way at the line,move forward slowly.If someone else comes along,give way again.

Argus Tuft wrote:

srchar wrote:

I mean, I understand why the give-way markings get ignored. This is the view a driver gets when they obey them.  It's impossible to see what's on the main road.

 

Give way at the line,move forward slowly.If someone else comes along,give way again.

 

What would you do at a Stop sign if,after you'd stopped,and had started moving again,you noticed a vehicle previously obstructed from view bearing down on you?

Argus Tuft wrote:

srchar wrote:

I mean, I understand why the give-way markings get ignored. This is the view a driver gets when they obey them.  It's impossible to see what's on the main road.

 

Give way at the line,move forward slowly.If someone else comes along,give way again.

 

Hmmm. But if you 'give way again' won't you find yourself precisely in the cycle-lane-blocking position that the car in the image posted is in?

How do the Dutch do it?

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

Argus Tuft wrote:

srchar wrote:

I mean, I understand why the give-way markings get ignored. This is the view a driver gets when they obey them.  It's impossible to see what's on the main road.

 

Give way at the line,move forward slowly.If someone else comes along,give way again.

 

Hmmm. But if you 'give way again' won't you find yourself precisely in the cycle-lane-blocking position that the car in the image posted is in? How do the Dutch do it?

It depends on what you could see when you moved up to the bike lane.How many parked cars are lined up to the right of the intersection? 

Argus Tuft wrote:

Give way at the line,move forward slowly.If someone else comes along,give way again.

In an ideal world, yes. But that still leaves the car completely blocking the bike lane until such time as it can join the main road. Also, this isn't an ideal world, and the design means that the give ways just get ignored completely, without even a glance up the bike lane to see what's coming.

srchar wrote:

Argus Tuft wrote:

Give way at the line,move forward slowly.If someone else comes along,give way again.

In an ideal world, yes. But that still leaves the car completely blocking the bike lane until such time as it can join the main road. Also, this isn't an ideal world, and the design means that the give ways just get ignored completely, without even a glance up the bike lane to see what's coming.

I'm a bit tired-It's Friday night,but let's think this through together. The bike lane replaces what in a "normal" street would be a" pedestrian lane " if you get my drift.Peds have right of way when crossing at an intersection. So in this case the fact that we have a bike lane is neither here nor there. On a similar street without the bike lane if you moved up to the vehicle lane you'd be blocking ped right of way.

Let's say we only move up to the bike lane(but not block it) What can we see? How far do those parked cars extend? We can't tell from the photo.Either we can see enough to proceed safely or we can't. If we can't we have a hazardous intersection.

Bear with me,and don't call it a cop-out just yet.I've never known a Council not to fix a justified complaint (one that meets their written guidelines) promptly. Once they've been notified if a collision occurs they don't have a legal leg to stand on. I've never had a problem getting a tree trimmed that was blocking a stop sign,or road markings repainted. Driving instructors got things done quicker than I could,but they're pushy bastards.

A friend of mine dropped a front bike wheel down a stormwater grate and damaged it.She notified the Council (Redlands City Council) and a week later there was a new grate of a different design and an apologetic phone call. Don't be afraid to do your civic duty!

I'm off for a cup of tea.

Argus Tuft wrote:

She notified the Council (Redlands City Council) and a week later there was a new grate of a different design and an apologetic phone call.

That council appears to be in Australia. Not sure how that relates to an English local authority which is hte subject of the item.

Do you live in Australia? That makes previous comments clearer eg your one about putting a couple of rear lights on your bike and getting a different response from drivers.

I'm afraid a lot of drivers in the UK couldn't give a shit about pedestrians, and don't even understand give way on turning into minor roads.

hirsute wrote:

Argus Tuft wrote:

She notified the Council (Redlands City Council) and a week later there was a new grate of a different design and an apologetic phone call.

That council appears to be in Australia. Not sure how that relates to an English local authority which is hte subject of the item.

 

Do you live in Australia? That makes previous comments clearer eg your one about putting a couple of rear lights on your bike and getting a different response from drivers.

 

I'm afraid a lot of drivers in the UK couldn't give a shit about pedestrians, and don't even understand give way on turning into minor roads.

We're both first-world (I hate that term) countries with the same legal system. I'm assuming any complaint made to a council needs to be actioned,or dismissed with a reason given. The trail of emails needs a beginning,a middle and an end.Accountability and all that.

Plenty of bad drivers everywhere. It takes a very courageous government to increase enforcement.New South Wales just stopped putting warning signs at speed camera locations and copped a shit storm in the media.The government felt it was far enough ahead in the polls to take a seemingly logical step.

Argus Tuft wrote:

We're both first-world (I hate that term) countries with the same legal system. I'm assuming any complaint made to a council needs to be actioned,or dismissed with a reason given. The trail of emails needs a beginning,a middle and an end.Accountability and all that.

In the UK, there is a right mix of authorities. The immediate authority you pay your local tax to may well not be the authority that looks after the highways.

There are a lot of 'agents' so a county council may look after a road that central government is responsible for. I'm not sure any council has it's own highways workforce anymore due to the tendering process required from about 30 years ago, so you will see nearly all the work carried out by a contractor.

Even if you make a complaint, that could easily go to another contractor (outsourcing again), so it can be hard to get someone to be responsible.

May be I'm a bit cynical because my county council appears to take great delight in telling you 90% of pothole claims will be rejected. Other councils make it hard to work out who to contact in the first place !

Quote:

Plenty of bad drivers everywhere. It takes a very courageous government to increase enforcement.New South Wales just stopped putting warning signs at speed camera locations and copped a shit storm in the media.The government felt it was far enough ahead in the polls to take a seemingly logical step.

A number of police forces do take footage from individuals which is a step forward. However,  there is a great disparity between regional forces and incidents which are given a NIP (notice of prosecution) one one place result in no action in another.

Not sure how long you have been on the site, but you will soon see this commented on in near miss of the day (NMOTD).

Argus Tuft wrote:

I've never known a Council not to fix a justified complaint (one that meets their written guidelines) promptly. Once they've been notified if a collision occurs they don't have a legal leg to stand on.

I wish that were the case, however, spend 2 minutes browsing fillthathole.org and you'll find plenty of road defects that were reported 10+ years ago and haven't been fixed.