“Read the Highway Code!”: Confrontational close pass van driver fined £220; Bernal needs second spinal operation; Pidcock’s rainbow bands; “Particularly British” anti-cycling sentiment; G rumbled by Phil Gaimon; But cyclists + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"Read the Highway Code!": Confrontational close pass van driver fined £220
Topical for today:
Van Driver “…. You’re in the middle of the road….”
Cyclist “… Read the Highway Code…”
Court = 4 points + £364#highwaycode #3rdpartyreporting#greatestthreatofharm #driverbehavior@roadcc @markandcharlie @MikeyCycling @theJeremyVine @HantsPolRoads pic.twitter.com/bsETNhCnt0— Copnor Cam Cyclist (@CopnorCyclist) January 29, 2022
“Read the Highway Code!”…if ever a phrase summed up the past week as a UK-based cycling journalist…
This performance, from last February, earned the driver four points on their licence, £220 fine, £110 costs and a £34 surcharge. Totally worth the impatience…
For the avoidance of any doubt of the Drivers culpability watch the build up from a rear view.#DU10SMO #driverbehaviour pic.twitter.com/woW9RRCKSu
— Copnor Cam Cyclist (@CopnorCyclist) January 30, 2022
Hampshire Police, unsurprisingly, took a dim view of the driving, concluding “you’re [not actually] in the middle of the road” is never an excuse for an aggressive close pass.
CyclingMikey was one of the many to comment on the clip, replying to someone having a pop at the rider for hitting the van: “Don’t threaten someone’s life with potentially three tonnes of van, and you won’t have to worry about someone banging on the van. It’s completely normal to bang on any vehicle coming that close.”
Jeremy Vine also chipped in with congratulations for the outcome from the police.
The champion of the world
Tom Pidcock X 🌈 X @bioracer pic.twitter.com/rvKrClwGMC
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) February 1, 2022
Too bad he’s heading straight onto the road…but at least we can look forward to seeing this next winter.
> History maker Tom Pidcock solos to rainbow jersey at cyclocross worlds
Catch all the reaction from Pidcock’s win on Monday’s live blog…there are memes, amusing childhood anecdotes and all the stair-running content you could ever wish to see.
Egan Bernal to undergo second spinal surgery following training crash in Colombia
Ineos Grenadiers climber Egan Bernal remains in intensive care this week and will undergo a second operation on his spine.
> Egan Bernal in intensive care following successful surgery on training crash injuries
The 25-year-old is set for another surgery on the cervical section above the thoracic vertebrae, following further examinations by doctors at Clínica Universidad de La Sabana hospital in Bogotá.
Hospital director Juan Guillermo Ortiz Martínez said…
After moving forward in the recovery of the areas involved in his polytrauma (musculoskeletal, respiratory, hemodynamic and neurological systems), new diagnostic images were performed and it was determined, in an interdisciplinary manner, that the patient will undergo surgery on the cervical spine. This intervention will favour the process of rehabilitating him. This intervention will take place tomorrow [Wednesday] afternoon.
We move forward with the patient in all his recovery processes, confident in his prompt improvement. We will be reporting the post-operative evolution of the athlete at the time the procedure is finished.
Bernal told fans he is grateful for the hospital’s help after having a 95 per cent chance of being a paraplegic following the collision with a parked bus…
'Tenby' looks nice...G rumbled by Phil Gaimon
G made a thing of uploading delightful looking ocean vistas and sunny training snaps this winter, often titled with nods to Wales. Obviously us, being gullible, and many of his followers, took this as G enjoying some unseasonably lovely Welsh weather. Eventually, we cottoned on to the joke…
But now we have proof…you’re not in Tenby, G…but California…
Turned onto Mulholland today about to start a 5-min max interval when I saw @GeraintThomas86 in front of me on what looked like an easy spin. Was embarrassed to be the guy blowing past a Tour de France winner so I went the other way. Still funny, though.
— Phil Gaimon (@philgaimon) February 1, 2022
Promise there’s some non-Ineos content, and non-pro cycling, coming next…just so happens they’ve got a lot of big names doing notable things…
But cyclists...
Cyclists on pavements though https://t.co/wytrqanu6j
— Hackney Cyclist (@Hackneycyclist) January 29, 2022
Every gram matters...MAAP x 100% Hypercraft collab weighs in at just 23 grams
Australian cycling apparel brand MAAP has once again collaborated with performance eyewear specialists 100%, this time for some ultra-light shades that are available in two new exclusive shades, silver and copper.
With the UltraCarbon frame, and weighing in at just 23 grams, the new MAAP x 100% Hypercraft sunnies are said to be “lighter, stronger and more dynamic than any performance shield on the market”.
Designed in California and Australia, the sunnies feature a wide-wrapping oversized lens for an increased peripheral view and protection. The lens has been manufactured in France from shatter and impact-resistant polycarbonate materials and has been given an hydrophobic and oleophobic lens treatment for repelling water, oil, and dirt.
You can find more details and get yourself one of these limited edition sunnies for £185 at maap.cc…
"Particularly British" hate towards cyclists...
For me, the main thought reading all this vile stuff, is that while there are bad/inconsiderate road users everywhere in the world, the vitriol, frustration and bile directed towards cyclists feels particularly British.
I’m not sure if it’s about cycling at all really. https://t.co/w6MdMzVPwV— Jeremy Whittle (@jeremycwhittle) January 31, 2022
Agree?
Cav nominated for Laureus World Comeback of the Year
He may have got the SPOTY snub from the BBC, but Mark Cavendish is up for a prestigious Laureus World Sports Award. Cav’s been nominated in the Laureus World Comeback of the Year category alongside US gymnast Simone Biles, Tom Daley, eight-time MotoGP champion Marc Márquez, Annemiek van Vleuten and British Olympic bronze medal-winning skateboarder Sky Brown.
Other cyclists nominated for gongs alongside Cavendish and Van Vleuten include Dame Sarah Storey and Jetze Plat in the Sportsperson of the Year With a Disability category, and BMXer Bethany Shriever in the Action Sportsperson of the Year category.
We’re biased but it’s got to be a win for the Manx Missile, right?
The winners will be revealed in April, after the categories have been voted on by the Laureus World Sports Academy, a group of 71 of the “greatest sporting legends of all time”…
Astana is my team...rapping should not be my dream
Hey, the Astana rap video made the front page of the Times. pic.twitter.com/5ljrzgsNbb
— Service Course, LLC (@SC_Cycling) February 2, 2022
If you missed Astana’s cringeworthy return to the rap game, check it out on yesterday’s blog…or don’t if you respect your ears…
"I don't know why I'm always getting these questions about vaccination": Greg Van Avermaet "clear" to race until Paris-Roubaix without Covid booster
Greg Van Avermaet has no concerns about not being allowed to race, despite rules introduced by the French government. The Belgian, who rides for French team AG2R Citroën has delayed his booster vaccine until after the Classics campaign, leading to some dubbing him the Novak Djokovic of cycling…
Last autumn the 2017 Paris-Roubaix winner said he suspects the Covid vaccine was the cause of his poor form…“My body is fighting an unknown enemy and it could be the vaccine,” he said.
The 2016 Olympic champion now hopes his positive test from November will act as a substitute for the booster in his vaccine passport paperwork, required to race in France from February 15.
Van Avermaet is racing the opening stage of Étoile de Bessèges in France as we speak, and told reporters yesterday that he is “fine” and “clear” to race without the booster vaccine until after Paris-Roubaix (the end of his spring campaign).
“I don’t know why I’m always getting these questions about vaccination,” he said. “I’m fine. I have my Covid passport. I’m clear. I’m vaccinated. No worries.
Replying to a question about him being like Serbian tennis star Djokovic, who missed the Australian Open after refusing the vaccine, Van Avermaet replied: “I just don’t understand, because I’m vaccinated. So I don’t understand. I don’t know why people ask me. It’s probably because I said that I was having lesser performances after my vaccination.”
At the Saudi Tour this lunchtime, Santiago Buitrago of Bahrain-Victorious won stage two and takes the lead of the race, winning atop a punchy climb. Notably Caleb Ewan was sixth, climbing well and still a couple of months away from San Remo…ominous.
"It shows how great the cyclocross community is": Young Brit Nathan Smith won cyclocross bronze on twice world champ Sven Nys' bike after UCI refused to let him race on Ribble model
Another cool story popping up from Wielerflits and well worth a read is the tale of junior rider Nathan Smith winning bronze at the weekend’s UCI Cyclocross World Championships on the bike of legend Sven Nys.
Nico Dick reports the UCI rejected Smith’s Ribble bike for being the incorrect dimensions, before Nys stepped in to save the day. “When we saw that happen, we came to his aid. Nobody wanted an 18-year-old boy, who is an outsider by the way, to miss his first World Championships,” Nys told the news website.
Nathan’s father Andy said it shows “how great the cyclocross community is”…
“We were very concerned. We thought his World Championships, which he had worked so hard for, was over. We are very grateful to Sven.”
Count the cyclists...
Build cycling infrastructure so good that people won’t want to sit in cars. pic.twitter.com/HMjIrn82Ke
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) February 2, 2022
North Yorkshire County Council to map all area's cycle routes for first time
North Yorkshire County Council is aiming to make it easier for people to swap cars for bikes by mapping all the area’s non-public right of way cycle routes for the first time. Richmondshire Today reports the move will see a cycle route map spanning covering England’s largest county.
An officer said: “We recognise it is not that easy to find out where those routes are. We are moving towards making that more accessible.”
WADA to investigate drug found in hair of three riders at last year's Tour de France
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) says it is “entitled to ask certain questions” and will investigate why a drug commonly used to treat multiple sclerosis was found in the hair sample of three riders competing at last year’s Tour de France. Tizanidine is not a banned substance, but was found during the raid of a team hotel during the race, and three riders were subsequently found to have it in their hair samples.
Olivier Rabin, scientific director of WADA, said the organisation will study its effects to try and work out why it might be used by cyclists. He told L’Equipe: “It is not a substance considered to be prohibited at this time. That said, in view of the latest events, we have put it on the agenda of the ‘list committee’ for the month of January.
“We do not know this substance too well because it is used for therapeutic purposes. What is interesting by looking at his profile is that we can legitimately ask ourselves the question of what could be the use for doping purposes.
“In the profile of tizanidine, except when there is an excess of muscle tone, as can be seen in certain degenerative pathologies, one can ask the question of its use. An effect on a normal muscle seems inconclusive.”
Tizanidine is normally used to treat multiple sclerosis as a muscle relaxer. Shortly after a report was published saying three riders were found to have it in their hair samples, Team Bahrain Victorious, whose hotel was raided during the race, published a statement saying…
Team Bahrain Victorious and any of its riders have not been officially or unofficially notified about any findings related to tizanidine or other substances.
The team would like to stress that the authors of the scientific article to which all allegations refer have unambiguously pointed out that tizanidine is not a prohibited substance in sport.
2 February 2022, 09:00
2 February 2022, 09:00
2 February 2022, 09:00
2 February 2022, 09:00
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Latest Comments
Hey, but their wool blend cycling adjacent t-shirts are/were fantastic.
@Surreyrider Still the boss. Ride one, you'll see why
@Smoggysteve "Most would happily ride on the roads and be treated with respect by drivers". But people aren't - and as far as I can see they won't be. Not until there is a lot less driving and it's slower around cyclists, and far more people driving have "skin in the game" eg. they sometimes cycle and their friends and family do also. That's what leads to the model - which is perhaps most advanced in NL - where cycling, walking and driving are all seen as separate normal transport modes. Their needs, vulnerabilities and any dangers to others are considered. And *that* leads to "mix / share when possible, separate when necessary". But "possible" is "where your 10-year old would be safe to cycle unsupervised" - so very few motor vehicles, going slow! And AFAICS everybody - even "existing cyclists" - is happy with the result. (I dunno about a few pro cyclists - but don't they tend to have training camps in different counties anyway?)
@quiff as an Edinburgh resident I can confidently say he's speaking without moving his lips in one sense: - while as I noted in a separate comment there *is* now some real separated cycle infra, all the examples i can think of have *at least as much space* for pedestrians. The rest of the "cycle infra" is essentially similar to the situation in the rest of the UK: eg. bus lanes*, cycle lanes and shared use paths (eg. "build" infra by sticking up a sign). Edinburgh is one of the places with a moderately extensive network of former railways which have been converted to "shared use" paths (completely motor traffic few). However though shared they are not narrow by UK standards. And this is all effectively a "free extra" for all non- motorised users, not like the "sign a cycle path" where pedestrians do lose space. I think this all comes from the "popular understanding" of cycling in which ultimately cyclists are the "other". They don't fit "motor vehicle" or "pedestrian" (including wheelchairs on the very rare occasions people think about that). Thus "cyclists are cheating" in multiple ways! They shouldn't get their own space as "there aren't enough" of them. And "they can just use the road / path". But being able to *choose* "on the road" or "on the footway" (shared use path) is clearly unfair - nobody else gets to do that! BUT of course even if they did pick just one of road OR pedestrian space it's still not fair anyway because they're "too slow" for the road (don't pay "road tax" etc...) and "far too fast" for pedestrians... * Though some existing cyclists may appreciate them when there are few buses, buses and bikes are a very poor mix for several reasons.
Whilst a shame for any employees, their bib shorts had the worst chamois pad I’d ever encountered, utter waste of my money. Even though they were Strava challenge discount purchases, still a waste of money.
Thanks, just going to have to suck it up. Got next week off and will take the easy, if expensive option...
@ktache Just go for the TNT Sports only package, £30.99 for a month. Alternatively have you considered experimenting with a VPN for a few pounds, allowing you to sign up for a free stream abroad, e.g. SBS Australia which streams the Tour live? If I didn't have a kind mate's login that's what I'd do!
So, it's now the month of July and I'm going to have to pay to watch the TdF, for one month only. On a tablet unfortunately, as I didn't manage to get a laptop to rig up to the TV, grrr. Just wondering, what package will I have to fork out for? Not wanting to pay for the wrong one...
Not that it sounds like a dealbreaker given the other faults you've identified, but that cable isn't really a "proprietary" cable, four pin magnetic cables like that are quite common on bone-conducting headphones and other devices (my inexpensive smartwatch uses one) and they can be had for £4.99 on UK Amazon.
108 thoughts on ““Read the Highway Code!”: Confrontational close pass van driver fined £220; Bernal needs second spinal operation; Pidcock’s rainbow bands; “Particularly British” anti-cycling sentiment; G rumbled by Phil Gaimon; But cyclists + more on the live blog”
Come on Nige.
Come on Nige.
Let’s hear about how the poor downtrodden WVM’s property was violently assaulted by the pedantic cyclist who shouldv’e just been more polite.
Presumably the cyclist correctly incurred the drivists wrath by being “in the middle of the road” whilst WVM was attempting to pass through an “established red light” at some clearly broken temp traffic lights earlier than the footage shows?
What would troll idol Nick Freeman make of the lack of hi-viz here too? Clearly asking for it eh?
I hope you aren’t cyber
I hope you aren’t cyber-bullying? He’s entitled to sleep in under his bridge once in a while.
Hello Nigel. This is Clem
Hello Nigel. This is Clem Fandango. Can you hear me?
Moi? Cyber-bullying? How dare you sir. I’m of an age that I’m pretty certain means I’m too old to be able to engage in that kind of thing. Besides, it’s just ‘proactive engagement’.
That and I dropped my favourite mug this morning (the mug I can replace, I’m just annnoyed at spilling my tea) so in the name of anger management I need a bit of a laugh this morning.
SimoninSpalding wrote:
No self-respecting bridge would allow Garbage at large to sleep underneath it.
Don’t give him the oxygen.
Don’t give him the oxygen.
Since you asked, I’ll comment
Since you asked, I’ll comment. I’m pleased at the outcome that the white van man got his driving licence endorsed and a fine – ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law and the cyclist was perfectly placed on the road.
On your point about hitting the van, in my view (for self-preservation purposes) the cyclist shouldn’t have engaged and should have sent in the clip without interaction. However, in mitigation, the cyclist at all times didn’t swear or use misogynistic insults, and so behaved to a far higher standard than most of the cyclists featured on NMOTD and the left-leaning commenters on Road.cc.
Additionally, and for extra brownie points, the cyclist displayed pride in his country by having the Union Flag embossed on his helmet. So all in all he strikes me as an upstanding member of the community, and a role-model for others.
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your opinion) I have a lot of work on today, but I haven’t forgotten about the other comment threads. I’ll be back later on this evening!
Parody account. Definitely
Parody account. Definitely
Still smiling!
Still smiling!
Garage at Large wrote:
But then shouldn’t WVM have recognised a fellow Patriot and driven more carefully?
Looks like we’d all better start brushing up on our oaths of allegiance and the words to the national anthem if we’re to avoid the Great Purge…
brooksby wrote:
You (inadvertently) raise a good point – was the white van man a rabid remainer who got triggered by the Union Flag? We’ll never know I guess, but what we do know from previous Road.cc articles is that the worst driving and cycling takes place in remain-voting areas.
Seriously mate. You had to
Seriously mate. You had to rattle his cage.
It’s self-rattling.
It’s self-rattling.
Nice to see him rise to the bait though, he used to refuse to play for the other team. It feels more sporting this way.
Clem Fandango wrote:
He has now taken to accusing wtjs of manipulating the photos that he shares on here….
I feel duty bound to provide
I feel duty bound to provide another QAnon DeepFake shot of taxi LS07 MHA going through a red light- it appears to be exempt from MOT. Another one ignored by Lancashire Comic Opera Constabulary
Oh but come on! Surely that’s
Oh but come on! Surely that’s A red that hasn’t been “long established”, even though GAL obviously knows that crossing in amber is the same offence as crossing on red, so “recently established” reds are more than 3 seconds before they are even red…
wtjs wrote:
It’s a really good Deep Fake shot….. I have managed to find the original……. and it’s easy to see how the driver was confused because the sun was in his eyes and the red amber and green lights were all showing at the same time.
easy to see how the driver
easy to see how the driver was confused because the sun was in his eyes
Indeed! It’s that pesky due north sun which appears unpredictably over the A6
Nice one Copnor Cyclist.
Nice one CopnorCyclist.
Some of the replies, STILL trying to make out the rider was wrong????
Captain Badger wrote:
Yeah, the level of those replies
That guy with the tatts and bald head seemed to know some new medical stuff about the damage riding a bike can do to your sex life too.
One reply still insists the
One reply still insists the cyclist breached the HC but is unable and unwilling to state how . I know – because there was no breach.
It’s encouraging that the
It’s encouraging that the police took action on this.
I was on the receiving end of a similar incident last week. I’ve just phoned up the police for an update and they’re awaiting a response to the NIP and said it could take 5 months for an outcome. So that does sound like they’re taking this sort of intimidating driving seriously.
What needs to happen is the police forces co-ordinate for a month where they crack down on these offences. Then follow up with a DfT publicity campaign showing the consequences of these actions, with some statistics that make it sound like it’s very likely you’ll get prosecuted. That may have some chance of changing behaviours.
It’s encouraging that the
It’s encouraging that the police took action on this
Yes! Excellent work by Hampshire Police, which didn’t hide behind evasive language and ‘we’re too busy to tell you what we did’- which very likely indicates doing nothing at all and thereby encouraging the offence
Clearly when that van driver
Clearly when that van driver said “You’re in the middle of the road” what they actually meant was “You’re IN the road”…
According to the Bristol Post
According to the Bristol Post, some poor horse rider got threatened by a driver so it’s not just cyclists getting abuse:
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/horse-rider-upset-scared-after-6582770
Ms Falango said the woman – who she said was driving an Audi TT – then started swearing at them and followed them down the High Street.
The horse rider said: “She was revving the engine and drove at my horse’s hind legs, swerving at last minute but brushing her tail with the car.
“My youngster nearly sat on her bonnet with fright.
“This could have been a serious accident and people like this should be punished.
“We both wore Hi Vis and are responsible, polite riders.”
Ms Falango, from Stoke Gifford, said she was left upset and scared after the incident as she has had problems before but it has always been on main roads.
The 39-year-old said she was very surprised by what happened, adding that she was not expecting to see a “hooligan” like that on a Sunday morning on Chipping Sodbury’s High Street.
hawkinspeter wrote:
shame the horse didn’t kick the car
Shame the horse didn’t sit on
Shame the horse didn’t sit on the bonnet !
hirsute wrote:
LOL reminds me of visiting a rural site with access through a horse field, as we were left we watched a horse rubbing it’s arse on the car of our colleague in front. The whole car was shaking.
When you need to scratch…
hirsute wrote:
I think there’s an h missing from that sentence.
I believe that 2 horses were
I believe that 2 horses were killed after being hit by cars in January. Sorry can’t find the source at the moment. Still some drivers will say that temperamental horses shouldn’t be allowed on the road. If that was true then why do we let temperamental drivers on the road?
IanMK wrote:
From the BristolPost article, the horse was understandably quite spooked by the incident and took at least a week to get over its fear of traffic. It’s just so unnecessary – why react with anger just because you’ve been careless?
hawkinspeter wrote:
“How very DARE you criticise my driving!”
People hate having someone see their mistakes (and disappointedly shake their head at them) almost as much as they hate someone touching their car…
It’s a long-held conundrum
It’s a long-held conundrum for me: if that’s how drivers behave when they’re in the wrong, what do they do when they’re in the right?
Actually, one of the comments
Actually, one of the comments BTL on the Bristol Post article is someone saying horses shouldn’t be allowed on roads and should be kept in fields.
brooksby wrote:
So they didn’t suggest the same would be true of drivers that don’t have the right temperament to be let loose amongst vulnerable road users
brooksby wrote:
That’s better…..
t
brooksby wrote:
Yeah, because roads were built for cars, not horses…
Steve K wrote:
I’ve always thought this was a very odd way to see things. I actually got in to an argument with a troll on Facebook about this, something I normally avoid. Basically, they seem to believe that because at some point in the last century somebody slapped a tarmac (or concrete) surface on an ancient byway, that might have been there for millenia, they claimed it in perpetuity for the exclusive use of the car. It’s like a modern colonialism.
IanMK wrote:
I think you’ll find that it was cyclists that started the whole tarmac thing.
Nice sarcasm from Steve K.
Nice sarcasm from Steve K.
Pressure to get roads “metalled” unfortunately came from cyclists in the UK and USA (I’ve not read anything about our near neighbours).
Should we blame cyclists for making roads fit for cars to drive on? Well, maybe. Metalled roads are sensible for all wheeled traffic, but not for horses and less so for pedestrians*. We could blame car drivers for bringing arrogant aggression and astonishing pollution to our roads.
* smooth, drained, turf paths are ideal for pedestrians.
IanMK wrote:
Yeah for example the B6318 between Newcastle and Greenhead and then a section of the A69 from Greenhead to near Brampton…… lots of sections on that road are suspiciously straight…… and track near to Hadrians Wall.
It’s almost like the Romans were ahead of their time building their straight roads for motor cars 1900 years ago
Waltham Abbey https://www
Waltham Abbey https://www.yourhorse.co.uk/news/two-horses-die-riders-injured-waltham-abbey-essex-road-collision/
There have also been several horses killed without riders, ie they were roaming by themselves, that dont make the news except in road closure bulletins.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Re. the ‘high vis’ – I’m sorry but if you can’t see a bloody horse and rider in daylight WITHOUT HIGH VIS then you shouldn’t be within a million miles of a driving license…
“Why don’t you just get an
“Why don’t you just get an elephant?!”
EddyBerckx wrote:
Especially as there were two of them. If you’re going to reverse out of a parking space (bad idea), then at least look properly before you do it.
Edit: Found what I think is a picture of the horse, though it’s difficult to see if anything is there at all
hawkinspeter wrote:
peter! I think you forgot to paste in the actual picture of a horse!
brooksby wrote:
You might need to increase the contrast and/or brightness on your monitor, but here’s where you should be looking:
OK. To be fair, it was very
OK. To be fair, it was very hard to spot!
I would have gone down the
I would have gone down the sarcasm line to highlight how blooming obvious the creature was.
brooksby wrote:
What a loada pony!
Where? That just looks the
Where? That just looks the same as the first image you posted to me.
mdavidford wrote:
I think it’s a problem with camera jitter – I was trying to get a stable background
Black horse not wearing a
Black horse not wearing a helmet; no wonder drivers can’t see it.
But Cyclists ….shouldn’t be
But Cyclists ….shouldn’t be allowed to cycle on pavements.
https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/people/long-standing-illegal-pavement-parking-in-milton-keynes-town-sparks-discussions-3550411
A couple of years ago, I
A couple of years ago, I nearly got run over on a pavement by a driver who wanted to go to a cashpoint. It didn’t seem to occur to the driver that I neither had eyes in the back of my head, nor was obliged to give way to allow them to park on the pavement.
The partner in the passenger seat seemed to think it was appropriate to threaten me when I gave the driver one of my special Paddington hard stares as I held my ground after first leaping out the way. Motorists even believe they have right of way on pavements.
It’s not the first time I’ve had motorists mount pavements and expect me to move out of their way. They never take it well when you point out things like kerbs, yellow lines and no unloading signs. Which reminds me of the time someone I knew almost ran me over when I stepped out of the opticians and they drove full along the wide pavement. (here https://goo.gl/maps/1egyQs7SCBCRAtcn6)
I had one driver justify
I had one driver justify nearly mowing me down on the pavement because I was reading a paper.
That car crash in Hackney – I
That car crash in Hackney – I trust any reports on the occupant’s injuries will focus on whether or not they were wearing a helmet?
That tweet lead me to this
That tweet lead me to this gem !
hirsute wrote:
I saw that one. If you ask me, the real idiot in that clip isn’t the car driver (she made a mistake but she realised – perhaps with help – and rectified it) but the van driver behind who must be able to see what’s happening but carries on going forward and almost prevents her returning to the car lane.
Tbf to the van driver they
Tbf to the van driver they probably werent terribly keen to get stuck in that box junction,which is monitored by the cctv camera on the lamppost to the right, by the actions of another driver, even if it’s by mistake.
As the fine would just be automatically issued and theyd then have to appeal, and very few appeals work on those and even those that do generally get taken all the way to court, and explain the exit was clear, but they had to stop because the daft car driver wanted to drive up a cycle lane.
I dont think it would have been that much of a disaster to just let the van go and then the car driver sorts themselves out.
Steve K wrote:
Hopefully if there’s video it can be put on youtube and everyone can laugh and joke about it…like they did with the cyclists crashing on ice in Holland…
Quote:
Seems like questions need to be asked about Ineos’ training plans if they’re scheduling them in now.
mdavidford wrote:
Seems like questions need to be asked about Ineos’ training plans if they’re scheduling them in now.
Good spot, we’ll get that changed.
I see ATE advertising for
I see ATE advertising for another new hire, this time it’s a Director of Inspections. https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?jcode=1769203
However one of the requirements is a track record of successfully changing the status quo for walking & cycling in highways schemes. So that pretty much rules out everyone in the UK apart from ATEs interim commissioner.
Awavey wrote:
Not so. Some councillors for example changed the (recent) status quo for cycling and walking (emergency Covid measures) by ripping them out saying this was for everyone’s benefit…
Awavey wrote:
Andrew Gilligan?
And that Boris Johnson bloke might be looking for a new job soon.
Steve K wrote:
Andrew Gilligan?
And that Boris Johnson bloke might be looking for a new job soon.— Awavey
Relax, folks. Anybody with a Dutch accent would demonstrate both a clearer grasp of the active travel issues and a better grasp of coherent English.
Did anybody else read that as
Did anybody else read that as “the Lazarus world comeback”
That tweet/twit about
That tweet/twit about clipping cyclists points to the problem of entitled motorists. There is clearly a belief, demostrated by many drivers’ reactions to any other road user, that they should be allowed to proceed at a speed and manner that suits them, without consideration for other road users. The only thing they accept is the physical blocking of the road by other cars and lorries and even then they will be fuming. Not all cyclists are immune from the same attitude, I might add.
I’m not sure how you change that mindset, it is simply the embodiment of selfishness. Cyclists are entitled to be on the road. motorists are entitled also, subject to licensing and taxation, but neither have a priority over the other when the road capacity is constrained, though all road users have a duty to avoid harm to other road users – and themselves.
It shouldn’t be this hard. Perhaps it is a problem of Soshall Meedya, and especially a particular type of character that enjoys the anger generated by promoting anti-social behaviour. Who’d have thought that better communication would lead to a degeneration in society when people are not held to accout for their anti-social behaviour online.
There’s a new character on my
There’s a new character on my morning commute – coming in the opposite direction. A person on a motor scooter. He sits in primary position, as he should, and presumably can hit the dizzy heights of 30mph (it’s a 60mph single carriage way A road). The queue of cars behind him is massive (literally dozens) as there’s little opportunity to overtake at that time in the morning. I do wonder if he is subject to the same level of vitriol on line as cyclists are when they hold a driver up for a few seconds.
I commented similar
I commented similar previously, Moped and Restricted Motorbikes seem to be considered appropriate to take up the lane and be passed with respect.
Wait until the Citreon Ami hits the UK roads, that is going to be a rolling roadblock.
It’s easy for Van Avermaet to
It’s easy for Van Avermaet to get confused here, everyone telling him “you haven’t got a shot” and he thinks they’re talking about vaccines.
Story in the Bristol Post:
Story in the Bristol Post:
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/new-highway-code-drivers-calling-6588197
New Highway Code: Drivers are calling for updates to be scrapped after just three days
I haven’t looked at the comments BTL…
Where does this ‘after just
Where does this ‘after just three days’ come from? Weren’t they doing the same before they’d even come in (and in most cases apparently before they’d even read them)?
Your guess is as good as mine
Your guess is as good as mine… Do they just mean that those amendments to the HC have been in place for three days?
Curiously, in the Wales
Curiously, in the Wales Online version, it was after just two days: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/drivers-call-new-highway-code-22953877 .
brooksby wrote:
What!? You have to admire the inventiveness of the driving addicts, and I wonder what they would say when you point out that it says nothing of the sort.
eburtthebike wrote:
And in fact it specifically advises against it (both before and after the changes): “Do not ride on the inside of vehicles signalling or slowing down to turn left.”
Exact same story cut and
Exact same story cut and pasted in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle. More like a paid for advert for this media chain than a story…
Moist von Lipwig wrote:
All of the ‘local newspaper’ sites run by Reach are run from a very small group of ‘hubs’ rather than genuine ‘local news’.
That’s why you’ll read a story on the Bristol Post website and find its actually about John Smith of Sheffield, or on the Yorkshire Evening Post site and find it’s about Alice Brown of Dunstable…
brooksby wrote:
Never mind the headlines, the video at the top seems to be full of misinformation starting with
“The rule previously saw drivers given priority at a roundabout but that has now changed”
followed by “now, cyclists will have priority over road users, in force of the new section under rule 186”
“cyclists, horseriders and horsedrawn vehicles are to stay in the left hand lane when attempting to cross a roundabout”
I’ve bunged in a complaint about the video and the article https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/how-to-complain/
cyclists, horseriders and
cyclists, horseriders and horsedrawn vehicles are to stay in the left hand lane when attempting to cross a roundabout
Speaking of roundabouts, I’m branching out and seeking pastures new. This is Garstang’s radical driver of Fiesta NX12 JVA going anti-clockwise round a roundabout while executing a U-turn
I just checked the video..
I just checked the video…what utter mendacious BS. The anti cycling lobby are going into Hermann Goering misinformation overdrive on the HC changes. (well, not really changes at all, just change of stress)
The world is indeed going mad.
The whole piece is terrible
The whole piece is terrible
“However, our latest research found that more than almost three in four (72 percent) drivers found the new rules confusing, which can be concerning as these are put in place to help keep all road users safe.
“In particular, more than half of drivers said that they felt confused about pedestrian priority at junctions.”
In order to do some proper research, they should have found out drivers’ knowledge of the previous HC. I would bet a good sum the same number or more had no idea about giving way to peds at junctions or not overtaking slower users in traffic calming.
I want to know where all
I want to know where all these amazing cyclists that are going so fast that they are able to floor it sufficiently to undertake (or overtaking) cars on a generally free flowing road everytime they reach a left or right turn.
Maybe they are thinking more
Maybe they are thinking more of the situation where a cyclist, filtering past a queue of slow moving cars, comes alongside one already indicating to turn. So no superhuman burst of speed is required.
“how they can challenge the
“how they can challenge the new Highway Code”
That was last year under what is known as a consultation which lasted many months…
Lordy! Thank the Deity of
Lordy! Thank the Deity of your choice that these dufuses decided to meet via Zoom. Can you imagine the carnage if they all attempted to drive to a destination using their personal internal versions of the HC.
Quote:
That’s a new one. Unless they mean rights of way enjoyed by specific persons (A) for access over another person’s (B) land, such as A’s right to pass and repass along a way on land owned by B to access A’s land.
But if it’s a right for any member of the public to pass and repass over land, whether that is owned by B or is in public (local authority) ownership, then it’s a public right of way.
Maybe they just mean ones
Maybe they just mean ones that no-one’s been told about.
GMBasix wrote:
That’s a new one. Unless they mean rights of way enjoyed by specific persons (A) for access over another person’s (B) land, such as A’s right to pass and repass along a way on land owned by B to access A’s land.
But if it’s a right for any member of the public to pass and repass over land, whether that is owned by B or is in public (local authority) ownership, then it’s a public right of way.
I think I can explain this one, I guess they mean roads (in the broadest sense) that are open for anyone to use but are not statutory rights of way (roads, byways, bridleways etc.) – permissive paths for example. I live in Bracknell & the whole area is lousy with traffic-free (or almost t-f) cycling & walking routes that don’t appear on any maps (not even Google Maps). For example, Wellington College in Crowthorne allows cyclists to use their main drive (they close it for one day a year so it can’t become a right of way). All the housing developments here have multi-use paths as part of the design to encourage cycling & walking, but they’re not on the local authority’s definitive RoW map because they’re not classified as bridleways or whatever. That sort of thing. Bracknell Forest Council issues a rather neat map showing a lot of them & I found it very handy when I first moved here & was trying to figure out how I could cycle to shops, work etc. without getting killed.
I didn’t know that about
I didn’t know that about Wellington college, might take a pootle through next time I’m in crowthorne. Ta.
It could also include public
It could also include public footpaths where cycling is permitted.
It is a matter of some debate whether bridleways are cycling rights of way, though I think generally it tends to be accepted, but footpaths it is the case that cycling is not a permitted right.
The other place that comes to mind is footpaths between roads on estates where cycling is not banned – there is not a right to cycle but it is not against the law unless explicitly signed, IIRC.
Maybe they work like traffic
Maybe they work like traffic lights and everyone can pass as long as they aren’t established?
More disinformation about the
More disinformation about the highway code changes being peddled on the BBC. Cyclists must not overtake pedestrians or horses! Look East News, 12 min 15 sec in…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00144g3/look-east-west-evening-news-02022022
How on earth are they coming
How on earth are they coming up with this?! Is it on purpose, or is someone with an IQ of 75 trying to interpret the HC. Let me try some more:
I had to watch that in case
I had to watch that in case it was deep fake news or those deep fake rjl photos that wtjs does.
But how did anyone write that let alone read it aloud !!!
I really thought for a moment
I really thought for a moment that they’d done a new series of Brass Eye!
The only bit that made sense was the interview with the CTC representative (but even then, I’m not sure what area of Northampton he’s riding in where motorists are respectful of cyclists!).
Sent off a complaint for a
Sent off a complaint for a correction to be done.
Cyclists are the new Corbyn;
Cyclists are the new Corbyn; the media will say anything, make up anything, lie through their teeth about us, and because they’re all doing it, not one of them is held to account.
eburtthebike wrote:
Next they’ll be showing us alongside the Kremlin and colouring us to make us appear red. As long as they don’t photoshop us wearing russian hats instead of helmets then we’ll be fine.
Man attacked with bolt
Man attacked with bolt cutters outside Bristol Temple Meads is left with ‘significant’ head injury
Two men were assaulted near the bike sheds outside Bristol Temple Meads train station by three men riding mopeds
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/man-attacked-bolt-cutters-outside-6591552
And this tweet:
And this tweet:
(not sure how to link directly to their video)
brooksby wrote:
That’s a shocking piece of drivng in the video…. and I really despair at some of the comments on the thread
Helmets !!!
Helmets !!!
Reply
“If I could just point out in my long experience in emergency medicine when a small child is run over by a 2 ton 4×4 driven at speed in this manner the helmet only serves to keep the head on the dead child in rough approximation of normal position.”
hirsute wrote:
Indeed, and it shows how f@#ked up as a society we are becoming when so many people can completely ignore the fact that the driving from the Range Rover was utterly appaling and focus entirely on the fact the child isn’t wearing a helmet.
Quite, I suppose they say
Quite, I suppose they say only “encourage” here https://twitter.com/suffolkroadsafe/status/1489164254716391430
I agree – terrible driving.
I agree – terrible driving.
If I was feeling generous then I would hazard a guess that the range rover driver was intending to squeeze past and close pass the adult cyclist, and only even realised that there was a child there once they’d started it.
And, yes, any fule kno that a child-sized bike helmet will provide a complete force field to protect said child from being squashed by a two tonne 4WD chelsea tractor…
Apparently, the rr driver
Apparently, the rr driver couldn’t see the child as they are too small. When someone pointed out that perhaps rrs should be banned from the roads if drivers cannot see, this was not well received.
What a state we are in when people cannot compromise on a vehicle or cannot see the roads used for anything other than motorised traffic.
Other daft comments based on a 4 second clip
the road was too busy for a child – and you got that from 4 seconds of 3 motor vehicles?
the rr driver was commited to an overtake – no they could use brakes plus there was nothing behind the van, it’s just they couldn’t give a shit.