Cyclists and road laws. Red lights, etc. (merged)

[Spinnekop]

Maybe we can get a 'complaints' forum. Or better know as "bitch at cyclist by cyclist".

 

Wonder if car forums and bike forums also have such issues?

[coldfusion]

Now I dont want to piss anyone off but here are my two cents.

 

1)Sometimes there are Red robots yet there is a shoulder and it is a T- junction meaning no vehicle can cross the road's shoulder in that case I feel you do not need to stop at the Red robot.

 

2) On a Sunday you can stop at the Red robot then when its Green by the time you ready to go and clip on your pedals, before you even through the intersection, its Red again!

 

3) Riding behind trucks could be dangerous. As the truck creates a boundary layer of air that is moving at the speed say 80km/h if the truck suddenly stops you could be sucked under the truck. Especially due to the pressure difference in the fast moving air and the ambient air.

 

So in Summary yes its wrong to cross Red robots but not always and it could be dangerous to cycle next to a truck

[Escapee..]

I really like my new green riding shirt I got for Christmas

[HandH]

Maybe we can get a 'complaints' forum. Or better know as "bitch at cyclist by cyclist".

 

Wonder if car forums and bike forums also have such issues?

 

Dude have u ever read anything on carforums.co.za........Those ou's have no mercy.... or tact.....or normal language??!?

The lumo green dude would have been lynched & shoved up a Scooby zorst pipe by now

[The Ouzo]

Am just being honest and realistic. There's no point on a Sunday afternoon stopping at a red light on Atlas that lets traffic into Denel which is shut.

 

I've had a car come flying down from the Denel side towards me, this at 6am on a Sunday morning.

so whilst the traffic there is practically nill, its still not safe to just ride through.

[The Ouzo]

Maybe we can get a 'complaints' forum. Or better know as "bitch at cyclist by cyclist".

 

Wonder if car forums and bike forums also have such issues?

yes we do have the same issue.

 

but more to the point, we as cyclists are soft targets (figuratively and literarily) , as soft targets with bulls eyes on our backs we should go out of our way to do things right and try to change the perception of us.

 

The same as motorbikers have done alot to try and move away from the big bad biker image they used to have by doing toy runs etc.

[Joe Low]

 

 

what makes you so high and mighty that you dont have to follow the laws of the road?

I dont have to follow the law.

 

I have to follow the law or accept the consequences.

 

The consequences here are:

 

personal safety

state-imposed sanctions

peer- pressure and community approval

 

I'm happy with my judgments and have lost a good couple of club rides by stopping at lights when I thought it was unsafe/unreasonable to others.

 

I ride in the yellow lane - it's illegal

I ride without a bell - it's illegal

 

Life isnt black and white

Edited January 9, 2013 by Joe Low

[Joe Low]

 

I've had a car come flying down from the Denel side towards me, this at 6am on a Sunday morning.

so whilst the traffic there is practically nill, its still not safe to just ride through.

But of course its safe if you slow down and have a look.

['Dale]

But of course its safe if you slow down and have a look.

 

Yebo.

That's what I do, too.

A good look.

 

And your point about facing the consequences of one's actions when breaking rules or laws.

Double yebo.

[Capcha]

ok so heres one for you guys. when i get to a traffice light and theres a pedestrian walkway on the left and i am turning left, is it illegal for me to switch left into the pedestrial side walk and re-enter the main rd 2m later on a pedestrian crossing?

[butafly]

ok so heres one for you guys. when i get to a traffice light and theres a pedestrian walkway on the left and i am turning left, is it illegal for me to switch left into the pedestrial side walk and re-enter the main rd 2m later on a pedestrian crossing?

yes you are in the wrong, any other vehicle is not allowed to do it.

[Spinnekop]

yes we do have the same issue.

 

but more to the point, we as cyclists are soft targets (figuratively and literarily) , as soft targets with bulls eyes on our backs we should go out of our way to do things right and try to change the perception of us.

 

The same as motorbikers have done alot to try and move away from the big bad biker image they used to have by doing toy runs etc.

 

I hear what you guys are saying.

 

My point being not ONCE in 6 odd years on this forum have I seen a "Sorry guys....it was me and I wont do it again" reply.

EVERY SINGLE TIME it is just a mud slinging contest to see who says what about the issue. I cannot see the value in this.

 

So for me instead of bitching nameless about it, I confront the guys as it happens. Maybe one of them thinks about it.....maybe not.

 

My 2c

[Bianchi]

yes you are in the wrong, any other vehicle is not allowed to do it.

 

But.... bicycles are allowed to, and sometimes compelled to, ride on the pedestrian walkway.

[Escapee..]

We ride on Atlas a couple of times a week, I havent seen any Groups or Single rides flying through red lights.

 

I have also not seen a lot of people stopping at Red lights either, the norm is too slow down and the proceed through with CAUTION

 

Like I said in one of other threads, I dont know of any accidents (from the last +- 6 months) where a cyclist went through a red light

Edited January 9, 2013 by Escapee..

[bikekid]

Maybe we can get a 'complaints' forum. Or better know as "bitch at cyclist by cyclist".

 

Wonder if car forums and bike forums also have such issues?

 

Hmm - CoC rants - Cyclist on Cyclist rants

[scotty]

I've had a car come flying down from the Denel side towards me, this at 6am on a Sunday morning.

so whilst the traffic there is practically nill, its still not safe to just ride through.

I'm also a frequent Atlas road user, it's easy to check whether it is safe to ride through when red. Even if the light is green for me, i still check at all the intersections that there is no car running the red light. On Sunday the intersection by the church i use extra caution as the motorist will turn into it without considering me having right of way to travel straight on a green light.