I run red robots.

[Tubehunter]

Really depends mostly on the situation. We each have to live with our own safety as the primary goal in mind and then our conscious with how our actions are perceived.

 

The traffic light to turn into Black River Parkway off Liesbeek Parkway is a light I always jump both ways. Either side of this light the road shoulder narrows and this stretch is a highway for the golden arrow bus crew to get back to their terminus. I do it to get ahead of the buses through the section where they always come by barreling at pace with no let up and squeeze at the same time. Always do a sprint interval to get through this bit as quick as I can.

 

I have no issues stopping at lights when any other vehicles are within sight and take the opportunity to keep improving my track stand, as well as look other motorists dead in the eye whilst wearing my best smile, so that they can see I am a human and not some alien visiting from another planet. Always get more consideration further down the road from this goodwill.

[BarHugger]

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z229/Razzledazzy/GIFS/deerpopcorn.gif

 

x1000 likes (freakin funny GIF)

[Cellar]

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z229/Razzledazzy/GIFS/deerpopcorn.gif

 

 

That's not enough popcorn to get you through this thread.

[Stretch]

Laws are laws.. If you break one then you have no right to complain about anyone else breaking a law.. No matter how big or small

[DJR]

That's not enough popcorn to get you through this thread.

It will chew that popcorn cud over and over and over...... :D

Edited March 16, 2014 by DJR

[Butterbean]

I have to laugh...

 

What were seeing is a bunch of cyclists who acknowledge a law, and that they are breaking it - bur for them, in that situation, it just shouldn't apply. So they'll break it.

 

Don't you asshats see? That's what every motorist does when they squeeze past you. Or text on their phone. Or jump a red light.

 

"but I'm in a rush and can't sit behind a cyclists for those 30 seconds" sounds just as justifiable as "but it's safe for me to ride through a ride light cause I checked its safe".

 

We could go on and on.

 

I was always taught not to throw stones in glass Houses. We have to set the example each and every time we turn the pedals. Since I've started riding, I've always stopped at Red robots. Even when the group I'm riding with has gone through them! (its actually not all that hard to catch them two lights down anyway) I've always tried to make others aware of the stupid decision they've made by doing so too. I do this for any law applicable to a vehicle, for when I'm on my bike, I become one.

 

When motorists see any cyclist go through a red, they become enraged because of the reasons already mentioned. And the idiotic term of "why do you care if I break the rules?" should be flamed. Your bad cycling prevents me from getting the courtesy I deserve while out riding. It affects anyone who cycles, as you perpetuate the stereotype.

 

It's take a few seconds. Stop and breathe. Check your heart rate. Take a sip from the bottle. AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT IF YOURE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE ARE ROBOTS, YOU SHOULDNT BE RACING IT ANYWAY. so what's the point of saving 30 seconds?

 

Don't be a douche. Stop at reds. And keep the rest of the rules. For you, and for every other cyclist who will ever get on a bike. Everyone around you will appreciate your effort, and normally it gets repaid with loads of space in passing and plenty of courtesy further down the road.

[DJR]

Jumping red traffic lights don't inconvenience drivers?

 

I commute along Main Road Cape Town Southern Suburbs. A cyclist that jumps the red and get past me on a day I'm driving the Landy, will hold me up while I wait patiently to pass him safely. Then he jumps the next red light, so I'm held up again......and again. I have counted passing the same serial red light jumper up to 5 times in my short little commute. That is irritating to any driver, not all of whom are cycling friendly, wait until it is safe to overtake or give the cyclist some space between his car and the curb. More importantly, the cyclist have made himself quite a few extra opportunities to be taken out from behind (the one blind spot we have) by me in my ton of steel, having to pass him repeatedly.

[rasheed1412]

Thank you for opening my eyes.

 

My son and I are new to cycling and at times (when safe) I also went over red light and especially going left on a red light. I will now no longer do this because I now realize that by actions my son will grow up thinking breaking this rule is acceptable.

 

As cyclist and road users we must accept ALL the rules of the road and we cannot choose to accept or reject rules as we see fit.

[RocknRolla]

According to the OP's reasoning, it would then be OK for me to go and rob a bank.

I am not killing anyone, The money is insured, so no-one will starve to death or not be able to pay the bills if I rob the bank.

 

Or maybe you work for government, seems they also decide which laws to follow depending on the limit on their credit cards...

 

Once we start letting go of the "dumb" laws, it is how society starts breaking down, and mayhem ensues...look at the "hardly red" car drivers out there, the yellow line drivers, the u-turn makers, the illicit use of hazard lights...

 

Enjoy your third world "only-some-of-the-rules-apply-to-me" mentality, you will fit right in with the 39.5 million other inhabitants of this Ineptocracy.

[Bonus]

Really depends mostly on the situation. We each have to live with our own safety as the primary goal in mind and then our conscious with how our actions are perceived.

.

 

Really depends mostly on the situation. We each have to live with our own and our fellow road users safety as the primary goal in mind and then our conscious with how our actions are perceived.

 

Fixed it for you :-)

[Uni]

"I would really like someone to give me a sensible reason for stopping at the red light."

 

The thing is, breaking the law soon becomes habit.

I see how at the Linksfield on ramps many people treat the red robot as a yield out of their own perceived "it's safer for me as it's a smash & grab hot spot" they see no cars and they go.

 

Fine, if late at night, but it soon becomes an every day thing, no matter time if day or how many other cars are around.

Bringing it back to cycling, how easy would it be to miss someone on their bike coming down the hill, and many do so at speed.

 

As a car driver, every day at work I exit a dirt road at a 3 way stop. Cars mostly slow down and then drive right through, but there are also those that don't even slow down. Because it's quiet and zero consequences, they keep doing it. When no one is at the dirt road, then they're not inconveniencing anybody, they're not in any bodies was. I get hooted at, screamed at, and I've had people truly surprised when I point out the stop sign to them. Bringing this back to cycling, this year I've had 2 near misses with commuters, one on the road, the other on the pavement, both not stopping or slowing down and I take a bit longer to proceed through to make sure it's safe to do so.

 

So stop at a red light. You become an example of how you want other road users to behave. You can't be sure what other people do, while you're proceeding through a safe green intersection, someone else may be thinking "why bother" - and you or a loved one can be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

Our roads are dangerous enough without making it worse.

 

 

[nochain]

I agree with the turning left while red because it just is the safe option in my opinion.

Just one question...How many of the guys here actual stop at 4 or 3 way stop sign?Dead stop and go like the law stipulates?

 

 

[Dicky DQ]

Good luck with the can of worms you just opened! Be interesting to follow this.

I can say I agree with you on a large portion of what you say.

For me I will always stop at a red light first(always) if it is not a big intersection and there is not a single motorised vehicle,I will then proceed to cross the intersection on a red.(Always worried a hubbers going to be in a car nearby )

 

If no one can see you did it happen? That's my thought on the matter.

[slowashell]

It is against the law. Period.

 

Do you drive the same way when in your car? If not, why not?

[Moriarty]

I'm a cyclist who joined this site with a confession to make. I run red robots. Not just at night, not just when I'm in a hurry, but as a matter of course. Today a friend cycling behind me commented at how upset a carful of people got when I crossed halfway across Buitengracht over a red (as if I was a pedestrian) because there was a left arrow and therefore I was not crossing anyone's legitimate path. This gave me some food for thought, so I've decided to consciously re-evaluate my attitude and spent a couple of hours on the net.

 

Mostly I'm not a culprit of the other cycling bugbears - I always ride single file, with traffic not against, and I don't ride on pavements. But red light jumping by cyclists is a topic that evokes extremely passionate feelings in people, even here in this country where babies are raped regularly. Why is this? I've asked a lot of people, both motorists and law-abiding cyclists, why they get so upset and the most common reply is along the lines of "it's the law", "cyclists must respect the rules if we are to respect them", "red light jumpers give cyclists a bad name" and "cyclists are arrogant and think they're above the law".

 

But strangely, people don't argue that what the red-light-jumper is doing is dangerous. The consensus seems to be that these cyclists are very careful to cross only when it's safe. That would make sense as most cyclists are aware of their vulnerability and are conscious that a bump from cross-traffic at that intersection would probably be fatal. But almost never could a cyclist cause an accident that would hurt anyone other than him or herself.

 

Strangely also, people don't argue that what the cyclist is doing is inconveniencing anyone. When the cyclist jumps the robot, no one has to wait for them or move out of their way. So why does everyone care so deeply about this issue?

 

My guess is that drivers get annoyed at having to share the road with slower-moving vehicles and point fingers at the law-breaking to justify their indignation. But daily I see drivers on their cellphones, cutting people off, drunk driving, speeding, joking about unpaid fines and even warning others about speed traps and roadblocks on Facebook as if speeding and drunken driving, which kills thousands, is a completely legitimate behaviour. Cyclists are almost incapable of speeding or killing anyone other than themselves. They are doing their bit to reduce congestion and pollution. What reason do drivers have to hate them other than their own impatience and self-righteousness?

 

I would argue, in fact, that red light jumping by cyclists promotes both safety AND the convenience of other road users.

 

France has recently passed a law that allows cyclists to turn right on red (the equivalent of turning left in South Africa). A study done in London showed that female cyclists are more likely to be killed than male cyclists, and states that this may be because they are also more likely to obey red lights, and then collide with vehicles pulling away from the lights: http://www.rudi.net/...16395��It's rather obvious when you think about it - a stable, moving cyclist behaving in a predictable way in front of you is safer than a cyclist taking off in their wobbly way, amongst three or four lanes of cars doing the same thing. Besides, what driver really wants to share that "go" moment at the robots with cyclists? Do they not realise that having the queue by the robot free from cyclists can only make it more convenient for them?

 

I would really like someone to give me a sensible reason for stopping at the red light. I'm not one who follows the law blindly. If a law is stupid I relish in breaking it. So simply saying that it is against the law is not enough to persuade me to do something. However I'm well aware of the passionate hatred towards cyclists because of this - as irresponsible, unreasonable, misplaced, exaggerated, and downright spiteful as it may be. I still intend to turn left on red. I still intend to go straight at a red with a side street to the right. But as a result of my mini-research mission, I've decided to show some willing and start to stop at red lights whenever my path crosses a lane of traffic that has a green.

 

I'd like to hear some rational debate, or what everyone thinks about my attitude. For once I'd really like to hear people avoid suggesting running the offending cyclist down, opening the car door as he passes or slamming on brakes when he's behind you. If I have one take-home message: it's not an offence worth murdering someone over.

 

Excellent Post!!

[BarHugger]

Urinating in public is also against the law......although at MTB races there are alot of Mother Nature lovers standing with spread legs, steam rising from the ground, back towards the crowd, with a smile of relief......