Cyclists breaking lights!!

Gongoozler · 14-08-2014 6:00pm

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

I cycle to work everyday.
I wear high viz gear, proper lights on my bike and I obey the rules of the road 95% of the time.

I'll alwYs stop at a junction if there's a red light but I won't stop at a pedestrian crossing if there's a red light but no pedestrians - it drives me bits when pedestrians press the button, cross anyway (Jaywalking) and then the light goes red and there's no pedestrian there.

Other cyclist really infuriate me when they:
Have no lights
No helmet
Break stop signs & reds at junctions
Bunny hop onto a footpath.
Shoal at a junction and go right up to the top even though they are on a ****e bike with almost flat tyres and I'll just have to pass them out again.

You can't really take such a high horse position if you only follow the rules of the road 95% of the time and pick and choose which lights you want to stop at.

Plus you might want to read up on the literature on helmet wearing, there's a reason some of us choose not to.

takamichinoku · 14-08-2014 6:01pm

There a few days ago I saw a cyclist using his bell to let people know he was coming up behin them, doing the indicating signals a bit further one ...it really looked like it's not /that/ hard to follow the rules. It's a mindset really, a lot of cyclists seem to think they've the same amount of freedom as a pedestrian but they can move faster, I've no clue how you can shake that off without prosecuting the **** out of a heap of them.

More cycling lanes and whatnot would help a bit, of course.

Peist2007 · 14-08-2014 6:01pm

takamichinoku wrote: »

Every time I meet a cyclist powering on toward me on the salmon weird bridge's footpath, I'm extremely tempted to shove them out in front of a car. Somewhat stunned it's never happened.

I never ever move for cyclists on footpaths. The right of way is inherent in the name, footpath

Wicklowrider · 14-08-2014 6:02pm

fxotoole wrote: »

Cyclists do it more regularly than drivers though. They think that the law shouldn't apply to them and don't bother their holes obeying the rules of the road

If cyclists are such menaces, so dangerous and such huge lawbreakers how come I have third party insurance covering me while I am cycling and it only costs me €23 per annum?

OP, I'm sorry to hear you had such a horrible experience. Pity the cyclist wasn't arrested.

Giblet · 14-08-2014 6:06pm

sblythe wrote: »

Driver's break red lights too, you know. Are you sick of those?

Just because other people do something, doesn't make the original argument invalid.

"Oh x does y as well, so let's not complain about y at all in any way"

On my way to work, I see dozens of cyclist breaking lights, way more than I've seen drivers.

takamichinoku · 14-08-2014 6:06pm

Peist2007 wrote: »

I never ever move for cyclists on footpaths. The right of way is inherent in the name, footpath

On the salmon weir bridge in Galway, it's not so much about choosing to move out of the way as being mowed down by the pricks. They've really no excuse whatsoever for going up on the path there either.

Inspector Coptoor · 14-08-2014 6:09pm

Gongoozler wrote: »

You can't really take such a high horse position if you only follow the rules of the road 95% of the time and pick and choose which lights you want to stop at.

Plus you might want to read up on the literature on helmet wearing, there's a reason some of us choose not to.

I'm not in a high horse at all, I was explaining the (only) scenario when I go through a red.

I know why some people don't wear helmets, they tend to be safe cyclists.
It's the eejits who break the reds who tend to not wear them & should.

jkiamasnake · 14-08-2014 6:13pm

Wicklowrider wrote: »

If cyclists are such menaces, so dangerous and such huge lawbreakers how come I have third party insurance covering me while I am cycling and it only costs me €23 per annum?

OP, I'm sorry to hear you had such a horrible experience. Pity the cyclist wasn't arrested.

third party insurance should be compulsory!!! then i wouldnt have to fork out up to a grand to repair damage i was not responsible for!

The cheek of him to say "accidents happen". I was obviously glad he was ok because he smashed into my car at speed. I wouldnt be able to live with the guilt if he had dies even though he was the one taking his own life into account by breaking his red light!!! I was in so much shock I wasnt able to think straight and wasnt able to drive off for an hr after the incident occured.

I will go to the garda station now and inform my insurance company of it. Its all well and good people saying I should have done x, y and z, but at the time I was in so much shock and wasnt able to think properly. Its not like he had a reg number i could take down or anything

Wicklowrider · 14-08-2014 6:14pm

Peist2007 wrote: »

I never ever move for cyclists on footpaths. The right of way is inherent in the name, footpath

You are 100% correct. Some cyclists cycle on the footpath. And they should not. Round the corner from where I live there is a popular post office/ shop.
At any time there are numerous cars blocking the footpath. When My kids were younger I would have to move them off the path into the grass as cars drove up the path towards us. There are thick ignorant people using all kinds of transport and it baffles me what bug people have for thick ignorant cyclists in particular. For example, last week a girl I know was beaten and robbed on the luas. Using the logic of a lot of posters on these threads , that makes luas passengers violent robbing thugs. Narrow minded generalisations that are difficult to take seriously.

Turtyturd · 14-08-2014 6:30pm

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

Enforcement is the problem - I've seen cop cars sitting at the Dame St/South Great Georges St junction, oblivious as lots of cyclists (and a car or two) break the reds there. Yesterday a Traffic Corps car drove down Wicklow Street ignoring four cars parked on double yellows, all leaving just enough space for an average-sized car to get by.

They should be moving these twats on, at the very least.

In their defence there seems to have been an effort over the last while, at least by the Gards on foot to do something. Along the quays during morning traffic you will generally see them with some pulled over, the problem is for every one they stop five to ten are probably missed.

Chinasea · 14-08-2014 6:32pm

What is this bloo*dy ob national obsession with cyclists breaking red lights.

Cyclists are growing in numbers and I think that might be one of the problems why they are so hated. NO PROPER PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, never mind affordable public transport forced me and many others back on a bike.

I am happy to cycle, but it is very challenging. One of the worst hazards that I face on a daily basis is motorists simply opening their car door out in front of me. IT IS LETHAL. PLEASE LOOK IN YOUR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS.

As for cyclists cycling on a footpath. Again, another national obsession. Most of the footpaths (except in the city centre) are clear-ways for joggers, with low pedestrian usage and and should be shared with a SMARTER form of transport i.e cyclists.

Trebor176 · 14-08-2014 6:34pm

jkiamasnake wrote: »

I am still in shock! I had an accident today and I am still shaking. I was at a junction this morning, my green filter light to turn right came on so I continued to proceed, I traveled about 15 feet and am almost into the junction where I wanted to travel to and a cyclist smashes into the side of my car doing considerable damage to my door. Thankfully the cyclist was ok too but I was in so much shock I could not think properly. The cyclist picked himself up, fixed his chain and continues on. I said to him that he broke a red light and that he will have to repair damage done to my car. He says accidents happen and that he doesnt have any money to fix it. He said he was late for work and continued on.

I am sick of cyclists everyday breaking lights...they seriously need to cop the f**k on and obey rules of the road.

I would have gone after the c**t, if I was you. After all, he did damage to your car door, due to his negligence. It was his fault, and not yours. I would have made sure he paid for the damage. Just reading about his attitude has made my blood boil.

I am sick and tired of seeing cyclists break red lights. It's no wonder that they are hated by motorists, and I guess pedestrians. I have had a few near misses with them, as I'd be trying to cross the road. It happened a few years ago that I was crossing Dame Street on to George's Street. The pedestrian light was green, so it was safe to cross. I was almost in the middle of the road when an arsehole on a bicycle came bombing down the middle of the road almost clipping me. He was gone before I had a chance to say anything.

The ones that piss me off are those on You Tube that get so easily riled by motorists passing them too close. They have to call out the registration of the car, give chase, and have pointless words with the motorists, who 9 times out of 10 don't give a toss. Some just go out of their way to cause trouble. And, on another point, why can't cyclists wear helmets or pads?

takamichinoku · 14-08-2014 6:37pm

Chinasea wrote: »

As for cyclists cycling on a footpath. Again, another national obsession. Most of the footpaths (except in the city centre)

Well, have a guess where most people are complaining about cyclists being on the footpath? :rolleyes:

First Up · 14-08-2014 6:41pm

jkiamasnake wrote: »

I am still in shock! I had an accident today and I am still shaking. I was at a junction this morning, my green filter light to turn right came on so I continued to proceed, I traveled about 15 feet and am almost into the junction where I wanted to travel to and a cyclist smashes into the side of my car doing considerable damage to my door. Thankfully the cyclist was ok too but I was in so much shock I could not think properly. The cyclist picked himself up, fixed his chain and continues on. I said to him that he broke a red light and that he will have to repair damage done to my car. He says accidents happen and that he doesnt have any money to fix it. He said he was late for work and continued on.

I am sick of cyclists everyday breaking lights...they seriously need to cop the f**k on and obey rules of the road.

I am as sick of cyclists who ignore the rules of the road as anyone, but something in this story doesn't quite click;

If he did so much damage to your car, how come the only consequence for his bike was a slipped chain?

Don't get me wrong - the gobshte deserved to have his bike written off and I wouldn't mind if he had skinned knees and elbows to think about as well.. I just don't get the relative damage.

jkiamasnake · 14-08-2014 6:46pm

First Up wrote: »

I am as sick of cyclists who ignore the rules of the road as anyone, but something in this story doesn't quite click;

If he did so much damage to your car, how come the only consequence for his bike was a slipped chain?

Don't get me wrong - the gobshte deserved to have his bike written off and I wouldn't mind if he had skinned knees and elbows to think about as well.. I just don't get the relative damage.

im not 100% sure what else happened him..but i remember him fixing the chain on his bike. a new door for my car is needed is all i do know having gone in to a mechanic. you can see his footprint on the door aswell.

and to be frank i could not give a **** about his bike. it was his choice to break a light and deal with whatever consequences arise.

im not sure if you have ever been involved in an accident but its not a nice experience and it fairly traumatizing!

Alias G · 14-08-2014 6:48pm

Svalbard wrote: »

Well I'm a cyclist and a driver too and I see cyclists breaking red lights everyday. Sometimes I think I'm the only cyclist who doesn't.

Spoken like someone who is lying through their teeth. I always observe red lights and there are always plenty of other cyclists alongside me doing the same. Of vcoiurse you get plenty who don't just like plenty of motorists run a red as the lights change.

yes there · 14-08-2014 6:54pm

Perfect example today, at a junction turning left, lights red I stop. Some stupid bitch with what looked like a picnic in a basket cycles past at her leisure turning left. Infuriating and im a cyclist so I know how drivers feel. Cyclists should be made pass a theory test or stay of the ****ing road and stick with the gimps on the footpath.

robertxxx · 14-08-2014 6:54pm

I'm sick of taxi men owning the roads and smashing all the rules of the road, same for dublin bus wannabe cyclist killers as well as I'm bigger than you bus eireann!

Muppets the lot of them.

First Up · 14-08-2014 6:58pm

jkiamasnake wrote: »

im not 100% sure what else happened him..but i remember him fixing the chain on his bike. a new door for my car is needed is all i do know having gone in to a mechanic. you can see his footprint on the door aswell.

and to be frank i could not give a **** about his bike. it was his choice to break a light and deal with whatever consequences arise.

im not sure if you have ever been involved in an accident but its not a nice experience and it fairly traumatizing!

Fortunately I haven't and I sympathise completely. Its impossible to state the percentage but we all know that a significant number of cyclists are impervious to the law and do what they like. Whether its from a sense of superiority or entitlement, or some combination of the two I don't know. They usually don't hang around long enough to ask them.

Gongoozler · 14-08-2014 7:00pm

Alias G wrote: »

Spoken like someone who is lying through their teeth. I always observe red lights and there are always plenty of other cyclists alongside me doing the same. Of vcoiurse you get plenty who don't just like plenty of motorists run a red as the lights change.

I meet plenty of other cyclists every day stopped at lights. I should take pictures, it seems there would be monetary value on one :pac:

The new thing with motorists now is not only zooming through amber lights, but continuing through seconds after they've turned red too. Not a single **** given. I see that on average 7 times per trip. Maybe around the same amount of cyclists I see going through red lights.

Oh I had a good one this morning, a delivery van parked beside the loading Bay, so that he was parked on the cycle lane and taking up half the driving lane too. And he had his back doors swinging open. And you wanna try cycle down merrion row and Baggott St any morning, barely room for one lane of traffic, despite the continuous double yellow lines, because everybody thinks they'll 'just be a minute'.

chinwag · 14-08-2014 7:06pm

Wicklowrider wrote: »

If cyclists are such menaces, so dangerous and such huge lawbreakers how come I have third party insurance covering me while I am cycling and it only costs me €23 per annum?

OP, I'm sorry to hear you had such a horrible experience. Pity the cyclist wasn't arrested.

As a matter of interest, I wonder what % of cyclists have such insurance? I imagine it's something many cyclists don't think about but it makes good sense, I cycle and drive myself.

The Singing Beard · 14-08-2014 7:30pm

OP, if the cyclist tried to cycle off, could you not legally have performed a citizens arrest / somehow held him until the Gardaí arrived?

anncoates · 14-08-2014 7:33pm

Chinasea wrote: »

What is this bloo*dy ob national obsession with cyclists breaking red lights.

Cyclists are growing in numbers and I think that might be one of the problems why they are so hated. NO PROPER PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, never mind affordable public transport forced me and many others back on a bike.

I am happy to cycle, but it is very challenging. One of the worst hazards that I face on a daily basis is motorists simply opening their car door out in front of me. IT IS LETHAL. PLEASE LOOK IN YOUR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS.

As for cyclists cycling on a footpath. Again, another national obsession. Most of the footpaths (except in the city centre) are clear-ways for joggers, with low pedestrian usage and and should be shared with a SMARTER form of transport i.e cyclists.

How...angry.

UCDVet · 14-08-2014 8:19pm

Alias G wrote: »

Spoken like someone who is lying through their teeth. I always observe red lights and there are always plenty of other cyclists alongside me doing the same. Of vcoiurse you get plenty who don't just like plenty of motorists run a red as the lights change.

I only cycle to work anymore. It's just under 10k each direction.

I do see cyclists waiting at red lights - but it's not so much that they are following the law, as that there are cars actively going in the opposite direction. When there is a break in the traffic, most cyclists, are happy to dart out and cross against the red light.

I also see cyclists, the vast majority - say 85-90% go against a red cycle light, when the green pedestrian signal is on. That's every day, every light (along the canal with the special bicycle lights). Even though we cyclists have our own lanes and our own lights, we'll whenever a car isn't obviously going to hit us. If it's red and we can make it, we go anyway. If it's red and the pedestrians should be crosses, we go anyway. It's so bad, it took me about two weeks to realize that what I was doing was wrong, illegal, and really unfair to the pedestrians because EVERY cyclist does it. Finally, some old guy just stopped his bicycle, and let some lady cross (which the lady couldn't do, because there were still the oncoming cyclists + the cyclists behind us that were passing me and him). But while I sat there going, 'WTF is this guys problem' I realized that the pedestrians had the green in both directions.

From Rathmines to Grand Canal Street along the water - not a single day goes by - that I don't see *at least* 30 cyclists disregarding the traffic lights. It's so bad, I don't even think most of them realize they are doing it. They're just riding along like everyone else, going when everyone else goes.

One day, this was months back, they had the garda instructing cyclists to follow the law. In fairness, I thought they did a great job - naturally nobody was ticketed or fined or anything, but they were there to raise awareness. Sadly though, it had no lasting effect at all.

I cycle because I don't like the bus and I'm too cheap to buy a car - but, at least where I cycle, we're a horrible lot. For a while, I tried to fight the good fight, and follow the law. But it was just too frustrating. Other cyclists would zip past me, believe it or not, but one even hit my rear tire (he apologized, I don't think it was intentional), and after I sit and wait for my legal turn to go, half the time, the same pedestrians that were trying to cross when it was their turn, will STILL try to cross now that it should be my turn. I can't blame them, given the circumstances, but yeah. Too frustrating. I gave up.

Red lights for cyclists == yield. On my cycle home I stopped, checked traffic, and crossed against a red light once. I also went against a red light while cars from the right were turning right onto the road I was on (pretty sure I'm not supposed to, but whatever). And, when the pedestrian light goes Green, I go like all the other cyclists. Also, if it suites me, I'll go around a parked car by jumping up on the footpath. Not right, but it's easier for me to deal with than trying to safely pass around it.

loh_oro · 15-08-2014 9:06am

Some bit*h clipped me this morning on her bike when I was crossing the road and the pedestrian light was green. This isn't the first time either. Why do dome cyclists think they ar above the laws of the road

Gongoozler · 15-08-2014 9:14am

When stopped at the lights at our Connelly bridge this morning there were 9 of us stopped, I counted.

Then further on at the lights at the end of d'olier St there were 11 of us stopped. I didn't have time to get my phone for a picture, I'll take one the next time I get a chance.

Midnight Sundance · 15-08-2014 9:17am

Report him to Garda . He left the scene of an accident. Now don't quote me but I'm nearly certain he can be charge with driving without due care or something like that. A bicycle is a vehicle as far as I know. I do stand to be corrected on that one.
Something very similar happened me and it really upset me at the time. Made me very nervy on the road. Luckily he paid up but there was a few weeks of worry.
I was told by Garda that he could have been charged. Also as far as I know his house insurance can sometimes cover this. Again I'm not a professional so my advice could all be a load of tripe.
It's very annoying for you and I know exactly how you're feeling right now

AudreyHepburn · 15-08-2014 9:25am

jkiamasnake wrote: »

I am still in shock! I had an accident today and I am still shaking. I was at a junction this morning, my green filter light to turn right came on so I continued to proceed, I traveled about 15 feet and am almost into the junction where I wanted to travel to and a cyclist smashes into the side of my car doing considerable damage to my door. Thankfully the cyclist was ok too but I was in so much shock I could not think properly. The cyclist picked himself up, fixed his chain and continues on. I said to him that he broke a red light and that he will have to repair damage done to my car. He says accidents happen and that he doesnt have any money to fix it. He said he was late for work and continued on.

I am sick of cyclists everyday breaking lights...they seriously need to cop the f**k on and obey rules of the road.

So do an awful of motorists.

Don't generalise OP, it doesn't help your case.

Just be glad you didn't seriously injure yourself or the cyclist. The car can be fixed.

First Up · 15-08-2014 9:26am

Gongoozler wrote: »

When stopped at the lights at our Connelly bridge this morning there were 9 of us stopped, I counted.

Then further on at the lights at the end of d'olier St there were 11 of us stopped. I didn't have time to get my phone for a picture, I'll take one the next time I get a chance.

Major junctions are not usually the problem. There is enough cross traffic there to dissuade even the most adventurous biker. You are more likely to see the abuse at minor junctions, filter lights, pedestrian crossings etc.

First Up · 15-08-2014 9:27am

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

So do an awful of motorists.

Don't generalise OP, it doesn't help your case.

Just be glad you didn't seriously injure yourself or the cyclist. The car can be fixed.

So its OK then is it?

Cyclists breaking lights!!

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