Crazy Stuff on the Rock Road this morning

ckeego

Stayed on the lowlands this morning due to the zero visability in the hills around Ashford (no SE or SM this morning:mad:) so decided to head towards Howth and put in a few city miles in on the way up from Wicklow.

Now, I am the first to disagree with some of the motorists who post here about cycling 2 abreast and not paying our road tax etc (yawn) but what I saw this morning will stay in the memory for some time.

I was stopped and unclipped at the lights at the Blackrock clinic and the lights were red for us to allow traffic out from the clinic.

A female on a La Pierre white and blue road bike came straight through the lights at speed and in the middle of the 2 lanes and given the greasy road conditions she was NOT stopping, even if there was a car coming out.

It was so moronic a manouevre that 2 of the motorists behind actually slowed down beside me and gesticulated as to what she had done, perhaps thinking she was a ride partner.

I was still so much in shock that when I caught up and passed her, all I could do was wish her a good morning (no response, surprisingly)

Given the garb and nice SIDI shoes as well as a fair shkelp of speed, she seemed to know what she was doing...

BUT C"MON IF YOU ARE READING THIS, GIRL...F@™ING CRAZY, SUICIDAL RIDING LIKE THAT IS JUST GIVING THE REST OF US A BAD NAME...COP ON OR YOU WILL END UP IN THE BLACKROCK CLINIC YOURSELF THE NEXT TIME:mad:

Lumen

ckeego wrote: »

COP ON OR YOU WILL END UP IN THE BLACKROCK CLINIC YOURSELF THE NEXT TIME

I always assumed from the location that Blackrock Clinic was a cosmetic surgery place.

I think southsiders are just a bit less switched on upstairs, must be inbreeding or something.

blorg

Not to justify it at all but that is a very quiet junction with usually nothing coming out of the Clinic, and anything that does come out is moving slowly as it is not a through road. There are worse places to break a red.

Cyclist breaks red light SHOCKER. Bad cyclist.

I would like to hear Dirk's take on this incident.

Beasty

blorg wrote: »

I would like to hear Dirk's take on this incident.

Are you suggesting it was Dirk dressed as a girl?

DirkVoodoo

blorg wrote: »

I would like to hear Dirk's take on this incident.

Why me?

ckeego

Lumen wrote: »

I always assumed from the location that Blackrock Clinic was a cosmetic surgery place.

http://www.blackrock-clinic.ie/

Looks like they will do whatever you want, if you have the green backs!

I think southsiders are just a bit less switched on upstairs, must be inbreeding or something.

Interesting quote, that one! I won't generalise, but some of the worst incidents/accidents I have had have been around those parts! Must be the Prozac or a Botox side effect.

As for the inbreeding, it seems to be a posh pastime (see the Royal family as a good example!)

Sure thing that cyclists will always break a red once in a while, but doing it on what is really a T junction, at speed, on a greasy morning in traffic is not the place to do it...

overshoot

reminds me of a day at the phibsborogh shopping centre. red light on the main road, green for those coming down the side of the shopping centre. 3 lads on racers went steaming through the red light. if anyone wanted to turn right out of that road they were f***ed, luckily the constant stream of traffic all went left and they went around the outside of it (have to say tho if they got hit they deserved it!)

ckeego

Interesting side thought...If it wasn't for idiotic riding like this, the RSA wouldn't be highlighting the fact in their latest ad (cyclist commentating himself making the break...)

Then, the RSA could spend the cash perhaps asking motorists to stop overtaking cyclists on blind corners and then pulling in on top of them to avoid oncoming traffic...

Or overtaking and then pulling hard left to make a tight junction just in front of you...Grrrrr:mad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktWf9Frqpkk

Vélo

I saw what could only be described as a gombeen yesterday.

This fella on an old road bike slowing down at lights (at least he stopped) using his feet on the ground as brakes. He had a shovel strapped to the top tube and a saw dangling from the handlebars.

It could only end in tears and no balls

Hermy

blorg wrote: »

There are worse places to break a red.

Such as...:pac:

blorg

Hermy wrote: »

Such as...:pac:

Any busy junction where the traffic is moving quickly. God knows its not like they don't do it.

I am just not sure that "I saw a cyclist break a red light" merits a thread on the internet, unless there is some other interesting factor... cyclist gets squashed, cyclist is politician/head of the RSA/Pat McQuaid/Tim Allen, cyclist causes car to swerve into a two year old child, etc

"Cyclist rides through red light at quiet junction and nothing happens." I think OP must not get up to Dublin too much.

DirkVoodoo

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Why me?

And now here's Dirk with the Sport.

Cookie_Monster

blorg wrote: »

Not to justify it at all but that is a very quiet junction with usually nothing coming out of the Clinic, and anything that does come out is moving slowly as it is not a through road.

the lights only change when something is coming out of the clinic, no? Sensor lights there I thought

ckeego

blorg wrote: »

Any busy junction where the traffic is moving quickly. God knows its not like they don't do it.

I am just not sure that "I saw a cyclist break a red light" merits a thread on the internet, unless there is some other interesting factor... cyclist gets squashed, cyclist is politician/head of the RSA/Pat McQuaid/Tim Allen, cyclist causes car to swerve into a two year old child, etc

"Cyclist rides through red light at quiet junction and nothing happens." I think OP must not get up to Dublin too much.

OP gets up to Dublin, plenty and does lots of cycling there too!

My point was the speed that she did it at, with blatant disregard for her or anyone elses safety.

Now, Blorg, if you get off on seeing the sensationalist post that the cyclist DID in fact get creamed by the car that was coming out of the clinic and (as happened to my sister's best friend) that poor motorist has her death on his conscience for ever more, well keep watching this space-it will probably happen.

I'm sure the motorists involved see this every day too, but this one was that little bit extreme so they made a point of saying it to me at the (aforementioned) red lights.

Just because YOU see this every day doesn't make it right and with riding like this, the rest of us then have to deal with the motorist's ire on this and other forums.

BTW, if you think that that junction is quiet, you might not be around those parts too often. Whilst the lights were still red 3 other vehicles exited.

BTW 2 My sisters friend who knocked down and killed a pedestrian after the pedestrian was equally moronic as our female cyclist here still has it on his conscience a decade later. Indeed, he is reminded of it every time Christmas Day morning comes around....That was one bad post from you there, Blorg:mad:

blorg

I'm sorry your sister's friend killed a ped, but fail to see the relevance. All that suggests is that you are oversensitive. If everyone here started a new thread every time they saw a cyclist breeze through a red light, there would not be a lot else on the first page I warrant.

It is not a matter of sensationalism to expect a post if the cyclist is creamed by a car; if that happened it would however be newsworthy.

It is particularly ridiculous that you obviously had a major issue with what she did, had the opportunity to, but didn't remonstrate with her there and then, and instead go home and post about it on the internet.

ckeego

blorg wrote: »

I'm sorry your sister's friend killed a ped, but fail to see the relevance. All that suggests is that you are oversensitive. If everyone here started a new thread every time they saw a cyclist breeze through a red light, there would not be a lot else on the first page I warrant.

It is not a matter of sensationalism to expect a post if the cyclist is creamed by a car; if that happened it would however be newsworthy.

It is particularly ridiculous that you obviously had a major issue with what she did, had the opportunity to, but didn't remonstrate with her there and then, and instead go home and post about it on the internet.

The relevance is that by people doing stupid things, it can leave a lasting effect on those they involve. How would YOU feel if you drove out of the lights on green, minding your own and you are ploughed into by some stupid b£$ch flaking through a red?

I doubt that it is going to sail over your head like Sputnik because it was her that was stupid...

Newsworthy when someone gets creamed? That's how tabloids (and certain Independent broadsheets) sensationalise and pry on others misfortune, bad luck and sell papers. If you like reading and finding news and pics of cyclists, motorists, peds etc getting creamed,and find it "newsworthy" I'm sure the internet holds a pot of gold for you. Point said.

I would wholly agree with the last point in that I should have taken it up with her when I caught up with her. I felt that by posting it here that either she might read it or someone who knows her might pass it on. Gobsmacked I think was the feeling at that stage.

Oversensitive? No...

Somewhat shocked by her actions and certain posters attitude that it is OK...Yes

If the shoe were on the other foot, I would feel that if you saw a motorist drive straight through on a red T junction going at 75% of it's best speed, you might have an opinion to post too.

Sin e!

coolbeans

Cyclists do stupid things. Motorists do stupid things. These bad things should not be encouraged but doing nothing in reality and then bleating all over the internet about it and bringing in frankly irrelevant points adds up to a thread fail in my opinion.
We all know how stupid it is to zoom through lights in the manner described. What's the big story?

ckeego

coolbeans wrote: »

Cyclists do stupid things. Motorists do stupid things. These bad things should not be encouraged but doing nothing in reality and then bleating all over the internet about it and bringing in frankly irrelevant points adds up to a thread fail in my opinion.
We all know how stupid it is to zoom through lights in the manner described. What's the big story?

OK, I give up...You are 100% right that I should have said it at the time.

Irrelevant points? I certainly hope you don't knock down an idiot and have to deal with it because of THEIR stupidity

I felt that by sharing the incident that the individual involved might see the thread.

If a "failed thread" makes one idiot (either motorist,ped or cyclist) just stop and think, it might prevent an accident.

My sincerest apologies to both yourself and blorg for "bleating".. I will think long and hard before posting such day to day trivialities in future.

How comfortable a saddle is and how to be environmentally sound in your disposal of tubes and tyres are much more relevant.

blorg

No one said it was OK. But it isn't the major drama you are making out either. Fact is, cyclist fatalities are extremely low, and the number killed from doing what you describe even lower... this cyclist utterly failed to be killed so I really don't see the need for big post filled with CAPITAL LETTERS and consideration of the guilt, the guilt, the dreadful guilt that just COULD HAVE fallen on the shoulders of the poor innocent motorist as they flew out of the Blackrock Clinic at 5km/h.

Hermy

blorg wrote: »

No one said it was OK. But it isn't the major drama you are making out either.

Then why bother responding? Must be a quiet day in Nepal.:)

Schnell

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

the lights only change when something is coming out of the clinic, no? Sensor lights there I thought

Hm no I don't think so. I've certainly been stopped at the red light a fair few times and there's nothing coming out of the clinic, at which point I'd break it. It'd make a lot of sense to have sensors though.

blorg

Hermy wrote: »

Then why bother responding? Must be a quiet day in Nepal.:)

I am sitting 200m off the top of a 1,300m climb in the Himalayan foothills waiting out a torrential thunderstorm. What's your excuse? :-)

Hermy

It's raining in Dublin as well.:o

Gavin

blorg wrote: »

I am sitting 200m off the top of a 1,300m climb in the Himalayan foothills waiting out a torrential thunderstorm. What's your excuse? :-)

Pics or GTFO

blorg

Gavin wrote: »

Pics or GTFO

TinyExplosions

blorg wrote: »

some foreign landscape rubbish

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate you....

Stark

ckeego wrote: »

The relevance is that by people doing stupid things, it can leave a lasting effect on those they involve. How would YOU feel if you drove out of the lights on green, minding your own and you are ploughed into by some stupid b£$ch flaking through a red?

I've been in two car crashes where there was major damage done to my car. In both cases, I didn't feel much at all, I just took their insurance details, made a claim and moved the **** on with my life. I'd imagine it would be the same if a cyclist flaked through a red light into my car. (Okay, cyclists don't have insurance but I'd still get to take her name and address and call the gardaí if she didn't agree to pay for the damage done).

onimpulse

ckeego wrote: »

Interesting side thought...If it wasn't for idiotic riding like this, the RSA wouldn't be highlighting the fact in their latest ad (cyclist commentating himself making the break...)

Then, the RSA could spend the cash perhaps asking motorists to stop overtaking cyclists on blind corners and then pulling in on top of them to avoid oncoming traffic...

Or overtaking and then pulling hard left to make a tight junction just in front of you...Grrrrr:mad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktWf9Frqpkk

I saw a guy on a bike almost killed on Friday eve by this exact thing in Harolds cross. He was in the cycle lane and had a green light going through the junction. A car behind came up beside him & started to pull across the cycle lane in order to turn left. Never even looked in the cycle lane the idiot! How are drivers so blind?

ckeego

Stark wrote: »

I've been in two car crashes where there was major damage done to my car. In both cases, I didn't feel much at all, I just took their insurance details, made a claim and moved the **** on with my life. I'd imagine it would be the same if a cyclist flaked through a red light into my car. (Okay, cyclists don't have insurance but I'd still get to take her name and address and call the gardaí if she didn't agree to pay for the damage done).

Fair point, Stark. I would just get on with it too if it was damage to the car and insurance deals with it. The point I was making here was how the motorist (in the right) would feel if the cyclist (in the wrong) was badly injured (or worse) even though the motorist had broken no law and was driving sensibly.

Speaking of right and wrong, I vaguely remembered a far and distant posting in the mists of time by a driver who had pulled out from a T junction and knocked down a cyclist (the converse of what I observed on Sat)...So I went for a look ...

Our great judge Blorg's summation..

"You were completely in the wrong here, you pulled out into the path of another vehicle having right of way without checking that the road was clear."

...and the cyclist's behaviour was different, how?

and shouldn't be highlighted, why??;)

blorg

I don't recall the details but in that case it sounds like something actually happened (there was a collision) and someone (the driver?) had a question as to who was in the wrong.

In this case nothing happened, and no-one has any question as to who was in the wrong (we all agree, red light jumping is bad, m'kay.)

How many cars were coming out of the clinic in this drama, out of interest? Did one nearly hit her?

Hermy

blorg wrote: »

(we all agree, red light jumping is bad, m'kay.)

Except for the entrance to Blackrock Clinic?