Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 10:53am

Gardai in the bus lane this morning. I was out of the bike lane and in the bus lane as the next junction is a danger. Gardai pulled me over and told me to get into the bike lane, I politely explained I was only in it as the bike/bus lane is packed at the next junction and it was dangerous to stay in the bike lane. He had a tone, and informed me that's why they were clearing it for "youse". I of course got to the next junction and the other garda had blocked the cycle lane by pulling in all the unaccompanied and untaxed cars. If the first one just fined them instead of waving them back in it would have made more sense. They drove straight upto him before moving back into the driving lane, but only after being waved out of the bus lane.

Leroy42 · 12-02-2019 11:31am

Are we required to use the bike lane at all times? I was under the impression that bike lanes were not mandatory.

magicbastarder · 12-02-2019 11:49am

no, the only cycling infrastructure you are required to use are contra flow cycle lanes on one way streets, and in pedestrianised areas.

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 11:51am

Leroy42 wrote: »

Are we required to use the bike lane at all times? I was under the impression that bike lanes were not mandatory.

Not at all but he already seemed in foul humour so I wasn't going to be one of the warrior types to exert my rights in this regard. As predicted, I had to move to the bus lane shortly afterwards regardless but I choose the better part of valour and just nodded. I did say it would be handier and quicker if you just fined them, as I cycled off but I have no idea if he heard me.
Also my understanding is so long as a Garda does not direct you to break the law, you should follow their directions while a part of traffic, but i could be wrong.

doozerie · 12-02-2019 11:53am

CramCycle wrote:

He had a tone, and informed me that's why they were clearing it for "youse".

That's "our finest" right there... ...we're kinda doomed, it seems

magicbastarder · 12-02-2019 11:58am

theory: someone in garda management has decided that they've had enough negative publicity about motorists in cycle lanes, so they're targetting the N11. because that's where the majority of the reports come from...

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 12:01pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

theory: someone in garda management has decided that they've had enough negative publicity about motorists in cycle lanes, so they're targetting the N11. because that's where the majority of the reports come from...

Won't work, he wasn't fining the ones he was catching early and loads were finding it way too easy to pop out and go around. I had to laugh at the few who pulled in to the bus lane after the Garda was in plain view, that deserves a fine for lack of observation

Leroy42 · 12-02-2019 12:01pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Not at all but he already seemed in foul humour so I wasn't going to be one of the warrior types to exert my rights in this regard. As predicted, I had to move to the bus lane shortly afterwards regardless but I choose the better part of valour and just nodded. I did say it would be handier and quicker if you just fined them, as I cycled off but I have no idea if he heard me.
Also my understanding is so long as a Garda does not direct you to break the law, you should follow their directions while a part of traffic, but i could be wrong.

You should never give up your rights. He will continue doing it and obviously has never been set straight.

I mean I know what you're saying, and have done the same in the past myself, but these days I has less allowance for this type of ignorance. That his fecking job after all. If he doesn't know the law he shouldn't be out there.

Pulling you over for sheer ignorance of his part of not acceptable. I would have asked him what law you were breaking. What danger you were creating by, lawfully, being in the buslane?

BTW, this is a not a rant aimed at you, it more a general rant aimed at the ignorance of the very people that are supposed to know this stuff.

magicbastarder · 12-02-2019 12:09pm

Cram, are you on twitter? i would be curious how the garda twitter account would respond to a 'what should i do when a garda mistakenly tells me i am required to use a cycle lane' question.

Fian · 12-02-2019 2:11pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Also my understanding is so long as a Garda does not direct you to break the law, you should follow their directions while a part of traffic, but i could be wrong.

I believe you are obliged to follow the lawful directions of a garda in these circumstances. Similarly you can't just drive through a junction when a garda is marshalling traffic and directing you to stop, even if you have the green light.

Leroy42 · 12-02-2019 2:26pm

Fian wrote: »

I believe you are obliged to follow the lawful directions of a garda in these circumstances. Similarly you can't just drive through a junction when a garda is marshalling traffic and directing you to stop, even if you have the green light.

But a garda has no right to stop you for no reason. He was not directing the person, he ordered them to stop and then told them they were wrong in their actions.

There is a big difference between the two.

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 2:40pm

Just to make it clearer, it wasn't clear to me. As I approached the garda in the bus lane, he was standing in the bike lane. A car had decided to come out into the bus lane behind me. He stepped out and pointed to the bike lane/side of road. It was not clear to me if he was directing me or the car. He then told me, could have been asked but sounded like I was being told. In essence, pulled over was probably the wrong terminology as I stopped due to lack of clarity.

As it turns out the pointing was for me, pretty much just saying get in there, as the car behind was waved back out into traffic.

Miklos · 12-02-2019 2:51pm

I wonder what would have happened if you just kept going?

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 4:28pm

Miklos wrote: »

I wonder what would have happened if you just kept going?

I imagine the fuzz would not have taken to kindly to it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNIMuvbiZcc

Miklos · 12-02-2019 5:10pm

That's that stuck in my head for the rest of the day. No bad thing!

magicbastarder · 12-02-2019 6:15pm

on the way home today, had a motorist enter a roundabout right in front of me when she clearly should have given way. what made it slightly unusual was a motorist entered the roundabout in front of *her* causing her to slam on in front of me, and causing me to have to brake. i was wondering if conditions were right, could (on a four entrance roundabout) you end up with a stalemate with four motorists gunning it onto the roundabout and each having to brake for the person doing the same at the next exit up?

also, spotted on alfie byrne road - a cyclist on the footpath ringing her bell at pedestrians in front of her to get out of the way. i genuinely wonder if she knew it's not a cycle path where she was? it's kinda hard to make that mistake.
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3609599,-6.2289765,3a,75y,29.38h,85.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sX0PaMo6umXQZV2jkvM3I1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 6:36pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

also, spotted on alfie byrne road - a cyclist on the footpath ringing her bell at pedestrians in front of her to get out of the way. i genuinely wonder if she knew it's not a cycle path where she was? it's kinda hard to make that mistake.
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3609599,-6.2289765,3a,75y,29.38h,85.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sX0PaMo6umXQZV2jkvM3I1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

There was a prat on the N11 cycle path yesterday evening with a giant orange puffy jacket, ringing his bell at everyone and all in all, just being a rude pr*ck. Ringing it when there was no space to overtake, ringing at pedestrians who were nowhere near him, and then coming round people at the lights. I stopped to help someone with a dropped chain so I got to bite my tongue. There is a small percentage of really ****tily mannered cyclists on the N11, who insist on shouting at others to move in at pinch points, going round people at lights and just generally being removed from such basics as a minimum standard of manners

Mickiemcfist · 13-02-2019 11:00am

CramCycle wrote: »

There was a prat on the N11 cycle path yesterday evening with a giant orange puffy jacket, ringing his bell at everyone and all in all, just being a rude pr*ck. Ringing it when there was no space to overtake, ringing at pedestrians who were nowhere near him, and then coming round people at the lights. I stopped to help someone with a dropped chain so I got to bite my tongue. There is a small percentage of really ****tily mannered cyclists on the N11, who insist on shouting at others to move in at pinch points, going round people at lights and just generally being removed from such basics as a minimum standard of manners

I would say it's more than a small percentage on the N11. I don't mind people overtaking me at traffic lights as long as they're clearly faster than me. I go absolutely mental at ones that I have to overtake on cycle lanes, then stop in front of me at every set of lights so I have to repeat the process. I'm usually faster than most but not the fastest, so i sit one bike length from the traffic lights so the real fast guys don't have to awkwardly overtake me, they can just do it at the lights & fade away into the distance!

Ray Bloody Purchase · 13-02-2019 11:04am

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

I would say it's more than a small percentage on the N11. I don't mind people overtaking me at traffic lights as long as they're clearly faster than me. I go absolutely mental at ones that I have to overtake on cycle lanes, then stop in front of me at every set of lights so I have to repeat the process. I'm usually faster than most but not the fastest, so i sit one bike length from the traffic lights so the real fast guys don't have to awkwardly overtake me, they can just do it at the lights & fade away into the distance!

It drives me mad when they wobble up to the front of the queue at traffic lights after being over taken. It's even worse when they break the red lights and continue through slowly.

magicbastarder · 26-02-2019 10:54pm

big ups to the young lad we spotted about half an hour ago, just after i collected my wife from horseriding. cycling on a completely unlit country road with no lights at all. i genuinely don't know how he could see where he was going.

odyssey06 · 26-02-2019 11:03pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

big ups to the young lad we spotted about half an hour ago, just after i collected my wife from horseriding. cycling on a completely unlit country road with no lights at all. i genuinely don't know how he could see where he was going.

Echolocation?

nomdeboardie · 26-02-2019 11:06pm

Or like the Pinball Wizard, by sense of smell?

magicbastarder · 26-02-2019 11:11pm

nomdeboardie wrote: »

Or like the Pinball Wizard, by sense of smell?

there has to be a twist?

eeeee · 27-02-2019 10:15pm

I'm becoming increasingly frustrated by fellow cyclists pulling out in front of me and other road users without looking behind. When I see something blocking the lane on the left, I look behind me and move out in plenty of time, usually by a few other cyclists, who more often than not never look behind them before swinging out over the white line of the left hand lane by the taxi/bus/manhole/other cyclists on the left. They seem completely surprised anything or anyone is there on their right. Drives me a bit mad. I've seen several people almost creamed off their bikes, completely oblivious to what they just did. Look the fcuk behind ya ya fcuking idiot! It's worse now than I ever remember it. Or I'm getting grumpier. Probably both!

Beasty · 27-02-2019 10:27pm

nee wrote: »

Or I'm getting grumpier.

:eek::eek:

eeeee · 28-02-2019 12:07am

Beasty wrote: »

:eek::eek:

Oh there's plenty of room for more grump :pac:

28-02-2019 12:46am

The amount of people who ride the footpath here is unreal. Gives me no end of grump, especially when they have all the gear, lights helmet high vis, yeah I can't f'n see those those when you are coming from behind me. Think nothing of hopping off the path to avoid people with a buggie (me) etc without shoulder checking. Saw coach have to drop anchor while back to avoid flattening a woman who hopped off the path to come by me with the kids coming towards her. Doubt she had any clue how close she was to being flattened.

magicbastarder · 28-02-2019 8:54am

there is a special place in hell for people who hog the shower in work when they know there will be other people waiting for one.
this morning, for the second time in two weeks, i managed to arrive in, shower, change, etc., all in less time than it took for one person to shower.

Weepsie · 28-02-2019 9:33am

People who lock their bike like this.

That's 4 spaces taken up. It's not even locked well

Beasty · 28-02-2019 10:34am

nee wrote: »

Oh there's plenty of room for more grump :pac:

:eek::eek::eek:

Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

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