Calling out fellow cyclists for illegal or dangerous behavior

ted1 · 18-10-2019 02:19PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

He could easily have been hit if .

.. he got distracted by your shouting and took his eye if the road to talk to you.

Duckjob · 18-10-2019 02:30PM

Chips Lovell wrote: »

You're not the police. Lecturing other road users rarely ends well in my experience.

That may be, however:-

One of the reasons the general level of behavior on the roads is so bad is that it is so normalised that people don't feel like their bad behavior is even noticed by anybody else.

IMO while pointing out bad behavior my cause friction on a 1-1 basis, the bigger picture is that if people were called out on it more often by other ordinary people around them, they would feel more conspicuous and therefore less comfortable in doing those actions and behavior would improve generally.

Yes we are not police, but that doesn't mean we dont have any power or any right to try to influence people to behave better on the roads. Bad and dangerous behaviour on the roads is everyones business.

Chips Lovell · 18-10-2019 02:56PM

Duckjob wrote: »

Yes we are not police, but that doesn't mean we dont have any power or any right to try to influence people to behave better on the roads. Bad and dangerous behaviour on the roads is everyones business.

All very well in theory, but that's not what happens in practice. In nearly all cases I've witnessed, it results in one or both parties getting aggro.

The fact is that most people are dicks and when challenged about being dicks, their natural reaction is to not to reflect on their behaviour but to get defensive and double down on dickishness.

magicbastarder · 18-10-2019 03:21PM

sure i come on boards every day of the week to have differences of opinion with people, which sometimes gets people angry, and very few people end up changing their minds. sounds like the very topic at hand. but i keep coming back.

godtabh · 18-10-2019 03:40PM

ANy one who comes at me the wrong way along the cycle lane/path with no lights in the dark in dark clothes always gets a bolloxing from me

tomasrojo · 18-10-2019 05:36PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

The fact they were using Gels on the GDBR says a lot! (its not a race)

They should be carrying spuds anyway.
https://twitter.com/ianwalker/status/1185212086340800513

Tenzor07 · 18-10-2019 05:43PM

godtabh wrote: »

ANy one who comes at me the wrong way along the cycle lane/path with no lights in the dark in dark clothes always gets a bolloxing from me

I'm not looking forward to the dark evenings and cycling down the Clontarf cycle lane with handlebar mounted spotlights coming towards me..

Been a few occasions where you get in particular club cyclists side by side coming towards you on that narrow path lights blaring, they will always get both barrels from me! :mad:

Captain Slow IRL · 18-10-2019 05:53PM

Duckjob wrote: »

......I also think it's stupid not to differentiate between somebody carelessly racing between people on a footpath at 35kph and someone creeping for a short while on the footpath at near walking speed where they can stop almost instantly.

By that logic, I should be able to drive my car on the footpath provided I do it slowly.

tomasrojo · 18-10-2019 06:09PM

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

By that logic, I should be able to drive my car on the footpath provided I do it slowly.

People do drive on the footpath, hopefully slowly, to get to their driveways. I know people think of that bit as part of their driveway, but it's really the footpath. It's a bit different, in that they HAVE to drive on that bit of the footpath.

In the Netherlands they have pedestrian crossings raised up and coloured the same as the footpath so that it's clear that it isn't pedestrians walking on the roadway, but drivers getting a green light to drive on the footway.

magicbastarder · 18-10-2019 07:11PM

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

By that logic, I should be able to drive my car on the footpath provided I do it slowly.

yes, you could use that logic, if you ignore multiple glaring issues with applying that logic.

rubadub · 18-10-2019 08:50PM

oLoonatic wrote: »

I was stopped at a set of traffic lights yesterday and a cyclist blew through red light. A driver actually rolled down his window and said to me " Thats what gives you guys a bad name" which was refreshing to hear.

I would love to have said "fcuk you ye racist (or sexist) cnut, keep your prejuiced comments to yourself" would be good to see their reaction -would be interesting as I expect even if they are a prize scumbag they would be apologetic or confused about being called racist. If they explain it was nothing to do with your race or sex you can still get them with "oh right, so you are just a prejudiced cnut then, looking for some, ANY, group you can still openly hate, your mother must be proud"

No doubt that driver would not dare breathe a word to pedestrians on the side of the road while another (usually loads) have just broken reds.

rubadub · 18-10-2019 08:52PM

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

By that logic, I should be able to drive my car on the footpath provided I do it slowly.

username checks out!

Enduro · 18-10-2019 09:16PM

tomasrojo wrote: »

They should be carrying spuds anyway.
https://twitter.com/ianwalker/status/1185212086340800513

A well aimed spud thrown at high velocity might be useful if things escalated as well!

(Can spud guns / cannons be included in the bike to work scheme?!)

dubrov · 18-10-2019 09:40PM

I don't understand why some cyclists feel the need to lecture others about their behaviour when it has zero impact on them.

Fair enough if someone is going down the inside of a truck that seems to be turning. A yelp is warranted there.

If cyclist breaks a red, it is frankly between them and the Gardai

Puggy · 19-10-2019 12:36AM

Eight pages already, can’t really believe this thread.

Surely the rules of the road apply to all road users. A red light is a red light, doesn’t matter if I’m driving my car or on my bicycle. I choose to always stop at red lights.

The issue isn’t about drivers or cyclists or pedestrians, it’s about people choosing to break the law. I don’t need to tell someone else they’re breaking the law, they know exactly what they’re doing. They couldn’t care less. Trying to explain or engage with someone like that is pointless.

The only time I’d ever say anything is when I see someone trying to go up the inside of a left turning truck or articulated truck. And even then, your likely to be told to fcuk off and mind your own business.

ted1 · 19-10-2019 12:46AM

Puggy wrote: »

Eight pages already, can’t really believe this thread.

Surely the rules of the road apply to all road users.

I wouldn’t agree with that. The rules were written with a 1.5+ ton vehicle in mind that’s at least 10 foot long and 6 foot wide that carries hear momentum and capable of speeds of over 100km an hour.

Cyclists really do in many occasions relate closer to pedestrians. At a T junction where there’s a solid white line and a cycle lane inside it, why shouldn’t a bike turn left.

At a pedestrian light , where there is no person crossing , and a truck and a bus stopped. Why shouldn’t a cyclist pass through slowly with no inertia ? It puts him safely ahead of the 40 ton vehicles with blind spots.

The law is often an ass , inconsistent and not fit for purpose. I generally go with the safest option.

tomasrojo · 19-10-2019 12:50AM

The only thing that you can say to another bike user that can be guaranteed not to be a dissatisfying experience is "That's a nice bike".

tomasrojo · 19-10-2019 12:54AM

,,, unless it's said suddenly as they're unlocking the bike in a poorly lit area at 3a.m. and they haven't noticed you standing behind them.

I thought I'd add that, just for the sake of completeness.

Hrududu · 19-10-2019 01:04AM

godtabh wrote: »

ANy one who comes at me the wrong way along the cycle lane/path with no lights in the dark in dark clothes always gets a bolloxing from me

They’re the only ones I say anything to and bizarrely they react as if I’m the one in the wrong. People in general just don’t react well to people pointing out that they’re doing something wrong. I imagine they’re thought process is “But I’m me! ...no I can’t be the one in the wrong.”

ted1 · 19-10-2019 01:08AM

Hrududu wrote: »

They’re the only ones I say anything to and bizarrely they react as if I’m the one in the wrong. People in general just don’t react well to people pointing out that they’re doing something wrong. I imagine they’re thought process is “But I’m me! ...no I can’t be the one in the wrong.”

The worst are the ones going the wrong way on a bike lane and go to pass on your left ...

tnegun · 19-10-2019 05:30PM

ted1 wrote: »

The worst are the ones going the wrong way on a bike lane and go to pass on your left ...

OMG this boils my blood. I just hug the kerb point out to the right into the traffic lane and let them play chicken with the traffic gobsh1tes, at least they can see it. There are several Intel bound cyclists in Leixlip who do this daily to skip lights even crossing 50m back from a junction to cycle on the wrong side when they can see cyclists approaching :mad::mad:

is_that_so · 19-10-2019 05:36PM

I wonder is there a term like "Godwinism" to describe how quickly a thread like this inevitably degenerates into drivers versus cyclists, regardless of the topic!

beauf · 19-10-2019 05:41PM

I used to point out to some cyclists that they were invisible at night, I just got abuse. So I no longer bother.

magicbastarder · 19-10-2019 06:23PM

at least you couldn't see where the abuse was coming from.

jjpep · 19-10-2019 06:44PM

beauf wrote: »

I used to point out to some cyclists that they were invisible at night, I just got abuse. So I no longer bother.

Sounds like that movie with William macey from years ago. One of the characters had a super power, where if you didn't look at him, he was invisible.

rubadub · 19-10-2019 08:08PM

marcos_94 wrote: »

What a sad woman. Even her other instagrams of parked cars and the likes. Am I right in saying its not illegal to cycle on the path?

It is illegal, the confusion seems to come from those on the spot fines, cycling on the footpath was considered to be one but dropped and I have heard and read of several people thinking it was therefore legal. There is also no age limit here, a toddler out on christmas day on their pink bike with stabilizers on an empty footpath going at slower than walking pace is illegal and I wonder if that woman would be videoing them.

Puggy wrote: »

Surely the rules of the road apply to all road users. A red light is a red light, doesn’t matter if I’m driving my car or on my bicycle. I choose to always stop at red lights.

You would be in a minority so. I cannot think of a single person I know who is such a stickler for the law that they would not say cross on a pedestrian red light on a completely empty road, no car or anybody in sight at all, able to see for half a mile either way. RSA call pedestrians and cyclists the most vulnerable roadusers, I always find it amusing when people say cyclists are the worst for breaking reds -in complete denial about pedestrians since they are "one of us".

Thankfully most gardai I encounter do not think like yourself. I have very often broken reds and illegally cycled on (completely empty) footpaths for my own safety, I have had gardai give me waves and nods of approval for doing so too, gardai actually on traffic duty who should be on the lookout. These gardai obviously know what he law actually set out to prevent, and it was not what I was doing. Just like those cyclists the instagram woman "caught" were not really doing anything that the law specifically set out to prevent.

droidus · 19-10-2019 08:22PM

rubadub wrote: »

It is illegal, the confusion seems to come from those on the spot fines, cycling on the footpath was considered to be one but dropped and I have heard and read of several people thinking it was therefore legal. There is also no age limit here, a toddler out on christmas day on their pink bike with stabilizers on an empty footpath going at slower than walking pace is illegal and I wonder if that woman would be videoing them.

There is an age limit. IIRC its up to the age of 12.

is_that_so · 19-10-2019 08:29PM

droidus wrote: »

There is an age limit. IIRC its up to the age of 12.

Apparently not but due consideration is required. It's not fixed penalty though so depends on Garda interpretation of behaviour.

Stark · 19-10-2019 08:31PM

rubadub wrote: »

I cannot think of a single person I know who is such a stickler for the law that they would not say cross on a pedestrian red light on a completely empty road, no car or anybody in sight at all, able to see for half a mile either way.

It's like the tree falling in the empty forest philosophical argument

But you're forgetting about the cars and pedestrians that can appear out of nowhere but only at traffic light controlled junctions, not the ones without traffic lights. Safe to rely on your judgement at those ones.

RobbieMD · 19-10-2019 09:56PM

is_that_so wrote: »

Apparently not but due consideration is required. It's not fixed penalty though so depends on Garda interpretation of behaviour.

That’s not correct. The previous poster is right. The age of criminal responsibility is 12 except for murder, manslaughter and rape.

A child under 12 can pretty much do anything “illegal”. They lack the mens rea to accompany the actus rea.

Calling out fellow cyclists for illegal or dangerous behavior

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