"Invincible" cyclists breaking traffic lights

zenno · 15-08-2011 10:13PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

I cycle to work most days and I can say that I whizz through certain sets of lights on my commute, regardless of their colour.

I have nearly been hit a few times on some dodgier junctions but at this stage I know the lights I can safely break.

O'Connell Bridge for example, if the pedestrian lights are green and there are no pedestrians crossing, will I sit there and wait?

I most certainly will not thank you very much, I'll happily scoot my way through!

I'm sure there are lots of other cyclists who will tut-tut at this, but to Hell with them.

you are an accident waiting to happen. follow the rules of the road or get off the road. this applies to everyone.

lastlaugh · 15-08-2011 10:13PM

Knasher wrote: »

Motorists could take the exact same attitude and break traffic lights when they feel it will be okay, 99% of the time they will get away with it. The problem is the other 1% where your observation isn't as good as it should be. Or when you meet another idiot who takes the same attitude as yourself.

A bicycle and a car are two very different things, and should not be classed together, my clever friend.

Toby Take a Bow · 15-08-2011 10:15PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

I most certainly will not thank you very much, I'll happily scoot my way through!

If only all cyclists only did it when there was NOBODY around, but this isn't really the case. The Dame St junction (with George's St), for example, when the lights all go green for pedestrians. It seems like ALL cyclists see this as a green light for themselves too. I did see a pedestrian grab a cyclist who was attempting to go through the lights once. That was an argument I enjoyed witnessing.

I would say that this applies to motorists, when they think they can get away with it. Dame Street Junction again is a prime example of this, where the cars often break a red light. You have to hope the car will stop when it's clear the light is green for the pedestrian.

I'd be more worried about the motorists than the cyclists, as the motorists have more of a chance of killing you than a cyclist. Cyclists are annoying, especially if they 'beep' when going through a pedestrian crossing (f*ck off) or when they're on the footpath and expect you to make way for them. It's called a FOOTpath for a reason, and no, I'm not getting out of your way.

A lot of cyclists I know will claim that they break the rules of the road because it's more dangerous to obey them. If you can't obey the rules of the road, don't cycle. Safer for all of us (same goes for motorists).

lastlaugh · 15-08-2011 10:16PM

zenno wrote: »

you are an accident waiting to happen. follow the rules of the road or get off the road. this applies to everyone.

Yawn...

Should all cyclists stop at Red Pedestrian lights even when there are no pedestrians crossing?

Ah yeah, the rules is the rules.

joe stodge · 15-08-2011 10:16PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

A bicycle and a car are two very different things, and should not be classed together, my clever friend.

and a car and a truck are very different and a truck and a bus are very different, does that mean they shouldn't be classed together??

Overheal · 15-08-2011 10:18PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ

^ Epic cyclist

zenno · 15-08-2011 10:18PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

Yawn...

Should all cyclists stop at Red Pedestrian lights even when there are no pedestrians crossing?

Ah yeah, the rules is the rules.

it's for you're own safety man. do what you do but if you get hit don't start crying.

two wheels good · 15-08-2011 10:19PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

... but to Hell with them.

Your personal motto?

Toby Take a Bow · 15-08-2011 10:19PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

Do all the righteous motorists present think we should bring in new laws to deal with jaywalking?

What are the old laws?

15-08-2011 10:19PM

Deleted User wrote: »

You're right, of course.

When I take my Rules of the Road booklet out and shine it on the road ahead, all those big holes that want to swallow my wheels suddenly disappear and the road surface becomes perfectly smooth, meaning I've no reason to suddenly jerk to one side at the last moment and be squashed by the car following me/dangerously trying to overtake me.

Well there's your problem. Safe cycling involves spotting an obstacle early, moving right well ahead of it while keeping an eye over your right shoulder for traffic approaching from the rear, taking control of the lane as you go past the obstacle, if there is insufficient room left for a vehicle to overtake without leaving the lane, and finally moving back over to the left once past the obstacle. Repeat as necessary.

Some good advice on safe cycling here.

Solair · 15-08-2011 10:23PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

One of my favourite things to do on my bike, especially on O'Connell Street, is to go full pelt towards pedestrian lights, when I have the green light of course, and NOT stop when I see lazy ass pedestrians blatantly jaywalking accross the road.

Do all the righteous motorists present think we should bring in new laws to deal with jaywalking?

You realise that if you hit a pedestrian you'll quite likely be sued?

lastlaugh · 15-08-2011 10:23PM

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

If only all cyclists only did it when there was NOBODY around, but this isn't really the case. The Dame St junction (with George's St), for example, when the lights all go green for pedestrians. It seems like ALL cyclists see this as a green light for themselves too. I did see a pedestrian grab a cyclist who was attempting to go through the lights once. That was an argument I enjoyed witnessing.

I use that junction most days and I do not cross it until after the pedestrian lights go Red, if you watch the cyclists who break those Pedestrian lights, most of them are indeed idiots.

I still break the Red light though, to get a head start on the traffic behind me. Is this such a bad thing?!

lastlaugh · 15-08-2011 10:26PM

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

What are the old laws?

Can't say I know tbh, nobody seems to give a flying fook about them from what I see everyday.

lastlaugh · 15-08-2011 10:27PM

Solair wrote: »

You realise that if you hit a pedestrian you'll quite likely be sued?

Can a jaywalker sue a cyclist if they are hit?

I'd better make sure I give them a good bang so.

Dionysus · 15-08-2011 10:29PM

recylingbin wrote: »

PEOPLE WHO PAY FOR ROADS USING ROADS SHOCKA!

1) The caps are retarded.

2) And there you have it: "transport system" immediately translated as "roads". Heaven forfend that cyclists (of course no drivers also cycle; we can't have that sort of complexity), pedestrians and huge numbers of public transport users could have a claim on the "transport system" of Ireland's cities by virtue of their taxes to the same state. Nope, the "transport system" in Irish cities is all just "roads" for car users. :rolleyes:

Arrantly silly stuff indeed.

15-08-2011 10:30PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

Can a jaywalker sue a cyclist if they are hit?

Yup. If it can be shown that you did not do everything in your power to avoid them. Bombing past them with inches to spare does not count as doing everything in your power to avoid them.

Toby Take a Bow · 15-08-2011 10:30PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

I use that junction most days and I do not cross it until after the pedestrian lights go Red, if you watch the cyclists who break those Pedestrian lights, most of them are indeed idiots.

I still break the Red light though, to get a head start on the traffic behind me. Is this such a bad thing?!

You must be one of the cyclists I see who don't break the pedestrian lights, so.

If you're breaking the red light, from what I'm understanding you'd be infringing on the pedestrians, no? (I may have this wrong from my understanding of this junction).

lastlaugh wrote: »

Can't say I know tbh, nobody seems to give a flying fook about them from what I see everyday.

I'm not sure if it's a myth, but as far as I know there are no laws against jay walking.

15-08-2011 10:32PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Well there's your problem. Safe cycling involves spotting an obstacle early, moving right well ahead of it while keeping an eye over your right shoulder for traffic approaching from the rear, taking control of the lane as you go past the obstacle, if there is insufficient room left for a vehicle to overtake without leaving the lane, and finally moving back over to the left once past the obstacle. Repeat as necessary.

Some good advice on safe cycling here.

Have you cycled in Drogheda?

A road I commonly cycle on is the Rathmullen Road. There are so many holes and cracks and lumps and bumps that you'd never safely navigate it from a distance. It's like Tetris. As you pass one hazard another is coming right after it. You don't have time to think about it or plan it, you just try to get round it before you end up in it.

BostonB · 15-08-2011 10:34PM

Wolflikeme wrote: »

I get annoyed because I'm sick of hearing cyclists (like you) saying they always obey the lights when I've actually only ever, EVER witnessed it a couple of times.

Stop following me around so...

15-08-2011 10:34PM

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

I'm not sure if it's a myth, but as far as I know there are no laws against jay walking.

Not like there are in America, no. However it is illegal to cross the road:

a)within 15m of a pedestrian crossing (you must use the crossing)

b)when you have a red man at a pedestrian crossing.

I often hear people saying things such as "look at yer man jaywalking there" about a person crossing a road at a place other than a pedestrian crossing. They can cross wherever they want (as long as there isn't a pedestrian crossing within 15m).

wild_cat · 15-08-2011 10:34PM

I don't cycle myself so I'm unbiased. But I've read several articles where it states that in most cases its actually safer for the cyclist to break a red light.

Especially when around lorries.

Here's one such article.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1695668.ece

A quick google brings up a tonne more.

I do support cycling due to its un-detrimental effects on the environment. But I've seen and heard so many horror stores. Like people getting doored, drivers swerving towards cyclists on purpose, pedestrians walking in cycle lanes that I'd never do it.

Finnbar01 · 15-08-2011 10:36PM

Emiko wrote: »

It's a nightmare to cycle what with all the junkies and dole-scroungers in your way.

Run 'em over then.

Liam Byrne · 15-08-2011 10:37PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

Can't say I know tbh, nobody seems to give a flying fook about them from what I see everyday.

Must try that attitude towards ignorant cyclists next time.........

Can someone clarify this, actually.......if an idiot on a bike results in him landing on my bonnet, can I sue them for the damage to the bonnet ?

seanbmc · 15-08-2011 10:40PM

They do it on pedestrian lights too, I've lost count the amount of times I've almost been hit by a cylclist breaking pedestrian lights.

And they look at you as if you're in the wrong when you confront them over it.

Cianos · 15-08-2011 10:40PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Well there's your problem. Safe cycling involves spotting an obstacle early, moving right well ahead of it while keeping an eye over your right shoulder for traffic approaching from the rear, taking control of the lane as you go past the obstacle, if there is insufficient room left for a vehicle to overtake without leaving the lane, and finally moving back over to the left once past the obstacle. Repeat as necessary.

I'd really love to see some of the road planners and councilmen cycling in a variety of conditions to see how well they'd do with these guidelines.

Really, the safest way to cycle is to take up the entire lane and force the cars behind you to drive at your speed. Because that's the only way you're definitely not going to get nudged in to the kerb, or clipped by a wing mirror as you're trying to avoid a gaping pothole, or end up under a car when your wheel bounces off a pothole that you couldn't see in the rain.

I agree that plenty of cyclists take liberties on the roads, but plenty of motorists take no precautions whatsoever as regards cyclists.

lastlaugh · 15-08-2011 10:41PM

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

You must be one of the cyclists I see who don't break the pedestrian lights, so.

If you're breaking the red light, from what I'm understanding you'd be infringing on the pedestrians, no? (I may have this wrong from my understanding of this junction).

I wait for the litlle Red man to appear, once he is there I feel I have the right to start off, although some people will still just amble accross.

There is about 10secs between the man turning Red and the light to turn right goes green. This is the light I break.

I have had a few near misses both through my own and motorists fault over the lasr few years, but once you know the order the lights change, you can determine what is 'safe' to break...

The Left Hand Of God · 15-08-2011 10:42PM

This year so far at the same junction on the Nangor road I have nearly knocked down two cyclists who broke a red light.

If I miss another one I will not be a happy bunny :mad:

wild_cat · 15-08-2011 10:44PM

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Must try that attitude towards ignorant cyclists next time.........

Can someone clarify this, actually.......if an idiot on a bike results in him landing on my bonnet, can I sue them for the damage to the bonnet ?

I presume its the same case if an idiot driver doors a cyclist and damages their bike.

lastlaugh · 15-08-2011 10:45PM

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Must try that attitude towards ignorant cyclists next time.........

Can someone clarify this, actually.......if an idiot on a bike results in him landing on my bonnet, can I sue them for the damage to the bonnet ?

Imagine that, your poor bonnet.

You seem like the type who would check to see if your precious car was alright before the cyclist you just ran into.

Sad really.

Toby Take a Bow · 15-08-2011 10:47PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Not like there are in America, no. However it is illegal to cross the road:

a)within 15m of a pedestrian crossing (you must use the crossing)

b)when you have a red man at a pedestrian crossing.

I often hear people saying things such as "look at yer man jaywalking there" about a person crossing a road at a place other than a pedestrian crossing. They can cross wherever they want (as long as there isn't a pedestrian crossing within 15m).

Never knew that about the specifics, good to know. I guess it makes sense in Ireland not to have such strict anti jay walking laws as you may get stuck on a city block with no traffic lights. Maybe stuck there forever.

lastlaugh wrote: »

I wait for the litlle Red man to appear, once he is there I feel I have the right to start off, although some people will still just amble accross.

There is about 10secs between the man turning Red and the light to turn right goes green. This is the light I break.

I have had a few near misses both through my own and motorists fault over the lasr few years, but once you know the order the lights change, you can determine what is 'safe' to break...

Ah, fair enough. If there's a red man for the pedestrians, I (personally) would say the pedestrians can't really complain.

"Invincible" cyclists breaking traffic lights

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