Cyclists - let's kill them all

[schantist]

The video is legit and taste is really on the bad side...

Thank god nobody died, but if anyone would have been seriously injured the ambulance car would've been obstructed by a bunch of critical mass bikers.

[richard]

Here we go again. On my way to work this morning I have to wait at a very busy dual carriageway. The pedestrian lights turn red, the motorists slow to a halt but the small group of pedestrians doesn't cross. We stand fidgeting nervously because a new, ominous factor has entered the scene - a cyclist.

Or rather two cyclists, who in the brief glimpse I had of them, appeared to be a father and son team.  Dad looks to be in his thirties and sonny about seven or eight.  We hesitate - are they going to stop ? It's perfectly clear that they should  but, no, dad sails through the red light followed by his pride and joy.

Perhaps one day when junior gets torn to pieces by an irate group of walkers whose collective patience has finally reached it's limits or he is pulverised into strawberry jam by some blameless motorist he'll think back and thank Daddy for showing him how big people ride bikes in the real world.

[Elliot]

Well - Yesterday I saw one of our two wheeled friends being arrested for insisting on riding his bike at speed on the pavement down Regent Street on the busiest shopping day of the year.  His expletives to pedestrians before being brought down (literally) by a couple of cops turned to the usual 'victim cyclist' whine when they took him the side of the street to interview him.  Tosser!

[plastercaster]

I wonder how the demographics of cyclists are responsible for their behaviour as a group? I expect much of the worst behaviour from cyclists comes from teenagers. It's well known that 17-21 year old males are the most likely to crash cars, so it makes sense that if you gave them the opportunity, 13-16 year olds would crash even more.
Except 13-16 year olds don't have cars, they have bikes instead. At that age most people's risk-reward brain circuitry is all out of kilter, they're selfish and tend not to consider others so much. That could certainly translate to reckless cycling.
It would be interesting to know the age of some of the cyclists in these horror stories.

[Chris]

That's a good point plastercaster, it would be interesting to know their ages, but also how long they have been cycling too.  I occasionally cycle to work, and recently cycled from Edinburgh to Sunderland for charity.  I was in a group and met a lot of cyclists along the way, and I have to say that if anything I think most cyclists who have been at it for a long time are much more considerate road users than most drivers.  You tend to very quickly develop a respect for the road after the first few motorists nearly knock you flying and you realise how vulnerable you are on two wheels.

[Elliot]

I would say, purely from personal experience, that the majority of problem cyclists I come across in London are males in their early to mid 20s. 

[FELINEGUITARS]

As someone who identifies themselves as a cyclist (although I don't go out as much as I used to on my bike), I feel certain things about the subject and I wish London mayor Boris J (as a cycle fan) would get behind similar ideas and enforce /promote them

1) cyclists should not ride on the pavement - except in a cycle lane
2) police and PCSOs etc should stop kids and grown-ups from cycling on the pavement
3) cyclists should all take a cycling proficiency test - I did mine when I was 11 and have never forgotten what I was taught.
4) cyclists should obey the rules of the road, the same as motorists have to, and get in trouble if they flaunt these rules

[Ian Price]

1) cyclists should not ride on the pavement - except in a cycle lane

Totally agree with this. They council have actually just increased the width of the pavement around the back of my place and it is now a combined cycle/pedestrian route. Both parties can live harmoniously in this space.

I did almost have a near incident with an older guy on a bike yesterday. I was taking my dogs out for a walk and whilst approaching a pavement crossroad I noticed that there was a cyclist approaching from my right and that he would hit the cross road at about the same time as I would. Naturally I slowed down and assumed he would do too. Well my assumption was wrong - not only did he not slow down he also muttered a few things at me when he went past me. Tw@t.

[richard]

Sorry to bring this up again but have a look. It's appalling and in no way do I condone the behaviour of the bus driver but look at the cyclist. He is deliberately driving in front of the bus.  The bus swerves to the right to get round him and the cyclist ALSO swerves to the right presumably still trying to get in front of the bus. Words fail me.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102245/Bus-driver-used-vehicle-weapon-ram-cyclist-road.html

[juansolo]

More of the story here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17069235

Essentially road rage on the part of the bike rider from an earlier incident (also shown), followed by road rage from the bus driver. An overreaction on the bikers part followed by a potentially deadly overreaction by the bus driver. Escalated stupidly quickly to that level. The biker did himself no favours at all (especially when you see the original incident that sparked him off), and could have stopped it escalating at any point. The Bus driver was quite rightly locked up for being a psycho also.

Essentially, road rage=bad.

[Elliot]

Bus drivers are pretty much high up the list of London's nightmare road users, especially now that most London bus drivers seem to be the former non-licensed, non-insured mini cab drivers who used to congregate outside nightclubs in the 90s before there was a licensing clampdown.



 

[_tom_]

17 months is ridiculous for what appears to be attempted murder.

[FredD]

Bus drivers are pretty much high up the list of London's nightmare road users, especially now that most London bus drivers seem to be the former non-licensed, non-insured mini cab drivers who used to congregate outside nightclubs in the 90s before there was a licensing clampdown.



 

Elliot you are an idiot and your 'opinions' should carry no weight at all.

[shobet]

Fight, fight!

[Elliot]

I don't quite get the response - it may be a bit mean to compare some London bus drivers to unlicensed mini cab drivers, but it hardly warrants being reminded that I am an idiot and my opinion counts for nothing at all - which is why I come here... :)