This morning's commute and other commuting stories

I think that's a bit too rational.
A lot of drivers think there is actually a requirement to use cycle lanes when one is provided.

Guy yesterday had a go at me for not using CS2 'after "we" spent £100k on it'

Didn't have the heart to tell him it was about 1,000 times that, or the quick wits to point out he was making his young family cross dangerously about 30m from a pedestrian crossing.

No, he was in a grey t-shirt and was Aussie/Kiwi/grumpy.

Guy yesterday had a go at me for not using CS2 'after "we" spent £100k on it'

The guy who yelled the £28m thing at me this morning... to him I pointed out that "we" spend £1m per mile of new road and £50k per year to maintain it.

He was unmoved (until the light changed) by my instant access to duller facts than he possessed.

Silly question... might it be an idea to have some sort of signs (at fairly regular intervals) pointing out that "Cycle lanes are advisory, not compulsory" or something to that effect? I'd imagine a lot of road users - perhaps including some cyclists - would be learning something, and might even end up behaving less twattishly.

I can only remember one punishment pass for not using the ridiculous pavement-based cycle lane along the A21 at Bromley. I could never quite understand the logic of: "You should be using that cycle lane over there, and just to show you how dangerous it is not to, I'm going to drive dangerously close to you on purpose. NOW look what you nearly made me do!" Cunt. (A coach driver as well, therefore supposedly a professional driver? Cunt.)

A lot of drivers think there is actually a requirement to use cycle lanes when one is provided.

I honestly think it's this.

A lot of drivers already think roads were built for cars, and that the road is theirs... now that cycle infrastructure is there they think that this is "ours" and so where that exists the road really is "theirs".

As if we really do have an obligation, not a choice, to use it.

that "Cycle lanes are advisory, not compulsory" or something to that effect?

This isn't helped by painted lanes being officially referred to as advisory or mandatory, depending in whether you can drive and park in them or not.

About once a month I get a proper close punishment pass on priory lane by Richmond park, i assume its motivated by me not using the shitty cycle lane on the pavement. Always makes me think of that tiny nob from Brew cafe and his coke riddled rage...

It's particularly annoying as that cycle lane is only fit for those that are pottering to RP. Even for kids its pretty dangerous as one wobble could splat you off the curb into the oncoming traffic. Just bad all round really.

Wouldn't optional be better than advisory?

I think that's a bit too rational.
You're in their way (regardless of the fact that traffic is almost always heavy enough that they'll be sat waiting as you filter into the distance).

I used to get abused weekly for not riding on the Tavistock one even though you had to wait ages for the lights and I was turning right further on.

Yes, it would. :)

I think that's a bit too rational.

/thread

/every thread

For what it's worth I use the cycle lane between St George's circus up to Farringdon st and have experienced nearly every outcome of using/not using the "optional" bike lanes.

At first i couldn't stand it and went back to using the road which as others have described went down like a shit sandwich. So i went back to the lanes and spent the next few weeks narrowly avoiding peds that haven't figured out how to walk/stop yet. My irritation then moved onto to the Rugby short mafia smashing it on their reflectored bikes endlessly moving into the opposite lane and cutting people up to get to rowing practise as fast as possible.

But recently i have found my zen on the cycle paths and basically go as fast/slow as common sense permits and it's fucking great. Timing my rides i've found a slow section on the lanes rarely changes my commute time as i save some gas for the fast road sections.

I've seen the state of the west london lanes and the infamous Aussie in a gimp jacket yelling at a cyclist for not using the lanes and personally i wouldn't use them either. But for the new areas and i'm sure many would disagree i do feel obliged to make use of them. There's so much shit feeling on the road between all users its seems like a small ask to help quash some of that beef.

Embankment cycle lane is bollocks. Find an alternate route. Find your own alternate route though, yeah?

Generally sooo lovely out there this week. Half term I assume (I don't have sprogs so no idea). Been using the Greenwich foot tunnel most days, which is something of a change for me. Interesting bellendery by some promuters, but I like how it's cool when the weather above is insane, so I don't mind clopping along in my cleats for five minutes. The radio at the cafe at the north exit informs my ear worm and subsequent breathing pattern for the remaining journey. Last night it was Young Americans by Bowie. 9/10 would breathlessly hum again.

Half term I assume (I don't have sprogs so no idea).

Summer holidays. Children off school until early September.

But recently i have found my zen on the cycle paths and basically go as fast/slow as common sense permits and it's fucking great.

Pretty much this is key to cycle lane enjoyment.

Ah yeah! Course. It's almost August isn't it.

My irritation then moved onto to the Rugby short mafia smashing it on their reflectored bikes endlessly moving into the opposite lane and cutting people up to get to rowing practise as fast as possible.

I LOLd

"Aaaaaaaa-aalright!" ...and breathe.

But seriously... the existence of cycle infrastructure does not create a legal obligation to use it.

Not in this country yet, and hopefully unlikely given certain liberal legal traditions, but there have already been attempts in the past to move the Highway Code closer to such compulsion (fought off by the CTC each time).

It's always worth emphasising that in the countries most known for segregated cycle tracks (e.g., the Netherlands, Denmark), cycling in the carriageway is not permitted where a track exists. Officially, this is supposed to apply only to tracks that are clearly parallel to a given alignment, but seemingly in practice this can be bent; friends have told me that they were ordered off the carriageway by police in the Netherlands to use a path that ran at quite some distance to the road they were on, and which they hadn't even seen.

Another illustration may be of interest. In Germany, things have gone somewhat in the other direction, fortunately. The StVO (sort-of equivalent to the Highway Code, although a proper legal instrument and not a partially advisory compendium) has been revised in several stages to ensure that the 'duty to use cycle paths' can only be imposed in exceptional circumstances. I believe it took campaigners decades to secure this revision. Authorities at first largely ignored it for 14 years until a test case (which itself took seven years) was finally settled in the Federal Administrative Court in January 2011. It confirmed the rule changes. Progress on removing the official orders to use each individual sidepath is still glacial, though, despite a clear judgement by the highest administrative court in the country. Needless to say, there as here many drivers still assume that one has to use sidepaths, even if the orders (and signs erected as a consequence) defining them, which persist in many/probably most places, have technically become unlawful.

Simply put, once cyclists lose their right to ride in the carriageway, they'll either never get it back or it'll take a long fight to claw some of it back.

I think we should be considering a dedicated lane for squirrels. A SSH - squirrel super highway. The frequency of these sad incidents is alarmingly high. Only recently I had to swerve around a grey chap who did that doubling back thing when I thought he was clear to go. I've done some research into a SSH and it's not straightforward. Apparently reds and greys must be kept apart - it all kicks off if they have to share.

rats with bushy tails.

Exactly.

"Young Americans" (breathe)
"Young Americans" (breathe)