Do we have to use cycle lanes if they're there?

I saw a cyclist at a light who had to explain to a black cab driver why he was not using the cycle lane (the shit bit on Queenstown Road to Chelsea Bridge with a bus stop, pot holes, trees and road signs in the middle of it). He laughed at the driver's silly question and said "it is very dirty like you I prefer to use the smooth road".

Did he mean "It is very dirty. Like you, I prefer to use the smooth road."

Or did he mean "It is very dirty, like you. I prefer to use the smooth road."

?

I presumed it was the second.

badly informed taxi driver trying to hoist his opinions on someone else? Who'd have thought it...

There's a stunning cycle lane in raynes park, it's about a hundred yards long (if that) and has a car park entrance, several street signs, bollards, a zebra crossing, entrance to a bottle bank and most wonderfully a bus stop along it's length!

http://www.mertoncyclists.talktalk.net/rpct.htm

velcro this should help with the rage

http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/facility-of-the-month/

you simply must use Londons finest bicycle lane. seats 6, option to hire it for business lunches.

Looks absolutely fabulous darling.

I like the added feature that the drain runs right underneath the table so I could piss myself while eating lunch .

You should always try to get their numbers and report them to the local constabulary. Make sure you emphasise the fact the were driving dangerously and in an intimidating and threatening way, and that they forced you from the road. Make sure you get an incident number. If you do this plod will have to (begrudgingly) track the bastard down and explain the highway code to them. You should always ring back a week later to make sure they have and get the 'We spoke to them, blah blah, evidence blah, blah, no charge blah blah' response. Eventually the drivers will learn to curse you under their breath, but hopefully not actually try to kill you.

you simply must use Londons finest bicycle lane. seats 6, option to hire it for business lunches.

not really a cycle lane though is it?

Cycle lanes are full of the Mary Poppins lot, flowing hair and flip flops, best avoided.
I had a similar instance with a van driver at the Bishopsgate/Great Eastern St junction last week, he forced me into the kerb and then gave me the finger and loadsa verbal, I hence gave chase, as he was obviously in a rush to join the red lights 100 yards up the road, gave his window a wallop and asked if him and his mate were in a rush to spit roast the work placement boy between them, that made him non too happy, but made me feel very proud of my riposte and then I left him in the queue of traffic and carried on unhindered into the west end.

Looks absolutely fabulous darling.

I like the added feature that the drain runs right underneath the table so I could piss myself while eating lunch .

yeah you could, but you may as well nip round the corner and use the cycle lane equipped with a portaloo:

^ I can only see the above as a benefit.

velcro this should help with the rage

http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/facility-of-the-month/

I had a scroll back through the other "cycling facilities of the month" and nearly spat my coffee all over my keyboard. Classic. Cheers Fred

so many cycle lanes leave you in a more dangerous position and encourage people to think that the side of the road is a safe place to be.

in fact they seem to be more of a hazard than benefit. glass/flint etc gets blown to the side of the road so increasing the chances of punctures.

cars often pull out across cycle paths especially when waved accross by other drivers who do not realise that you are effectively filtering up the side

cars will often turn across the paths without looking to see what is next to or behind them

the surface of many cycle paths is terrible, the green asphalt is rubbish compared to black and has a much higher rolling resistance

there is no obligation to use them and frequently you are better off and safer avoiding them.

rant over, am now off to C+

Drivers have been so rude, loud, pushy and fussing over nothing the last couple days, more than usual.....must be the nice weather??? Ive been sticking up for myself and yelling back!! Dunno...maybe its just me??

I like the bike lanes, they give me free way alot of the time......but rude people piss me off.

I've had 'not compulsory to use them/write to Camden council if you want them removed (like I did)/they're a death trap/I was going as fast as you/I am the traffic as much as you are' conversation with a few cabbies and miscellaneous others.

If they've only given you verbal, and you can get a good opportunity to calmly re-educate them, it's worth a go - I've had a few take things on board.

If they start using their vehicle as a weapon, report the shit out of them, or if you can't see the details, use your judgement regarding more drastic measures...

This one's hard to beat. Perhaps it's a place to ride to, in order to watch traffic, before turning round and going home again.

My fave so far

^^^feck!

Oh my!

I think you can see a bike in the canal.

Omg i think your right

Or it could be the reflection of the persons bike who took that picture ?

My fave so far

+1

OK, as has been said by others, no, no cycle facility in this country is compulsory. One of the big benefits we have in this country is that we've retained the political freedom to use the carriageway where there is a parallel cycle 'facility'--this right has been taken away in countries like the Netherlands or Germany.

This is also how I tend to formulate it when challenged by carengers. Putting it in terms of your freedom does tend to make them understand your POV better and more readily.

The other arguments--such as that the segregated farcesillyty in Bloomsbury is badly constructed and hazardous, etc.--tend to be too complicated for a snatched conversation in mid-traffic.

Always stay calm when speaking to drivers about this. Many of them are very poorly informed about traffic law and need education. It is good fun to have your copy of the HC on you to show them the relevant rule that they have just got wrong. They tend to respect that--I was once offered a pint by a random cabbie (had to decline, unfortunately).

To clarify some of the other points that have been made upthread:

(1) The HC is not law. It is written by the Driving Standards Agency and merely references traffic law (the 'MUST/MUST NOT' bits). However, the advisory bits, which are not law ('should/should not' or 'do/do not') can still be used as evidence in court proceedings.

(2) This is why the CTC ran a successful campaign to prevent the 2007 revision of the HC from including advice that would have required cyclists to use facilities 'where provided'. The wrangling over the eventual wording was quite something to behold. It was a massive battle. Threats like this are going to come back and we can't be complacent.

(3) You may also want to look up the case of the 'Telford One', Daniel Cadden, who was prosecuted because he didn't use a parallel sidepath on the opposite side of the road on which he was travelling. He was convicted but the silly judgement overturned quite quickly.

So, yes, take the lane in the carriageway when you need to--you have every right to, unless you're just about to try getting onto a motorway--where the key clue is in the word 'motor'.

The Warrington site is good--and I actually think it's much better than the book, which I found disappointing (although it's still worth buying because proceeds go to the Cyclists' Defence Fund). It's the captions that do it. My own favourite:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/facility-of-the-month/October2006.htm