Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

^ I had the opposite problem, a absolutely nutter of a 'hipster' cyclist riding the wrong way under the Canning town flyover with no lights! almost rammed into him becuase of his stupidity.

He stopped a few feet short of the curb...

Matt, I am srsly disappoint.

Oof, fair enough, and I'd already corrected it from my original spelling of cerb. I need another cup of tea to wake me up and give me renewed vigour to fight off the insidious creep of American cultural imperialism.

Lady on Shoreditch High Street, mounted on a Brompton, I am disapoint.

I got called out by a pedestrian this morning, while stopped at a red light. "It's still red you know!" he yelled while pointing at the lights. I'm getting confused now.

You were stopped and he shouted at you?

I know that I noticed a change in peds on crossings when I was flipping back and forth between fixed and single speed and found that when you're riding fixed, what they see is that you're pedalling right up to the lights - even if you're actually slowing down. When you're freewheeling, it gives the appearance that you're probably about to stop.

I've been on the ped end of this before and unless you're watching the cyclist the whole way, it does look like the fixed gear cyclist is riding through the lights, when you see them coming out of the corner of your eye.

But stopped? That's either a nutter, or maybe he thought you were about to set off through a red. If he was a nutter, just be thankful he didn't stab you with his umbrella or something.

Oof, fair enough, and I'd already corrected it from my original spelling of cerb. I need another cup of tea to wake me up and give me renewed vigour to fight off the insidious creep of American cultural imperialism.

You need some carbs in you or you'll fall apart.

Why does the media continue to describe cycle transport and the associated safety as a 'debate'? There's not that much to discuss in all reality.

Yes, what there is is fairly typical majority-minority behaviour. Some in the majority discriminate against the minority because it's a minority. Some in the minority are made nervous by this and want to somehow see both sides of both sides, as in the Karmarama disaster. Some in the minority fight, fight, fight.

And, wow, that cached site, which I didn't see yesterday, is truly mind-bogglingly bad. I mean, I've heard of advertisers deliberately seeking to provoke a reaction just to get attention no matter what, but this one can only be people not_thinking_things_through.

You need some carbs in you or you'll fall apart.

Karbs FFS.

You were stopped and he shouted at you?
Stopped for a long time, one foot standing on a traffic island. Just copping flack for the fuckwit who preceded me I think.

Seems like a bit of a consensus on calling out cyclists-gone-bad.

What about if you see a cyclist at night with no lights? Worth shouting something, if seems safe to do so?

One evening I was racing against sundown to get home from work and didn't have any lights. A white van pulls up beside me as we're moving down a mostly empty road, winds down window, and bald-headed passenger leans out to say "where are your lights, you c*nt"

Wanted to slash his tires but he did have a point...he's stayed with me that man all these years, and I remember him whenever I'm setting out without lights and it might get dark (and usually take some with me).

Justification for such shock therapy?

At this time of year you shouldn't be setting out without lights. Have them on the bike as standard, removing them if the bike is locked up on the street for a while.

Definitely legitimate to remind a bikeist that they should have lights. Adding "You cunt" perhaps less so. Unless the rider is a cunt, of course.

I was heading home last night and 3 riders coming the opposite direction, none of which had lights on a busy but not super well litl back road had no lights...... When I chirped up, 'Lights chaps' I was sternly reprimanded as they were Ladies......Any point I was trying to make got lost somehow.........

Well, I could'nt see, last time I was in the dark with a lady that did'nt go well either - gettingitwrong.......

When I chirped up, 'Lights chaps' I was sternly reprimanded as they were Ladies......Any point I was trying to make got lost somehow.........

If they'd had lights you wouldn't have mistaken them for men. Point still stands.

Honestly can't wait for the weather to worsen to get rid of my nodder hell every morning.
Every. Single. Day. there'll be someone on an MTB/Single Speed with no rear brake that insists on pulling in front of me at every set of lights down Camberwell New Road, forcing me to pull out into traffic to get past them. Camberwell Green and Oval junctions are particular hotspots for this behaviour.

Stop it. Unless you're faster than me (you're probably not, definitely not on that shit heap, anyway) just wait behind and stop putting my life in danger.

Also today PCSO's on the Hyde Park cycle lane drag strip (strava) riding very slowly and THREE a breast. THREE.
Gave them a little "seriously guys? Three a breast?" but was too scared to wait for a reaction. Tough as nails me.

What about if you see a cyclist at night with no lights? Worth shouting something, if seems safe to do so?

Depends what you want it to, or think it will, achieve. I recently cycled home without a front light having forgotten to move it from one bike to the other (I have 2 back lights for my 2 bikes because I am fancy). I was coming back from working at a cycling-safety event and wasn't entirely upset that no fellow cyclists called me out on it.
I don't recommend cycling without lights but in central London it's not the most dangerous thing you can do, as, I believe, statistics on collisions show. Added to other risky ways of cycling of course it will have more of an effect.
That's leaving aside the irony of people commenting on seeing cyclists who are riding without lights.

Depends what you want it to, or think it will, achieve. I recently cycled home without a front light having forgotten to move it from one bike to the other (I have 2 back lights for my 2 bikes because I am fancy). I was coming back from working at a cycling-safety event and wasn't entirely upset that no fellow cyclists called me out on it.
I don't recommend cycling without lights but in central London it's not the most dangerous thing you can do, as, I believe, statistics on collisions show. Added to other risky ways of cycling of course it will have more of an effect.
That's leaving aside the irony of people commenting on seeing cyclists who are riding without lights.

I've called out people this week who seem to be oblivious to how invisible they are. Usually people cycling very slowly on MTBs/Sit up and begs in South London on pretty big roads. I honestly think they don't know how dangerous they're being, but I suspect that for some of these people this is the least of their worries.
I'll also have a polite word with 'proper cyclists' who have low batteries, or, like a guy last night, had simply forgotten to turn his rear light on.

There's no need to be aggressive about it, but I think some people do need reminding about things that seem so obvious.

I had to call out a Hi-Vis speed demon this morning. Tavistock Place (A fairly habitual chasm of fucknodderwhittery behaviour)
Hi Vis fucktard has been tailing everyone in the cycle lane, and at a Zebra crossing just spins through, virtually taking out two Lady peds. The way he just kept going infferred he had no realisation of what he'd just done so in a moment of clarity, moderate grumpiness caught up and called him out

Me 'You realise you nearly hit two women back there?'

HVr 'Sorry, I shan't do it again - I was'nt looking' - Admission, granted he'd made a mistake but man enough to apologise.

What I did'nt expect from behind me
(imagine full squeaky voice, slightly adonoided, and female, very cockney)
'Are you the police, why can't you just leave us alone, it's victimisation'

When I pointed out that I too was on a bike, and not a policeman, merely pointing out a very near miss to Hi Vis retard
'Yeah, but you're one o them special ones innit'

Lord - Please remove any potential for that gene pool to gain any further momentum

Every. Single. Day. there'll be someone on an MTB/Single Speed with no rear brake that insists on pulling in front of me at every set of lights down Camberwell New Road, forcing me to pull out into traffic to get past them. Camberwell Green and Oval junctions are particular hotspots for this behaviour.

Hehe, glad this narks someone else off as much as me.

I had to call out a Hi-Vis speed demon this morning. Tavistock Place (A fairly habitual chasm of fucknodderwhittery behaviour)
Hi Vis fucktard has been tailing everyone in the cycle lane, and at a Zebra crossing just spins through, virtually taking out two Lady peds. The way he just kept going infferred he had no realisation of what he'd just done so in a moment of clarity, moderate grumpiness caught up and called him out

Me 'You realise you nearly hit two women back there?'

HVr 'Sorry, I shan't do it again - I was'nt looking' - Admission, granted he'd made a mistake but man enough to apologise.

What I did'nt expect from behind me
(imagine full squeaky voice, slightly adonoided, and female, very cockney)
'Are you the police, why can't you just leave us alone, it's victimisation'

When I pointed out that I too was on a bike, and not a policeman, merely pointing out a very near miss to Hi Vis retard
'Yeah, but you're one o them special ones innit'

Lord - Please remove any potential for that gene pool to gain any further momentum

Made me chuckle...

Guy cycling whilst texting over Vauxhall Bridge this evening. Plumb.
Slowed me down and stopped me smashing my 'Vauxhall Bridge Southbound' PR on Strava (yeah, trying to beat PR's is dangerous, I know, bad cyclist etc).

I had to call out a Hi-Vis speed demon this morning. Tavistock Place (A fairly habitual chasm of fucknodderwhittery behaviour)
Hi Vis fucktard has been tailing everyone in the cycle lane, and at a Zebra crossing just spins through, virtually taking out two Lady peds. The way he just kept going infferred he had no realisation of what he'd just done so in a moment of clarity, moderate grumpiness caught up and called him out

Me 'You realise you nearly hit two women back there?'

HVr 'Sorry, I shan't do it again - I was'nt looking' - Admission, granted he'd made a mistake but man enough to apologise.

What I did'nt expect from behind me
(imagine full squeaky voice, slightly adonoided, and female, very cockney)
'Are you the police, why can't you just leave us alone, it's victimisation'

When I pointed out that I too was on a bike, and not a policeman, merely pointing out a very near miss to Hi Vis retard
'Yeah, but you're one o them special ones innit'

Lord - Please remove any potential for that gene pool to gain any further momentum

Maybe it was the fact you were done up like this?

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/newsevents/newsevents-pressreleases/ianstation.jpg

Would.

If someone , cyclist or pedestrian , 'reprimanded' me or 'called me out' I'd just tell them to fuck off. Cheeky cunts