Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson - Once Bitten Twice Shy 1975 promo STEREO SOUND - YouTube

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At about 8:30 last night I saw a girl with no lights, no helmet and dark clothing jump every red between Waterloo and Camberwell including E&C roundabout. Called her out on the lights when I nearly hit her due to her inability to utilise roundabout lanes correctly, she didn't seem particularly bothered.

This morning, I'm sitting in primary at the lights, waiting to turn left and then pretty immediately turn right. The cab behind me is turning left.
I signal, before the lights go green for us.

Some stupid-ass-bitchin'-idiot-hybrid-basket-nodder-lady on left behind me, undercuts me to turn left, cutting me off. "Woah what the fuck!?"
Who turns right from the left gutter, whilst next to a cab who is turning left?
Who undercuts when I clearly indicated my path, WHO!?!
Have you considered cycle training?

Oh also what's with the people wearing fluro vests with the slogans like "THINK BIKE" or have "SPACE FOR CYCLING" on them, who don't have lights and ride like absolute idiots. Is that an in-joke? is that irony?

I to have seen amny , many cyclists without lights this year. Normally I put it down to being 'caught out' by the clocks going forward/backward or whatever they did but that was weeks ago. Still loads out there and I do wonder what they are thinking.

I wonder whether they think because they can see the road, thanks to street lights etc as they wobble along at 10 mph, everyone else can see them just as well? Either way it causes me some stress when I see them, them and the dick heads undertaking - yes you on the red spesialized road bike this morning - or trying to undertake left indicating HGVs just near Vauxhall bridge the night before last.

I can't work out if you are all really fucking thick or just anti social.

Phaart lights are £4. You can get lights in QD or Poundstretcher stores for less than a fiver. Makes no sense.

It's amazing how little money many people are willing to spend on a bike (and an activity) on which their lives depend. You hear their brakes screaming, their drivetrain clanking, and to us it's a death rattle. To them, it's the sound of prudence. Insane.

I've said it before, sorry for repeating, but I saw a chap on a Via Nerone at 9pm with no lights. Spend a grand on a bike and nothing on lights?

It's amazing how little money many people are willing to spend on a bike (and an activity) on which their lives depend. You hear their brakes screaming, their drivetrain clanking, and to us it's a death rattle. To them, it's the sound of prudence. Insane.

To me its an inexpensive horn...

It does advertise suicidal tendencies, which may clear the road a bit.

£2.99 sports direct front/back light elastic tethered set. Bright as and waterproof, great to have as an emergency or just buy 10 and light yourself up. Its actually cheaper to buy more sets of these than replacement batteries. I have mine along with my big-boy lights. I'm like a Christmas tree out there.

Its too easy to stop at the shops and buy a set of lights/batteries. Tape a friggin torch on if you have to. Is your life worth less that £3? I pose this question to you, kerb-hugging, undertaking, non-indicating, uneducated, wobble-riding, oblivious nodders.

Got shouted at by a copper this morning at Aldgate junction with Commercial road for moving out the box and stopping in front of the box and line. Fair enough I hear you say, should have been fined.

The bus was half way into the box and when I told the copper this he said I should be waiting on the side next to the bus. there was a foot of space there and with a left turn coming up I did not feel safe pegged in there. So I told the copper this and also told him I felt much safer where I was especially with all the accidents involving large vehicles and left turns.

He left me to it.

phew! i for one am glad the police are out there in force letting people on bikes know how to behave on the roads. you know, for safety!

Sat behind a tipper truck northbound at the Camberwell/Albany road junction where poor Mr Muzira died. Muppet ducked though small gap I had stupidly left and tried to go inside the lorry. He had to slam on the anchors as the truck moved thankfully.

Pointed out to him the error of his ways and that there had a been a tragic fatality just yards away due to a tipper truck incident.

There are few things more satisfying cycling in London traffic than preventing people riding down the gap between a vehicle and the kerb. The more ridiculous angle you have to put your bike at to stop them, the better.

I will try the blocking technique and see how it goes. People often undertake me as I wait behind an hgv. I put it down to them not using clipless pedals and having greater ease of scoot.

Oh also what's with the people wearing fluro vests with the slogans like "THINK BIKE" or have "SPACE FOR CYCLING" on them, who don't have lights and ride like absolute idiots. Is that an in-joke? is that irony?

So much this. I once asked a bloke in Whitechapel whether he wore all that hi viz so we could all see what a giant bellend he was. He wasn't best pleased. The curb scooting viz brigade seem the most militant too.

The curb scooting viz brigade

such this

I don't normally cycle through Vauxhall bridge area at rush hour (South to North) but did today and was in awe of the fuckwittery. When it's dark, wet and busy it's crazy some cyclists don't adjust their riding.

I think it's the lack of engagement with the environment that scares me the most, just everyone in their bubble. As one 4x4 driver so succinctly put it to me recently when I shouted as he brushed past me in particularly lazy overtaking manoeuvre... "What's the matter, you're not dead are you?". I can't even begin to retort to cuntish logic like that.

shit i'm doing it wrong. I need to die more often.

Crazy people I saw tonight...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlsyb2NAIrw&feature=youtu.be

Seriously there are some idiots on the road at the moment. Why are people so fucking impatient!! Track standing with about 40cm between myself an the next guy, front wheel on the white line at a red light and some women comes squeezing through, then gave me a dirty, surprised look when I called her out.

Also I am really unconvinced on the benefit of the ASL box sometimes and think it causes more problems and danger. People just cannot wait inline... The same guy this morning would over take and several others overtake during moving traffic. Stop at the ASL as the first person there, then he comes up on the outside positioning himself in the middle of the outside line. This is no fucking safer or quicker and just pisses everyone off. Cars get annoyed because some nodder is doing 10mph in the outside lane and cyclists get pissed off because you are forced to either undertake, not a prescribed method of passing or wait for him to sort his shit out and get back into the inside line, before going passed on the outside for the nth number of times.

Also banksmen were directing a tipper into the old magistrates court on Old st, stopping traffic, why is it so hard to wait for 30sec-a min politely for them to do this, rather than trying to scoot around or mounting the pavement and cycling down that. Yes, on the pavement probably isn't hurting anyone physically but it is damaging to the cause of lobbying for more safety around bikes. If you seriously cannot wait get of a fucking walk.

Rant over, but there are a lot of people who are not helping their own safety and not helping cyclist gain respect from other road users.

sounds like a right shower or arses, but respect can >>>>>>>

i am no more responsible for the actions of the next person who happens to be on a bike than i am responsible for the next person who happens to be wearing green socks.

What's more worrying and worthy of calling out is the notion that in some people's minds, and i'm referring specifically to those in vehicles, folks on bikes subscribe to some sort of hive mind that needs to behave before they are deemed worthy being accommodated on the roads.

+1 for calling out the mongs tho.

Is it time to start calling out bad sock wearers?

^^ Calling myself out then.

Seriously don't comprehend the no lights thing - last night it seemed 5 out of 10 riders had little to no lighting. A few weeks ago I got caught out, all lights dead. Was so paranoid even for a short ride I went to the local co-op and bought a packet of LED light up balloons and a torch. Taped the balloons to my back and the torch to the front. Got funny looks, but I'm pretty sure I was seen. It's not that hard people!
Also, pic to prove the ridiculous balloon lights.

Boris Biker out of his saddle sprinting off every lights this morning... shouted "Go on Chris Hoy" after the third time seeing this - got an earful of abuse for it. Hiiiilarious.

So are you calling out yourself here?

+1 on scooterhating, I always hang back except for one junction where I have the timing down enough to not have to stop as such.

Also I'm quite defensive so I'll take primary anf try and 'fill' out my back so I don't usually get undertook(sp) by morons only overtaken by the elite ;)

Also I am really unconvinced on the benefit of the ASL box sometimes and think it causes more problems and danger.

Word.