RLJ (Red Light Jumping). (The definitive bikeradar thread)

Oh, Andy.

Anyway its all bollocks

Statistics can be used to prove anything, 75% of all people know that.

Rules are for idiots, people mentioning speeding as a comparable offence are correct in a way. Not that I'm condoning RLJ'ing but in some cases getting away first is a smart idea but only due to the piss poor mentality and ability of the majority of road users, its this same mentality that sparks the cyclist hating fire when they see RLJ'ers due to their ignorance. Looking at speeding, again not that i condone it there is a time and a place which is where a little common sense should prevail but as the majority of road users are idiots we need speed limits. 4am on a nice wide road it isn't necessarily reckless the break the speed limit by a small margin if said road is out of town. On the other hand, in town where there are pubs/clubs, schools and houses 30mph is more than enough and speeding in these areas is un acceptable as it puts people at risk.

It's a grey area but cyclists get picked up on it because they are an easy target and motorists feel victimised due to high taxation and ever rising fuel costs. It happens all the time and has done throughout history to different groups of society, end of the day the car is dying out much to the governments and modern societies dismay. It's just bitterness.

... throwing stones at an easy target, knowing full well that it will stir up emotive reactions, about an issue that has no fundamental impact on anyone.

Which they then disingenuously misrepresent the shit out of.

Rules are for idiots, people mentioning speeding as a comparable offence are correct in a way. Not that I'm condoning RLJ'ing but in some cases getting away first is a smart idea but only due to the piss poor mentality and ability of the majority of road users, its this same mentality that sparks the cyclist hating fire when they see RLJ'ers due to their ignorance. Looking at speeding, again not that i condone it there is a time and a place which is where a little common sense should prevail but as the majority of road users are idiots we need speed limits. 4am on a nice wide road it isn't necessarily reckless the break the speed limit by a small margin if said road is out of town.....

Oh like that Norwich based detective Swallow?
Swallow is a detective who tackles vandalism. Bit of a maverick, not afraid to break the law if he thinks it's necessary. He's not a criminal, you know, but he will, perhaps, travel 80mph on the motorway if, for example, he wants to get somewhere quickly...

I believe the children are our future...
That too.

And that love makes the world go round.

I wasn't trying to sound stuck up or righteous but to differentiate between my personal view and a statement of fact.

So we cannot win.

No, we can. Remember that stuff like this essentially happens because cycling is still a minority activity that's not 'normal'. The more public discussions are had about it, the better. It gives you a chance to address the points. If you have a vision in which cycling is a perfectly respectable activity, blunting all the common prejudices against it, what have you got to lose?

There's still a great deficit in cycling skills in this country, which, after all, hasn't really cycled much for decades, so it's only natural that we need to improve knowledge and awareness, e.g. through cycle training, and that, of course takes a bit of patience. And yes, there are too many traffic signals (often only implemented because they're easier to model in computer models, but actually rather pointless and inflexible), many of which should be replaced by zebra crossings. Cycling, like most activities, is most enjoyable if you do it well, and overcoming social avelopia is actually a very pleasant task.

http://www.owntheroad.cc/

For accuracy's sake, can we please change the thread title to 'Institute of Advanced Motorists does not find most cyclists jump red lights' or 'Institute of Advanced Motorists dishonestly claims most cyclists jump red lights'.

Moderators thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

No, we can. Remember that stuff like this essentially happens because cycling is still a minority activity that's not 'normal'. The more public discussions are had about it, the better. It gives you a chance to address the points. If you have a vision in which cycling is a perfectly respectable activity, blunting all the common prejudices against it, what have you got to lose?

There's still a great deficit in cycling skills in this country, which, after all, hasn't really cycled much for decades, so it's only natural that we need to improve knowledge and awareness, e.g. through cycle training, and that, of course takes a bit of patience. And yes, there are too many traffic signals (often only implemented because they're easier to model in computer models, but actually rather pointless and inflexible), many of which should be replaced by zebra crossings. Cycling, like most activities, is most enjoyable if you do it well, and overcoming social avelopia is actually a very pleasant task.

http://www.owntheroad.cc/

Is there somewhere/someone we can write to about lights that basically encourage people to jump them? There are two which I rarely see people waiting for, mostly down to design.
a) The one on Shoreditch High St outside Tesco is ridiculous - it seems to be red more than green with only a short green man phase ie. there is a very long 'blank' phase for the ped. signal in which nothing happens at all.
b) the bicycle crossing light heading north on Queen St (crossing Queen Victoria St) - after you press the button it cycles through all the other phases before you, to the effect that I'm waiting 3-4 minutes and then have to dodge peds jumping my green!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjvQFtlNQ-M

and merge and one and two and three and merge and one and two and three and..

Oh like that Norwich based detective Swallow?
Swallow is a detective who tackles vandalism. Bit of a maverick, not afraid to break the law if he thinks it's necessary. He's not a criminal, you know, but he will, perhaps, travel 80mph on the motorway if, for example, he wants to get somewhere quickly...

It will soon be legal to do 80mph on the motorway...

Isn't there something happening in paris where cyclists are allowed to RLJ at certain junctions?

That too.

And that love makes the world go round.

I wasn't trying to sound stuck up or righteous but to differentiate between my personal view and a statement of fact.

:P

Jus'trollin

:P

Trolling you say? What's that then?

Seriously though, my troll-dar (just like my sarcasm-dar, gay-dar, irony-dar etc.) isn't anything to write home about.

:P

Just in case no-one saw this;

http://yellownews.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=6100&DateTime=5%2F15%2F2012+7%3A37%3A42+AM&LineNumber=&MediaStationID=6100&playclip=True&RefPage

There's some craaazy-talk in there.... "our spices them", "hooodoo do"?????
but absolutely true. I would only consider jumping a red if it was to get away from teh Sainsburys truck bearing down on me like something out of duel (or perhaps Christine, if a car)...

Or you could simply wait behind the aforementioned truck.

Assuming it was there first.

87% of our members are drivers, and 87% have an opinion on RLJ'ing. 13%sit behind trucks in waiting, while 87% don't believe them as they've long gone and no evidence supports said trucks existence.

NB - 38.3% of my keyboard was used in the making of this utterly useless post.

I always stop at the lights no matter what, and sometimes I even forgo trackstanding and let my feet touch the ground (shock horror!).

For jumping a red light (turning left with no traffic)

Anyway the dude who stopped me let me off on the basis of my honesty (I stuck up for another cyclist who got stopped with me but hadn't actually jumped the light). However he did say that there is an "initiative" to stop cyclists from jumping the lights through £30 on the spot fines.

Don't know if anyone's mentioned this already? Definitely worth being careful though, especially around central.

I always stop at the lights no matter what

I only do it if they're red.

I only do it if they're red.

Naturally.

Simply.

Simply.

I was going to do what I imagined to be an EPIC JOKE LOLOLOLOL as a quote to this post and was chuckling away heartily to myself until I realised that I do, ipso facto, see what you did there and thus managed to save myself from looking a right tit. Probably for the first time ever.

Ross noble just put red light jumpers in room 101. End thread.
^ I only just saw this episode. Ross Noble Tries to Banish Cycling Commuters - Room 101 - Episode 4 - BBC One - YouTube

He also disses recumbents. Have never understood the appeal of those.