Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

Jaywalking = Crossing the road

No, 'jaywalking' is a derogatory term that is specifically used to cast aspersions on pedestrians crossing the street, especially with reference to places where that's not permitted by law. Crossing the street away from a pedestrian crossing is perfectly lawful in this country.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking[/ame]

Please make the point over and over again if your friends talk about 'jaywalking'. It's a very important point and has to be re-explained all the time. We are very lucky that this freedom still exists in this country.

This is only made possible by the fact we can Stop, Look And Listen.

only thing that separates us from hedgehogs...

Ha, well you say that Hatbeard but I hear they are learning too...

No, they didn't. There is no such thing in this country. The cyclist's actions are utterly reprehensible. What an arsehole.
Well said Oliver.

No, 'jaywalking' is a derogatory term that is specifically used to cast aspersions on pedestrians crossing the street, especially with reference to places where that's not permitted by law. Crossing the street away from a pedestrian crossing is perfectly lawful in this country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking

Please make the point over and over again if your friends talk about 'jaywalking'. It's a very important point and has to be re-explained all the time. We are very lucky that this freedom still exists in this country.

Although, as I suspect was the case in the OP, the term can be used informally to mean "crossing a road with reckless disregard for one's own or anyone else's safety", this is a very important point Oliver is making. Access to the highway and duty of care towards the more vulnerable road user are two ideas which affect us cyclists very deeply.

Substitute car for cyclist and cyclist for pedestrian into mao's story and you will see just how offensive this man's actions were.

If you say so oliver. There's no negative connotations to the term jaywalking in my mind though - like baz said it's just crossing the road away from a controlled crossing. Some places that's illegal but it's ok in the uk.

Maybe the fuckwit in mao's tale was American?

No, it most definitely has negative connotations. It is always used when people want to pin the blame on pedestrians.

It depends on the state in the US. I think it's San Franciso or L.A where, on most roads, all traffic is obliged by law to give way to pedestrians in all circumstances; according to a Bill Hicks bit from 1992.

If you will jump a red light into the path of my car, please just admit you're an idiot rather than saying, "I couldn't hear anything so I didn't bother looking." My car sets off car alarms by just driving past them.

I hope he hits a pothole, and it bounces his saddle right into his nadgers.

I hope he finds the woman who makes him happy, instantly falling for her, marries and moves in with her, then after a couple of months she says that she finds the words cunt,* twat*, and prat offensive.

I would like to call out myself. I was cycling down Thornhill Road yesterday, in a rush, and went road the chicane bit where I wanted to turn right. I looked out as I pulled out and didn't stick out my arm and the guy who was taking this admittedly inopportune moment to try and go and round me had to brake a bit sharply. He actually apologised to me, and cycled off to the sound of me saying 'wait, it was my fault, I should have indicated...'

There, that feels better.

people who cross roads when doing so forces road users to swerve or slow down
..
pedestrians who regard their right to cross **now **as more important than a vehicle's right to progress down a road
Isn't that the the right Oliver was defending above though? Not forcing vehicles to swerve, obviously, but making them slow down - ie yield - for the more vulnerable party.

I hope you don't think that crossing the road at pedestrian crossing without looking is acceptable?

I honestly don't know. Obviously crossing when there is no traffic is fine and jumping out in front of a car is not fine, but what about simply crossing the road and expecting traffic to yield (safely)?

El wiki says "Elsewhere, the Highway Code relies on the expectation that pedestrians in the process of crossing at (unmarked) road junctions receive priority, as a matter of common law."

The problem is that peds are not aware how difficult it is to stop a bike sometimes (especially in the rain). They cross the road expecting us to stop same way as a car would do but it's sometimes not as simple.
Stepping onto the road just a meter or two before a cyclist expecting to receive a priority is just stupid.

I agree with Ada. Stopping from 30 to 0 in 10ft on skinny wheels in the pissing rain is no mean feat.

If you step out in front of me and are close enough for me to reach you then I think I should be entitled to slap your arse and call you a dunce.

I dont expect cars to swerve and stop for me why should pedestrians expect me to do that for them?

The problem is that peds are not aware how difficult it is to stop a bike sometimes (especially in the rain). They cross the road expecting us to stop same way as a car would do but it's sometimes not as simple.
Stepping onto the road just a meter or two before a cyclist expecting to receive a priority is just stupid.

Have you tried cycle training.

Serious question.

Just ride in to them. Scare them a bit and they won't do it again.
Or if your an idiot and ride with no brakes you should buy one.

technically you should be riding at a speed to allow you to stop safely in the event a hazard appears in front of you anyways so the point is kind of moot.

not that I agree with peds just walking out in front of any vehicle travelling at speed.

Ada, any vehicle that travels on the roads takes further to stop in the wet. Honestly I just think its people wandering around in their own little bubble and not really looking, bear in mind that if someone is not fully paying attention when they are crossing the road you are a lot less visible than 2+ tons of metal and glass, that said even when I am driving in town peds still aimlessly wander out into the road. The worst are the ones who walk round the front of the bus having just got off it and just keep walking across the road then get shocked and scared to see cars and vans etc screeching to a halt to try to avoid them, I actually find that this kind of situation is less stressful on a bike as you can usually anticipate such events and give yourself room to manoeuvre as you take up less space on the roads.

technically you should be riding at a speed to allow you to stop safely in the event a hazard appears in front of you anyways so the point is kind of moot.

not that I agree with peds just walking out in front of any vehicle travelling at speed.

Technically...
we wouldn't have any road accidents if it was that simple

Of course I have a brake. Brakeless on the roads is mental and yes you should be able to stop safely and have an awareness of hazards that are present and those that should be expected. No training I can think of is going to help when on a dark night some dunce steps out a metre in front on you while you are doing 30mph in a stream of traffic in the primary position. They wont step into a stream of cars because they know they will get hurt but stepping in front of me doesnt really matter because I wont break both their legs and then their spine.

I'll just slide off my bike and the car travelling behind me will most likely drive over me.

Common courtesy however prevents me chastising said dunce does it?

baz, if you are in primary position on the road surely the pedestrian has walked some distance from the curb already and hasn't merely stepped out in front of you so their actions could have easily been anticipated.

They wont step into a stream of cars because they know they will get hurt but stepping in front of me doesnt really matter because I wont break both their legs and then their spine.

^that's where the problem is