For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
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By squawking 7700
#1862505
@eltonioni correct but deliberately obstructing the highway is an offence and many cyclists acting as such would appear to be deliberately obstructing and impeding traffic whilst just out for a chat or they are deliberately holding up other vehicles that could otherwise pass safely.
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By A4 Pacific
#1862508
The next time one is held up for a few meaningless seconds behind a cyclist or three, and starting to feel somewhat irrationally angsty and irritated...


I don’t think anyone is complaining about being “held up for a few meaningless seconds behind a (lone) cyclist”. I think people are saying that there ‘angst and irritation’ is justified when held up behind a cyclist or group of cyclists for no obvious reason other than a (deliberate?) lack of courtesy. Perhaps the cyclists should bear in mind that they aren’t required to pay for the pleasure of using their wheels on the roads? It’s the drivers they are holding up that do that. How kind of them. :roll:

Of course when we’re all driving electric vehicles someone will have to pay for the provision of roads. I wonder whether cyclists will be required to contribute then? In view of the previous post, it looks to me like insurance should be a requirement for cyclists too? After all, some of these bicycles (and kit) run to many thousands of pounds, and can clearly cause a lot of damage, injury and death to others. The odd hundred quid here or there for an annual policy to protect innocent people is pin money?

:lol:
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By Rob P
#1862509
A4 Pacific wrote:Perhaps the cyclists should bear in mind that they aren’t required to pay for the pleasure of using their wheels on the roads? It’s the drivers they are holding up that do that.


Possibly the silliest statement so far.

Cyclists pay exactly the same amount towards the building and upkeep of the roads as everyone else in the same tax bracket.

Rob P
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By eltonioni
#1862513
squawking 7700 wrote:@eltonioni correct but deliberately obstructing the highway is an offence and many cyclists acting as such would appear to be deliberately obstructing and impeding traffic whilst just out for a chat or they are deliberately holding up other vehicles that could otherwise pass safely.


What you did there is to make up a law.

If some context is needed for the supposition about obstruction, it's worth remembering that it is illegal and worth three points on a driving licence to cross a solid white line to overtake any road user unless they are slower than 10mph, and then only when safe. Most riders are faster than 10mph so it is hardly ever legal to cross a solid white line to overtake one, two or even six cyclists abreast.

Happy to help :thumleft:
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By Sooty25
#1862515
malcolmfrost wrote:If we are going to start that game.....https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/six-injured-after-car-ploughs-into-pedestrians-outside-pub-in-south-wales/


Not sure that's fair game,

It is believed he suffered a medical episode which resulted in the car he was driving, crashing


and he didn't hit cyclists!

I must admit I've thought a few times about getting the bike out and cycling to the airfield. I have 2 possible routes, both 12.3 miles. However, both routes feature blind bends, accident black spots and narrow country roads. I would neither trust local drivers to avoid me, nor want to be the cyclist holding people up. A part of the more rural route is regularly used for time trials, which can be a bit frustrating, you just get clear of one, only to catch the next one!
By A4 Pacific
#1862516
Cyclists pay exactly the same amount towards the building and upkeep of the roads as everyone else in the same tax bracket.


I didn’t say otherwise. I said motorists must pay a tax for the ‘privilege’ of using a motor vehicle on a public road. Whereas a cyclist does not.

It’s merely a statement of fact. That’s all.
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By Rob P
#1862521
Well that's a clincher then. They should definitely not ride two abreast if they don't pay 'a tax for their pleasure' :lol:

Rob P
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By eltonioni
#1862523
Motorists should be ashamed of themselves.

A violent motorist has been jailed for attacking a man in Sheffield during a road rage bust-up.

Sheffield Crown Court heard on July 29 how Wade Noel, aged 29, of no fixed abode, took an Audi vehicle without the owner’s consent before assaulting another motorist on Nodder Road, Woodthorpe, and damaging his car during a parking row.

James Gould, prosecuting, said Noel had parked up with two others in an Audi A3 and he started shouting for people to move their cars but a man who had gone to a sandwich shop nearby asked the defendant not to ram another car because his Peugeot would be damaged.

Mr Gould said as Noel verbally threatened to shoot the man, he punched Noel and was forced to take refuge in the sandwich shop as two other occupants from the Audi began aiming punches at him.
By malcolmfrost
#1862525
Bill McCarthy wrote:Let’s face it - ANYTHING that travels slower than the average road vehicle will instil road-rage of some measure in those drivers.

:D :D
In fact with sport cyclists the problem may be that we are fast but not fast enough, a horse or a leisure cyclist will be relatively easy to pass, on the flat we could easily be doing 20mph so harder to get past.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1862530
A4 Pacific wrote:
Cyclists pay exactly the same amount towards the building and upkeep of the roads as everyone else in the same tax bracket.


I didn’t say otherwise. I said motorists must pay a tax for the ‘privilege’ of using a motor vehicle on a public road. Whereas a cyclist does not.

It’s merely a statement of fact. That’s all.

Well it isn't really.

Motorists pay a tax for the privilege of polluting the environment, not for using the road. Zero-emission cars don't pay it, and their drivers are also motorists in the conventional sense.

And yes, it's true that if you SORN your car and drive it around your country estate, you also don't pay it, despite continuing to pollute (albeit obviously nowhere near as much as most drivers on the public road), but hopefully we can agree that that rather marginal exception doesn't affect the argument.
Rob P liked this
By Mike Tango
#1862533
A4 Pacific wrote:
I don’t think anyone is complaining about being “held up for a few meaningless seconds behind a (lone) cyclist”. I think people are saying that there ‘angst and irritation’ is justified when held up behind a cyclist or group of cyclists for no obvious reason other than a (deliberate?) lack of courtesy. Perhaps the cyclists should bear in mind that they aren’t required to pay for the pleasure of using their wheels on the roads? It’s the drivers they are holding up that do that. How kind of them. :roll:

Of course when we’re all driving electric vehicles someone will have to pay for the provision of roads. I wonder whether cyclists will be required to contribute then? In view of the previous post, it looks to me like insurance should be a requirement for cyclists too? After all, some of these bicycles (and kit) run to many thousands of pounds, and can clearly cause a lot of damage, injury and death to others. The odd hundred quid here or there for an annual policy to protect innocent people is pin money?

:lol:


With so many unfounded and ignorant attacks on their own hobby, one might have been excused for thinking private pilots would be less inclined to inflict similar on others enjoying theirs.
Rob P, seanxair, TopCat and 1 others liked this
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By Flyingfemme
#1862537
What really hacks me off is the cyclists that refuse to use the (off the road) cycle lanes, produced at local taxpayers expense; preferring to amble along on the road, holding up faster traffic (because the single carriageway isn't wide enough for cars in both directions and cyclists). We have a lot of those in Gloucestershire. Quite a few also seem to veer out into the road suddenly, avoiding hazards that are not visible to car drivers. Car drivers are not mind readers but would, undoubtedly, be blamed for any collision thus occurring.
JAFO, townleyc liked this
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