Be Warned

[Guest salty_monk]

You're talking about a minority of idiots not the majority...

 

The reason some cyclists ride two abreast on country roads is that people try to "squeeze them out" & put them in the hedge, it's basic defensive driving. Most drivers aren't considerate or just aren't even aware.

 

Not many drivers are considerate of cyclists - Jim I'd have thought you'd have more sympathy as an ex motorbiker....

 

Dan

[Knock-on]

Aw Jim, ya beat me to it!

 

Getting rather tired of saying this ..... the police will now seize any uninsured vehicle or any vehicle driven by an unlicensed driver on the spot thanks to new powers under the Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act. In Telford alone we have siezed in the region of 1000 cars. To get the car back the driver has to pay a recovery/storage charge of about £150 and must be able to produce valid insurance. Most of these cars are heaps anyways, or 'burglar buses' and go unclaimed. The garage then can do what they want with them to reclaim their expenses. And yes, this goes for mini-motos as well.

 

The clip referred to earlier in the thread was from a Thames Valley unit and is several years old, certainly predating the recovery powers. But in my opinion, yes they were far too lenient with that driver, who was probably under the influence of Class A. That particular series was a bit too cowboy gung-ho for my taste. (When I was TVP traffic my crew-mate and I were filmed for 2 weeks for 'Blues and Twos', a much more up-market production

 

If a car is insured but in a dangerous condition it can be 'prohibited' from further use there and then; but not seized.

 

There will always be incidents where the occasional 'law abiding' driver gets stuck on for a seemingly minor offence, but as with speeding, if you are commiting the offence you have to accept that there is a possibility that you will get caught.

 

Incidentally there is an ongoing case in Telford at the moment which is causing much debate. A cyclist was prosecuted for 'Careless and Inconsiderate Cycling' by refusing to use a cyclepath parallel to the road and using the main carriageway instead. Because it was a 60 mph governed by a double white line system the following traffic could not overtake and had to travel some considerable distance at the cyclist's speed. The cyclist was convicted at Magistrates Court and has appealed against the conviction. The local cycling community is in uproar and of course the old 'haven't the police got anything better to do, like catch rapists and burglars' can be heard all around.

 

I stand corrected.

 

There still seem to be a lot of heaps driving around Surrey that you could bet a pound to a penny are not legit but perhaps we just have to wait for the effects of this policy to really take hold. I might just see if I can find out how many have been removed from the road since the police acquired these powers. Would really cheer me up and allow me to retire my soap box for a while.

 

As for the cyclist, why could they not overtake? It's been a long time since I read the highway code (I should have another peek) but I thought that cyclists SHOULD use cycle paths but are not obliged to but if you are on a road with a solid white line on your side, you can overtake a slow or stationary vehicle or horse when it is safe to do so.

 

As for those Lycra wearing prats riding 2 or 3 a breast and refusing to move, I am really going to lose it one day with them. You sit behind them for ages and then when you have the room to overtake, you get a mouthful of abuse. I'm not generally known for my tolerance of rude, arrogant idiots and one day I will lose it with them. I regularly cycle with my partner and one thing we always ensure is that we don't inconvenience other drivers. I agree that riding defensively is important but you can just as easy do that by having one in front and the rear one out about a foot to make the hole.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying car drivers are perfect. I've forgotten the number of occasions a car has brushed me as it's gone past or been sitting 3 inches off my rear wheel but the idiots that hold up traffic by driving alongside each other for miles should have their Nancy bikes and Lycra cod-pieces crushed!!

[enforcer]

I might just see if I can find out how many have been removed from the road since the police acquired these powers. Would really cheer me up and allow me to retire my soap box for a while.

 

You can apply to Surrey Police under the Freedom of Information Act (You can send them an email to their website). I am sure they would be happy to give you this information; it's 'good news' stuff.

[Longboarder]

Aw come on Salty! now you are talking through your exhaust pipe!

They completely flout the laws of the road, wrong way down one-way streets, ignor trafficlights, ride on pavements causing all the Grannies to jump in the road, very rarely have lights on when it's dark, and wear dark clothes just to make it worse, have no insurance at all, so when they hit you, tough sh1t! sort it out yourself! and there's nothing better than coming across a gang of licra-clothed idiots on a country lane riding 2 or 3 abreast, they NEVER move over to let you past.

 

no, bikes are the next thing that I'd like to see crushed!!!!

Pedestrians! Now they always go two or three a breast, chattering away on mobiles, sudden turns or stops with no warning or signal. Wrong way down one way streets, with the traffic, against the traffic, right angles to the traffic, diagonals. Grannies jumping in the road, hopping in cycle lanes, dawdling across dual carriage ways with that dare to hit me threatening attitude. Innsurance, pah! Lights, rubbish! Traffic lights there to be flouted. Stopping on blind corners just to look in shop windows. Agressive gangs of ramblers going off road all over the countryside, camouflaged to blend in (Ever wondered why they need to hide?) and they're all carrying. Sticks, heavy boots, ski poles, rucksacks with strange liquids, square yellow plastic 'cheese' hidden between two slices of bread possibly some form of explosive and they've got maps showing military installations and vital communication links.

 

My ex sister-in-law is registered blind but can see a bit. Walks across the road in central London by waving her stick, waiting a second and then just strides across. Screech of brakes, tail ender and when the first motorist remonstrates with her she sets about him with her white stick. Poor sod, on a hiding to nothing. If he had reacted the small crowd of onlookers would have strung him up for attacking the poor blind lady.

 

Terrorists and anarchists the lot of em. Lock em up and crush their trainers I say.

 

Nigel

 

Were you bitten by a bike when you were little Jim?

[Guest alan rowe]

I go with that Nigel

 

A

[Mitch]

"Were you bitten by a bike when you were little Jim?"

 

 

Sorry but i cant see that, Jim being little or being bitten

 

Thats another slap when i next see him then

[Knock-on]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/...ire/5284962.stm

 

What shocked me about this is not the driver getting off but how the hell did enforcer manage to shoe horn a 3.2 Litre Vectra engine into his hood

[Guest elwe]

Incidentally there is an ongoing case in Telford at the moment which is causing much debate. A cyclist was prosecuted for 'Careless and Inconsiderate Cycling' by refusing to use a cyclepath parallel to the road and using the main carriageway instead. Because it was a 60 mph governed by a double white line system the following traffic could not overtake and had to travel some considerable distance at the cyclist's speed.

 

But the highway code says you CAN ovetake where there is a double white line system so long as the manover is safe and the traffic you are overtaking is doing less than 10 or 15 mph (I can't remember which).

[Big Jim]

You're talking about a minority of idiots not the majority...

 

The reason some cyclists ride two abreast on country roads is that people try to "squeeze them out" & put them in the hedge, it's basic defensive driving. Most drivers aren't considerate or just aren't even aware.

 

Not many drivers are considerate of cyclists - Jim I'd have thought you'd have more sympathy as an ex motorbiker....

 

Dan

 

Salty, I'm now convinced you live in a dream world somewhere. It's the Majority of cyclist that are morons! not the minority.

 

They get squeezed on country lanes because there are some bloody crap drivers about that can't judge the width of their vehicles even if they had a tape measure!

But as to "not see them"......... cobblers! Who can't miss some a bunch nerds in bright yellow/orange lycra, with bum bags bouncing about on their arse, and caps on back-to-front, with wrap-round sunglasses.

 

As to "did one bite me? Nigel" no. but unfortunately I come across these idiots on a regular basis, the newspaper lads around here all have death wishes, never have lights, ride anywhere, in any direction, and without looking at all. Same can be said for "the workers" ie. those that go to work on their bikes, I've yet to see one stop at red trafficlights.

sorry! I hate cyclist! they should all be banned off the road!

[Mitch]

Who can't miss some a bunch nerds in bright yellow/orange lycra, with bum bags bouncing about on their arse, and caps on back-to-front, with wrap-round sunglasses.

 

you've seen Andy windows and Boris out on theres then Jim

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

as Elwe says

 

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/15.htm

 

141

 

108: Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road. You may cross the line if necessary to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10mph or less.

Laws RTA sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 26

[enforcer]

Ah, not quite as simple as that folks, or he would have been acquitted.

 

The road in question was a single carriageway 60mph limit with one lane descending an incline and two lanes ascending, separated by a double white line system. The cyclist was travelling at 20mph and the double white line systems runs for the length of the hill, several hundred metres.

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

I think its a great result can they crush the bike now ...

[enforcer]

No Micky!!! Don't go there!! If the link doesn't work just type 'cyclist' into the search box

[Guest micky bigthumbs]