Martin Underwood wrote:
Whinging Courier wrote in message
:
In uk.transport.london, Tim amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:
As an occasional cyclist, I'd willingly pay a small surcharge for
insurance. Being responsible and considerate, I have never
overtaken a queue of cars on the left (I wait my turn, just like a
car, or else I dismount and walk on the pavement till I get past
the obstruction) and I have never gone through a red traffic light
or across a pedestrian crossing that has people on it. But I think
I'm very much in the minority :-(
Cyclists like you are a PITA. The ones that wait at traffic lights
stop me getting in front and racing away from other stationary
traffic.
Are you being serious?
Quite probably not, I read it as a joke.
I would never try to race ahead of cars, because I know they'll only catch
up with me after a few yards, and I don't want to cause an obstruction to
them.
You sound like a timid and/or weak cyclist. Any reasonably fit cyclist
will be well away from the lights when they change to green before 90%
of motorists have started moving. Why should I delay my journey unnecessarily
just because a motorist *may* eventually catch me up ? At most traffic
lights I encounter when cycling, the motorist won't catch me up
before the next queue of traffic anyway.
Ideally, I'd like to see all cyclists required to use segregated cycle
tracks and be kept totally separate from powered vehicles, but since this
isn't feasable on most roads, the least I can do as a cyclist is to keep out
of the way of cars and not impede them.
If you are cycling legally and correctly positioned (i.e. the primary
position) you are not impeding traffic flow - you are traffic flow.
The best thing you can do as a cyclist is to obey the highway code,
cycle assertively and safely, not to cower timidly at the mere possibility
that a motorist may want to pass you. If it is safe for them to overtake
you can make it easy for them, if it is not safe then stand your ground
and make sure you are safe by making your intentions clear to the motorist.
Some may get upset at being delayed for 2 nanoseconds, but it is better to
be safe than allow them to undertake an unsafe maneuver.
As a motorist and a cyclist I want to see the roads shared responsibly
by all road users. I don't want to be segregated into a cyclist only ghetto,
especially when these are poorly designed, poorly maintained and don't go
where I want. Share the road as it is there for us all.
Be safe,
Douglas