Cyclist good or bad ( Poll )

[Blister]

As we had a recent post about Cyclist abuse , just out of interest I thought it was time for a POLL :mrgreen:

My personal view on Cyclist is not very positive

I drive a HGV lorry for a living and have to endure Cyclist

Why do they assume the law does not apply to them ?

They have NO road tax
They have NO insurance
They have NO MOT
and very little in the way of maintenance costs

But in my opinion they think they OWN the roads

Come to red Traffic light and what happens , they ride straight through , not just the odd one but loads
I am amazes at the lack of law abiding Cyclist

If I am in my HGV and signaling a left turn they STILL ride up the inside of the truck , UNBELIEVABLE :evil:

But the the government GIVE them a lane all to there selves , be it shared with a bus / taxi or even a dedicated Cyclist route :shock: all for FREE

They swerve all over the road and in and out of the traffic as they do not want to queue like anyone else in vehicles and get away with murder :shock:

And whats with the uniform most ware ? looks like they are entering a bike race with full Lycra kit and they are on the way home from the office :roll:

I have a cycle myself but must be from a different planet as I stop at lights and crossing for other road users :mrgreen:

Cyclist rant over

And if you are a law abiding Cyclist well done and thanks

now to the poll

 

[flying haggis]

Blister, I too drive a truck for a living and I agree with all you say about cyclists especially creeping along the nearside when you are turning left. Have you driven through Cambridge, there are thousands of the bleeders!!

 

[studders]

Cyclist can do what they want.... Pointless option. No one can do just as they please.
Cyclist should abide by the rules of the road...... Applies to all road users
Cyclist should pay Tax Insurance and a yearly MOT.... Maybe a case for some form of insurance, invalid if cycle is unroadworthy
Cyclist should be banned from busy town centers..... Nope, but Cars and Large Lorries should be during daytime hours.
NO Comment I am one of the Cyclist and keeping quiet... I'm a Cyclist and I find all road users are not as good as they should be, Me included. When any one group of users are perfect then they can criticise others without being hypercritical.

 

[barkwindjammer]

Anything a cyclist does to annoy will last, oh, I'm guessing here, 30 seconds, maybe more, ok lets say 120 seconds, if your driving a higher powered vehicle like an HGV, a car, a motorcycle, a white van then you can easily make up that valuable lost time by driving like a posterior sphincter once you get command of the road again, get over yourself !

 

[RogerS]

Anything a cyclist does to annoy will last, oh, I'm guessing here, 30 seconds, maybe more, ok lets say 120 seconds, if your driving a higher powered vehicle like an HGV, a car, a motorcycle, a white van then you can easily make up that valuable lost time by driving like a posterior sphincter once you get command of the road again, get over yourself !

I don't agree...Blister and all HGV drivers have a very valid point about cyclists who creep up on their inside...when the HGV is already signalling they are turning left. The driver cannot see the cyclist because he is there ..where he shouldn't be.

 

[dance]

But the the government GIVE them a lane all to there selves , be it shared with a bus / taxi or even a dedicated Cyclist route :shock: all for FREE

The government wants to encourage cycling because it's sustainable transport, unlike the petrol/diesel engine.

 

[barkwindjammer]

An HGV driver will probably out of working time directive hours (EU) will be the owner of a car, a motorcycle/scooter, a white van, a VW vengabus, and will be in 'generic terms' a road user, by simple observation (a test anyone can do) will evaluate easily todays 'road user', i.e. NOT confidence inspiring-not by a long shot ! :shock:

arrive at a 'modern day roundabout-note they haven't changed since Ernest Roundabout invented them some 60 years ago-observe the 'bewildered' at all 4 junctions onto this 'roundabout'

Kylie Wummin in her 4x4 - dear oh dear :shock:

Jordan Razorlight- in his souped up Corsa-suitably attired for the 'track'

Walter Spangles- in his Rover (any model will do) and his flat cap, and binocular glasses, with Navigator Williamena Spangles (Ina)

ok, HGV's, its not beyond the realms of immagination, LED's, acoustic sounders, or tommorrows world viewers to fit these 16 wheelers (variable lengths and dimensions apply) with some sort of foolproof device, so that when that cyclist 'fool' sets out in the morning to get him/herself veneered to the road surface, he/she may become inherently aware that 'danger' is imminent,

cyclist may ride up behind HGV, at lights, with a left hand junction nearby, HGV has no indicator on, cyclist rides on for a further 14ft, HGV driver having finished his mobile phone conversation realises his destination is to the left, cyclist has already passed HGV's rear set of 'flashers' gets to the front of said HGV, and cannot see left flasher because its front mounted-disaster awaits cyclist

 

[barkwindjammer]

Yeah Harry had a great weekend, so this depot its on the left from this junction yeah ?, ok, fekkin lights, right here we go, hold on Harry can hardly hear you, there's a slight scraping sound coming from the front of the unit

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8574600.stm

 

[Anonymous]

Blister, I too drive a truck for a living and I agree with all you say about cyclists especially creeping along the nearside when you are turning left. Have you driven through Cambridge, there are thousands of the bleeders!!

I ended up in cambridge a few week back and your not wrong, I couldn't belive my eyes. Bikes have got to out number cars 10 to 1, place is a nightmare :x

 

[Jacob]

I get tired of these moronic anti cycling rants. More cyclists the better IMHO. The Dutch have the right balance - Many times the number of bikes compared to here, with lots of cycle ways and rights of way. Works really well and nobody would have it otherwise. In fact many countries are much more advanced about cycling. It is coming but too slowly.
Too many Jeremy Clarksons in Britain.

 

[Oryxdesign]

Cyclist can do what they want.... Pointless option. No one can do just as they please.
Cyclist should abide by the rules of the road...... Applies to all road users
Cyclist should pay Tax Insurance and a yearly MOT.... Maybe a case for some form of insurance, invalid if cycle is unroadworthy
Cyclist should be banned from busy town centers..... Nope, but Cars and Large Lorries should be during daytime hours.
NO Comment I am one of the Cyclist and keeping quiet... I'm a Cyclist and I find all road users are not as good as they should be, Me included. When any one group of users are perfect then they can criticise others without being hypercritical.

Here here, on the continent HGV's can't travel on Sundays, that'd be good too.

 

[Jacob]

In Holland any motorist in collision with a bicycle is assumed to be at fault. I expect extenuating circumstances are considered if they end up in court but as a rule of thumb it's a goodun.
My most recent bike accident was caused by a driver coming too fast round a corner on a narrow lane. If I had been in a car (even stationary) there would have been a bit of a bump. A slow moving pedestrian could have stepped out of the way. I smashed my face, teeth, had whiplash and brief concussion, deep cuts/grazes and damaged bike.
Too many Jeremy Clarksons in Britain.

Anybody been watching the tour? Brilliant. Missed it today as was out, am now looking for a highlights replay on line - ITV4 I guess.

There are more leisure cyclists out every year around here, which is a good thing. It's partly because of Sustrans routes and the new trails - latest being the Monsal Trail. Quite spectacular.
It'd do some of these all-day-breakfast HGV drivers a bit of good to get on a bike now and then. Perhaps it should be a compulsory part of their driving test - say 1000 miles for a licence, then 250 miles a year minimum, to be supervised and monitored. Get some of the fat off too. They might even enjoy it, in between moaning!

 

[Shane]

as a rule of thumb it's a goodun.

The justice system isn't great in this country, but I'm certainly glad it doesn't work on the principal of 'rule of thumb'. How ridiculous.

 

[Jacob]

I'm not anti motorbike but you have to consider the facts:
"Motorcyclists have an especially poor safety record when compared to other road user groups. Their killed and serious injury (KSI) rate in the UK, per million vehicle kilometres, is approximately twice that of pedal cyclists and over 16 times that of car drivers and passengers.". Road Safety Research Report No. 54. In-depth Study of Motorcycle Accidents"
They mostly kill themselves, whereas cyclists are mostly killed by other drivers.

 

[dance]

I ended up in cambridge a few week back and your [sic] not wrong, I couldn't belive my eyes. Bikes have got to out number cars 10 to 1, place is a nightmare :x

This is ironic, right? ...right?

 

[Blister]

I get tired of these moronic anti cycling rants

Now that's a statement :?

Lets look at the reality then

As a HGV driver you take the following path

Std car licence
7.5 ton licence
17 ton licence
44 ton licence

each licence is held for 12 months before moving on

Each of the above has a instructor period with a full driving test and cost a small fortune up to £1500 of the HGV test

You now need to hold a CPC qualification ( Certificate of professional competence ) as well , 30 classroom hours with a test at the end

My employers have a full time driver assessor who twice a year spends all day with you out on the road assessing you and your driving

We are tracked by satellite while driving and have a digi card that recorded ever minute of our working day that is downloaded and examined at the end of every working day

I have a 16.5 mtr long lorry weighs up to 44 tons

It has 6 mirrors , yes 6 , we sit up in the clouds well above the normal height and have no vision below the dashboard level , hence one mirror above windscreen , Then we have a near side curb mirror , left and right normal and wide angle mirrors

Then we move on to the cyclist

What qualification does the rider have ?
What tests does this person have to take before being allowed out on the road ?
How much did the training cost and how may years did it take
How may years experience does the person have

Maybe all a cyclist needs is a trip along to Halfords and £69.95 and away we go out onto the road

Why is it up to the transport industry to spend fortunes on near side deterrents when all that's needed is rider common sense ,

O look the lorry is going to turn left so lets ride into the death zone I will be OK

I hope cyclists become more aware and basic riding instruction is made mandatory

It would be easy to do , example , I recently went to buy a TV related item and had to prove I had a TV licence before I could purchase said item so it could work like that when purchasing a cycle

 

[Ironballs]

You forgot the option of pointless poll. There are good and bad everything. Worst users of the road I see these days are people on their phones.

If you wanted to tax cyclists I'd be pretty pissed off, I have 2 cars and pay tax on those, if I have to tax 4 bikes as well then I might start having to claim benefits

 

[defsdoor]

Having known someone who was mown down by an hgv driver and left in a ditch to die (on the last few days of JOGLE) I would like to know how many hgv drivers have been killed by cyclists.

Perhaps then some perspective can be added to this discussion.

 

[Jacob]

Tests etc.
HGV drivers need training and tests because their vehicles are large, heavy, powerful, hence potentially lethal and highly destructive. Most of the roads of Britain weren't designed for them. Arguably they shouldn't be there at all but we haven't invested enough in rail over the years.
Training and qualifications don't give them any privileges over other road users, which include cyclists, walkers, horse riders, etc. If they don't like sharing the road they are in the wrong job - or possibly need a bit more training.

The "death zone" is a well known hazard amongst cyclists. The only cyclist I knew who got killed was in that spot - crushed against railings at traffic lights, by a HGV. She was a student and not very experienced cyclist.
There is a lot of education going on about it, starting with cycling proficiency training at school. Cyclists themselves are campaigning to publicise it.

Part of the blame is with road design which in Britain is appalling. Take a look at this site.. Click on "Facility of the Month - The Book." Click the top arrows for examples (it's not a well designed site!)
It's good for a laugh even if you aren't the slightest bit interested in the subject. The captions are good.
Many cycle lanes actually direct cyclists into the death zone!
HGV drivers should join with cyclists in objecting to the poor standard of road design. It's a bad joke in Britain - most countries do it a lot better.

 

[Jacob]

PS Just an afterthought. I have a retired HGV driver neighbour. He's on doctor's orders to lose weight. He's taken up cycling, on and off road. It (and a diet) is doing him a lot of good and he's lost about 4 stones.
Next time you are fuming behind a bald old toowat going slowly on a bike just think - it could be an old HGV driver trying to work off a lifetime of all-day-beakfasts and greasy-spoon pies n chips!
Give him a break, drive carefully. It could be you one day!