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Natural selection?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Fat Controller, Dec 4, 2014.

  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    Every day, I see some pretty stupid behaviour on the roads from road users of various types regardless of their chosen mode of transport - and I am sure I am not alone in seeing it too. Some of it is funny, some of it is frustrating, some of it is aggressive -- and then there is the downright stupid.

    This evening, town centre rush hour traffic (note, the clock on my footage is set to BST, so deduct an hour), well take a look at the footage.....

    I have had to remove the audio from the footage as I had the radio on etc, but suffice to say if I hadn't given my horn a good few hard blasts, the cyclist would not have been aware for another couple of seconds what was going on (apparently too close to see the lights), and the van driver wouldn't have had a clue what was going on.

    I swear I was seconds off being held at the scene of a road closure as a witness to a life changing accident; yes, I did say life changing, not least as the cyclist did not have a helmet on.

    Proof positive that whilst it is easy to put the onus onto motorised vehicle drivers (of all sizes) that it is often not their actions that lead to accident and injury. It is high time that cyclists were seen to be held responsible when they get it wrong (be that legally or in the press/media), and compulsory licensing/training was at least considered.
     
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    • Val..

      Val.. Confessed snail lover

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      I think there is a strange 'relationship' between cyclists and motorists, many motorists feel that cyclists ought to pay something as they also use the roads, most motorists view them as a nuisance as they often ride further out from the kerb than they need to, they have no mirrors so cannot see behind them and they slow down traffic. Cyclists on the other hand take this 'I have a right to be here' attitude which annoys the motorists.
      Personally I think that the A roads are becoming too congested for cyclists and perhaps some laws ought to be passed, also in fairness to all maybe cyclists could pay some road tax?
       
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      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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        Is there a way to safely signal that you are about to stop and then reverse into a parking space?

        Maybe hazard lights rather than a left indicator.

        I must admit I have a bit of sympathy for the cyclist in this situation, I also thought there was a left turn coming up and the van was about to turn left.

        I've been caught out once or twice myself by a similar situation.

        The earlier cyclist ignoiring the crossing seemed worse to me.
         
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        • Dips

          Dips Total Gardener

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          I reckon there should be licensing and compulsory training for cyclists to protect themselves and protect others

          It really annoys me when bad cyclists run read lights as it can be incredibly dangerous

          If im honest tho i also think there should be a refresher test every time you renew your driving licence so that those who are truly dangerous drivers can be taken off the roads and those that just need a refresher course get them.

          The driving lately is appalling. Someone almost went into the side of my mums car at a roundabout the other day. Not sure how you miss a big black 4x4 already on an island. Luckily the guys breaks kicked in quickly

          I can drive fine but i find it tiring so i dont drive because even tho i drive safe im not sure how quickly i could think if someone did something stupid.
           
        • shiney

          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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          The van's reversing lights did come on but I suppose he could have waited another second or two before actually reversing. On the other hand, the cyclist took a bit longer than he should have to react to the reversing lights.

          Have a look at this year's Darwin Awards

          http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2014.html
           
        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          @pete - you are right, the other cyclist was as bad if not worse, however the one behind the van was simply not paying attention. I caught up with her not much further on in my journey, and she was squeezing up the inside of cars queuing on a hill (pedestrian crossing causing the queue) -- and I literally mean squeezing, with one foot on the kerb propelling her along! Once things got moving she was wobbling all over the place.

          The van indicated left (there is no left turn there, only an exit from a bus station a bit further on), and as she pulled up behind him I said to Mrs C "She's clever" and then started blowing my horn.

          There is a sad lack of road skills nowadays - it seems that no-one is taught to read the road anymore - a bit of awareness and anticipation is all that was needed to avoid that incident completely. That, and cyclists realising they do not have a God given right to squeeze past vehicles at every opportunity, as the habit of doing so leads them too close to the path of danger.
           
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          • Sheal

            Sheal Total Gardener

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            Perhaps cyclists should be issued with some sort of registration plate, at least then they could be reported for dangerous riding.
             
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            • pete

              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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              I agree, that cyclists squeezing past on the inside is very annoying, I think they know it is, especially if you have just overtaken them, but thats all part of the system.
              It's actually encouraged by the highway code, they come up the inside into the cyclist area in front of queueing traffic at lights.

              I still think the cyclist was not greatly at fault in your video, the van driver was to some extent, after all you are supposed to be responsible to make sure its clear behind before reversing.

              My main bug bear with cyclists are the ones that cant decide if they are a road user or a pedestrian.
              Times I've had to swerve to avoid a bike coming off the pavement into the road, mostly because they have avoided traffic lights, or a queue, by going on the pavement in the first place.
               
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              • Fat Controller

                Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                I'm going to use that video (and try to collect others) for training purposes at work to show how your intentions as a motorists might not be clear/interpreted by others; I can see your point that he has a responsibility to check before reversing - but to be fair, he could have taken Polaroid pictures of each of his mirrors and he would not have seen her in a month of Sundays because she got too close. Would you continue riding up to the back of a vehicle that had its left indicator on? I sure as hell wouldn't drive up behind one.
                 
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                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                  I do it all the time, they then turn left.:)
                   
                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                  I do it every day, they then usually turn left, but in a forward direction, not backwards.
                   
                • Fat Controller

                  Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                  Well, we kinda like you as you are - so please consider hanging back just a wee bit? I'd hate to hear you'd come a cropper. :blue thumb:
                   
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                  • clueless1

                    clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                    This is what the cyclist might have been thinking, if he had the cognitive capacity to think abstract thoughts, which the evidence suggests he does not:

                    "Ooh look, that van has missed the parking spot. Silly van driver. Still, never mind, he is clearly going to park anyway, in that spot where there are already parked vehicles. I guess he'll just ram them right of the way. He must be crazy. I don't want him to see me, so I have a cunning plan, I'll hide right here in his blind spot. Tee hee, he'll never fall for that".
                     
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                    • pete

                      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                      I'm just trying to point out that there aint no sensible way of indicating, I'm stopping in the middle of the road and intend reversing once I do.

                      Left indicator means, I'm turning left, but not necessarily in the wrong direction.
                       
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                      • Fat Controller

                        Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                        Agreed. For what it's worth, I would make front and rear parking sensors standard equipment on every vehicle on the road - that alone would have prevented this situation
                         
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