More cyclist vs. motorist stuff

As always, some scary comments, and too many comments referring to cyclists as 'they' or, in the mind of the person making the comment, 'an alien from outer space, and certainly not a human being like me'.

I have no idea how to do it, but there is a dire need to break this MY ROAD attitude from a lot of car drivers.

I didn't bother leaving a comment, as plenty like me (car driver, motorcycle and bicycle rider) are already being completely ignored, as it does not suit someones preduduce to acept that most cyclists Do have liscences and DO pay VED (road tax :evil: ).
 
NeilM said:
As always, some scary comments, and too many comments referring to cyclists as 'they' or, in the mind of the person making the comment, 'an alien from outer space, and certainly not a human being like me'.

I have no idea how to do it, but there is a dire need to break this MY ROAD attitude from a lot of car drivers.

/quote]


What do you expect, it's a pro-car site. Legislation to protect cyclists or give them the same status as other road users is unlikely to happen in the UK where the car is king and provides a hell of a lot on tax revenue. Yes in theory bikes have the same rights as cars but whenhave those rights every been defended in the courts of law ?
 
I don't expect anything, it is just another example of how entrenched and immovable the idea that the roads belong to cars is.

As for the courts; I was in a company training seminar yesterday, looking at corporate law and we got onto the subject of bribery. I was struck by the sentence handed out to the first person prosecuted under the Bribery Act 2010. The guy took a couple of hundred quid to make some speeding points go away and got six years in prison (reduced to four on appeal). I think 14 to 18 months is typical in the rare cases when someone is imprisoned for killing a cyclist with a car.

From that, I conclude that in the eyes of the courts, money is far more important than human life.
 
When people are imprisoned for greater lenghts of time for bank robbery or tax evaision than for rape or the murder of a child you have to start wondering where we went wrong.
 
NeilM":i13c2waz said:
As always, some scary comments, and too many comments referring to cyclists as 'they' or, in the mind of the person making the comment, 'an alien from outer space, and certainly not a human being like me'.

I have no idea how to do it, but there is a dire need to break this MY ROAD attitude from a lot of car drivers.

I didn't bother leaving a comment, as plenty like me (car driver, motorcycle and bicycle rider) are already being completely ignored, as it does not suit someones preduduce to acept that most cyclists Do have liscences and DO pay VED (road tax :evil: ).

Some interesting arguements re. VED. http://t.co/flPqJlHhAJ
 
NeilM":3qq96x7d said:
As always, some scary comments, and too many comments referring to cyclists as 'they' or, in the mind of the person making the comment, 'an alien from outer space, and certainly not a human being like me'.

I have no idea how to do it, but there is a dire need to break this MY ROAD attitude from a lot of car drivers.

I didn't bother leaving a comment, as plenty like me (car driver, motorcycle and bicycle rider) are already being completely ignored, as it does not suit someones preduduce to acept that most cyclists Do have liscences and DO pay VED (road tax :evil: ).

+1 to the "my road" mindset - such items on t'internet always seem to contain above-average levels of anti-cyclist bile (surely "bilge"? - Ed.). As I may have commented on here before - and I have work colleagues past & present that fall into this bracket - a small proportion of said motorists are the same ones who gripe about being nabbed by speed cameras after knowingly going over the limit in a restricted area. Sorry folks, can't have your cake and eat it. :roll:

I should confess at this point to being a non-driver, but VED is after all indirect taxation, and I do contribute towards upkeep of the roads and cycleways I use via tax (PAYE. VAT etc.) paid to HMG as well as my Council Tax (a rather less indirect form of taxation when it comes to road repairs?).

David
 
Ironic isnt it that if us cyclists had to undergo training and testing before we were allowed on then roads, as many motorists think we should, then we'd all end up riding at least 2 foot out from the white line at the side of the road.
 
Really nice idea in theory, but I feel a lot of bonnet trophys in the making. People have issues dealing with rights of way on roundabouts as it is, let alone ones with multiple rights of way. Plus you would also get the dozy cyclists who would assume (rightly according) to the road markings that they had right of way and plough on without looking.
 
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