''War on Britains Roads''

JamesM":1bvbtwmh said:

brocklanders023":1bvbtwmh said:

Agreed Fluffy but I've seen people give far more then a light tap and that's my point.

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It will sound alot worse than it is when you are in the car too.

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that's true. Should have seen the driver jump when I did it to him 2 seconds after he cut me up. I nearly fell off laughing! He then had a go at me asking if I wanted to die. I replied with "I thought you were trying to kill me"

He, like most, was all mouth and no trousers, and after 5 requests, while driving alongside me, pulled out to give me enough room. Not getting upset and sweary myself helped, which is unlike me.

JamesM":32maqkr9 said:

rosstheboss":32maqkr9 said:

Personally I don't agree with the whole defensive riding in the middle of the road stance - all it does is antagonise other road users no matter how right or wrong you are to do so.

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Sometimes it's necassary whether it atagonises other road users or not. Approaching junctions, roundabouts, passing parked cars, narrow sections of roads with oncoming traffic etc. What would you suggest in those situations?

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Isn't the point to ride defensive if only you can keep up with the flow of traffic.....that's when I do it atleast.

This thread appears to have been 'cleaned up' with no explanation.

I didn't watch the programme, but they had a feature about it on Radio 4 this morning and two comments came out which I thought were relevant.

A cycling representative making the point that not all cyclists were angry and antagonistic and that not all car drivers were potential cyclist murderers said "idiots are idiots regardless of their choice of transport".

A woman representing the anti cycling side of the argument said " roads should not be regarded as competitive space, but should be considered shared space".

As for defensive riding; around here it is the only way to make a safe right turn on busy roads, or to take the right hand lane at a Y junction, not because car drivers are overly aggressive, after all I live in a small sea side town, but more because most drivers are either elderly and myopic, or younger and preoccupied with their iplayer or text messages. :shock:

N/B":7n1cv7yd said:

This thread appears to have been 'cleaned up' with no explanation.

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House rules.

Don't think any of the participants came out of it particularly well other than the copper on the bike.
One thing that I will say though is about the whole "they don't pay road tax or insurance" nonsense that gets spouted. Car, lorry, van and bus drivers drive as badly and dangerously near me when I'm on my scooter as they do when I'm on a bike. My scooter is more than capable of travelling in excess of the national speed limit but still I'm fair game to be cut up and pulled out in front of. Wish I had a quid for every time I've been overtaken in a 30mph zone when I've been doing 30mph only for the vehicle in question to then happily sit behind another car going at 30mph with just as much opportunity to overtake it. Normally the type of driver that then can't go over 50mph on clear open roads and I end up overtaking them because they're holding me up.

highlandsflyer":2v52j9cq said:

N/B":2v52j9cq said:

This thread appears to have been 'cleaned up' with no explanation.

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House rules.

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and it's a nice house at that!

highlandsflyer":luq3wpxh said:

N/B":luq3wpxh said:

This thread appears to have been 'cleaned up' with no explanation.

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House rules.

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Wasn't aware I'd broken any, tbh. :shock:

one soultion to the prolem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... ZmAs9yvunw

though could cause a problem for these guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtk7pkiDSFY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBJ28V4xGG8

NeilM":24fnol38 said:

A woman representing the anti cycling side of the argument said " roads should not be regarded as competitive space, but should be considered shared space".

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the woman featured in the BBC program said words of a very similar nature (the mother of the daughter killed by a cemex truck). despite her providing an argument counter to cyclists, this is a valid point.

the old london cabbie had some valid points, but all of them lost amongst the huge amount of youtube clips thrown in to this 'documentary/report'. a bit too flashy for its own good. could have made the program a lot more simple - maybe by not making it at all.

this kind of debate will go on as long as cars and bikes occupy the same roads.
this documentary will be rehashed in a few years time with updated youtube clips probably.