cyclist who knocked over and killed

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Up to and around 2012, there was a genuinely good buzz and things seemed very promising for cycling. Things seem to have turned sour and cynical since those 'golden' times.

 

[M-Power]

Re: Re:

Up to and around 2012, there was a genuinely good buzz and things seemed very promising for cycling. Things seem to have turned sour and cynical since those 'golden' times.

The tabloid press in particular, except The Guardian to their credit, have run a campaign of hate against us. There are psycos on FB and Twatter promoting our death. We have become the new bete noir. Its prolly a displacement focus of frustration and anger towards growing terrorism and economic uncertainly in our lives. Far more easy to focus hatred on cyclists as they wont targer media HQs etc. I saw it only today during the afternoon school run, two mums in Chelsea tractors in close formation, dangerously cut up this young chap on his bike only 20yds before a left turn. He had to crawl almost to a halt and looked around nervously expecting me to do the same. :twisted:

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Pretty much agree with your points above.

Think smarter and creative reuse of land and environments for dedicated/segregated cycling routes/infrastructure would be beneficial for everyone. If only we had the Holland model and attitudes. You'd think keeping cyclists out of the way of motorists would make motorists very happy but unfortunately, Britain is so dysfunctional that motorists get irate about cyclists having dedicated spaces because it gets in their way by reducing their road space and prevents them from parking where they like.

In my local Enfield, dedicated separated cycle lanes have been planned and built in the face of much local and vociferous opposition from motorists and owners of small local shops/businesses. They claimed cyclists would prevent people travelling from far and wide from parking outside local shops, which would then kill local trade and businesses. What's killing local traders is the ever increasing rent and business rates and or even the possibility that they don't really cater for a market. The other argument was that OAPs would be killed by cyclists when trying to get to and from buses across the cycle lanes.

 

[M-Power]

Re:

The intensifying hatred of cyclists in the UK really bugs me. I also very rarely venture onto the road these days. As for electric cars, I nearly got run down last week in a Waitrose car park, their drivers assume you can hear them at ~ 15mph behind but you cant.

New laws coming, 14 yrs imprisonment for cyclists convicted of culpable homicide. Anybody who watches scrotes on Police Camera Action etc driving through city centres at 90mph high on smack, risking the lives of all concerned, only to get some joke sentence by the CJS, will feel a sense of impending injustice. The huge increase in people riding scooters helmetless, to avoid Police pursuit and throwing acid at victims, destroying their quality of life for good, should be the real focus of rapid changes in legislation. Death due to a reckless cyclist accident is very very rare.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re: Re:

Up to and around 2012, there was a genuinely good buzz and things seemed very promising for cycling. Things seem to have turned sour and cynical since those 'golden' times.

The tabloid press in particular, except The Guardian to their credit, have run a campaign of hate against us. There are psycos on FB and Twatter promoting our death. We have become the new bete noir. Its prolly a displacement focus of frustration and anger towards growing terrorism and economic uncertainly in our lives. Far more easy to focus hatred on cyclists as they wont targer media HQs etc. I saw it only today during the afternoon school run, two mums in Chelsea tractors in close formation, dangerously cut up this young chap on his bike only 20yds before a left turn. He had to crawl almost to a halt and looked around nervously expecting me to do the same. :twisted:

That's not new though, that's always happened. You just happened to think its a new thing.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re: Re:

The intensifying hatred of cyclists in the UK really bugs me. I also very rarely venture onto the road these days. As for electric cars, I nearly got run down last week in a Waitrose car park, their drivers assume you can hear them at ~ 15mph behind but you cant.

New laws coming, 14 yrs imprisonment for cyclists convicted of culpable homicide. Anybody who watches scrotes on Police Camera Action etc driving through city centres at 90mph high on smack, risking the lives of all concerned, only to get some joke sentence by the CJS, will feel a sense of impending injustice. The huge increase in people riding scooters helmetless, to avoid Police pursuit and throwing acid at victims, destroying their quality of life for good, should be the real focus of rapid changes in legislation. Death due to a reckless cyclist accident is very very rare.

It is rare but they need updating and this case shows that.
I'm all for them getting a modern version sorted out, they do with many other minor things too.

Problem is, on shared cyclepaths (correct terminology is ?) pedestrians do not know their requirements. While they have right of way, they cannot block cyclists either. It'll also be easy to jump out in front of a cyclist and be injured and claim, what if you hit their dog? You wouldn't try that with a car or bus.
They need to be careful and there is no reason they shouldn't be in refurbing the laws. For me this is where the EU laws have always helped, much less local media pressure when they are making them, shame there is no point going to them any more.

Maybe they should pressure walkers to wear bright clothing, have lights on and body armour... while walking on shared use paths. It's after all their fault for not protecting themselves, not the cyclists.
Also ban mobile use while walking.

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Maybe I'm just getting old then.

 

[ishaw]

Re:

As a regular London commuter until recently, I've witnessed many crazy things by cyclists, drivers and padestrians. Personally, I ride normally, stopping at lights etc, many cyclists don't and it baffles me as to why others don't. Is it really worth the risk jumping lights, not stopping at crossings and weaving through traffic, not just to yourself but others? Dixie riders in my experience are the worst, as they have little to no braking and simply don't want to stop as they have only one gear and don't fancy having to build momentum again if they have to stop. I've seen many near misses and some bad accidents to k is that brakes are good! Why would you not have them? There are so many benefits that they offer. It's the law (albeit an odd law with exceptions I believe). Make brakes compulsory, helmets too.

Speaking of helmets, in the case this thread is about, he was a complete helmet, not just because he had a fixie, but because of his attitude.

Very sad that someone died, I doubt after 18 months reflection he will care at all about the impact he's had, not just to the victim and their family, but the wider cycling community.

Cyclists were vulnerable targets before this, now it will be even more dangerous for cyclists to ride anywhere.

I'd actually be up for proficiency testing and bike licenses tbh. Any clown can hire a Boris bike in London with no cycling competence. Believe me when I say I've seen some crazy stuff being done by Boris bike users, purely because they haven't a clue about roads, rules or even plain common sense.

 

[legrandefromage]

Making helmets compulsory would not solve anything at all and would be a giant step backward. A slim badly regulated bit of polystyrene is not a panacea and should be bottom of the list of things to do when discussing pedestrian/ driver/ cyclist behaviour

Cambridge has got rid of some of its shared cycle lanes and given riders almost a bus lane width in either direction. If a cramped city like that can do something positive then why not elsewhere. And this comes despite the same budget cuts as other counties (and, on a different note: a place where Cambridge CITY council gives parking fines to Cambridge DISTRICT council employees!!)

http://road.cc/content/news/215646-cycl ... -bike-lane

The behaviour of this guy and the subsequent publicity has put the reputation of cyclists back by decades to anyone who reads the red tops. Other incidents have barely received a sideline yet drivers who kill pedestrians and other road users go unmentioned every single day.

It was a tragic accident - nothing more can be read into it yet its been rinsed for all its worth by a rabid media ballooning out of all proportion.

It is so sad that the most environmentally friendly and efficient form of travel on the planet is so vilified by just about anyone as its such an easy target. It doesnt have the billion dollar backing of the motor industries so is easy to pick on when motorised transport fucks the environment to the point it changes the very climate (along with cow farts). Theres no-one that will openly stand up for cycling so it continues to be beaten black and blue by all.

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Cyclists are still being crushed under tipper trucks and motorists are still using their cars to threaten cyclists, yet there was massive hysteria, moral outrage, use of an obscure archaic law and calls for legislation against cyclists, following the [sad & needless] death of a pedestrian who stepped out into the path of one cyclist without looking. Just saying...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... r-cyclists