You Should Know That…

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23 Responses

  1. Mick Heath says:

    Great points well expressed.
    Up here in Inverness we’ve engaged in a collaboration with the biggest taxi company. It’s MD is a cyclist and wants to tackle the divisions you’ve described.
    We’re planning a joint event – to show how it can work.

  2. Mick Heath says:

    It all stemmed from our Cycling Without Age ETrike project – taking elderly folk out.
    We wanted a taxi recovery service in case of an incident.
    The conversation moved on to campaign stuff.
    Great result so far.

  3. John Rawlins says:

    Traffic lights were invented for cars – I don’t think that pedestrians and cyclists should have to wait when they can clearly see and hear that nobody is coming. However, vehicle drivers should have to wait because they have a much-reduced field of view. Some European nations already allow cyclists to ‘jump’ lights and more will follow.

    • Diana says:

      But…until they do follow, it is illegal and provides cyclist bashing ammunition

      • Dave H (@BCCletts) says:

        It is perfectly possible to design a junction with traffic signals, at which cyclists do not have to stop… legally. There have been such installations in York for at least 20 years.

        Where the law is being frequently abused, you might reflect on why this is happening, and perhaps change the law, or the conditions that invite its abuse. Uf drivers are always exceeding 30mph than perhaps the road should not have been designed for 60mph?

        • Diana says:

          I agree that the law is not necessarily correct and that a campaign to change it could be very positive. However until the law does change, it is still the law and cyclists should observe it, in my opinion

        • Oli_ice says:

          Where are these in York please? I live there and am not aware of any

  4. Ashley Campbell says:

    A wonderful, positive article.
    You have said so much – little more needs to be said.
    We all need to turn positive talk, into positive actions 🙂
    Happy trails :j

  5. Jo Wiggins says:

    Totally agree with all points raised. I recently wrote a very similar letter to a large haulage company in my area after a near miss with one of their drivers. They thanked me for my level and fair points (if which there were many lol) and my letter was given to all drivers and the transport manager for driver training. I’m hoping to do more of this in my area, not because I’m being socially responsible but because I’m F’n shit scared on the roads sometimes! Safe journeys for all are all ask for. Great article, enjoyed reading it. Jo

    • Diana says:

      That’s fantastic, good for you! It’s too easy to rant about these things when they happen rather than taking positive action like you did.

  6. Marc says:

    Great article. Sharing roads certainly brings out the worst in people – they’re happy to put others lives at risk to save a few seconds here and there on their journeys. And when cycling, the fight or flight response kicking in, when someone does something dangerous, ending up in the usual shouting you mention.

    I’d add one more thing to pedestrians to be aware of, the highway code, it applies to all. Basic things like walking facing oncoming traffic when there’s no pavement e.g. shared use paths, so you can see approaching cyclists and communicate with them instead of creating a hazard and shouting abuse when we ring our bells or surprise you because you didn’t hear the bell.

  7. Chris says:

    Fabulous points that I will share too.

    I’d also like to add that as a horse rider, I would also like to be overtaken with respect and care. Both by car, van and lorry drivers and by cyclists. I always make the attempt to move over, but cyclists in particular often don’t make any noise at all when coming up behind and so scare the bejesus out of both my horse and me. Horses can see ALMOST all the way around, but because the body is in the way, they can’t see behind them any more than I can. So a cheery “morning” or something similar lets both me and the horse know that someone is coming up and for the horse, he then understands that it’s actually a human, not an odd rolling monster.

    I will always do my best to be courteous to other users on roads, paths, BOATS and bridleways. I don’t always get it right, but I try. I think the world is a better place when we do.

  8. Sue says:

    Great article. As a horse rider and a carriage driver, I would like cyclists to be aware that:
    – 2 m away is the recommended safe distance to pass
    – that calling out as you approach a horse from in front lets the horse know you are human ie friendly, not a silent horse eating monster
    – when approaching from behind, you need to call out to check that it is ok to pass before overtaking
    – that these extracts from the highway code are as much for your safety as mine and should be followed at all times.

    After all, we vulnerable road users ought to work together!

    • Diana says:

      Thanks very much for your comments. I have to say that I did not know any of that, despite the fact that I used to ride horses (a very very very very long time ago!!). I will remember this the next time I encounter a horse rider when I am out on my bike.

  9. Lizzie says:

    Very good points. At the end of a long hot day’s cycling recently I found myself making rude signs at one who overtook me on dangerous bends very close to home. This isn’t something I would normally do and I instantly regretted it. I was just very hot and tired and that driver was the final straw after many had overtaken me too close and too fast.
    So I’m with you on the whole thing of how easy it is to get angry rather than doing and saying things that result in positive feelings and hopefully action.

    In a rather similar vein, I have just been reading “Bike Nation” by Peter Walker – fascinating stuff about how safer cycling has been/can be introduced in other countries and cities, and it’s really made me think a lot about how persuasion is the best method of getting more people onto bikes. The carrot rather than the stick. I tend to just get angry with people who are constantly jumping in their cars, particularly to drive short distances, but this isn’t going to get them onto bikes!

    • Diana says:

      Bike Nation is a brilliant book! Well worth reading. I think we need to show people the self interest in cycling. In all honesty, the reason I first got a cargo bike was because the thought of trying to park near the local primary school when my son started at playgroup filled me with dread!!

  10. Laurence says:

    Excellent post, dialogue is what we need, not confrontation, but isn’t always easy.

    I’m not sure why “…cycling two abreast in a group makes it easier for you to pass us.”..?

  1. July 20, 2020

    […] like to think that I cycle courteously. I like to think that I respect other users of the roads and paths as I would like them to respect […]

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