What cyclists have to put up with..

[Opinion]

That's eight - or ten if you include "Two words"

 

alright alright

[barny_100]

Are the broken-record bores still babbling on about their "road tax"?

 

How dull.

 

Are they slightly slow? I mean in the brain department as well as slow as in stuck in a traffic jam with an average speed less than half that of a bicycle?

 

Thing is though it's a valid point is it not? I mean I could have a massive gas guzzler and not pay VED totally legally by only driving on private roads/tracks. That puts a hole in the argument that there isn't such a thing as "road tax" if you ask me.

 

The point of that argument is most drivers, rightly or wrongly, don't see cyclists as equals on the road as they don't pay for the privilege. I'm not saying the care and attention levels of your average driver to cyclists would increase if that changed but I'd definitely have far more time for the complaints of cyclists than I do at present.

[Tony]

It is not a valid point at all. I pay £435 VED for my car but it only moves 2,500 a year because I use my bicycle or legs.

 

1. How much do you pay?

 

2. Would you be happier if I used my car 5 times more so that you can get your moneys worth from my £435 'road tax'?

 

 

 

Seriously, look at other people on bikes as a blessing.

[Cyclone]

nope deadly serious, tree hugging do gooders, dont pay road tax. so shouldnt be on the road. same goes for horses

 

Road tax doesn't exist genius, as I already pointed out once to you.

[Cyclone]

Thing is though it's a valid point is it not? I mean I could have a massive gas guzzler and not pay VED totally legally by only driving on private roads/tracks. That puts a hole in the argument that there isn't such a thing as "road tax" if you ask me.

 

The point of that argument is most drivers, rightly or wrongly, don't see cyclists as equals on the road as they don't pay for the privilege. I'm not saying the care and attention levels of your average driver to cyclists would increase if that changed but I'd definitely have far more time for the complaints of cyclists than I do at present.

 

You don't see electric vehicles or any very low emission as 'equal' on the road then, and presumably cars with bigger engines get special privileges as the tax costs more?

Or did you miss the fact that VED is linked to vehicle emissions?

[Squiggs]

The point of that argument is most drivers, rightly or wrongly, don't see cyclists as equals on the road as they don't pay for the privilege.

 

YES.......MANY........OF........US........DO

 

It just suits your arguments to pretend that we don't have cars and leave them at home.

 

It just suits your arguments to pretend that everyone is bone idle and would not possibly consider walking or cycling anywhere if they own a car, so cyclists must not have cars

 

So you pretend that it's all so unfair that cyclists don't pay a mythical road tax and you pretend that it's the cyclist riding 100 yards that stops you reaching the queue of traffic for 10 seconds that is holding you up and not the half-mile long queue of cars that you are so eager to park in.

 

As usual, you will all just carry on ostrich-fashion

[Tony]

The reason for the title of the thread becomes even more apparent as it goes on.

 

I had a lift into town for a meeting yesterday but couldn't cadge one back so rather than debasing myself on a bus I walked home, in a suit with a briefcase and no hiking boots, Goretex, walking poles or hydration rucksack. It's 4 miles uphill all the way but still only took just over an hour, The same journey takes 30 minutes in the car (plus parking and walking to /from the car park, say 10 mins) or 25 minutes on the bike door to door.

 

It's a mystery why more people don't just walk if they don't want to cycle. Maybe pedestrians should pay 'road tax' too?

[Bonjon]

YES.......MANY........OF........US........DO

 

It just suits your arguments to pretend that we don't have cars and leave them at home.

 

It just suits your arguments to pretend that everyone is bone idle and would not possibly consider walking or cycling anywhere if they own a car, so cyclists must not have cars

 

So you pretend that it's all so unfair that cyclists don't pay a mythical road tax and you pretend that it's the cyclist riding 100 yards that stops you reaching the queue of traffic for 10 seconds that is holding you up and not the half-mile long queue of cars that you are so eager to park in.

 

As usual, you will all just carry on ostrich-fashion

 

I dont see cyclists as equals on the road, the reasons being, no insurance(in the majority of cases), no licensing, no MOT or similar, and no road tax, ved or what ever you want to call it (even if it would be a £0 cost).

 

Sort these issues then IMO cyclist can have a say regarding the roads, untill then they are not equal to other road users who have the above. Thats not to say I drive around trying to squish everyone of them, I just feel they are not an equal, like a 2nd class road user.

[Tony]

In law cyclists are MORE equal than motorists.

 

What use would an MOT, licence, 'road tax'/VED be to a bicycle? Cars have them and still kill 3500 people a year in the UK. Bikes kill less than 1.

 

Oh, and I still pay more than you to use my car less than you. Your 'argument' is utterly bizarre.

[ShotoKarate]

I'm a driver and a cyclist. I've been driving for 25 years. I've been cycling for 2. Since taking up cycling to commute, I have completely changed my attitudes to driving. I'm far less aggressive to everyone on the roads .... not just cyclists.

 

I pay vehicle exise duty ('road tax'?) every six months. Which means I pay £10 - 20 more per year (if my memory and maths is right). I kind of think that covers any ware and tear I might cause on my bike. I also have 3rd party insurance through CTC membership - just in case I do something silly and cause damage to a car or something. (There was a driver recently jailed for murder because he delibarately crashed into a cyclist who had just clipped his wingmirror - an eye for an eye, a life for a wing mirror. Hardly goes does it?)

 

The vast majority of road users who pass me on my commute drive very sensibly, courteously and caringly. BUT, everyday when I cycle I face serious injury - even death - by some people driving too close, too fast or too aggresively. If I drove every day, I would be facing serious injury - or even death - by probably the same drivers. The difference is, on a bike, I have far less protection and am far likely to be hurt. It is this that I find many drivers who don't cycle don't realise. They presume that we are simply another manifestation of a slow moving vehicle but they don't realise the potential consequences if their misjudgements.

 

I refer you to the case of a soldier recently returned from Afghanistan who was cycling to work only to be forced into a very deep pothole by a lorry overtaking him, despite oncoming traffic on a very narrow road. The pothole and proximity caused him to lose balance and as the lorry was too close to him, he fell under it's wheels and was killed. Even the wind rush from a passing lorry has the potential to pull someone off their bike!

 

That is why I've changed my driving style but unfortunately many won't until it's too late.

 

Don't know if this helps the conversation but I felt the need to contribute.