What motorists have to put up with .. from cyclists and motorbikes

[Squiggs]

so its ok for cyclists when they come to a red light to either ignore them and turn left or convieniently jump the kerb onto the pavement pop back onto the road after the lights/crossing, and i bet if cycle riders had to pay some sort of tax and insurance like the rest of us that wouldnt half thin the cyclists out aswell

 

Red lights... No, it is not. Unless a cycle facility exists to do so. Please quote where anyone has said that it IS..or are you putting words into peoples mouths?

 

Tax.. Yaaaaaaaaaawn. Who would foot the bill for the pointless hassle collecting £0 in vehicle exise duty? Please don't let's go round and round this particularly mind-numbingly inane and boring circle for the 36'015th time eh?

 

Insurance... again one that is quite dull and boring in that it is discussed in an ever-repeating circular fashion but you would actually be surprised at how many cyclists have some form of 3rd party insurance

 

how hard is it for cyclists to move out of the way aswell? everytime i go to overtake one i have visions of them getting the wobbles and going under the car

 

Then you should overtake safely leaving room and then you won't have that concern will you? If you have that concern then you are overtaking TOO CLOSELY!

[Agent Orange]

It's more the bicyclists than the motor cyclists that do my head in... They're always right over in the road rather than alongside the pavement - which is a pain on a 40mph road and there's other motorists up your backside thinking you're a slow driver!

 

Cyclists are meant to cycle slightly left of centre of a lane. I would like to see how you would cope trying to cycle in the gulley with the potholes, puddles and drains. Not only that, there is the very real threat of being pinned in. Next to curb is a very dangerous place to be hence why I cycle a good few feet out into the lane.

[perplexed]

so its ok for cyclists when they come to a red light to either ignore them and turn left or convieniently jump the kerb onto the pavement pop back onto the road after the lights/crossing, and i bet if cycle riders had to pay some sort of tax and insurance like the rest of us that wouldnt half thin the cyclists out aswell

 

I can tell you're a beginner in this particular debate...

 

Where did I say it was ok?

 

See Squiggs post on "Road tax" -which nobody pays...

 

Tell me how much VED a bicycle should pay, bearing in mind a VW Polo Blue Motion is rated at the huge sum of £0.00? VED is based on emissions.

 

Insurance. Not obligatory in the UK. You may or may not approve, but that's the way the law currently stands. If you don't wish to see this status quo remain, lobby your MP. Let us know how far you get.

 

The government is trying to encourage folks onto bikes. (although they are going about it in a cack-handed way, but that's another thread) Having to have insurance is a whole new way of putting people off doing exactly what the government want them to do. It'd probably stop Mr Average from dragging the bike out of the garage on an ad-hoc basis to try riding it to work. So good luck with that one...

 

Incidentally, the CTC (Cyclists Touring Club) has between 60,000 and 70,000 members who are 3rd party insured. Plus, God knows how many other thousands of club riders who are insured through their clubs. Plus however many others are 3rd party insured with other organisations. This is despite insurance not being obligatory.

 

How many thousands of drivers are uninsured?

 

I think I know who the more dangerous ones are...

 

As a cyclist I haven't jumped any red lights, so I might nip off to thottle a kitten to make up...

[Tony]

How many thousands of drivers are uninsured?

 

Close to 2 million apparently, despite it being obligatory.

[splodgeyAl]

I have a question - are horseriders allowed to drive two abreast? I know cyclists aren't so I assumed the same is true. I encountered this recently on a lane which is only just wide enough for two-way traffic. Because the horses were walking side by side (on a road which has blind corners) I could not pass them. It was frustrating, but I did not want to scare the horses, after all its not their fault!

 

Cyclists ARE allowed to ride two abreast. No idea about horses

[perplexed]

Cyclists ARE allowed to ride two abreast. No idea about horses

 

Ditto...

 

Incidentally, a question for drivers who "know" what cyclists are and aren't allowed to do. (They think they know, anyhow...)

 

Could I just ask all the car driving experts on cycling, how many miles a year they cycle? Just so we can judge their expertise?

 

They don't have to be precise.

 

To the nearest thousand will do...

 

(I nicked that quote from another website, so thanks to whoever thought of it first!)

[spindrift]

Close to 2 million apparently, despite it being obligatory.

 

Larger than the number of regular cyclist commuters....

 

Uninsured cars are involved in a disproportionate number of hit and runs. Why would they stop? They leave people injured in the gutter and drive off. Uninsured drivers cost the rest of us £400m a year, including people like me, who pays VED and car insurance and rides a bike.

 

Can you see why it's annoying to be then told I'm freeloading when I ride my bike?

 

Can you?

 

Anyway, had a smashing ride home in the sunshine and saw a wild bird in the fields, a bit like a grouse. Might have been a partridge. Wasn't a pheasant. Might have been a penguin going to a fancy dress party, I simply don't know.