Infirmary Road Tesco - are drivers targeting cyclists?

[sheff71]

I wish i could, i have NO OTHER CHOICE...

So i have to put up with the wet and wind and of course the odd angry motorist

but these are far and few between generally its a good compromise between giving and taking road space.

 

Is there no public transport up your way, so you would have another choice (even if it meant you being a few minutes later)?

 

---------- Post added 05-09-2013 at 23:48 ----------

 

That is correct, but the lights are faulty because the road is open to cyclists, so to not detect cyclists is a fault.

 

My feeling is that it is an intentional fault, so that only a large vehicle will trigger them, to not change for cars. But a fault nonetheless, and it is not so simple to dismount and use the pavement turning right in this way as it means crossing between traffic and wheeling a bike past a crowded tram stop, so the dismount option is far less practical - traveling through the red with caution is the only realistic way of dealing with this situation.

 

I do sometimes wonder, are these faults designed in under the assumption that cyclists will go through anyway?

 

So judging from this deliberate fault to inhibit cyclists, and the reports of poor cycle paths and dangerously laid out roads, does that mean we can update the unofficial SF mantra to 'Sheffield City Council hate car drivers and cyclists' ?

Edited September 5, 2013 by sheff71

[Cyclone]

I commute down infirmary road every day, so I can probably add a new story to this thread about once a month. Maybe one day the driver will be on the forum and can explain what was going through their head.

 

So, today's story;

 

Just past Mecca Bingo, heading towards town, I'm in the centre of my lane, doing approx 30 mph with red traffic lights at Tesco's about 100 metres, 150 metres, away.

Car overtakes dangerously close, mainly due to the intermittent central reservations whilst simultaneously blowing the horn.

I catch it up about 5 seconds later at the still red lights and glare through the window.

Middle aged woman winds it down and says "you were in the middle of the road, love".

As if it's a surprise to find another vehicle using a road, or maybe it's just that she thinks I should cycle in the gutter.

"Yes", I say, "Doing 30 mph."

"Well..."

"And you raced ahead just to reach this red traffic light."

Window goes back up...

 

I can only assume that she was so blinded by the need to overtake the cyclist that she didn't bother to a) look as far ahead as the red traffic lights, b) wasn't concerned with the speed limit and c) thought it was okay to risk my life with the overtake and the horn.

 

It would be nice if she thought about her actions, but she probably drove off muttering about road tax and insurance.

[denomis]

Hmmm should you be in the middle of the lane? Even if you are doing the speed limit you will be holding up traffic. I can't side with you on this one.

 

Its like the idiots who drive in the outside lane and wont pull over for anyone because they are doing the limit and no one else should get passed, they cause more of a danger by forcing people to undertake.

Edited September 23, 2013 by denomis

[vincentb]

Hmmm should you be in the middle of the lane? Even if you are doing the speed limit you will be holding up traffic. I can't side with you on this one.

 

I disagree. Often, you will "hold up traffic" in this sense by correct road use. For example: a car driving at 30mph will be also "holding up traffic" if there's some loony behind who wants to go faster. Should the car driver be expected to drive badly (in the gutter, on the pavement) to avoid "holding up traffic"? No. Nor should this cyclist.

[Cyclone]

Hmmm should you be in the middle of the lane? Even if you are doing the speed limit you will be holding up traffic. I can't side with you on this one.

Yes. A cycle is a vehicle, it's entitled to use the lane like any other vehicle.

And if I'm doing the speed limit then I'm no more holding up traffic than a car doing the speed limit.

And even if I were somehow in the wrong, that isn't an excuse to perform a dangerous overtake.

 

Its like the idiots who drive in the outside lane and wont pull over for anyone because they are doing the limit and no one else should get passed, they cause more of a danger by forcing people to undertake.

 

No, it's nothing like that.

I didn't pull over because I could see the red traffic light ahead and was going fast enough to not be holding the traffic up.

I quite clearly explained that.

NB - I prefer not to have to bunny hop the tram track at 30mph to get to the left hand side of it, hence stay in the middle when it's appropriate.

 

Do you drive? (Edit - in case this sounds like a slightly aggressive question, it isn't meant to be, but you have some funny ideas about driving, you think that the driver was in the right to perform a dangerous overtake because they wanted to speed up to a red light and I'm not driving a car and therefore shouldn't be getting in their way).

Edited September 23, 2013 by Cyclone

[denomis]

Yes. A cycle is a vehicle, it's entitled to use the lane like any other vehicle.

And if I'm doing the speed limit then I'm no more holding up traffic than a car doing the speed limit.

And even if I were somehow in the wrong, that isn't an excuse to perform a dangerous overtake.

 

No, it's nothing like that.

I didn't pull over because I could see the red traffic light ahead and was going fast enough to not be holding the traffic up.

I quite clearly explained that.

NB - I prefer not to have to bunny hop the tram track at 30mph to get to the left hand side of it, hence stay in the middle when it's appropriate.

 

Do you drive? (Edit - in case this sounds like a slightly aggressive question, it isn't meant to be, but you have some funny ideas about driving, you think that the driver was in the right to perform a dangerous overtake because they wanted to speed up to a red light and I'm not driving a car and therefore shouldn't be getting in their way).

 

Yes i do drive and i think that what happened to you was bad driving, but i also think that slower vehicles should move over for vehicles that want to pass them in a safe manner, I'm not talking stop and pull over more like the old biddys i see nearly every day pootling along Penistone road at 28mph in the outside lane, they have the mentality of "I'm doing the limit no one may pass"

[Cyclone]

You think that slower (ie doing the speed limit) vehicles, in 30 mph single carriageway roads with central reservations, should move over to allow people who wish to speed (up to a visible obstruction) to pass. Seriously?

 

I wasn't on Penistone Rd, I was on Infirmary Rd. The car hadn't been there for long, it was obviously speeding in order to catch up at all, and didn't pause but overtook immediately, so no chance for me to move anywhere really. And, finally, it got nowhere, we had time for an exchange of words at the traffic lights!

 

On a dual carriageway I agree that vehicles should travel in the correct lane, but this is not remotely similar.

[denomis]

I disagree. Often, you will "hold up traffic" in this sense by correct road use. For example: a car driving at 30mph will be also "holding up traffic" if there's some loony behind who wants to go faster. Should the car driver be expected to drive badly (in the gutter, on the pavement) to avoid "holding up traffic"? No. Nor should this cyclist.

 

Again I'm saying pass in a safe manner, today for example i was following a car up mosborough bypass, he was right out almost on the line doing 50mph (the limit is 60mph, but no way was he letting anyone pass, that to me is bad driving by holding up traffic.

[Cyclone]

Again I'm saying pass in a safe manner, today for example i was following a car up mosborough bypass, he was right out almost on the line doing 50mph (the limit is 60mph, but no way was he letting anyone pass, that to me is bad driving by holding up traffic.

 

But not remotely similar to what I described.

[denomis]

You think that slower (ie doing the speed limit) vehicles, in 30 mph single carriageway roads with central reservations, should move over to allow people who wish to speed (up to a visible obstruction) to pass. Seriously?

 

I wasn't on Penistone Rd, I was on Infirmary Rd. The car hadn't been there for long, it was obviously speeding in order to catch up at all, and didn't pause but overtook immediately, so no chance for me to move anywhere really. And, finally, it got nowhere, we had time for an exchange of words at the traffic lights!

 

On a dual carriageway I agree that vehicles should travel in the correct lane, but this is not remotely similar.

 

As i said "pass in a safe manner" if a car is speeding and wants to pass you its not your place to endanger yourself trying to enforce the speed limit on other road users, leave that to the cops.