Why is there so much animosity towards cyclists in Sheffield?

[onewheeldave]

No, that cyclists mainly run lights for safety.

I never said that though. Yes, sometimes cyclists go through reds for safety reasons, I don't believe that's the main reason though i.e. I don't believe that in all the instances where cyclists go through reds, that much more than, say, 5% (total guess-timation), were because they felt it was for safety reasons.

 

---------- Post added 24-04-2015 at 11:35 ----------

 

 

I'd agree with pretty much all of that. In my last 3 years of commuting nearly every day I've only had 3 or 4 instances where I've had words with a car driver, and one where I would have happily assaulted them for how close they came to killing me.

 

So, in 3 years of cycling you've only had one instance where you where almost killed? And this is cause for implying that the roads aren't that dangerous for cyclists?

[Cyclone]

I never said that though. Yes, sometimes cyclists go through reds for safety reasons, I don't believe that's the main reason though i.e. I don't believe that in all the instances where cyclists go through reds, that much more than, say, 5% (total guess-timation), were because they felt it was for safety reasons.

This appears to be contrary to every previous discussion we've had on the issue. At least that's how it appears to me.

But to be clear, you're now accepting that in probably 95% of times cyclists are running lights it's for reasons other than safety?

 

So, in 3 years of cycling you've only had one instance where you where almost killed? And this is cause for implying that the roads aren't that dangerous for cyclists?

I didn't make a claim either way about danger. I was simply giving my anecdote.

At current count, I've not hit a car whilst commuting in the last 3 years, but I have hit a golden retriever, so the risk on this very small sample would seem to be higher from dogs... I don't actually believe that of course, and it's why anecdotes aren't data. It was exactly what it appeared to be, an anecdote. Don't read more into it than I said.

[hicksy3]

Good points here, in 5 years of cycling in Sheffield I've been deliberately touched by a car once and hit pigeons twice. Cars are more of a worry than pigeons though.

 

 

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[spooferman]

Car users would be much more forgiving if those pesky cyclists actually paid road tax.

 

im more up for them having insurance! if the push bike causes the accident the drivers in left to blame and to pay for repairs:rant:

Edited April 24, 2015 by spooferman

[Isabelle]

Good points here, in 5 years of cycling in Sheffield I've been deliberately touched by a car once and hit pigeons twice. Cars are more of a worry than pigeons though.

 

 

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In 4 years I've been forced into a kerb by a lorry once and knocked off by a car. I still cycle though.

Talking of wildlife, I am waiting for the inevitable day that I run over a squirrel in Beeley Woods, those things are suicidal

[onewheeldave]

This appears to be contrary to every previous discussion we've had on the issue. At least that's how it appears to me.

But to be clear, you're now accepting that in probably 95% of times cyclists are running lights it's for reasons other than safety?

 

The reason you're under the impression it's contrary to our other discussions is probably that, in those dicsussions, I was referring mainly to the safety reasons, and, as is typical in NTs, you assumed I was talking about cyclists going through reds in general.

I never said that though. Yes, sometimes cyclists go through reds for safety reasons, I don't believe that's the main reason though i.e. I don't believe that in all the instances where cyclists go through reds, that much more than, say, 5% (total guess-timation), were because they felt it was for safety reasons.

 

It was a 'guess-timation'.

 

Could be lower, could be higher. There's so many other reasons why cyclists go through reds, and, I suspect they outnumber the safety reasons. Without some actual scientific studies, it's impossible to say for sure.

[alchemist]

 

Point 5 - something that is done by car drivers, not by cyclists. You can stand on the street and watch motorists on the phone, you'd be lucky to see a single cyclist do that in a day.

 

I must have been really lucky yesterday then as I had to jump out of the way of a VERY wobbly cyclist riding on the pavement toward Meadowhall interchange texting on his phone. Mind, it didnt seem to prevent him giving me the rods and telling me where to go very impolitly when I objected!!

 

---------- Post added 24-04-2015 at 14:26 ----------

 

Yes, sometimes cyclists go through reds for safety reasons,

 

I must have missed the bit in the highway code where it says that you can jump red lights for "safety" reasons. Please explain what these so called safety reasons are, after all it must be really dangerous to want to potentially get killed by a car

[Flanker7]

Bus drivers! okay?

 

Most road users are okay most of the time and to class them all as the same because of one incident is silly.

 

However, the most scary thing (and there were many) that happen to me in 10 years of cycling to work in the city centre was on Eccy Road.

 

I was going towards city between Hunters Bar and Moore St. I started to overtake a bus, I had a long view and loads of room. When the bus driver noticed me I heard the engine tone change and the bus accelerate. The driver matched my estimated 25mph and held me there and oncoming traffic came closer and closer. I gave way. The bus stopped at the next stop, just after Colligeate Cres. We had words. Actually, I boarded the bus and told the drive that to him it might have been a game but it was playing with my life. Goodness knows what the passengers thought.

[Squiggs]

Look. SOME road users run red lights. It's a fact.

Some of them ride bicycles. Some of them drive cars.

 

Sat at the lights at the top of Broad Lane this morning (in a car), three other vehicles sailed straight through the red lights and over the pedestrian crossing that had the green light. This wasn't late amber gambling, the lights had been red for a good 30 seconds. They decided that the lights didn't apply to them.

 

Does that mean that I should cut up and disregard the safety of silver focuses, white Mercedes Vitos and black astras because "THEY" run red lights?

 

Or would that be an insanely stupid attitude with no validity whatsoever

[gnomi]

In the relative short time I've properly lived in Sheffield, I've witnessed a disproportionate amount of abuse and aggressive deliberate dangerous driving from motorists towards cyclists. As a motorist only I find this extremely shocking and wondered where all this animosity comes from, and why anyone even bothers to commute by bicycle in Sheffield?

 

 

To be honest, the question should be why is there so much animosity in Sheffield? I agree that for some reason (jealousy?) cyclists get a hard time here when they really shouldn't. I think Sheffield people seem to be getting more and more bitter and angry in general. Whether it be the blatant racisim that seems to be almost acceptable in Sheffield now, or the general driving standards which are poor,selfish and dangerous. Poor cyclists in this city don't stand a chance...