cagers - shooting red lights

reece

What junctions/intersections do ye find bad for cagers jumping red lights? The palmerstown n4 intersection is lethal - they're guaranteed to run the red light everytime (crossing the n4). Guy almost gut nailed in front of me about 2 months ago. I'm getting a helmet cam soon just to record the muppets.

EGOSHEA

In Dublin city centre, the junction at the Long Stone pub (with Pearse St. Garda station on your right) is pretty bad. Blind junction with a lot of pr*cks in a rush.

honeybadger

i was up in dubland saturday nite gone and to be honest id hate to be driving a bike up there,,every junction is dodgy never mind the ones ye are on about there ,,,,,,the amount of times pple changed lane in the 3 laners in front of us had me toes curled was never so happy to get home out of it in a long time

arybvtcw0eolkf

I find the percentage of motorists running red lights is split pretty evenly between car & bike drivers/riders.

By far and away the biggest offender is of course cyclists.

Again in my experience, there's no junction worse than anyother really (given traffic volumes etc).

I will say one thing, I notice a huge number of motorbikers will try sneak right through a red light quicker than a car driver will.

Cuddlesworth

Kate Quaint Sidekick wrote: »

I find the percentage of motorists running red lights is split pretty evenly between car & bike drivers/riders.

Going to have to agree with you. Running red lights seems to be a rampant problem. We need a light system similar to the UK, where running a red light=a crash. There is no leeway.

cantdecide

It's more to do with the junction than the motorist. If you know you're in for a long sit, you're more likely to try your luck.

If I rumble up to the Colliseum in Cork in the morning and get caught at the lights, I know that if the lights just ahead are against me, I could be stuck in that 100m stretch for minimum 5 full mins. If one were open to the idea of taking a chance, then this stretch of road might push you over the edge.

Chaos Marine

Filtering to the head of the lane is something I don't think bikers are wrong to do, generally speaking, by the time a car driver is starting to roll, a motorcyclist will generally be at 30MPH.

Mostly I find people in large BMWs are the worst for edging forward a foot at a time till they're practically halfway into the oncoming traffic lane. The junction just north of the Cork Opera house, across the river and right by Ross's garage is crazy. I used to go that way when I had a 125 as it didn't do too well travelling faster than 50/60MPH on the South/North Ring Road.

RosieJoe

reece wrote: »

What junctions/intersections do ye find bad for cagers jumping red lights? The palmerstown n4 intersection is lethal - they're guaranteed to run the red light everytime (crossing the n4). Guy almost gut nailed in front of me about 2 months ago. I'm getting a helmet cam soon just to record the muppets.

Every single one of them, that way I am not surprised when someone does break a red light as I am about to pull off!

Easiest thing to do: lights go green, you look left and right for other road users and pedestrians.

Pique

Any chance that references to 'cagers' can be kept to biker.ie? :rolleyes:
Pathetic childish nicknames like that only belong on that particular forum.

Try using real words like 'drivers'.

Jaden

Pique wrote: »

Any chance that references to 'cagers' can be kept to biker.ie? :rolleyes:
Pathetic childish nicknames like that only belong on that particular forum.

Try using real words like 'drivers'.

Spoken like a true cager.

Pique

Jaden wrote: »

Spoken like a true cager.

:rolleyes:

Ahh, playground taunts. And I thought the schools were back by now.

Wrong forum for that mate, no 'Buswalds' here !

bladespin

Pique wrote: »

Try using real words like 'drivers'.

Good idea but that could apply to bus and truck drivers too and in most cases it's usually cars/cages that are the problem.

BTW Bikers have been referring to car drivers as cagers since around WW2, the first mororcycle gangs in the US called came up with the term, long before biker.ie.

bigSuzi12

bladespin wrote: »

Good idea but that could apply to bus and truck drivers too and in most cases it's usually cars/cages that are the problem.

BTW Bikers have been referring to car drivers as cagers since around WW2, the first mororcycle gangs in the US called came up with the term, long before biker.ie.

Well said, maybe he should go post in the cagers forum, surely they call each other drivers.

cantdecide

Jaden wrote: »

Spoken like a true cager.

bladespin wrote: »

Good idea but that could apply to bus and truck drivers too and in most cases it's usually cars/cages that are the problem.

BTW Bikers have been referring to car drivers as cagers since around WW2, the first mororcycle gangs in the US called came up with the term, long before biker.ie.

bigSuzi12 wrote: »

Well said, maybe he should go post in the cagers forum, surely they call each other drivers.

Tired.

Oh so tired.

Cuddlesworth

If we are going all PC now, does that mean I have to stop calling Taxi drivers pricks?

cantdecide

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

If we are going all PC now, does that mean I have to stop calling Taxi drivers pricks?

You know that that term is universally accepted. We have been over this.










:P

bigSuzi12

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

If we are going all PC now, does that mean I have to stop calling Taxi drivers pricks?

reece

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

If we are going all PC now, does that mean I have to stop calling Taxi drivers pricks?

the_syco

I find (all) cyclists are the worst, and (biker) couriers a close second. Scumbags, the lot of them.


"Normal" bikers don't break the lilghts too often, about the same as cagers, I find.

Jaden

Cyclists are by far the most dangerous set of traffic light abusers. I've had far more near misses with cyclists simply pedaling through the optional-stop-at-red lights, oblivious to the chap on the noisy motorbike, with lights on, and wearing a high-vis jacket.

The Beckett bridge, and the function of Pearse Street / Macken Street are absolutely optional stopping points for cyclists.

Dorsanty

All I know is when I'm approaching lights and the light goes amber I do a quick check in my mirror to see if the car behind has chosen to,

1. floor it
2. is waiting to see what I do
3. amazingly choosing to slow down and prepare to stop

I personally feel quite nervous about choosing to stop when it is appropriate to do so and half expect to be re-ended one day.

Cyclists though annoy the sh1t out of me when they fly past me when I'm sat at the top traffic at a set of red lights. Some of them sweeping right across from one side of the road to the other. One day they one will time it such that I have to take avoiding action, or worse yet when I'm in a hurry and give it loads from a standing start (not breaking the speed limit mind, just minimizing the time under the limit) and I'll make that cyclist very aware of my displeasure.

bladespin

cantdecide wrote: »

Tired.

Oh so tired.

Go to bed so :P

Rosahane

reece wrote: »

What junctions/intersections do ye find bad for cagers jumping red lights? The palmerstown n4 intersection is lethal - they're guaranteed to run the red light everytime (crossing the n4). Guy almost gut nailed in front of me about 2 months ago. I'm getting a helmet cam soon just to record the muppets.

A few years ago before the N4/M50 intersection went freeflow it had traffic lights.

One evening coming home I was stopped at the Palmerston lights. When they went green for me one car shot straight through the red light, he was followed by a second and a third - a Golf - who turned right for the M50. I was moving and behind him at this stage and gave him a blast of the horn whereopon he slapped on the brakes in front of me and then shot away again. I never came anywhere near to rearending him but it pissed me off and when he was stopped at the next lights at the roundabout I pulled up on his passenger side and tapped his passenger window. He ignored me until the window got the benefit of by carbon knuckles when he rolled down the window, told me to F off and as the lights then changed shot off heading for the M50 northbound.

Now, many of you will remember the queues at this roundabout and the habit many car drivers had of shooting up the outside M50 northbound only lane and then cutting back in to head towards Lucan. The Garda mounted periodic checkpoints just around the roundabout to enforce the rules and made loads of people drive around the roundabout.

So, at this stage feeling very pissed off and vindictive with the stupid twenty year old prat driving the Golf I was delighted to see three Garda when i drove around the roundabout. I pulled up and quickly explained what had happened to this enormous traffic sergeant and pointed out the car which was stopped anout ten yards away at the next set of lights on the roundabout. The sergeant immediately sent another Garda to pull in the Golf and I got off the bike, took off the helmet and gave a full explanation to the sarge. He said that my word wasn't sufficent to charge him with the red light, I shouldn't have beeped and that he would be stupid to admit to braking in front of me - he would probably claim that he braked in response to my beep. He said that he totally believed me, was on my side as he was a biker and usually out on a Pan and to hang on while he went to interview the prat who was at this stage standing at the side of the roundabout being interviewed by the other garda.

After a few minutes the sarge came back with the prats driving licence in his hand and said that the prat had admitted the red light - stupid, but i was wearing a hi viz jac riding a BMW and he may have thought I was an off duty garda - he indeed said that he braked in response to my beep, he also had a bald tyre for which the other garda had already given him a fixed sixty euro fine. My new best friend the sarge said, and I quote "he is an idiot and I reamed his hole for him" and that if I wished he would take him to court on the braking but wouldn't get a conviction as it would be my word against his but the decision was mine and he would proceed with it if I wished.

I saw no point in wasting time going to court and thanked the sarge who repeated "I reamed his hole for him anyway and he will think twice before he does anything like this again" before heading back over to the prat.

I was zipping up jacket and putting on my helmet when the sarge came back with the prat's licence still in his hand and the prat in tow:eek:
As the sarge stood beside him the prat apologised to me for his behaviour then was given back his licence and told to go on his way:D

The sergeant's parting remark to me was "I really reamed his hole for him "

I was in such a good humour after that that nothing could upset me for a week:cool:

RozDev

Thats a great post... really made me laugh.

Tomohawk

Great post, that'll learn 'em.

Paparazzo

Cyclists are definitely the worst, nearly killed one on the cuff street/kevin street crossroads.
A car driver turned right across the front of me at a crossroads before, just after my light went green. I beeped and gave a dirty look. But a bike guard was on the other side of the junction and saw everything and pulled him in.

Rosahane

I think I miss the daily commute since I took early retirement, still out on the bike most days but don't have the experience of filtering or bus lane the whole way out from town anymore, especially since the upgrade of the N4.

The funniest example of blatant disregard for red lights I experienced was, like my previous post, a few years ago when the N4 / M50 roundabout used to be traffic light controlled.

Picture this. I was sitting at the lights on the roundabout having filtered up the middle when a Traffic Corps bike pulled alongside me. We sat there side by side, BMW and Pan, out in front of the cars in their lanes, both glowing in hi-viz and a silver and white helmet respectively, waiting for the lights to change - we must have been visible from a kilometre away.

The lights change and a couple of cars slip through on a late amber followed several seconds into the red, and after going green for us, by a Nissan Serena Taxi . Because he probably had to accelelerate to make the red light he was moving so fast that, steering with only one hand -the other was holding his mobile to his ear - he had problems making the roundabout and veered across into the inside lane and nearly clipped the kerb:eek:

The Pan took off, followed by me on his outside and pulled up alongside the driver's window of the taxi. Still holding the phone to his ear the driver looked across at the Garda with his mouth open and instinctivelly slowed down to about 10 MPH as did the Garda, me, the two more bikes who had filtered up behind us and the cars from both lanes all of whom had witnessed the "incidents".

Unfortunately the Garda wasn't in the mood for an audience and waved us all on:(

I would have loved to have heard the resultant interrogation:D