Red light runnners rant.

Harrybelafonte

Jawgap wrote: »

Two things to be careful of -

1) beamer drivers - they think they are top of the road food chain and all other road users are just sent to inconvenience them

2) nuns in Yarises - out collecting souls for the Almighty.


My last sojourn into a ditch was caused by a seriously impatient X5 driver.

1) not true, BMW, Merc, Audi and large executive saloon tbh. BMW don't deserve to take that accolade alone anymore

p15574

Jawgap wrote: »

1) beamer drivers - they think they are top of the road food chain and all other road users are just sent to inconvenience them

To be fair, most other road users do do their best to inconvenience them...

Jawgap

I see no one is defending the nuns!

cdaly_

Jawgap wrote: »

nuns in Yarises - out collecting souls for the Almighty.

Jawgap wrote: »

I see no one is defending the nuns!

No defence needed. They're just doing their job...

Bunnyhopper

A quick dismount-remount would let you get through many red lights as a pedestrian so that breaking them isn't an issue, and it can double as cyclocross training.

Child's play, really

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ld8K1DFPY

NamelessPhil

cdaly_ wrote: »

I'm just wondering here, how big was you signal? I've seen a number of competent-appearing cyclists who don't really signal that well. Just a hand sticking out a bit from the bars or some such. I use a whole arm out horizontal signalling style.

My version of signalling is the whole arm out version while looking back over the relevant shoulder. If I notice that the car driver behind is allowing me to complete my manoeuver than I'll give them a thumbs up as part of my signal.

superrdave

NamelessPhil wrote: »

My version of signalling is the whole arm out version while looking back over the relevant shoulder. If I notice that the car driver behind is allowing me to complete my manoeuver than I'll give them a thumbs up as part of my signal.

Absolutely. I do this too.

However, a couple of weeks ago, I was coming down the hill into the middle of Malahide village and did this while the light in front of me was green. I couldn't have been any more than 50 or 100 yards from the lights. Now, while I looked back over my shoulder and saw the car behind was letting me pull into the middle of the road to turn right, lo and behold didn't the lights actually turn red. Now, I was never going to cycle on without checking and knew I had braking distance to stop by the line.... but what I wasn't expecting was that the car in front (a beemer, it happens) had actually stopped at the lights and was well behind the line. I was not anticipating this in a million years and as a result rear ended him and bumped into the back of his car (in fact, I turned the bike away from the car as I saw it about to happen so I could shoulder his boot instead of falling to the road). In fairness, he was pretty nice about it and asked if I was okay. The car was fine, the bike was fine and I had a small bruise on the top of my right arm (as I turned back towards the side of the road).

Basically, the moral of this story is, when looking over your shoulder, be damn careful to pay attention to the road in front of you.

Raam

NamelessPhil wrote: »

My version of signalling is the whole arm out version while looking back over the relevant shoulder.

Like this, but with just one arm.

doozerie

cdaly_ wrote: »

I'm just wondering here, how big was you signal? I've seen a number of competent-appearing cyclists who don't really signal that well. Just a hand sticking out a bit from the bars or some such. I use a whole arm out horizontal signalling style.

Did the driver perhaps not notice your signal and then be taken by surprise as you moved out to turn and then look annoyed that you stopped?...

I used the full arm, as always, as I don't want any drivers behind me to be in any doubt about where I'm planning to go. The thing about this incident though is that once the guy turned onto that stretch of road I was on, he must have pretty much instantly decided that he was going to overtake me hence his being completely on the other side of the road despite being 200 metres back. If he had come up behind me and not noticed my signal before I turned then that would have been one thing (a clear example of careless/unobservant driving), but he never intended to drive behind me at all instead he intended to be past me before moving to the correct side of the road (a clear example of obnoxious and potentially dangerous driving).

So basically, on seeing me he didn't register me as another road user where he should follow the usual procedures for overtaking, instead he saw me the cyclist as an obstacle which "required" him to drive entirely on the wrong side of the road from quite a distance back to avoid being delayed by me in any way whatsoever. In doing so he would have been driving past the entrance/exit to a car park for a large building (which is where I was going), while still entirely on the wrong side of the road. And his reaction suggested to me that he'd do the very same thing tomorrow as he didn't seem to think he did anything wrong.

Unregistered.

The Gardai were out again this evening. This time there were 5 or 6 of them on Dame street on the sqaure beside Dublin Castle.

DirkVoodoo

Dudes, need to correct this:

So just why is a BMW car called a 'bimmer' not a 'beemer' or 'beamer'?

The answer in part lies in knowing some BMW history and what came first.

All real BMW enthusiasts know that BMW got a big start on two wheels, what many call the real BMWs.

In those days, BMW motorcycles were quite active in racing, and one of their competitors at the track was often the BSA bikes.

Well as things would have it, a track slang developed, and the BMWs were usually referred to as 'beemers' and the BSAs were referred to as 'beesers'.

So, of course for any true enthusiast, there is no way that a BMW car could be called a 'beemer', so they were called 'bimmers'.

Unfortunately, in the US and Canada, and perhaps other countries, there was a time (kind of still is) where for various reasons, a BMW owner was considered an upwardly mobile person, and of course due to the fun in driving their BMWs most all of them had big grins on their faces.

Hence it is little surprise that the non enthusiast types out there incorrectly labeled BMW cars and their owners as 'beamers' or 'beemers'.

Nearly got hit around 4 times going through bray, why do people think that because they have a gap in one lane of traffic, they have a right of way. Cruising along in the cycle lane and only good observation saved me from idiots turning right across stationary traffic into the bus lane/cycle lane. Argh!

Wishbone Ash

Gardai were busy 'taking names' at Stephen Street Upper this morning. I could hear one courier getting a good dressing down. He kept responding "but it's a bike"! :rolleyes:

Raam

Crossing Leeson Street the other evening, lights are red for road traffic, green for me on the pedestrian island. Police motorbike going one way, bird on a bike sails through the red going in the other direction. He beeps at her and she ambles along. I carried on, but I think he didn't go after her.

Seriously, if you are gonna break the lights don't do it with a copper looking straight at you.

Lumen

Raam wrote: »

Police motorbike going one way, bird on a bike sails through the red going in the other direction.

This one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rSbO_PGqGM

Raam

a fat bird

Jawgap

Raam wrote: »

a fat bird

fat birds might cycle.....


......but

.....fat birds don't fly

Raam

Jawgap wrote: »

fat birds might cycle.....


......but

.....fat birds don't fly

As it happens, I was browsing that site the other day.

doozerie

I saw two gardai in Rathmines yesterday evening, each talking to a stopped cyclist. This was just after the traffic lights by the library so I presume that the cyclists had broken a red light (a regular occurrence there). I heard one garda saying something like "well, you could climb off your bike".

And that concludes today's installment of Crimewatch-watch...

BostonB

Its not that unusual to see a Garda cycling the wrong way on a one way, or cycling on a footpath.

doozerie

@BostonB, No, it's not unusual. In fact, I recently had a cycling garda cycle cycle off the footpath into my path as he crossed at a pedestrian red light. I had to haul on the brakes and swerve around the idiot. Gardai can be morons too, they tend not to be yelled at as much though.

Unregistered.

doozerie wrote: »

. I had to haul on the brakes and swerve around the idiot...

You should have hit him.

superrdave

doozerie wrote: »

I saw two gardai in Rathmines yesterday evening, each talking to a stopped cyclist. This was just after the traffic lights by the library so I presume that the cyclists had broken a red light (a regular occurrence there). I heard one garda saying something like "well, you could climb off your bike".

And that concludes today's installment of Crimewatch-watch...

In fairness, the number or traffic lights along the Rathmines Road is unreal. They are practically every 100 yards! Having been in Italy recently, I saw loads and loads of pedestrian crossings without traffic lights and they worked just fine. Why does every pedestrian road crossing need to stop all traffic for thirty seconds? It makes no sense!

doozerie

@superrdave, From memory there are 3 sets of pedestrian-only lights in Rathmines (i.e. junction of pedestrians plus traffic) , plus 4 sets of lights at road junctions. Are pedestrian lights necessary? When I'm a pedestrian I'm certainly glad of them in some locations - given the disregard many people have for traffic lights generally, I have little faith in traffic stopping at pedestrian crossings and am pleasantly surprised when someone does actually stop.

An alternative way of looking at it is to ask whether people are really so important that they can't afford to wait at a red traffic light for a minute or two. My world hasn't collapsed due to my losing time to stopping at the 30-odd traffic lights on my commute, despite the fact that it can be a real pain (and I'm very important you know - I'd go so far as to say that I'm the single most important person in my world...).

Both are probably the wrong questions to be asking anyway though.

Jawgap

Yesterday afternoon at the junction of O'Connell & Parnell Streets at about 4-30pm saw two skangers on MTBs weaving along through traffic on Parnell Street.

Just as they get to go through the junction one of them starting pulling a wheelie and then both proceeded through the crossing scattering peds all over the place!

The guy wheelied through the crossing - very impressive bike handling skills even if he did nearly takes the heads off a few people.

Raam

I saw one in action on the coast near Bull Island today. I stopped at the ped lights and a cyclist behind me blazed through. Then, BANG! His front tyre burst immediately after he went through.

I can only conclude that a very subtle stinger was installed and is active when the lights are green for peds.

Unregistered.

Raam wrote: »

I saw one in action on the coast near Bull Island today. I stopped at the ped lights and a cyclist behind me blazed through. Then, BANG! His front tyre burst immediately after he went through.

I can only conclude that a very subtle stinger was installed and is active when the lights are green for peds.

Seriously?

doozerie

The Karma Stinger. I like it. Could also appropriately be called the YerMa Stinger.

Unregistered.

Raam wrote: »

I saw one in action on the coast near Bull Island today. I stopped at the ped lights and a cyclist behind me blazed through. Then, BANG! His front tyre burst immediately after he went through.

I can only conclude that a very subtle stinger was installed and is active when the lights are green for peds.

doozerie wrote: »

The Karma Stinger. I like it. Could also appropriately be called the YerMa Stinger.

So what happens when an ambulance is approaching and cars/cyclists shift forward (assuming it's safe to do so) to make way? Karma, is it?

Chips Lovell

The new stinger only deploys on bikes.

doozerie

Unregistered wrote:

So what happens when an ambulance is approaching and cars/cyclists shift forward (assuming it's safe to do so) to make way? Karma, is it?

The Karma Stinger retracts itself in such a situation. The YerMa Stinger doesn't though so you need to watch out for those.

Unregistered.

el tonto wrote: »

The new stinger only deploys on bikes.

Where could one find out more about this?

doozerie

Unregistered. wrote:

Where could one find out more about this?

Inside Raam's head, I suspect. I don't believe it is a solution that has been unleashed on the unsuspecting public as yet, so for now it remains on the drawing board alongside plans for the glass hammer and the skirting ladder.

Jawgap

Interestingly, there was a guy along the psycho-path this morning fixing a puncture so it's obviously still working.

Also I think I met the Guard who deployed the stinger yesterday he pulled me up! My sin? Cycling on the cycle path and giving a shock to a pedestrian waiting for bus at the back of the shelter!!

ThisRegard

doozerie wrote: »

Inside Raam's head, I suspect. I don't believe it is a solution that has been unleashed on the unsuspecting public as yet, so for now it remains on the drawing board alongside plans for the glass hammer and the skirting ladder.

Not to mention the sky hook and long weights.

superrdave

superrdave wrote: »

In fairness, the number or traffic lights along the Rathmines Road is unreal. They are practically every 100 yards! Having been in Italy recently, I saw loads and loads of pedestrian crossings without traffic lights and they worked just fine. Why does every pedestrian road crossing need to stop all traffic for thirty seconds? It makes no sense!

doozerie wrote: »

@superrdave, From memory there are 3 sets of pedestrian-only lights in Rathmines (i.e. junction of pedestrians plus traffic) , plus 4 sets of lights at road junctions. Are pedestrian lights necessary? When I'm a pedestrian I'm certainly glad of them in some locations - given the disregard many people have for traffic lights generally, I have little faith in traffic stopping at pedestrian crossings and am pleasantly surprised when someone does actually stop.

An alternative way of looking at it is to ask whether people are really so important that they can't afford to wait at a red traffic light for a minute or two. My world hasn't collapsed due to my losing time to stopping at the 30-odd traffic lights on my commute, despite the fact that it can be a real pain (and I'm very important you know - I'd go so far as to say that I'm the single most important person in my world...).

Both are probably the wrong questions to be asking anyway though.

I should say that when I was in Italy I encountered no signalled pedestrian crossings that were exclusively that; most were just a few lines of paint on the road yet if you put your foot off the footpath and looked toward oncoming cars, they would stop! It works brilliantly and only slows the traffic down for a matter of seconds, rather than the 30 or 40 the lights here take (and more to that point, why are there so few flashing ambers any more?). Nobody seemed to have any difficulty with them and I wouldn't say they were any less safe than installing lights... In fact, given the abandon with which some red lights are treated by cyclists (aka if it is only pedestrian, I have right of way), it is probably safer, cheaper and quicker to use for everyone. The pedestrian doesn't have to wait, the driver only has to wait a few seconds and the cyclist the same (or if he alters his route and cycles behind the crossing pedestrian, then no time at all and he hasn't broken the law!).

The only place they had signalled pedestrian crossings was as junctions that had traffic lights as well, and even then the pedestrian crossing could still be cut across by traffic turning right or left off the street with the green light (though pedestrians had the right of way).... but the system worked! Shared space systems have, in general, been shown to be successful. I don't see why anyone would have a problem with them, other than from a lazy, post-colonial, stereotypical, self-abusing, cute-hoorism, racist, pessimistic world-view that it wouldn't work simply because we're Irish. I really don't see the point in pedestrian crossing only traffic lights and think they are more hassle than they are worth.

ednwireland

ThisRegard wrote: »

Not to mention the sky hook and long weights.

can i add a long stand, tin of stripey paint, left handed hammer, replacement bubble for spirit level, bag of sparks for the welder,

i could go on

Bunnyhopper

superrdave wrote: »

The only place they had signalled pedestrian crossings was as junctions that had traffic lights as well, and even then the pedestrian crossing could still be cut across by traffic turning right or left off the street with the green light (though pedestrians had the right of way).... but the system worked!

I was in Italy earlier this year and that system caught me by surprise the first time I encountered it (as a pedestrian), but once you get used to it you see that it does work very well.

dario28

I got stung yesterday

I'll start off by saying I have never ran a red on my bike....but I get impatient and feel weird standing on the road when there is no traffic about, also i like to put a few seconds between me and the taxis behind at the lights - so sometimes I would go on amber once there is nothing about people or cars

Sooo yesterday coming up malahide road, light went amber, a person waiting to cross, and a T junction feeding from left, I stopped, person did their thing and I waited , no traffic coming from the left and the light went amber so I moved on before my set of lights went green...

Across the road was the traffic corp cop and as i cycled past he said , "lights are for cyclists as well " , I acknowledged him and went another 300 meters to next set of lights , which were on amber, so i stopped , waited until they went green and cycled on

Next thing the copper is beside me , lights flashing away , i pulled in and out he gets ,

He said first set of lights i broke the red light (kind of fair enough , i would say i was premature)
2nd set of lights I waited BUT my bike was ahead of the white line which is an offense so he is doing me for the 2 !!

I had no ID and may not have given my current address i cant remember but not sure if he will even bother with the summons

as he was walking off he did compliment me on having my lights and having them switched on !!

This must be stop the cyclist month as ive seen loads of people pulled in the last week or so

Discuss

Raam

Harsh!

seamus

dario28 wrote: »

2nd set of lights I waited BUT my bike was ahead of the white line which is an offense so he is doing me for the 2 !!

Now that's pretty ****ty. I fairly consistently stop ahead of the white line to remove myself from the traffic and give myself that 10 foot headstart when the lights go green. I've done it numerous times in front of garda cars, speedies and foot patrols and never had anything said to me.

Maybe he was bored. Or maybe he expected you to stop and chat to him the first time and got a little bit irked that you didn't?

niceonetom

dario28 wrote: »

I got stung yesterday

I'll start off by saying I have never ran a red on my bike....but I get impatient and feel weird standing on the road when there is no traffic about, also i like to put a few seconds between me and the taxis behind at the lights - so sometimes I would go on amber once there is nothing about people or cars

Sooo yesterday coming up malahide road, light went amber, a person waiting to cross, and a T junction feeding from left, I stopped, person did their thing and I waited , no traffic coming from the left and the light went amber so I moved on before my set of lights went green...

Across the road was the traffic corp cop and as i cycled past he said , "lights are for cyclists as well " , I acknowledged him and went another 300 meters to next set of lights , which were on amber, so i stopped , waited until they went green and cycled on

Next thing the copper is beside me , lights flashing away , i pulled in and out he gets ,

He said first set of lights i broke the red light (kind of fair enough , i would say i was premature)
2nd set of lights I waited BUT my bike was ahead of the white line which is an offense so he is doing me for the 2 !!

I had no ID and may not have given my current address i cant remember but not sure if he will even bother with the summons

as he was walking off he did compliment me on having my lights and having them switched on !!

This must be stop the cyclist month as ive seen loads of people pulled in the last week or so

Discuss

I've identified what I suspect is the point that a near miss became a good old fashioned hippy whomping.

I bet he just didn't like the tone of your wave.

dited

dario28 wrote: »

my bike was ahead of the white line which is an offense so he is doing me for the 2

I wonder if he's just as fastidious when it comes to reprimanding motorists who regard ASLs as their own personal starting grid

Unregistered.

Unregistered. wrote: »

The gardai are out tonight at the top of Patrick Street / Christ Church pulling in cyclists who are running the red light at the main junction (coming from Jury's) and going left down Patrick street. I was told there's a court summons in the post.

Edit: Has anyone been to court over it before? Maximum penalty?

Just to follow this up, court summons received today.

dubmess

Don't know if anyone replied to your earler question about fine cost but I got €70in court reduced to €50 when the fine actually came in the post.

Unregistered.

dubmess wrote: »

Don't know if anyone replied to your earler question about fine cost but I got €70in court reduced to €50 when the fine actually came in the post.

Does that mean a conviction on your record?

Kintarō Hattori

Unregistered. wrote: »

Does that mean a conviction on your record?

No, they aren't that cruel.

GTDolanator

BostonB wrote: »

Its not that unusual to see a Garda cycling the wrong way on a one way, or cycling on a footpath.

or the fact they DONT have lights on their bikes

rp

I run a couple of red lights on my route to work, but I think it's ok: one is along St.Peters road/Greentrees, and the cycle path continues past the red light without a white line across the track. Now, the ROTR states that when you come to the red light, you stop at the white line in front of it. So if there is no white line for the cycle track, I assume we are not required to stop there (there is no traffic joining from the left nor ped crossing, so there is no danger of contending the space). Anyone know if I'm right or wrong in this interpretation?

doozerie

rp wrote: »

So if there is no white line for the cycle track, I assume we are not required to stop there (there is no traffic joining from the left nor ped crossing, so there is no danger of contending the space). Anyone know if I'm right or wrong in this interpretation?

I don't know the answer for certain but I would expect that the traffic lights trump the road markings here so I would think you are obliged to stop on a red traffic light.

On my commute I think there is at least one traffic-controlled junction where the cycle track doesn't have a white line across it - it is a T-junction with my route taking me across the stop of the T. It is regularly treated as if the red traffic light does not exist by many cyclists - this happens at other junctions too, but I've had cyclists hurl abuse at me for stopping at red at this particular junction so it seems to be treated differently generally. I think the question of whether you should stop on red at a junction such as that answers itself when you stop and think about the fact that there can be cyclists coming from the joining road - I've seen it happen more than once that a cyclist coming from the road on the right, on a green light, has had to brake hard or swerve to avoid a cyclist going through red from my side of the junction. Even from a personal safety point of view, I think it's very optimistic of anyone to assume that cars coming from the adjoining road will keep out of the cycle track so should the cyclist decide to go through on red at a junction such as that they may find themselves in a game of push and shove with a ton of metal.

NamelessPhil

From the Rules of the Road.


"A red light means "stop". If the light is red as you approach it, you must not go beyond the stop line at that light or, if there is no stop line, beyond the light."

If your cycle track is on the road and there are traffic signals, you must stop for them. There is no other interpretation.