There's nothing funny about cavalier cyclists (From Oxford Mail)
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There's nothing funny about cavalier cyclists
10:00am Friday 10th February 2012 in Letters
IN view of the tolerance shown by pedestrians to cyclists on pavements, towpaths and in parks, they do not deserve to be mocked, especially if infirm, by your cycling correspondent, James Styring.
In his On Yer Bike column (Tuesday’s Oxford Mail), he described those who complain as members of an ‘anti-cycle lobby’ who see cyclists as ‘lunatic riders dressed like ninjas... without lights’ who ‘race along pavements with sharpened swords poking out of their wheel hubs like Boudicca’s chariot, hacking the legs off hapless pedestrians’.
But it is not surprising they should be concerned that there is scarcely anywhere they can walk without fear of an encounter with a cyclist (most of whom do not have bells) when, in the year ended October 31, 2011, in the limited time available for the purpose, the police in Oxford issued 352 notices on cyclists for not displaying lights, 71 for riding on the pavement and 116 for contravening traffic lights.
Mr Styring argued in a column last December that cyclists do not always need to observe traffic lights.
Yet he claims that, as a percentage, there are no more idiots cycling than ‘idiots walking’.
ROBERT SEPHTON Cherwell Close Abingdon
Comments(4)
OX26Hound
says...
9:17pm Fri 10 Feb 12
However, I am starting to think that the OM is using stories about cyclists (isn't it about 3 now, in the past week?) and Mr "Polly" Styring as a substitute for the debate about the senior citizen's bus pass - i.e. a good way to stir up controversy and to get the readership writing in and arguing amongst themselves in the comments sections.
davyboy
says...
8:30am Sun 12 Feb 12
everythingburnseventerr, yes they do!!! if they are 'road users' they need to observe ALL traffic signals, and signs, including those given by a police officer. many, however do not, including riding across pedestrian crossings whilst others are crossing the road! if a cyclist trys that with me, i will deliberately walk into them, and point out the error of their ways. also, they are required to show lights after dark, for their own safety at least
aully wrote:
Cyclists do not always need to observe traffic lights the same way that motorists do not need to observe the speed limit.
everythingburnseventaully
says...
11:30am Mon 13 Feb 12
davyboy wrote:Exactly.
everythingburnseventerr, yes they do!!! if they are 'road users' they need to observe ALL traffic signals, and signs, including those given by a police officer. many, however do not, including riding across pedestrian crossings whilst others are crossing the road! if a cyclist trys that with me, i will deliberately walk into them, and point out the error of their ways. also, they are required to show lights after dark, for their own safety at least
aully wrote:
Cyclists do not always need to observe traffic lights the same way that motorists do not need to observe the speed limit.
everythingburnseventaully says...
11:59am Fri 10 Feb 12