[Travel] #TeamAntiCar - This time, rat runs

[symyjym]

I think you made that up, Its only give way to pedestrians on a traffic lighted crossing, even pelicans is road users right of way until traffic stops.
Your suggesting that as soon as a pedestrian steps out into the road they have right of way, is that right?

Yes this is what I seem to remember.

Everyone is on a journey whether in a vehicle or walking and if a pedestrian steps onto the curb before you get to that point in your car, you should give way to them.

If I am wrong I still get good karma points.

 

[symyjym]

I really should get a dashcam for my bike. I cycle 8 miles to and from work all week and, without fail, someone tries to kill me once a day, minimum. Be it not stopping at a stop line, turning directly into my path or from time to time, pulling out directly in front when I'm heading down a hill. One gave me the choice of hitting their car, or going around them into oncoming traffic and hoping for the best. Luckily, I guessed they were a total moron with no thought to other road users, so I already knew what was happening on the other side of the road and got the hell out of the way.

It's not difficult to wait a second or two extra and give a cyclist moving down hill, in the rain, time to get past. Don't try and jump out ahead and hope the brakes on a bike, which aren't the same as they are on a car, are strong enough to make the stop.

No question, I see some MENTAL things by cyclists on a daily basis as well, but if they cause a crash, it's them getting hurt. If the driver who drove straight out into my path gave me no time and took me out, it's me going over the car at 20mph. Mental.

As a final thought - I believe that anyone cycling on the road should have passed the driving theory test. That should be the standard for ALL road users in my opinion.

Every time I saw people doing some mad stuff on the road I kicked myself for not having a cam, and when I saw an old man in an electric wheel chair coming down Snakey Hill (King George VI Ave) on the road, as I was driving up it, I compelled to purchase one. It would have made a funny clip for youtube.

As a car user my main obligation on the road is not to scare anyone and to assist with other peoples journey too.

Yep at least an entry level theory test which could be taken at school and could be rolled out as a government incentive scheme without cost. Then school leavers could pay for the full theory test to continue cycling on the road.

I am forever seeing cyclists without lights and along with the red light jumpers there should be an on the spot fine for them. The police tend to turn a blind eye to this and at worst they would get a warning about safety and send them on their way. There are too many bikes without lights though, not just the odd one.

 

[Stat Brother]

Look at the line of sight for the cars, they probably need to edge forwards to see past the postbox and the parked cars. You shouldn't just assume they're all trying to kill cyclists.

You have got to be joking, esp with the second one.


Of course they aren't trying to kill cyclists.
Nobody wants to kill cyclists.
But both those drivers, esp the second one, weren't playing any attention to other road users.
I'll suggest they were so hell bent on protecting the valuable seconds they saved, they didn't even give that mis-step a moments thought after the fact.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I really should get a dashcam for my bike. I cycle 8 miles to and from work all week and, without fail, someone tries to kill me once a day, minimum. Be it not stopping at a stop line, turning directly into my path or from time to time, pulling out directly in front when I'm heading down a hill. One gave me the choice of hitting their car, or going around them into oncoming traffic and hoping for the best. Luckily, I guessed they were a total moron with no thought to other road users, so I already knew what was happening on the other side of the road and got the hell out of the way.

It's not difficult to wait a second or two extra and give a cyclist moving down hill, in the rain, time to get past. Don't try and jump out ahead and hope the brakes on a bike, which aren't the same as they are on a car, are strong enough to make the stop.

No question, I see some MENTAL things by cyclists on a daily basis as well, but if they cause a crash, it's them getting hurt. If the driver who drove straight out into my path gave me no time and took me out, it's me going over the car at 20mph. Mental.

As a final thought - I believe that anyone cycling on the road should have passed the driving theory test. That should be the standard for ALL road users in my opinion.

I agree with most of this, the bit I disagree with I have made bold. If I hit a cyclist and even if it were 100% their fault it would still have a massive impact on me which would be impossible to stop.

 

[zefarelly]

A big part of the modern driving problem is the cars . . . . Dreadful perifal vision, black spots, blind spots, thick pillars and high window cills. And that's before you factor in virtual deafness via insulation and all the distractions.

Get in a 60's car and it's like a green house by comparison, you can see everything!

 

[Stat Brother]

A big part of the modern driving problem is the cars . . . . Dreadful perifal vision, black spots, blind spots, thick pillars and high window cills. And that's before you factor in virtual deafness via insulation and all the distractions.

Get in a 60's car and it's like a green house by comparison, you can see everything!

Including the AA man (or woman) coming to rescue you.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I agree with most of this, the bit I disagree with I have made bold. If I hit a cyclist and even if it were 100% their fault it would still have a massive impact on me which would be impossible to stop.

Agree entirely.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zefarelly]

Including the AA man (or woman) coming to rescue you.

Far from it, I have called the RAC 1 time in 20 years( in a borrowed car) I only joined because I knew I couldn't fix a modern car if it broke down. I don't do the mileage I used to but usually carry basic tools Andy spares so IF I break down I can fix it, unless it's terminal, which is rare!

 

[Stat Brother]

I agree with most of this, the bit I disagree with I have made bold. If I hit a cyclist and even if it were 100% their fault it would still have a massive impact on me which would be impossible to stop.

True and that would be appalling.

But it would mean you've encountered a pretty suicidal cyclist and poor mental health is at odds with physical exercise.

 

[blue-shifted]

When does a road become a rat run?

If it's the fastest route them surely it's just the way

I can help you with that.

If it goes past other people’s houses that’s a route. If it goes past your house it’s a rat run.

 

[blue-shifted]

Zebra crossings at these sort of residential junctions, effectively giving pedestrians right of way, would be a simple and relatively inexpensive way of redressing the balance.

I really like the way they’ve done it at 7 dials.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

What is it specifically that makes that junction a ‘rat run’ as opposed to just a normal junction?

 

[A1X]

The road down past my previous house used to be a notorious rat run, although provided a week of tremendous entertainment when they dug it up half way along and we saw all these drivers come haring past only to then rather sheepishly drive back the other way a moment or two later.

 

[dazzer6666]

Anyone live on a rat run?

This must be all too familiar to some, between the hours or 8 and 9am.

[tweet]1138444799139356683[/tweet]


Loving how we're looking at the family trying to cross the road, while the second cyclist nearly gets taken out by the black MPV.

....driven by a professional driver............

I cross a lot of roads out running - actually quite common for drivers at junctions to wave me across, but it's almost exclusively men not women that do so which I find slightly odd. Same applies to other drivers acknowledging when you've stopped to let them pass an obstruction. Weird.

 

[symyjym]

....driven by a professional driver............

I cross a lot of roads out running - actually quite common for drivers at junctions to wave me across, but it's almost exclusively men not women that do so which I find slightly odd. Same applies to other drivers acknowledging when you've stopped to let them pass an obstruction. Weird.

Apart from being courteous it makes common sense to do this. To stop a pedestrian from crossing, and drive into their space instead to block them off, and then on top of that make them wait for the road to clear ahead of you to actually turn into makes no sense.

 

[pasty]

Sad that not one of those cars felt able to wave them over.

I got told off by my driving instructor for doing that. The reason being it is not safe for me to wave a pedestrian over when I can't account for other drivers actions that may hit them.

 

[blue-shifted]

I got told off by my driving instructor for doing that. The reason being it is not safe for me to wave a pedestrian over when I can't account for other drivers actions that may hit them.

I don't wave people over for exactly that reason. And I'd prefer people didn't do it to me.

 

[zefarelly]

I've seen an old dear in Shoreham, on more than one occaision, just walk diagonally across a very wide T junction, with the kind of F*** you attitude only octogenarians can have. She's either yodas little sister or extremely lucky, the junction is by the community centre, by no ones house and is definitely a rat run, especially in rush hour when the gates are down.

 

[symyjym]

I got told off by my driving instructor for doing that. The reason being it is not safe for me to wave a pedestrian over when I can't account for other drivers actions that may hit them.

Yep waving someone over implies that you have seen that the road is clear for them and if they go now they will be fine without looking themselves.

At a junction like this one I would hold back from the car in front leaving space. Make eye contact with the pedestrian, and if they are paying attention I would stay put, show them my palm of my hand whilst shrugging my shoulders, raising my eyebrows with a tilt of my head and maybe give them a wink, to give them the option to cross if they want to.

As long as the decision is theirs and you haven't made them rush into making one you can gesture to let pedestrians go in instances like this. Waving at someone to go vigorously can be dangerous.

 

[pasty]

Yep waving someone over implies that you have seen that the road is clear for them and if they go now they will be fine without looking themselves.

At a junction like this one I would hold back from the car in front leaving space. Make eye contact with the pedestrian, and if they are paying attention I would stay put, show them my palm of my hand whilst shrugging my shoulders, raising my eyebrows with a tilt of my head and maybe give them a wink, to give them the option to cross if they want to.

As long as the decision is theirs and you haven't made them rush into making one you can gesture to let pedestrians go in instances like this. Waving at someone to go vigorously can be dangerous.

The situation I got told off for was I was stationary in traffic on a busy main road, and a pedestrian had crossed half-way (not on a proper crossing or anything) and was trying to cross my side of the road. I could see 50 yards ahead there was a traffic light at red so I couldn't continue anyway so waved him across. But as my instructor pointed out, a motorbike could easily have come up the inside of me and wiped the pedestrian out.