[Travel] #TeamAntiCar - This time, rat runs

[Nitram]

Five ways area. Lots of the side roads off Ditchling Road had speed calming and narrowing of road at junctions which has been effective in reducing rat run traffic.Also the introduction of permit parking has reduced numbers of cars dropping kids off at local school.

 

[LowKarate]

I feel for the rats with all these cars using their runs.

How are they supposed to get on with their day exactly?

#TeamRat

 

[Acker79]

It looks like a one way street

The road that all the cars come from has a single dashed line on the other side of the road (nearest the pedestrians trying to cross) indicating it is two-way. The other road has a cyclist sign on it that is clearly for cyclists coming from the direction we see, and the last car turns left out of the junction. Both are two way streets.

 

[worthingseagull123]

Wow.

Isn’t life unfair.

 

[zefarelly]

Lots of Shoreham has become a rat run as the A259 becomes a car park, seems cars are trying to filter through the middle of town to save a few seconds travelling east/west. Why more people don't start using scooters/bikes etc I don't know, none of them can be going far or they'd be on the a27

 

[Stat Brother]

Lots of Shoreham has become a rat run as the A259 becomes a car park, seems cars are trying to filter through the middle of town to save a few seconds travelling east/west. Why more people don't start using scooters/bikes etc I don't know, none of them can be going far or they'd be on the a27

A frequent story I cough up involves a bike shop owner I know.

He sold a bike to a pensioner because she was so sick of sitting in traffic while pootling around meeting her friends for coffee.

They all laughed at her.

With a month or two he'd sold bikes to each of her 5 friends.

 

[Goring-by-Seagull]

As a new driver (6 months ish now) and having spent my previous 33 years as a pedestrian, I know all too well the utter tossers that drive. I now wave anyone across at junctions/crossings at roundabouts. I mean Jesus, you're slowing down or stopping anyway, just let the people cross!

 

[Stat Brother]

As a new driver (6 months ish now) and having spent my previous 33 years as a pedestrian, I know all too well the utter tossers that drive. I now wave anyone across at junctions/crossings at roundabouts. I mean Jesus, you're slowing down or stopping anyway, just let the people cross!

You'll learn

 

[zefarelly]

Having taken the train to Brighton for our gig last night, just walking down Queens red to the H&R I was amazed,at the idiocy and selfishness in equal measure of cab drivers and pedestrians. There's little need to drive in central Shoreham, but I'm always amazed how many do, how badly they park, and how a vast majority of pedestrians just cross the road without looking, either oblivious or expecting the world to stop for them. 'Knowing the law' is one thing, being a selfish c**t is something completely different.

 

[Stat Brother]

Having taken the train to Brighton for our gig last night, just walking down Queens red to the H&R I was amazed,at the idiocy and selfishness in equal measure of cab drivers and pedestrians. There's little need to drive in central Shoreham, but I'm always amazed how many do, how badly they park, and how a vast majority of pedestrians just cross the road without looking, either oblivious or expecting the world to stop for them. 'Knowing the law' is one thing, being a selfish c**t is something completely different.

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[zefarelly]

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A balanced civilised populous helps as well, that actually reminds me of India at normal pace with the cars and lorries taken out!

 

[Garage_Doors]

I treat these junctions as zebra crossings. I am pretty sure that the highway code states we should always give way to pedestrians so it's always been pretty clear to me.

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?

 

[Garage_Doors]

Why should they?

They are cars they are far more important than anything else.

For once your talking sense.

 

[zefarelly]

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?

My understanding is, if padestrians have started to cross drivers should give way.

Personally Darwin should take over, padestrians have an individual responsibility to cross the road sensibly and safely. I'll always slow/stop for Ann old dear and/or any genuine mistake etc, but frankly a hipster with headphones who walks out without even a cursory glance deserves to be crushed by whatever's nearest.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

From my dash cam collection.

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.

 

[Stat Brother]

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.

As said earlier.

In that footage 2 of the 3 cyclists are pushed into the opposite lane.
All perfectly normal.

I bet neither driver gave it a second thought.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Anyone live on a rat run?

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

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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.

The consequence of ridiculous actions by councils in introducing terrible road schemes on the main routes that fail to deal with the problems of heavy demand, making it far more likely that drivers take to the rat runs and instances like this result just because they don't want to sit for an extended time in traffic made worse by idiotic anti car decisions

 

[Billy the Fish]

When does a road become a rat run?

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

 

[zefarelly]

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've had Lambretta scooters (as well as bicycles) for well over 30 years now . . . .its as bad on motorbikes/scooters as it is bicycles. Particularly riding vintage scooters, you have to second guess everything (99% of the time assuming you lose) at every junction or turning, even if you have right of way on an otherwise open highway. For riding/driving 'enjoyment' you really need to get off the public highway, or out of the country!

Which probably explains why most of thenscooter rallies I've done in recent years have been in France, or out to west Wales this year.

 

[Billy the Fish]

As said earlier.

In that footage 2 of the 3 cyclists are pushed into the opposite lane.
All perfectly normal.

I bet neither driver gave it a second thought.

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.