OOOPS!

An off topic rant about cyclists

I live in a country where cyclists are invincible. There are more cycle paths than footpaths, yet still they ride on the pavement. They have special bike lights for crossing the road, but still ride across zebra crossings without warning, and any pedestrian daring to use it must leap out of the way, and any vehicle approaching must slam on the brakes. They go through red lights. They ride on roads even when there is a compulsory bike bike path. They ride bikes which are not street legal, ride at night with no lights and so on. The Lycra clad would be Tour De France riders with bellies which are not hidden by said Lycra are amongst the worst.
They ride at high speed through woods and shout abuse if you or your dog don't leap intantly into the brambles so they don't have to slow down (which often they can't do anyway as they are riding fixed cogs with no brakes).
Mountain bikers ignore the routes set out for them, preferring to wreck foot paths and bridle paths instead.
Drivers are nearly always deemed responsible for any accident involving a bike, unless they can prove the adult cyclist was behaving recklessly or illegally.

Give a cyclist an inch and they will take a mile, no matter where you live. Not my favourite people, cyclists, even though I am (very occasionally) one myself as are all my family.

Wow, that feels better. Rant over.

Now about that lorry and the bridge - how do they get something like that out without wrecking the bridge?

Sorry to continue this, but;
There was a case in this country where a cyclist was doing in excess of 30mph (I think it was) on a pavement. He had time to shout "Get out of the way, because I'm not stopping", before ploughing into a group of teenagers and killing a 16 year old girl. For which he got a £4000 fine. A far as I'm concerned that was manslaughter at the least. If he had time to shout, then he had time to stop.

Let the tyres down.

(Guess how I know. )

I totally agree!!!

It's quite funny how this thread has gone - cyclists on one hand, lorry drivers on the other.

It's like the photographic equivalent of Chinese Whispers. I might have to take some more observational shots when I'm around town and see where comments end up!

That's the great thing about taking spur-of-the-moment shots outdoors - people always spot things in them and stories you didn't...

Not all footways/footpaths are pavements.
Not all footways are cycle paths.
Not all cyclists are idiots.

Nice photo of the crash.

And a very fine rant by Gwyn

I'm really tempted to do this though! We have the 'Pointless Thread' which has been an interesting read; but let's take a random urban shot, whack it on here, and see what we make of it - what stories come out of the woodwork.

It was to be fair!

I'd love to see the court report.

Perhaps the cyclist was a serving police officer and there was compelling video footage?

What this collision?

"A witness told the court that Rhiannon and eight of her friends were walking to a chip shop after drinking beer in a park. The court heard that Rhiannon had drunk “two or three” cans of lager but was “absolutely fine”.

There was conflicting evidence as to whether Rhiannon was actually in the road or had stepped back onto the pavement and whether Howard actually mounted the pavement."

Good idea - it could become totally sureal - like 'what happened next'

Yes - just like A Question Of Sport!

And can I just add...at last 1000 posts!!!!