Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is near at hand
 

I think there will shortly be a significant backlash against cyclists,
from *all* sections of the community. I present three examples for
consideration.

Example 1

A month or so ago I needed a courier firm to deliver a package from my
office in Islington to a location about 5 miles away.

I called our usual courier company (large, reasonably well-known) and
was given a price for a motorbike. Wanting to encourage bicycles for a
non-urgent delivery, I asked if a bicycle would be cheaper. "No" was
the response - it will be more expensive (about 15%).

When I enquired why that was, I was told (quite seriously) that
bicycles were actually faster than motorbikes across the centre of
town now, since "they don't have to stop at red lights and can ride
anywhere" and so my supplier was now marketing bicycles as the premium
service for fast deliveries...

Example 2

Whilst walking near Old Street a while ago I was almost run off the
pavement by some patrolling Police cyclists riding along the pavement
(not in any form of cycle lane). They proceeded despite the protests
of a number of pedestrians, and only rode off the pavement in order to
then ride the wrong way up a one-way street, passing a no entry sign,
again with no cycle lane (contraflow or otherwise) in place. Not even
a police vehicle under blue lights in an emergency can legally proceed
up a one-way street!

Example 3

Last week I had to drive (in a car) across London. I made a note of
all cyclists I saw with red traffic lights against them, and their
behaviour. Of 182 I encountered on my (fairly long and, as you'll
gather, dull) drive, only 8 stopped at a red light against them - less
than 5%.


Personally I think the only solution is compulsory registration of
bicycles, with clearly-displayed plates, or perhaps compulsory
registration of the riders (plate on the back of a mandatory
reflective jacket, perhaps). This isn't trivial law-breaking - this is
anarchy in which business, the police, and the general public are
wholesale ignoring the law of the land, and frequently endangering the
lives of pedestrians (yes, lives - cyclist hitting pedestrian can and
does result in death). Who wants to join my petition?

Best wishes, Silas

Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is nearat hand
 

Silas Denyer wrote:
Personally I think the only solution is compulsory registration of
bicycles, with clearly-displayed plates

Cars have those and it doesn't stop their drivers jumping red lights or
driving on the pavement.

(yes, lives - cyclist hitting pedestrian can and
does result in death).

How many pedestrians die annually from being hit by cyclists? How many
die from being hit by cars?

Who wants to join my petition?

**** off.

d.

Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is nearat hand
 

Silas Denyer wrote:
This isn't trivial law-breaking - this is
anarchy in which business, the police, and the general public are
wholesale ignoring the law of the land, and frequently endangering the
lives of pedestrians (yes, lives - cyclist hitting pedestrian can and
does result in death). Who wants to join my petition?


Not that I condone law breaking by cyclist or motorists but would that
be the ~1 pedestrain a year killed on pavements by cyclists or the ~200
killed a year on pavements by motor vehicles you would be worrying about?

Tony

Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is near at hand
 

--- Tony Raven said:


Not that I condone law breaking by cyclist or motorists but
would that be the ~1 pedestrain a year killed on pavements
by cyclists or the ~200 killed a year on pavements by motor
vehicles you would be worrying about?


What makes you think this is an "Either/Or" question? Shouldn't we be
concerned about *ALL* pedestrians killed by *ALL* vehicles, not
nitpicking about numbers?

Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is near at hand
 

In article ,
(Silas Denyer) wrote:

Personally I think the only solution is compulsory registration of
bicycles, with clearly-displayed plates, or perhaps compulsory
registration of the riders (plate on the back of a mandatory
reflective jacket, perhaps).

Is anybody else's Troll-o-Meter twitching, or is it just me?

Ian
--
My email address is invalid to prevent spam.
Real contact details are on my website at http://www.drianwalker.com

Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is near at hand
 

In ,
Ian Walker typed:

Is anybody else's Troll-o-Meter twitching, or is it just me?

It's not even a good troll...

Tim

--
Sent from Birmingham, UK timdunne at blueyonder.co.uk
'God's electrician sparked up the heavens once again, heading northbound
on the 7:10. And the lord said let there be commuters...' - Thea Gilmore
Look, mum, an anorak on a bike! Check out www.nervouscyclist.org

Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is near at hand
 

On 16 Oct 2004 05:58:53 -0700, Silas Denyer wrote:

lives of pedestrians (yes, lives - cyclist hitting pedestrian can and
does result in death).

How many per annum on average?

Contrast with how many motor vehicles kill per day on average.
Comment.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
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Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is near at hand
 

--- Silas Denyer said:

Who wants to join my petition?


Yes, sign me up please. (Do you want my real details?) I'm always in
favour of anything that can improve things for pedestrians even
slightly, especially if it gives us a chance to get our own back on all
the other road users at the same time.

Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is near at hand
 

--- Ian Smith said:
On 16 Oct 2004 05:58:53 -0700, Silas Denyer
wrote:

(yes, lives - cyclist hitting pedestrian can and
does result in death).

How many per annum on average?

And how many would you consider acceptable? How many pedestrians per
annum do you think are expendable?

Institutionalised law-breaking using bikes - anarchy is nearat hand
 

davek wrote:
Silas Denyer wrote:

Personally I think the only solution is compulsory registration of
bicycles, with clearly-displayed plates


Cars have those and it doesn't stop their drivers jumping red lights or
driving on the pavement.

Well, cars don't jump red lights with anything like the frequency that
bikes do in London, so perhaps it does.

Pete