In article ,
(Neil Williams) wrote:

On Sun, 22 May 2005 20:44 +0100 (BST), (Colin
Rosenstiel) wrote:

Also, with three doors you can't pass it on the nearside (preferred in
the above case because I'm turning left just after the stop) anything
like as easily as a Routemaster either.

A cyclist should *never* pass a bus of any kind at a stop on the
nearside. It is highly dangerous for both cyclist and any alighting
passengers, not to mention spectacular for any onlookers when the
inevitable does happen.

(Of course, if the bus is correctly pulled into the stop you wouldn't
be able to, but that is beside the point, and sometimes a bus can't
pull all the way in due to inconsiderately parked cars, for example).

It is of course easy to do with Routemasters as a cyclists can easily see
if people are getting on and off when they commence their manoeuvre and
have no potential conflict after that point. In sane places cyclists are
used to vehicles leaving space for them on the nearside everywhere, of
course.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In article ,
(Richard J.) wrote:

They also seem to get closer to the kerb so making it impossible to
pass on the nearside even when they're moving. The nightmare was
the cycle in a triangle signs on the back of a 73 positively
revelling in their bike-unfriendliness.

I'm not familiar with these signs. Are they suggesting to cyclists that
squeezing between the bus and the kerb might be dangerous? Seems
sensible to me. Again, it's only a "nightmare" if you believe that
cyclists deserve priority over buses and their passengers.

I've seen them on the back of one 73, at both corners in the back window.
Looked official. Cyclists (and the highway authorities) expect to use the
nearside of any bus lane.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Mon, 23 May 2005 00:15 +0100 (BST), (Colin
Rosenstiel) wrote:

I've seen them on the back of one 73, at both corners in the back window.
Looked official. Cyclists (and the highway authorities) expect to use the
nearside of any bus lane.

To use it, yes. To undertake dangerously using it, no. If such
undertaking was to be permitted/sensible, there would be a separate
cycle lane on the nearside as there is in some locations.

(You may be getting the impression that I'm biased against cyclists.
I'm not - I cycle myself. The thing I'm against is irresponsible
cycling, of which this strikes me as an example, as it gives cyclists
a bad reputation.)

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

In article ,
(Neil Williams) wrote:

On Mon, 23 May 2005 00:15 +0100 (BST), (Colin
Rosenstiel) wrote:

I've seen them on the back of one 73, at both corners in the back
window. Looked official. Cyclists (and the highway authorities) expect
to use the nearside of any bus lane.

To use it, yes. To undertake dangerously using it, no. If such
undertaking was to be permitted/sensible, there would be a separate
cycle lane on the nearside as there is in some locations.

(You may be getting the impression that I'm biased against cyclists.
I'm not - I cycle myself. The thing I'm against is irresponsible
cycling, of which this strikes me as an example, as it gives cyclists
a bad reputation.)

I dive off under Camden Town Hall to avoid the issue of course. Why do
these problems only seem to arise with bendies and not with conventional
length buses?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Neil Williams ) gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying :

(Of course, if the bus is correctly pulled into the stop you wouldn't
be able to, but that is beside the point, and sometimes a bus can't
pull all the way in due to inconsiderately parked cars, for example).

Which is, of course, far more often with a BloatiBus than with a bus that
isn't such a laughable length.

Colin Rosenstiel ) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

Why do these problems only seem to arise with bendies and not with
conventional length buses?

Because the bendies have to use far more of the road due to their
unwieldiness.

"Richard J." wrote in message
. uk...
It least that confirms TfL's claims about quicker boarding. Is it
really a "nightmare" to have to wait a few seconds behind the bus until
it moves off again?

I ride through here on many weekday mornings, and TBH I don't really have
any safety issues with it. However, time and again I get delayed on the
approach to turning left into Judd Street because you have one or more bendy
buses stopped in the left-hand lane which need to move rightwards and have
difficulty getting in to the traffic flow because of their length. I feel
sorry for cars in this situation - at least on a bicycle you can make up the
lost time by walking the bike past the red traffic lights.

There's also a major problem outside Holborn station, where there are almost
invariably delivery vans of one sort of another parked near the bus stops,
again causing buses (particularly the bendy buses on route 521?) to block
the road. The effects of this can be seen right back to Russell Square on a
bad morning.

On Mon, 23 May 2005, David Splett wrote:

"Richard J." wrote in message
. uk...

It least that confirms TfL's claims about quicker boarding. Is it
really a "nightmare" to have to wait a few seconds behind the bus until
it moves off again?

I ride through here on many weekday mornings,

Me too. Any other King's Cross cyclists on this froup?

and TBH I don't really have any safety issues with it. However, time and
again I get delayed on the approach to turning left into Judd Street
because you have one or more bendy buses stopped in the left-hand lane
which need to move rightwards and have difficulty getting in to the
traffic flow because of their length. I feel sorry for cars in this
situation - at least on a bicycle you can make up the lost time by
walking the bike past the red traffic lights.

Hang on, though - that left-turn tailback is as often as not due to a
normal bus, at least when i'm there. I think it's just a really nasty bit
of road - a bus stop, a turning, lights and however many lanes of traffic,
all in one go.

I'd like to see the bus stop moved to the west side of Judd street, and an
ASL installed to the east with a feeder lane running between the bus lane
(which would usually be full of buses waiting for the lights, making it
little use for cyclists) and the left-hand lane of traffic, so that bikes
can actually get into the reservoir. The traffic's dense enough that the
reservoir would usually be full of cars, though.

tom

--
THE DRUMMER FROM DEF LEPPARD'S ONLY GOT ONE ARM!

In article . 170,
(Adrian) wrote:

Colin Rosenstiel ) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

Why do these problems only seem to arise with bendies and not with
conventional length buses?

Because the bendies have to use far more of the road due to their
unwieldiness.

We can agree on that - great lard butts!

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In article , (David
Splett) wrote:

"Richard J." wrote in message
. uk...
It least that confirms TfL's claims about quicker boarding. Is it
really a "nightmare" to have to wait a few seconds behind the bus
until it moves off again?

I ride through here on many weekday mornings, and TBH I don't really
have any safety issues with it. However, time and again I get delayed
on the approach to turning left into Judd Street because you have one
or more bendy buses stopped in the left-hand lane which need to move
rightwards and have difficulty getting in to the traffic flow because
of their length. I feel sorry for cars in this situation - at least on
a bicycle you can make up the lost time by walking the bike past the
red traffic lights.

Hence the dive off under Camden Town Hall before the lights and miss all
that faffing about.

There's also a major problem outside Holborn station, where there are
almost invariably delivery vans of one sort of another parked near the
bus stops, again causing buses (particularly the bendy buses on route
521?) to block the road. The effects of this can be seen right back to
Russell Square on a bad morning.

Ah! I turn at Russell Square, go past the BM to Bloomsbury Street for St
Martin's Lane. Gave up passing Holborn a very long time ago.

--
Colin Rosenstiel