Search found 207 matches

by londoncommuter0000
7 Feb 2019, 11:12am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Oxbridge Elite Or Intelligent
Replies: 49
Views: 2886

Re: Oxbridge Elite Or Intelligent

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
We all knew that but the stats tell the truth.-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46470838

"Oxford and Cambridge are being accused of being so socially exclusive that they recruit more students from eight top schools than almost 3,000 other English state schools put together."


I recall back in the day, when I was applying to university, when the thought of applying to Oxbridge didn't even occur to me. Even if I'd been called to interview, my accent would have disqualified me right away.
by londoncommuter0000
7 Feb 2019, 9:31am
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets
Replies: 17
Views: 1845

Re: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets

irc wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
irc wrote:
You don't think you are exaggerating just a tiny tiny bit how much the right wing care about cyclists? After all plenty politicians of the right are cyclists. BoJo, Andrew Mitchell etc.

In fact was the last MP to propose a helmet law not Eric Marylee? Unless you think a Labour MP is right wing? I suppose it depends how far left you are?


The UK has - at least since the death of John Smith - been a one-party state. There is no mainstream 'left-wing' party anymore.
n.


Presumably because the public don't want far left policies and won't vote for them. Venesuela worked well? Largest oil reserves in the world combined with poverty, chaos, and vast population exodus. It's almost genius to manage that


Oh, dear.
by londoncommuter0000
7 Feb 2019, 8:17am
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets
Replies: 17
Views: 1845

Re: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets

irc wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
reohn2 wrote:What makes you say that?


Because the right wing want it.

(or - to be somewhat less succinct: the right wing hate cyclists and hate cycling, and every single measure that they can impose on us to 'punish' us for being non-conformist members of the only out group that it's still cool to hate, they will impose)


You don't think you are exaggerating just a tiny tiny bit how much the right wing care about cyclists? After all plenty politicians of the right are cyclists. BoJo, Andrew Mitchell etc.

In fact was the last MP to propose a helmet law not Eric Marylee? Unless you think a Labour MP is right wing? I suppose it depends how far left you are?


The UK has - at least since the death of John Smith - been a one-party state. There is no mainstream 'left-wing' party anymore.

Which, of course, is why the media like The Daily Mail and The Sun are not really very far from The Guardian and The Independent in their visceral hate-fest against Jeremy Corbyn.
by londoncommuter0000
7 Feb 2019, 8:14am
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets
Replies: 17
Views: 1845

Re: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets

De Sisti wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
De Sisti wrote:

Would it make any difference if that cyclist was wearing a helmet?


To us - cyclists who care about the outcome - and to those who base opinions on evidence (and who wish to see public policy reflect this) - yes.

To the MP who wants to pander to the white, tattooed, working class, male Millwall supporter - no.
by londoncommuter0000
7 Feb 2019, 7:03am
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets
Replies: 17
Views: 1845

Re: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets

John1970 wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
reohn2 wrote:



It's the nanny state Left who want to try to regulate everything and tell people how to live their lives, not the Right.


Right. That 'Left' who have not been in power for forty years, presumably. :lol:
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 10:18pm
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets
Replies: 17
Views: 1845

Re: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets

De Sisti wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
reohn2 wrote:What makes you say that?


Because the right wing want it.

(or - to be somewhat less succinct: the right wing hate cyclists and hate cycling, and every single measure that they can impose on us to 'punish' us for being non-conformist members of the only out group that it's still cool to hate, they will impose)

Why five years? Why not two, or three, or any other number than five? Was five picked at random?


Not really 'random'. More a sort of 'estimate'. The time is not ripe yet. The Charlie Alliston case was a push in the 'right direction' (yes, I know that that had nothing to do with wearing helmets, but no one ever lost any money betting on the abject stupidity of the right), but they know that there is some resistance. What is needed is 'the big one'. A case that they can hold up as indicative of the 'reckless' nature of cyclists. A pretty young, white female killed, for example - preferably (I emphasise: from their point of view) under five. If she's related to a senior police officer, or a councillor or an MP, then all the better. A slew of anti-cycling ... sorry, a slew of 'safety-related' legislation will follow.
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 8:36pm
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets
Replies: 17
Views: 1845

Re: Casual bike use without helmets found to be no more dangerous than regular bike users with helmets

reohn2 wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:Make the most of it. Bicycle helmet use will be compulsory in the UK within five years.

What makes you say that?


Because the right wing want it.

(or - to be somewhat less succinct: the right wing hate cyclists and hate cycling, and every single measure that they can impose on us to 'punish' us for being non-conformist members of the only out group that it's still cool to hate, they will impose)
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 8:18pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Cyclists ignoring traffic lights
Replies: 233
Views: 21890

Re: Cyclists ignoring traffic lights

The utility cyclist wrote:
londoncommuter0000 wrote:
The utility cyclist wrote:As others have said, we've had the discussion on here before re propelling your vehicle and some saying unless it is off the floor blah blah blah, a few scenarios have cropped up where plod have stuck their oar in accusing cyclists of running the lights because they were pushing their bikes. :roll:
I've got off on occasion to push the bike around the corner when I know there's a long phase and I'm first up or it might benefit me to get ahead if there's other issues I can see, if plod want to argue the toss I'm simply going to ignore them until they do something else in which case they can demand name etc all they like, they won't get squat from me.


The one rule of thumb you can - indeed, must - apply to all interactions with the police, is that they will lie. All. The. Time.

There are undoubtedly 'good' coppers. But the system is designed to weed them out, until it is just the mendacious sociopaths who remain. If a policeman tells you it's Wednesday, ask for a second opinion.

Another rule is that they are by and large entirely ignorant of the law. I see this every single day.
I've seen coppers arrest and charge people with offences which do not even exist. So when you say that plod will get involved, you can count on it. They've charged cyclists with 'speeding' on public roads before, and in some cases, the poor sap has just entered a guilty plea. And as magistrates aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer either - coupled with the almost inevitable (given the social strata whence most magistrates originate) propensity to believe every word the police spout, however preposterous - a fine is usually imposed, and everyone goes about their business, content that 'the system' has worked as it should.

Oh yes, have met a few of those, luckily none on cycle, in car though a few times when I was doing nothing wrong. My first rubbish encounter was not long after passing my test, was accused of stealing alloy wheels from some high up copper in the locality (this was their excuse anyway), got the sweeny style one up the back, one on the front at an angle despite me pulling over straight away (I thought they were simply wanting to come past quickly). They apparently targeted me on the basis of having the same colour car :roll: Got a producer for my troubles despite there being no reason to as I'd done nothing wrong.

I've had the, 'you were going some, we struggled to keep up with you' - we were on a 40 approaching an elongated roundabout near where I live, I had a 75bhp 1.3 carb Astra, they had a 2.0l 16v Vectra, must have been a real struggle to catch me whilst doing 38mph!

A couple of years ago I was threatened with arrest because I didn't have my driving licence on me (I've never carried it), I just laughed at him when he said it was in the Road Traffic Act, he and his pal also made up that my tyres were screeching as I cornered around the mini rbt (despite me going around it properly and on all 4 wheels), refused to look back at his video 'evidence' when I told him how it was he who failed to signal, had poor lane discipline and cut across the mini roundabout so should be having a word to himself about the manner of his driving. The baby then deliberately obstructed me by driving at 10mph and only turned off to keep in front of me as I indicated to turn, he then tanked back down the road exceeding the speed limit (now 30) massively.

Worst was when a sergeant tried to intimidate me off from making a complaint of dangerous driving, that ended up with both he and an Inspector getting warnings on their record. The Insp trying to cover him and blew me out leaving me standing in the rain outside a station because he couldn't be buttocked to turn up to our meeting :twisted:

It's not surprising that people on bikes who are assaulted and injured by motorists have no faith in them and don't bother to report because they'll do next to nothing, even when injured or killed they are rarely on your side, the Michael Mason case and indeed the Rhyl case were 4 people were slaughtered, the Inspector lied about speed being a factor (when it clearly was) was despicable, the Mason case were the MET essentially blamed Mason for the collision was disgusting.

The less I have to do with them the better frankly.


And then they wonder why so many people hate them.

(let me just add here that I do not 'hate' the police. I consider the vast majority of them to be lazy, feckless liars. Management is utterly atrocious, and their training (which used to be second to none) is woeful. If I were asked what solution I have (and I realise that no one gives a [insert some fæcal synonym here] what I think), it would be to disband the police and to reconstitute it from scratch)

But of course, I have more chance of winning the Euromillions rollover than seeing that happen.
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 8:13pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Temporary traffic lights - inadequate time for passage
Replies: 48
Views: 9232

Re: Temporary traffic lights - inadequate time for passage

There's a part of my regular commute into London, where there are currently traffic works. If you're interested, it's when you leave the A200 heading NE and turn left onto the one-way system on Bestwood Street. You're effectively on one lane as you swing left onto Bestwood Street but then there is a bus lane that appears on the left. Except at the moment (well, the last time I cycled in at any rate!), the bus lane is blocked by a long fence which extends to the exit of the McDonald's 'Drive-thru'.

That means that it's effectively one lane, and of course for my own safety, I 'take the lane'. Every single morning, without fail, the car driver behind will be around 6 - 18 inches from my rear wheel, slipping the clutch and revving the engine.

It takes me about .. I dunno, maybe six to eight seconds to clear the blocked part of the lane, at which point I merge into the bus lane, and am overtaken by drivers glaring at me, sometimes shouting, and sometimes deliberately swerving across me to take the B207 (Trundley's Road).

Plus ça change.
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 8:05pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Temporary traffic lights - inadequate time for passage
Replies: 48
Views: 9232

Re: Temporary traffic lights - inadequate time for passage

althebike wrote:I went for a nearly nice ride yesterday, beautiful day, but lots of roadworks. Near Bramshill, just south of Reading stopped on a read light by some roadworks, the lights changed and off I went, I got about halfway along the works when the lights changed and I was met by oncoming traffic, the first car just charged at me, I had no where to move either my bike or myself out of the way so I just stood there , the car braked hard and passed slowly , the next two vehicles were large lorries, the 2nd lorry inched past , the driver wound down his window and gave me some abuse for cycling through a red light. So here I was thinking the oncoming traffic should wait for the lane to clear before proceeding and all along it was my fault for cycling past a green light. Traffic lights, whether at road works, or other junctions, do need to give cyclists and other vulnerable road users time to clear out of the way before changing.


Just a point of order: the car did not charge at you. The selfish [expletive] inside did.
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 1:02pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: A positive thread
Replies: 948
Views: 164675

Re: A positive thread

al_yrpal wrote:We seem to be very lucky around here, 99% of drivers are very careful and courteous to me. A smile and a friendly wave seem to do wonders. I think its in towns, particularly in commuting situations, where everyone is rushing about negative things seem to happen.


London drivers are entitled, self-centred, psychopathic bullies, the majority of whom should be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, for the good of the public. But the rare find - and it does happen - is one who like the original post in this thread, will stop and flash you to let you turn right. Or who will hang back a good distance behind you as you're approaching bollards, letting you pass the latter in safety and at the same time preventing anyone else from overtaking you.

I always make a point of thanking these drivers. When he or she is inside a commercial vehicle - almost unheard of - I make a point of contacting the company and asking that the driver be congratulated on his patience, courtesy and road sense.
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 10:41am
Forum: On the road
Topic: London - on the spot fine
Replies: 95
Views: 15998

Re: London - on the spot fine

thirdcrank wrote:PS I'd agree that being professionally represented is best for anybody who can afford it but whether wheeling a pedal cycle past traffic lights at red is in offence is a matter of law, not evidence, so lying witnesses don't come into it. Nor does Crank - v- Brooks (or Brooks -v- Crank for that matter if I've got it the wrong way round.)


If only it were that easy.
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 10:04am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Cyclists ignoring traffic lights
Replies: 233
Views: 21890

Re: Cyclists ignoring traffic lights

kwackers wrote:The upshot of all of the nonsense is that I'm more than happy to hop off a bicycle and push it whenever and wherever I see fit - even if there are a car full of plods to the side of me (which has on occasion happened).

In the (extremely) unlikely event that plod tries to nobble me for something then I'll cross that bridge when I come to it (even if it means dismounting first).


Sterling advice.

I would also add that if and when plod nick you for (as an example) pushing your bicycle through red lights, then the best thing you can do is to shut up. Don't argue with the officer. Don't even get stroppy, because he will arrest you and then will stand up in court and swear on a stack of bibles that you 'threatened' him. The police do not like it when their authority is questioned. Just get the interaction with the police over, and then get a decent brief who's used to dealing with cycling cases.
by londoncommuter0000
6 Feb 2019, 9:42am
Forum: On the road
Topic: London - on the spot fine
Replies: 95
Views: 15998

Re: London - on the spot fine

thirdcrank wrote:londoncommuter0000

I've only just picked up from your post on another thread that you are a solicitor. We do get threads like this from time-to-time and often they are one-post-and-never-seen-again jobbies. However, some are obviously from people who would really appreciate professional advice and perhaps representation if they decide a case is worth fighting. Put another way, cyclists are being prosecuted for this and it cannot be long before we get another similar post.

Obviously, it's probably too late in this case because the OP decided to pay the fixed penalty but the offer of assistance from a cycling solicitor would not only have been invaluable to them as an individual, but if the case had been pursued to a conclusion with the losing side in the magistrates' court taking it to appeal by way of case stated, it would have put an end to any doubts for all cyclists.

At least, if representing somebody was for some reason not possible, I'm sure you could write a detailed argument that somebody could present themselves at court in answer to a summons (and I've a feeling they've changed the name of a summons to something else without bothering to tell me.)

FWIW, my only formal qualifications having any connection to road traffic law are having passed the police promotion exams in September 1969 and January 1971.


I'm not a 'cycling solicitor'. The best advice I can give you if you're nicked on a bicycle: get professional advice. Do not try to represent yourself, as when you stand up in magistrates court, you are faced with professional liars whose job is to [naughty word of your choice] you.