Chris Hoy speaks out

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661-Pete
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Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by 661-Pete »

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... -mentality
I think this makes a lot of good sense. There's always far too much unnecessary labelling, often derogatory. Should it be just "road users" across the board? After all everyone's a road user for part of their lives, and not a road user at other times. Even if their only experience of the road is on foot, or in a wheelchair.
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Thanking (what for?) and thumbs-ups?

No no, do not make eye contact or communicate!
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meic
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by meic »

On my last ride a car that I was waiting to pass before moving into their lane, invited me infront of them, so I waved thanks and entered. It isnt uncommon for motorists to invite you to go when they have priority, I wave, nod, give thumbs up or mouth "thanks" as I accept their offer.

Though a lot of these interactions dont go all the way to the saying of thanks, they are lower key than that.
When I am driving through town I make eye contact with pedestrians waiting to cross, many take that as a signal to do so which is fine by me. What I was doing with the eye contact was letting them know I was watching them, which many take quite rightly as a sign that I will react accordingly if they cross. I dont expect thanks for that but I often get it.
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Bonefishblues
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Bonefishblues »

meic wrote:On my last ride a car that I was waiting to pass before moving into their lane, invited me infront of them, so I waved thanks and entered. It isnt uncommon for motorists to invite you to go when they have priority, I wave, nod, give thumbs up or mouth "thanks" as I accept their offer.

Though a lot of these interactions dont go all the way to the saying of thanks, they are lower key than that.
When I am driving through town I make eye contact with pedestrians waiting to cross, many take that as a signal to do so which is fine by me. What I was doing with the eye contact was letting them know I was watching them, which many take quite rightly as a sign that I will react accordingly if they cross. I dont expect thanks for that but I often get it.

Absolutely correct in all respects.

It (making contact) identifies both parties as members of the human race, and it's way, way harder to do something to another's detriment if there's been even the most fleeting human contact.
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Better to stick to the law, wait if one does not have priority, never trust a moton

A policeperson waited and tried to wave me out where she had priority, the road there has two lanes, she could not see whether a vehicle was approaching in the second lane, if I had crossed as she urged I could have been killed

I would have liked to give her a *** talking-to but I just pointed at the give-way sign

Best just to stick to the law and not try to be friendly with the terrorists, wait a few seconds for a gap, never trust them
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reohn2
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by reohn2 »

I've always maintained that most motorists are mindful of me when I'm on the bike and treat me with respect,however there's a small minority who terrify me and as I get older the effect on gets worse.
Hoy is right we're all just trying to get along safely.But there are an element,who are blissfully unaware of the effect of passing cyclists waaayyyy to closely and sometimes with a huge speed differential.
Then of course there are those who have an abject hatred of cyclists and will do almost anything to cause a cyclist upset and grief,and whilst there's little to no chance of being caught and punished for their unlawful actions their diabolical behaviour will continue.
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Barks
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Barks »

Try this linkhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2 ... increasing
referenced in the Hoy’s Guardian article - essentailly, poor driving is the overwhelming root cause of death and injuries on the roads, it simply would not be tolerated in any other sector if our society but the sheer and blatent ‘entitlement’ of so many drivers just has to change. Some reasonable suggestions to help ‘nudge’ people towards better behaviour but proper enforcement and punishment is what is crucially missing.
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Wanlock Dod
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Wanlock Dod »

It all depends how you spin it...
Telegraph wrote:Cyclists should stop hogging the road, says Sir Chris Hoy
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661-Pete
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by 661-Pete »

Just today I was waiting at a T-junction with traffic lights; just as they turned to green for us I saw an ambulance approaching with blues-and-twos flashing. So I waited and held out my arm to signal to motorists behind me to wait, and indeed the ambulance jumped the queue and went through the red light. I saw the person in its passenger seat give me a thumbs-up as they raced past. And no-one complained - even though all of us in the side road missed a green phase....

So there is courtesy out there on the roads. You just have to find it.
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Freddie
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Freddie »

I don't understand the point he is trying to make:

He called for the media to stop reporting incidents along the lines of “a cyclist was hit by a motorist” or there was “a confrontation between a taxi driver and a cyclist”.

Um, why? Isn't it useful to see how many cyclists have been in accidents with cars. If the press didn't report events as they happened, then they would be accused of covering them up...

“We are all someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, sister, brother, we’re people and when people’s lives are at risk ... it is time to stop having the ‘them and us’.

“Most cyclists drive and vice versa. You have to try and put yourself in the shoes of the other person.”


We live in a selfish world and this is a bit halfhearted, it seems akin to saying to children that they should share their toys, what will it achieve? Perhaps a better question to ask is why horse riders get so much more space and are far less frequently passed dangerously than cyclists are. Obviously a horse is more intimidating, unpredictable and a potential danger to a driver, that must factor into things, but is that all there is to it?

There does seem to be a degree of scorn for cyclists that there isn't for horse riders, but then I suppose horse riders are less frequently met on the roads, so less of an annoyance from the point of view of the driver.

Sorry, but article reads to me as 'famous person gets name in the paper by making empty statement that affects nobody and achieves nothing'.
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Right, another fairly famous *sleb* keeping himself visible

I am sure most drivers are stupid but one never knows, maybe some audi drivers obey the law, but one should assume they are bad, often enough one reads that the majority use their phones, go too fast etc &c
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rmurphy195
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by rmurphy195 »

661-Pete wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/11/chris-hoy-calls-for-end-to-cyclist-and-motorist-them-and-us-mentality
I think this makes a lot of good sense. There's always far too much unnecessary labelling, often derogatory. Should it be just "road users" across the board? After all everyone's a road user for part of their lives, and not a road user at other times. Even if their only experience of the road is on foot, or in a wheelchair.


Agree, road users whether hoofed, 1 wheel, 2 wheels, 3 wheels or more, with/without engine, with/without trailer/cart etc..

Whether I am cycling, or driving, I consider myself as a road user, in/on a vehicle.

The Highway Code refers to road users, and road users requiring extra care, and includes pedestrians, cyclists, animals and so on.
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Bmblbzzz
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Freddie wrote:I don't understand the point he is trying to make:

He called for the media to stop reporting incidents along the lines of “a cyclist was hit by a motorist” or there was “a confrontation between a taxi driver and a cyclist”.

No incident is ever reported like that anyway. It's always "A cyclist was hit by a car". Motorists do not exist.
Freddie
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by Freddie »

OK, but 'a cyclist was hit by a motorist' could leave open the suggestion that the motorist got out of the car and whacked the cyclist round the chops, which while not unknown, is probably not what is meant in most circumstances.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Chris Hoy speaks out

Post by The utility cyclist »

Wanlock Dod wrote:It all depends how you spin it...
Telegraph wrote:Cyclists should stop hogging the road, says Sir Chris Hoy


If Hoy says that then he's an idiot, his 'I don't want to upset my motor driving sponsors or my image with the public at large' weasel words won't do squat, he's basically saying it's give and take by all and a nice 50/50 split, it couldn't be further from the truth.
Does he actually cycle commute on roads in the UK or does he drive, he smells like a moton with statements like the above quote.
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