Is it me, or are more people using pavements as cycle paths when they are not designated as such? And the Boris Bikes while wonderful are only adding to the idiots who only too happy to flout the law. Don't get me started on the even bigger idiots who cycle the wrong way down one way streets!!! It's the innocent in all this, the law abiding pedestrian or motorist who has to deal with the extreme results of such folly: broken limbs of the unfortunate pedestrian or the trauma of the car driver who has, through no fault of their own, injured or, even worse still, killed a cyclist flouting the law......
I remember that I was taught on my cycling proficiency course, which I took at age 12 or so, that one shouldn't cycle on the pavement, or across zebra or pelican crossings for that matter. Indeed, Highway Code Rule 54 states: "You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement." Rule 64 states: "Do not ride across a pelican, puffin or zebra crossing. Dismount and wheel your cycle across."
Another part of the Highway Code that is frequently flouted by cyclists is: "50: You MUST obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals. Laws RTA 1988 sect 36, TSRGD reg 10(1)" So why do I see so many cyclists blatantly weave through the traffic and proceed across a red light?
If the police wish to increase their revenue in these fiscally stringent times as they are doing with the proliferation of speed cameras, why do they not tackle this area of abuse?
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Cyclist Misdemeanours
First Up
Having read my wife's blog (www.fluffyand40.wordpress.com) and thought how well written her observations were of her life I thought I'd ressurect my old blog and start again. So here we are.
Why "Pedants' Corner"?
Well, this relates to a quiz team that I am part of from time to time. We have delighted in the wonderful array of pleasures that such a simple title can bring from the mis-pronunciation ("pea-dants" being the most common) to the writing of the name by others usually resulting in "Pedant's Corner" (we then enjoy pointing out that there are at least two members of the team that are pedants so their apostrophe is incorrrect - I know it's idiotic but some things make so much sense after a drink or three).
What to write, well no doubt musings from my muddled idiotic mind at times to suit. The first of which is the plain observation about others ablutive rituals.
Why is it that I come across so many people in the morning who are obviously such serious soap dodgers? Only this morning on the train someone sat next to me that set my nose twitching. No excuse for the heat as the train was an OK temperature and it had yet to warm up today. No excuse that they were coming to or on the way to the gym as they were fully suited and booted. No excuse as they were not hot and sweaty and out of breath from a run to catch the train. I assume that they had shaved, so what is wrong with a little soap at the very least or even some deodorant? And it isn't as though this is a rare occurance (even more so on my commute home, but by then one could argue that in some instances it may be understandable). I can't even blame it on one person's bad BO as this is different people.
The other issue of note, is what is wrong with us, the population (or at least those who drive cars and pay for their own petrol) of this great and wonderful land that is the UK? We shouted and raved when petrol went over a £1/litre in September 2009 and then again as it approached £5/gallon all within the space . Osborne dropped the duty in the budget and yet it has still gone up to a level nearly 40% higher than 18 months ago. Now I haven't had a pay rise in that time and unless you've managed a great promotion or got yourself a really good swanky job then neither has anyone else in the UK had anywhere near a 1/4 of that level of a pay rise. So why if duty is down, does the price continue to rise? My fill-up on Sunday worked out at £6.21/gallon! Where are all the massive protests of 18 months ago?
Why "Pedants' Corner"?
Well, this relates to a quiz team that I am part of from time to time. We have delighted in the wonderful array of pleasures that such a simple title can bring from the mis-pronunciation ("pea-dants" being the most common) to the writing of the name by others usually resulting in "Pedant's Corner" (we then enjoy pointing out that there are at least two members of the team that are pedants so their apostrophe is incorrrect - I know it's idiotic but some things make so much sense after a drink or three).
What to write, well no doubt musings from my muddled idiotic mind at times to suit. The first of which is the plain observation about others ablutive rituals.
Why is it that I come across so many people in the morning who are obviously such serious soap dodgers? Only this morning on the train someone sat next to me that set my nose twitching. No excuse for the heat as the train was an OK temperature and it had yet to warm up today. No excuse that they were coming to or on the way to the gym as they were fully suited and booted. No excuse as they were not hot and sweaty and out of breath from a run to catch the train. I assume that they had shaved, so what is wrong with a little soap at the very least or even some deodorant? And it isn't as though this is a rare occurance (even more so on my commute home, but by then one could argue that in some instances it may be understandable). I can't even blame it on one person's bad BO as this is different people.
The other issue of note, is what is wrong with us, the population (or at least those who drive cars and pay for their own petrol) of this great and wonderful land that is the UK? We shouted and raved when petrol went over a £1/litre in September 2009 and then again as it approached £5/gallon all within the space . Osborne dropped the duty in the budget and yet it has still gone up to a level nearly 40% higher than 18 months ago. Now I haven't had a pay rise in that time and unless you've managed a great promotion or got yourself a really good swanky job then neither has anyone else in the UK had anywhere near a 1/4 of that level of a pay rise. So why if duty is down, does the price continue to rise? My fill-up on Sunday worked out at £6.21/gallon! Where are all the massive protests of 18 months ago?
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