Psycho Cycling, Again

[major_clanger]

Perhaps the Cambridge cyclist loony fringe is trying to ensure I leave town with particularly vivid memories of their antics. Last week I faced a swarm of about a dozen weaving randomly across the full width of the road; today was the turn of the chap who saw nothing amiss in cycling the wrong way around the Newmarket Rd / Elizabeth Way roundabout.

I shall breathe deeply, put away my rant about selfish morons who don't even pay road tax and just fervently hope that Edinburgh cyclists have a non-zero number of brain cells.

Comments

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the last hurrah of the summer students, trying to go out in a frenzy of vehicular self-immolation. I'm told it's traditional.

London today has similar feats being undertaken by motorists who usually use the tube.

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Um. See ed.general for details of the eternal war between cyclists, motorists and pedestrians....

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

heh

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

don't even pay road tax

How could you tell that they didn't pay road tax and had just left the car at home?

While I agree with your opinions re: cycling the wrong way round a roundabout, you're way off the mark about tax.

There's been no such thing as road tax since 1936, when it was axed by Churchill on the basis that it led motorists believing that they had greater rights to use the road over non-motorised road-users.

Roads are now paid for out of general funds. Vehicle excise duty is a social tax designed to encourage people away from motorised transport and towards other modes.

Furthermore, the average cyclist is more likely to own a car than the average non-cyclist. (Although I can't find a source for that at the moment)

Sorry about the rant, but "..and you don't even pay road tax" is one of those things that really pushes my buttons. In the real world, motorists are heavily subsidised by the rest of society, including cyclists.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

I agree that all categories of road users have an equal right to use the roads. But, IMHO, that means they have an equal responsibility to follow the rules of the road.

(Yes, the 'road tax' rant doesn't stand up to any examination, and I have to be honest and admit that I was trolling a bit. Oddly though, the most fervent exposition of it I've heard came from a motorcyclist...)

[nassus.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear that bit about road tax was trolling - I have similar grumbles from motorists about cyclists here and I damn well pay whatever the stupid tax is that gets included with our car rego costs.
Take heart in darwinism - those sorts of individuals rarely live long lives doing stupid stuff. Lets just hope he doesn't take someone innocent with him!

Definitely equal responsibility

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

but also ... think fourth power of the axel weight ...

[rhubarbfool.livejournal.com]

I've had my fair few run-ins with Cambridge cyclists (cycling on pavement mainly) but a while ago I came to the conclusion that it's nothing to do with cycling, just people in Cambridge who seem unable to think too much or too far ahead while walking, cycling, driving, riding on public transport. I've found Edinburgh much better for this although tourists can sometimes add a bit to this mix.

[nassus.livejournal.com]

*grin* that sounds about right - maybe it's because there's a huge population of geeks in Cambridge.

Equal responsibility

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

People - some who happen to be in charge of motor vehicles - regularly flout the rules ...

[mair_in_grenderich]

imle cars in Cambridge are vaguely cyclist aware (consequence of so many idiot cyclists about) and traffic in Edinburgh is much less so. your Edinburgh cyclist with limited brain cells is thus going to be much more quickly culled...

(hm, I thought I was stalking friends-of-friends, but I appear to actually be stalking friends-of-friends-of-friends. I must be bored... )

[ci5rod.livejournal.com]

Language students are generally the only ones suicidal enough to cycle on the Wall of Death roundabout, never mind clueless/arrogant enough to go the wrong way.

[ms-cataclysm.livejournal.com]

I saw a good specimen of the rare double -loaded "wobbly jelly" cyclist this morning but otherwise it seems fairly quiet.