c_maguire

As has been shown here, cycles are quite capable of killing. And unlike a motor vehicle where testing and assessment attempts to ensure a level of competence and responsibility, any imbecilic prat who chooses to can hop on a bike (and many do). My original point regarding insurance, how can anyone argue against that? As a percentage of the total, there are evidently far more pillocks on cycles than are in motor vehicles thankfully.
I do have a bike, I don't ride on the pavement, I don't ignore traffic lights, I do stop for pedestrians at crossings, I do use hand signals when turning right, I do use my lights at night, and for Pete I don't dress up like a poofter. Infact, I am a responsible bike rider. I would happily pay say £25-50 a year for insurance.
Kevin

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Sounds to me like he was an aggressive **** and a group of kids did the usual meandering in the road, it is unusual in the she died, normally its cuts, bruises and shouting.

A lot of cyclists do themselves no favours, the lights apply to all vehicles not just motorised ones and you cant ride based on having high ideals and the right of way, you will just get splattered, you cant get all anti car, they arent going to dissapear just because you obstruct them and treat drivers as idiots, dont argue with something that weighs 20 times what you do.

Conversely, car drivers, cyclists are vulnerable, cut them a bit of slack, waiting a few seconds to overtake or not pull out will not make you late.

Pedestrians, watch where the f*ck you are going, cyclists are largely silent as will cars be in the future.

trails

iTrader: (41)

I'm not arguing against your insurance point, its a good idea, (I clicked on the link SiPie added and have already requested a quote), what I do have issue with is you comparing a motor car to a push bike in respect of its ability to cause a pedestrian serious injury or death. How many collisions involving push bikes result in fatalities or serious injury compared to cars...if there are so many pillocks on push bikes then it would be comparable. I'm not trawling the web for those stats but would be willing to bet they are nowhere near each other; cars being more dangerous just for clarities sake

I have two cars (no points), and lots of bikes (no lycra though), I'll cross a junction on a red if the road is clear and I'll do the same at a pedestrian crossing, I use my lights at night and use hand signals where appropriate. I am also a responsible rider.

Ian

trails

iTrader: (41)

best you go and read PG's post then

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

I hope the arrogant git gets whats coming to him, it's seems the courts have failed once again, basiclly I hope he dies a slow and painful death the bastid
Cheers
Colin

CrisPDuk

Whereas it sounds to me like the guy had been previously forced of the road by this bunch of teenaged yobs and had taken the decision this time not to stop for them

PG

I think that due to a cycling group asking for admendments to the laws for cyclists this is a good, topical story for the press to report just to stir things up a little. (especially given the way in which it has been reported.)
It's a shame the young lass lost her life. Equally so it's a shame that the actions taken by this cyclist will have him living with the fact he has killed a fellow human being. Lets face it, you're not telling me he went out to kill her?

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

Killer cyclist escapes jail after running down man on pavement | Mail Online

This happened 2 miles away from where I live He got off jail as his solicitor convinced everyone he was a poor old simpleton. Stupid maybe but retarded no. It makes my p1ss boil seeing the drunken **** out and around verbally abusing everyone when he should be in jail.

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

you're not telling me he went out to kill her?

No Paul, but could have avoided the death of a teenage young girl who has crulley had her life taken by this arrogant pig!!!!
Cheers
Colin

trails

iTrader: (41)

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you haven't read PG's post...only an idiot would make a statement like that if he had Colin

CrisPDuk

Conversely Scoob99, this arrogant teenager could have avoided losing her life by the simple act of showing a little respect to another human being, don't you think

PG

I commute by bike. By the time I get in to Perth (12 miles or so) I have probably been cut up or passed by too closely half a dozen times or so. Once within the city boundries it's survival of the fittest.
If a car pulls out in front of me (they see me, make eye contact yet still pull out!) I will make contact with it! Now the schools are off I do come across kids half a dozen a breast on the pavement and spilling on to the cycle lane. If they are there I'll give them a shout. If they move all is well, if they don't I'll make a point of brushing close by. I've done it in the past and will probably continue to do it. I wouldn't try to hit them and knock them down but I'd like to make a point to them that their ignorance towards other around them won't be put up with. If I can give them a ****er and make them think twice about their actions then all good and well, if not then the next time they are out, pissed up then I may end up in court.
I sincerely hope not.
To me it's as much a disappointing indication of the arrogance and ignorance of the youths of today.............Christ! I sound old!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like her and her friends were being deliberately obstructive, but if he had time to say he wasn't going to stop, he had time to stop or at least slow down/take evasive action, he shouldn't have had to I know but its just not worth the agro with a bunch of kids.

It does seem like the media are out to demonise him and make her into an angel, nobody deserves that but I suppose if you stand in front of something with a lot of kinetic energy then you risk death or injury, I think he needs to tell his side to the media rather than just looking evasive.

They made a big deal about the price of his bike, so what, £4700 is a lot for a bike but it wouldnt buy much of a car and nobody bats an eyelid at that.

CrisPDuk

This whole thing does remind me of the selective reporting and the attendant media witch-hunt following that accident where the supposed illegal immigrant mowed down that poor little kid, and then fled the scene

The truth of that story was that the the kid was on the outside lane of a 70mph dual carriageway, playing chicken, and the driver fled because the scally's mates were throwing rocks at his car

Don't believe everything you read in the press (or hear on the BBC these days)

Klaatu

She wasn't there to defend herself because some inconsiderate tw@t ran into her, stating that "he was not stopping", which knocked her off her feet, her head stuck "the pavement" and she later died! That much IS clear!

djmisio85

This is a case of life and death. The cyclist rode into the girl with blatent contempt, saying hes not going to stop. If he has the time to say it, he also should have had time to put his brakes on, or swerve, or both. Forget lines and boundaries, if it was an injury, such aspects may take effect, but this girl was killed, and it doesnt appear to be by accident.

Imagine the same thing in a car, (unless youre a rally driver), "move cos Im not gona stop". If someone did that in a car, then it would 100% be classed as murder.

Shame the victim wasnt a big bloke, I would have clothes-lined the cyclist wcw style haha

If it was on the pavement, unless there was a specific cycle path, he shouldnt have been on the pavement on his bike. When I was younger I used to ride street/trials, and more often than not, a nice policeman would tell me to get off my bike and not ride on the pavement.

StickyMicky

should have just went for the bunny hop IMO

StickyMicky

this is the thing that i dont understand

if you wheelie a motorbike, you get done for dangerous riding?

when i was a kid i was the best "wheelier" (is that even a real word?) and can remember wheeli-ing (sp?? lol) all the way up martin rd, corners the lot, i was then challenged to wheeli up churchill street (over a mile long i think??) which i done with ease, i could have kept going, but got bored, anyway, while doing one of them i remember a police car coming alongside and the nice police man putting up his thumb, he knew i was the bollocks, everybody did

jonny_693

iTrader: (5)

Get a grip. On that basis everyone in the country would need personal third party insurance. Lets go the whole hog and all carry number plates (for the ANPR) and a tax disk round our necks. Best to insure everything and anything third party that might enter a road and cause an accident i.e dogs, cats, hedgehogs, sheep, wheelie bins (windy days) and ban kids from riding bikes on the public highways and byways. Unfortunately a girls died allbeit it under unusual circumstances. Lets not have a knee jerk reaction

SJ_Skyline

Like they do in France

The point being that public liability insurance works there.

SiPie

Just to add another view on cycling through our friendly streets

I have had the following (whilst minding my own business)


Attempted jumping kung fu kick aimed at me on the bike at crossroads (by kids)

Stones thrown at me from a bus stop, this became quite a habit for them at one location on my route home last summer (by kids)

Numerous kids jumping out from bus stops/pavements trying to freak you or just milling around the road trying to block your path....(sounding possibly similar to the case in question)

Cigarette ends flicked at you pretty frequently (mostly kids)



Awwww.......Bless their cotton socks

trails

iTrader: (41)

The level of ignorance displayed on here sometimes is astounding, go and read PG's post, making comments like that makes you look very foolish. She (and a group of her friends), were playing chicken and she stepped in front of him at the last minute.

trails

iTrader: (41)

Why type a long reply when one word will do. Moron.

Mr Bat

A nice list of things that have happened to me whilst cycling

An old boy ploughed into me at 30 mph, he told me the first he had seen of me was when I went straight over his bonnet. He admitted full liability and his insurance paid for my wrecked bike.

Cars driving past with teens in who have pushed me with their hands to knock me off

A car clipped me, decided he wanted more, stopped his car in the road and reversed it straight at me. The only reason I didn’t get splattered, was because I threw my bike over a fence and dived there myself.

Kids playing chicken and shouting abuse.

These people are in the minority and I generally get a good reaction from other road users, but definitely not as good as continental Europe where you are rightly recognised as King of the Road

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I does worry me that this will generate anti-cyclist feeling among divers (the non cycling kind), regardless of the circumstances of this incident, right or wrong I think it would be fairly ironic for drivers to take out one fatality on cyclists, I suspect in the cyclist killing pedestrian stakes this is a 100% increase on last year and generally getting hit by a bike is preferable to being hit by a car. I wonder what the road death toll would be for the UK if we all rode bikes ?

I must say, cycling has made me drive better, much more aware of hazards, not that i was negligent before but when you are on a bike what passes as "so what" in a car is the difference between getting maimed or not getting maimed.

Anything gets launched at me by kids, I may not react well, there may be injuries or I might ignore it dependant on my mood.

SunnySideUp

What makes Cyclists think they have the right to complain when a car takes the space THAT THEY HAVE PAID FOR!!??

Tax Cyclists £100 a year .... then, and only then, can they complain about the actions of those who pay for the right to use the tarmac upon which the cyclist thinks he/she has some rights over!

SiPie

Must admit that my reaction to the young kid who attempted the kung fu kick was to point out that power is generated from the hip and rather than kicking high for style, a lower kick directed at the kneecaps is much more effective and is not so easily detected.... (especially when he's looking in your eyes and sees no sign of intention)

Miniman

iTrader: (2)

Because we don't pay road tax any more to drive on the roads, it's now a vehicle exise tax for owning a car, and what's more it's based on emissions. Riding a bike doesn't cause any emissions so the government has difficulty figuring out how to tax them - give them time though.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I had a load of kids stop whilst I was going for the newsagents to my car, I was stuffing my face with Peanuts and this little turd beckoned me over, 2 lads in front, 2 giggling trollops in the back of his bazzed up Corsa.

He said "Excuse me mate"

"Er, are you, er"

(He makes throaty sounds like he is about to bring up a Dockers Oyster for me)

"A F*cking Gimp"

He was just about to launch his phelgm into my face but I had anticipated his action and was put out at being called a Gimp so I let him have a face full of partially chewed KP Peanuts, it was big greedy gobful as I was starving. Even if he wasnt going to spit at me the Gimp thing was justification, I gave his car a boot as he was composing himself, he hadnt a clue what had hit him, he didnt know I was eating peanuts, he may have thought I was ill or sick over him.

He called me some rude words and screeched off, I was going to give chase once in my car but I thought my revenge was adequate and had no need to kill him.

SiPie

Which bit do you not understand ?????????

I (but admittedly not all cyclists) have paid £210 to tax my car that the government / green lobby / everyfeckinbody has encouraged me to leave at home, in my garage NOT on the public road

So yes, I pay road tax for the only motor vehicle I own

I therefore pay more road tax per mile in my car than you have ..

Also, road tax is supposedly to fix the damage to the road caused by 1500 kilo cars and I really can't see my 11.5 stone combined with 26.5lbs of a bike making much damage to tarmac

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