I'm not sure what to make of this one.

[northernladuk]

She shouted and waved hands she didn't touch her or empty an automatic in her ass. ala Deathwish. Of course she should have stepped into the road to avoid the idiot cyclist shouldn't she? I have never seen the Police stop adults riding on pavements or people riding illegal scooters so maybe we need a few more Bronsons with 45s?

Never done that, I do slow down when some idiot in a German car covets my boot close up on the grounds that slowing down is safer. That really seems to trigger them.

As above I haven't seen the whole facts but it does seem a little foolish.

She also didn't move from the centre of the path causing the cyclists to have to stop and lose balance. She could have stepped right, like any decent human being, as there is a lamppost so space the cyclist couldn't use anyway.
I think you are completely wrong about Police stopping people riding on pavements and scooters. I keep seeing pictures of police confiscating scooters on FB and getting a crap load of abuse about and not stopping burglars etc. They can't win. If they take them off the road there is an outcry, if they don't and someone dies there is an outcry.

Never done that, I do slow down when some idiot in a German car covets my boot close up on the grounds that slowing down is safer. That really seems to trigger them.

Probably because you have the potential to kill them. It causes needless accidents and what happens if it's a fatal one? Are you ready to go to jail?
Who thought waving at a cyclist could come to this so have you considered the worst possible outcome for your actions?

[vetran]

She also didn't move from the centre of the path causing the cyclists to have to stop and lose balance. She could have stepped right, like any decent human being, as there is a lamppost so space the cyclist couldn't use anyway.
I think you are completely wrong about Police stopping people riding on pavements and scooters. I keep seeing pictures of police confiscating scooters on FB and getting a crap load of abuse about and not stopping burglars etc. They can't win. If they take them off the road there is an outcry, if they don't and someone dies there is an outcry.


Probably because you have the potential to kill them. It causes needless accidents and what happens if it's a fatal one? Are you ready to go to jail?
Who thought waving at a cyclist could come to this so have you considered the worst possible outcome for your actions?

escooters cause more deaths than burglaries, though some of it is Darwinian.

https://news.sky.com/story/e-scooter...rials-12754673

if someone is so close to my rear while I am in the 2nd lane end they cannot possibly stop at 70mph 1-2 car lengths then slowing down to 50 is the only safe response I have. I will chose to move into the inside lane if safe when aggressive drivers do this but sometimes its not possible. If I do move into the inside lane I will probably swear, damn their parents, wish them venereal disease and make gestures, I suppose in your eyes if they hit a bridge shortly afterwards its all my fault?

The people who cause needless accidents are the idiots who tailgate, there is even a law against it.

[northernladuk]

escooters cause more deaths than burglaries, though some of it is Darwinian.

https://news.sky.com/story/e-scooter...rials-12754673

if someone is so close to my rear while I am in the 2nd lane end they cannot possibly stop at 70mph 1-2 car lengths then slowing down to 50 is the only safe response I have. I will chose to move into the inside lane if safe when aggressive drivers do this but sometimes its not possible. If I do move into the inside lane I will probably swear, damn their parents, wish them venereal disease and make gestures, I suppose in your eyes if they hit a bridge shortly afterwards its all my fault?

The people who cause needless accidents are the idiots who tailgate, there is even a law against it.

Yeah totally but it comes back to the situation we have here. There is a law against bikes on the pavement but we've got a fatality and the law doesn't help in this instance. The exact scenario would if the person tailgating crashes while looking at you while you are making gestures. It's a surreal thought but it's become real if you get me.

[Whorty]

Sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Seems lenient given she caused the death of someone.

Just because someone was cycling on a path, it doesn't given a third party the right to cause their death.

But the anti-cycling brigade can't see this ... all they can see is their blinkered hatred for cyclists. What a sad world we live in.

[Whorty]

So if you're waiting for a Tube smoking a fag and I make a sudden screaming jump toward you "PUT THAT OUT", causing you to fall onto the lines in shock, I haven't caused your death? I didn't touch you.

You are being particularly obtuse today.

A person has died and all you want to do is claim the person responsible did nothing wrong "because cycling on the pavement is wrong". Says it all really about you. Maybe the racist claims are unwarranted, you're just a nasty person generally.

I think we all know my views on Vetty .... he's an angry man, with a puce complexion that reads the Fail. Not a nice fella.

[Whorty]

escooters cause more deaths than burglaries, though some of it is Darwinian.

https://news.sky.com/story/e-scooter...rials-12754673

if someone is so close to my rear while I am in the 2nd lane end they cannot possibly stop at 70mph 1-2 car lengths then slowing down to 50 is the only safe response I have. I will chose to move into the inside lane if safe when aggressive drivers do this but sometimes its not possible. If I do move into the inside lane I will probably swear, damn their parents, wish them venereal disease and make gestures, I suppose in your eyes if they hit a bridge shortly afterwards its all my fault?

The people who cause needless accidents are the idiots who tailgate, there is even a law against it.

So you will actively slow from 70 to 50, to force another car driver who you suspect is going at 70, to slow down? You do realise taht isn't your "only safe response" ... the safe response is to continue at your current speed until you have overtaken the vehicles in the inside lane, and then move to the left when safe. What you are doing is the exact opposite of a safe response.

You are openly saying, on a public forum, that you are comfortable knowingly putting others at risk because you don't like how they drive?

You're such a nice fella. You really are.

[vetran]

So you will actively slow from 70 to 50, to force another car driver who you suspect is going at 70, to slow down? You do realise taht isn't your "only safe response" ... the safe response is to continue at your current speed until you have overtaken the vehicles in the inside lane, and then move to the left when safe. What you are doing is the exact opposite of a safe response.

You are openly saying, on a public forum, that you are comfortable knowingly putting others at risk because you don't like how they drive?

You're such a nice fella. You really are.

If the person behind you is so aggressive you feel unsafe then the correct decision is to use caution and reduce your speed. If they choose to overtake then fine. I frequently drop to 50 - 60 slowly to decrease the risk and tuck in behind a lorry. I'm not punishing the other road user for doing over 70 I am reducing the chance of the feckwit hitting me because he is too close If I can't see your lights you are too close.

If someone cuts in in front of you reducing your breaking distance slowing down to regain a safe distance is the correct move.

I used to drive 30,000 + miles a year it has saved my life a number of times while lorries lost their loads, caravans flipping , Cars clipping each other etc. If I'm not happy with the situation slow down. I know you are probably the type to be the idiot up my rear end or cut in the last second at the exit so you don't understand such stuff.

[Gibbon]

So you will actively slow from 70 to 50, to force another car driver who you suspect is going at 70, to slow down? You do realise taht isn't your "only safe response" ... the safe response is to continue at your current speed until you have overtaken the vehicles in the inside lane, and then move to the left when safe. What you are doing is the exact opposite of a safe response.

You are openly saying, on a public forum, that you are comfortable knowingly putting others at risk because you don't like how they drive?

You're such a nice fella. You really are.

Not so in all cases. Many moons ago I was driving down the M1 south bound toward the A5 'dip', raining and dark and nose to tail. Some idiot was tailgating so close I couldn't see his head lights. So as you suggest once it was safe I pulled over (lane 3 ->2). And then all hell broke loose behind as the tailgater accelerated into the gap just as the cars in front were braking. 6 car pile up ensued. Having just last month been on a speed awareness course the official line is as V says, back off to 4 cars gap in front, it gives you time to slow down gradually and doesn't put the poor sod in front at risk. Also 'and this works in most cases' slowing down makes a reasonable driver realise they are tailgating and then you can speed back up with a reasonable and safe gap.

[vetran]

Probably because you have the potential to become their victim. It causes needless accidents and what happens if it's a fatal one? Are you ready to go to jail?
Who thought waving at a cyclist could come to this so have you considered the worst possible outcome for your actions?

FTFY

Tailgaters are morons of the first order, frequently they get upset because the car in front is 2 seconds in front of me and they want me to pressure that car to accelerate into their own safe braking area by going up behind them and flashing my lights 6 foot from their boot. That causes ripples and that causes accidents. I can't wait for tailgating cameras.

So to summarise

1. You believe a cyclist riding on the pavement illegally and who failed to stop to prevent an accident is in the right? If half the cyclists I see riding badly fell off when they were shouted about then the hobby would die out quickly.
2. Tailgating is perfectly sensible and normal drivers shouldn't protect themselves against warty level stupidity. I do however have a solution.

[northernladuk]

If the person behind you is so aggressive you feel unsafe then the correct decision is to use caution and reduce your speed. If they choose to overtake then fine. I frequently drop to 50 - 60 slowly to decrease the risk and tuck in behind a lorry.

No it's not. Quite the opposite. You speed up and exit the area of danger. Slowing or changing direction is a risk in itself. That's the difference between passing your test and learning to drive at an advanced level. Another example is always enter the motorway on a slip road at over 70mph because it's easier to slow in to a spot than speed up in to one. But slowing when there is a faster moving/aggressive vehicle behind you is completely the wrong thing to do.
Question is what do you do if speeding up reduces your distance to the vehicle in front and all that but again advanced driving will teach you situational awareness so you'll know exactly what your options are before the bloke has come up your arse.

All that said I will totally admit to dabbing the brakes enough for the lights to come on without reducing speed if I can or hit the hazards before speeding up. I'll admit they aren't the best options either to all theory aside I do get you.

If someone cuts in in front of you reducing your breaking distance slowing down to regain a safe distance is the correct move.

Correct. But balance that risk with what is behind you as well. Just stamping on the brakes when you've a lorry three feet from the back isn't the answer.

I used to drive 30,000 + miles a year it has saved my life a number of times while lorries lost their loads, caravans flipping , Cars clipping each other etc. If I'm not happy with the situation slow down. I know you are probably the type to be the idiot up my rear end or cut in the last second at the exit so you don't understand such stuff.

Slow down if it's in front of you but be aware of what is behind you and the risk your slowing creates behind you.

But slowing if you've an aggressive vehicle up your arse is totally the wrong thing to do.