Cyclists

[Big J R]

All reminds me of the joke about the coloured cyclist in South Africa, but I'd get 'sent-down' if I reproduced it on here. Race relations act, an' all that !

 

Though's of you who know my E-Mail, send a request with a fiver and I'll send the joke by return !

[MargateFan]

My husband cycles to work and nearly has an accident every time. He has been forced into the verges many times by idiots trying to overtake on blind bends and then meetingn oncoming traffic. In this case the van/lorry/impatient car chooses to think that a person on a bike is expendable because otherwise his precious vehicle will get scratched or dented. And whist I am on the subject I will say he of the driver because it is invariably an impatient male who causes the problem. We are getting more and more congested in our little island and more and more impatient and rushed and a lot of people will get damaged unless we all wise up and start being a little more tolerant of other people outside of ourselves. I have been driving since the seventies, yes I am that old, and I can remember when driving was a pleasant thing and people were courteous to each other on the road. Now it is a total nightmare. And I wish I had use of an RPG sometimes when I am driving around the country roads in my area and meet up with the smug idiots in their stupid enormous four wheeled drive vehicles, or those dreadful people carriers stuffed full of fat lazy children who cannot be bothered to walk a couple of yards to school who act without even the first bit of consideration for anyone else on the road.

I have more, but I will not bore you all with it.

[Mr Happy]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Oops, sorry, can you say that agian please? I missed it!

[MHL]

Have I ever discussed with anyone "pedestrianision" of Norwich City City?

 

 

[Big J R]

Thanks for that MHL.

 

I always thought "pedestrianision" of Norwich City City involved having s*x with a close relative whilst walking round Carrow Road !

[Badger]

I have a friend who is a member of the Enfield Cycling Association, and I asked him why some cyclists ignore red lights and cycle paths. His answer was they do it because they should be given priority at major junctions anyway. So, that's that cleared up.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Quote:

Badger said:
I have a friend who is a member of the Enfield Cycling Association, and I asked him why some cyclists ignore red lights and cycle paths. His answer was they do it because they should be given priority at major junctions anyway. So, that's that cleared up.

Thats the arrogant reply that should get them killed at Major Junctions!

[pabird]

O!k so the plan is to kill them at major junctions, but please lets speed the process up or find a faster method

[Big J R]

Make them all have to take a cyclists test over that very dodgy cycle lane in London, where buses have to cut across them to get to the bus-stop, PA ?

[pabird]

One of them at Aldgate St, o!k but we collect the bikes from the road side after the accident(s) and they are destroyed in a like manner to the cyclists

[The Invisible Man]

I used to ride a bike to work for a spell in the 1980's, from Enflield Lock to Enfield Town. I used to do my best to ride considerately and courteously not only because I am such a nice chap but from an instinct of self-preservation! (I have to say that women on the school run were the worst offenders, and they took great delight in flinging car doors open right in front of me).

 

There are of course two sides to the argument. While riding I found that SOME car divers are absolute selfish arrogant idiots - but as it would only take one to kill me I assumed that all were like that, and subsequently stayed alive. I find the same while driving my car (by the way it's a large four wheel drive). I also try to drive the car in a courteous and considerate manner (for one thing it's too expensive to get paint and body repairs done). I look out for bikes, horses and learner drivers etc and try to act appropriately for the safety of us all.

 

Yes some cyclists are complete arrogant idiots too, thinking they're saving the planet abd have a god-given priority over everyone else.

 

Look, at sea, the rule is "sail before steam" i.e. powered craft must give way to sailing vessels. But you've got be a right [***!!***] to insist on this in your Mirror dinghy and cross the bows of an aircraft carrier.

 

None of which means (I hope) that I'm one of those vehicular bores, the self-righteous gooody goodies that tell everyone else how wrong they are, and bimble around at 30mph, wearing a hat and coat in the car.... or evangelising about the merits of cars/bikes/horses/pogo sticks and slagging off the evils of every other mode of transport. They're all great fun as well as ways of getting around, life is too short to be too po-faced about everything!

 

Err, margate person, aren't country roads where you'd expect to find 4x4's? I agree though that I can see no point in using those silly great Japanese 4x4s or the hopeless Cherokees for the school run in towns!

 

There, I do feel better now. Now to get the Sinclair C5 out of the garage.....

[MargateFan]

Country roads are where you expect to meet tractors, land rovers, combine harvesters, horses and cyclists who work in the area.

These are invariably driven or ridden with more consideration than the gigantic jeeps driven maniacally by people who use the lanes as rat runs or their own private rally circuit, these are the ones I have a problem with. Most of the 4x4's you get nowadays are fashion statements, not working vehicles.

[The Invisible Man]

Margate Fan, I am delighted that you distinguish between Land Rovers and other, inferior, 4x4 vehicles!

 

Of course this may be a subjective, generalised (not to mention slightly biased!) view but I totally agree with you.

 

I wonder how many drivers of these articles have ever engaged low box (if fitted) or diff lock (if fitted) or even 4 wheel drive (if not permanent), or even know how to or that such things exist?

 

However, I would add that a lot of country people drive ordinary cars, and I have to say that in y experience they dricve them like maniacs at high speed around "their" lanes and blind corners.

 

(Actually Land Rovers except Freelanders are bigger than Jeeps but don't tell anyone).

[MargateFan]

Land Rovers are, and will always be in my mind, the one and only desirable 4x4. And I mean Defenders, not the urbanised poncy ones with the metallic finish and plush carpets. I have extremely glorious memories of travelling around France in a 1972 LWB, wonderful. I still, at my advanced age, yearn to own one.

[The Invisible Man]

Aha MargateFan, a kindred spirit! Of course I could quibble and point out that they weren't Defenders in 1972, it would be a Series III..... but I won't! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 

A Land Rover was the first car I ever drove. It was my brother-in-law's LWB Series IIA when I was 14. He and my sister lived in Botswana and they bought the car new in the UK and shipped it back out with them...a big white one....

 

I have to confess that when I recently gave my company Freelander back and trotted round the LR dealers looking for my own Defender, I changed my mind and I have bought a nice shiny Series II Discovery. And it's white! Well it's a bit muddy... My partner used to think I was mad, but now she hankers after a 90...

 

Go on MF, go out and buy a Landie! You know it makes sense!

[Mr Happy]

Bloo*y anoraks!

[Burnham Lad]

Quote:

The Invisible Man said:
Aha MargateFan, a kindred spirit! Of course I could quibble and point out that they weren't Defenders in 1972, it would be a Series III..... but I won't! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A Land Rover was the first car I ever drove. It was my brother-in-law's LWB Series IIA when I was 14. He and my sister lived in Botswana and they bought the car new in the UK and shipped it back out with them...a big white one....

I have to confess that when I recently gave my company Freelander back and trotted round the LR dealers looking for my own Defender, I changed my mind and I have bought a nice shiny Series II Discovery. And it's white! Well it's a bit muddy... My partner used to think I was mad, but now she hankers after a 90...

Go on MF, go out and buy a Landie! You know it makes sense!

Is that because all these are good for running cyclists over - completes the job effectively with no dents or scratches on the paintwork?

[Big J R]

Good question, Andrew:- "Is that because all these are good for running cyclists over - completes the job effectively with no dents or scratches on the paintwork ?"

 

Especially now they've banned cow-catchers on the front as 'Dangerous'.

 

Another victory for the bl**dy cycling fraternity ???

 

[The Invisible Man]

Quite frankly, if you hit a cyclist with a Land Rover, the outcome is likely to be pretty much the same whether it's got bullbars on or not!

[MargateFan]

The one I went round in France in was a desert model that had been shipped back here and repainted in olive green, but when you scratched it you could still see the original sand colour. On arrival in France all the lights blew, so the first part of the tour was to find all the Land Rover dealers in northern France, and it being in August they were all closed for the French Hols. We eventually found a parts shop and rigged up a temporary hand held set of switches that operated the lights manually. I can still hear the command 'brake, brake' at traffic lights as I struggled to find the right switch to throw. And we never hit a single cyclist, the trick is to go round them!