The grumpy thread

[Mr_Bo11ox]

As for 'ashamed to call myself a cyclist' what a load of internet outrage bollocks.

[M'coli]

Perhaps drivers could also give fair warning that they're planning to turn left, e.g. by, perhaps, using that little stalk beside the steering wheel that switches on these flashing orange lights on one side of their vehicle?  Seeing as I nearly got into an argument with a tosspot in a Focus the other night as I was crossing a road-end (using the cyclepath) because they couldn't be arsed to use their indicators and then told me to eff off, it's not too much to ask, is it?

[cros]

Radio 4's mid day news has just announced that cases of VD are up in my generation's demographic. The opportunity to contract it would be a fine thing.

[beko1987]

For fucks sake man pull yourself together. It's a rule that puts a responsibility on the driver to check he's not going to squash anyone when he turns left. What exactly is the problem?

 

Yeah of course bikers should not come whanging through on the nearside, but loads do. If they get cleaned up its them who's going to suffer. A rule that puts some responsibility on the driver to check for these people is perfectly sensible.

 

Isn't that like rule 3 of driving anyway, try not to hit/squash/kill anything regardless of if they are asking for it/it's their fault as a matter of course? Yes it might be mightily tempting to squish the cheeky/rude cyclist who cuts you up or tries to beat you to a junction, but in those situations the car driver rarely wins even if they are 'right', so surely just don't hit the fucker?

 

I once drove through Oxford though (to pick Lord Sterling up when he got BV's brothers beemer), fuck me never again! Spent more time looking in the mirrors than ahead! Couldn't overtake at points either because cars on the other side were trying too so we all just ended up doing 7mph along with the bikes until they turned off/a gap appeared/the road widened.

 

Then we got onto the A40 and I slowed again to go past the old rover plant so LS could have a good ogle!

 

TL;DR - Oxford is a prick

[Lankytim]

It does seem to remove the element of common sense from cyclists. Loads of cyclists have been killed passing lorries on the left when they've been turning, visibility on the passenger side of lorries is a problem anyway and you can't check for pedestrians/cyclists e.t.c in every mirror and window at the same time as you turn. Anyone passing on the near side while the vehicle is indicating left or starting to turn is taking their lives into their own hands, it deffo shouldn't be encouraged.

[dollywobbler]

That's what worries me Tim. Frankly, visibility is quite shit even in a car these days. Spotting cyclists is bloody horrendous at the best of times. If it educates people not to overtake a cyclist and immediately turn left across their path, then that's a good thing. I can't say I agree with actually giving cyclists priority though.

[AMC Rebel]

Saw/heard a lorry the other day that had a loud voice wired up to the left hand indicator saying "Attention! this vehicle is turning left" - made me smirk a bit and I thought about how I might re-record the message. 

[Supernaut]

I over-reacted, yes. However if this law goes through I can almost guarantee that the hardcore militant cyclists will take it as free reign to exercise zero common sense (as if they do anyway).

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Well if they do, more fool them as large numbers of them will get squashed! They can argue about whose fault it was from their hospital bed.

[Craig the Princess]

Not a bad idea to make driver's look to the left before turning but if you make it the rule that cyclists have priority up the inside it will empower the twat element to go up the left then complain that a lorry that couldn't see them almost hit them.

 

Edit: or what DW said while I was typing.

[Lankytim]

Cyclists were up in arms over that "cyclists keep back" via loudspeaker, "how dare they tell us what do do, it's their responsibility to check" etc.

[Supernaut]

In other news, I'm having a GR9 day at work. I'm posting from my phone in a hub room 3 buildings away from the office after being called a fucking Judas bastard by a couple of my colleagues because I dared to agree to be on call over Christmas. They seem to be entrenched in an 'us vs them' fight with management, and are determined to dig themselves deeper and deeper into their trench, but they're taking me and another colleague with them. The worst bit is that these two in question are out of the country over Christmas and New Year anyway, so it makes no difference to them. I just want the extra cash in the back pocket.

 

I'm going to speak to our manager when he's about, as this is stupid.

[AMC Rebel]

WTAF?

 

Volkswagen emissions: UK and six other nations face legal action

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38247779

 

So.....The EU is threatening the UK, amongst others, with legal action for failing to check that an EU regulated emissions test, carried out in Germany, by the German manufacturers of VW cars, was correctly done?

[AMC Rebel]

Radio 4's mid day news has just announced that cases of VD are up in my generation's demographic. The opportunity to contract it would be a fine thing.

Agreed, if only.

[cros]

WTAF?

 

 

Volkswagen emissions: UK and six other nations face legal action

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38247779

 

So.....The EU is threatening the UK, amongst others, with legal action for failing to check that an EU regulated emissions test, carried out in Germany, by the German manufacturers of VW cars, was correctly done?

Instead of reporting inane shit and half-truths it would be useful if the BBC reigned in their staff's obsession with strictly come prancing and charged them with investigating serious issues that are swept under the carpet.

[jakebullet]

Well if they do, more fool them as large numbers of them will get squashed! They can claim compo from their hospital bed and put everyone's insurance up.

 

FTFY

[AMC Rebel]

Instead of reporting inane shit and half-truths it would be useful if the BBC reigned in their staff's obsession with strictly come prancing and charged them with investigating serious issues that are swept under the carpet.

 

Agreed - I was listening to a stream of inane drivel about Madonna this afternoon on Radio 5 until I remembered 6 music was on.

[beko1987]

Backbox still not arrived, I have a 4 day weekend now, so really want to be doing it. My only hope is it turns up early tomorrow (staying at my mums because beers tonight) so I can get it before I go home. Otherwise I'll be coming all the way back to get it when it arrives because I really bloody want to fit it this weekend!

[hennabm]

This: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38248488

 

Great plan, you're turning left and it's going to be your responsibility to make sure some deliveroo tosser isn't coming up the inside asking for a squashing? Why not have a "no overtaking on the inside" rule instead, like for the rest of vehicles?

This is the rule already in parts of Western Europe. It seems to work- once you know the rule!

[Tayne]

WTAF?

 

 

Volkswagen emissions: UK and six other nations face legal action

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38247779

 

So.....The EU is threatening the UK, amongst others, with legal action for failing to check that an EU regulated emissions test, carried out in Germany, by the German manufacturers of VW cars, was correctly done?

No.

 

The EU is threatening the the U.K. for not imposing penalties on VW for cheating UK type approval emmisions tests and selling cars here off the back of that cheating.

 

It is also threatening the German government for not penalising VW for cheating German type approval emmisions tests and selling cars in Germany of the back of that cheating.

 

Maybe you don't like clean air and healthy lungs but I think VW deserve a damn good kicking for deciding that 30times the maximum pollution was ok so they could sell more cars.

[cort1977]

Some very good points made here by bollox and DW.   

 

Someone on a bike has just as much right to use the road as someone in any other vehicle, just because some tosser can scrape together the monthly payments on a modern shitbox it doesn't mean they have more rights on the road.  

 

I think this is a good idea, it will help protect the less confident people when they are riding their bikes.   Hardcore riders would seldom go up the inside of a vehicle anyway because it's literally lethal, much better to overtake normally.

[Guest Hooli]

Riding up the left hand side of a car/truck/bus etc should be classed as attempted suicide. If you really are too damn thick to see why it's dangerous then you're not fit to ride a push bike on the road.

 

Of course drivers should look, but it's not their fault if a fuck nugget is trying to die under their wheels.

[AMC Rebel]

 

Maybe you don't like clean air and healthy lungs but I think VW deserve a damn good kicking for deciding that 30times the maximum pollution was ok so they could sell more cars.

 

I'm not in any way advocating what VW did - nor do I want my lungs any more full of shit than they are.  It just seems a totally crazy situation. I know it comes under UK type approval - but that is an EU test that VW cheated.  It seems a bit stupid that the EU thinks it needs to fine us and the Germans - it's like when a government regulator fines a rail operator - who winds up paying for that?  Taxpayers will pay a fine and VW will get away with it - great work, EU.

 

I think VW deserve a ritual kicking for a variety of offences including but not limited to the emissions cheating - not sure how the EU fining us is going to help.

[richardmorris]

Riding up the left hand side of a car/truck/bus etc .

Unfortunately that's exactly where the stupid cycle lanes are. I'm lucky to not have any near me.

[Cheggers]

Bought Parky Jr some very nice Basketball boots. He plays for his school so it's part fashion/part sports kit and you know what kids are like these days about labels, etc.

 

He found a pair he liked colour combo he wanted was only offered in the US. No problem, found a reputable site for a Californian Nike retailer and placed an order. All sent registered guaranteed UPS according to the site so I was fairly happy. Price was about the same as in the UK so I thought they were kosher.

 

Well they arrived yesterday in a box covered in Chinese writing.....alarm bells stated to ring. Some investigation suggested they were fakes and a trip to the Nike store revealed that the bar codes and serial numbers are not registered to Nike in the UK or US. The cheeky counterfeiting bastards.

 

Thank Christ I paid on my Visa card as you can do charge back against this sort of thing. I know some people think knock-offs are OK but only if they are mega cheap and obviously fakes but Christ knows what sort of terrorist/triad gang I have inadvertently funded. Also need to cancel my credit card as I have innocently given my details to these scumbags. That's twice in a month I have been scammed so I think my New Years resolution will be cash only.

Possibly too late but the development I live in contains an outlet mall with a Nike Outlet store - Let me know the style & size you need and I'll take a look for you

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest Hooli]

Unfortunately that's exactly where the stupid cycle lanes are. I'm lucky to not have any near me.

 

I wasn't thinking of cycle lanes when I wrote that. I was thinking of the idiots who squeeze halfway up the side of you at lights and seem to be deliberately hiding in blindspots (probably to get good* footage on their helmet cam).

[Parky]

Possibly too late but the development I live in contains an outlet mall with a Nike Outlet store - Let me know the style & size you need and I'll take a look for you

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cheers Cheggers, we have one too - the only reason I didn't go there originally was because the colour combo isn't available in the UK. He'll have to pick another pair once I get my wedge back

[dollywobbler]

I genuinely do think that a lot of cyclists (and pedestrians for that matter) assume that because they can see a vehicle, the person operating said vehicle can see them. To be fair, I bet lorry drivers have the same issue with car drivers, who weave in and out of their blind spots and braking zones like some annoying fly.

 

Anyway, my unreasonably grumpy grump is about celebrity deaths. FFS. Stop cluttering up my social media feeds with 'OMG 2016 IS THE WORST YEAR EVAH' Hey, guess what? Elderly people die. It comes to all of us at some point. I hate to break it to you, but some people you like are probably going to die next year too. I know the Rolling Stones seem to perpetuate some myth of infinite life, but I'm not convinced they're actually human. 

 

I can understand the odd post saying 'oh, that's a shame. I liked them but I shall mark their death with a bit of quiet reflection.' You don't get that though. You get angst, and the social media equivalent of an enormous, Hollywood blockbuster WHYYYYYYYYYYY?!

[richardmorris]

I wasn't thinking of cycle lanes when I wrote that. I was thinking of the idiots who squeeze halfway up the side of you at lights and seem to be deliberately hiding in blindspots (probably to get good* footage on their helmet cam).

Ah, I don't do that. Pass on the offside only and merge in when there's a space. Observation is key- from everybody.

[richardmorris]

Has happened to me which is why I now position myself centrally in the lane at lights. Of course this doesn't stop everyone pulling across you! Interestingly now, with so many new cars being start stop a lot are extremely slow off the mark and so on a bike you can leave them behind as you cross the junction.