‘ello ‘ello ‘ello
Posted: Thu 26 May, 2005 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Health, Travel, Work-related |3 Comments »Since the office move, I’ve been cycling a fair amount – I’m still not back to doing the full journey by bike, but that’s because I’m (in my terms) an idle bugger, and can’t be arsed to do it. I will. Just not yet.
Anyway, it has to be said that – on occasion – my cycling doesn’t necessarily happen in complete accordance with the Highway Code. Not really a shocker, is it? Leaving the office is a case in point – the road out of the industrial estate the new office is in is a nightmare, and if you leave at 5.30 the full length of the road is solid with cars, none of them moving. They’re all rammed right in to the kerb too, so there’s no room for a lowly cyclist.
Well, there is. It’s just known as the centre line. And that’s what I use. I belt down the middle of the road, annoying drivers by being just about the only thing moving. Then when the mini-roundabout comes up, I can crease in, turn left, and be done. The road I turn on to has another mini-roundabout at the end, but on this occasion I’m turning right, so I do the same thing, get right down to the end of the line of traffic, turn right at the mini-roundabout, and bang, job done.
Only yesterday, coming to the end of the second road, I belted past a police car. Oops. He followed me, and persuaded me to stop. (mainly by parking in front of me, but there we go)
Did you know what you were doing was dangerous?
Well, yeah, but I figure it’s not quite as dangerous as trying to ride down the correct piece of road when all the drivers seem to be using it. Including yourself.
Ah. But it’s dangerous to be riding in the middle of the road.
Indeed it is. But again, I figure that as I’m turning right at this mini-roundabout, it’s probably safer for me to be out in the correct place – just early – rather than getting down to the end, then trying to get across the road between cars stopped close together.
OK, I see your point. But what do other road users think?
Well, I’d guess they think “oh shit, best not hit that one”. Or “Bloody cyclists – I should get a bike and cut through these jams too”
Not quite what I was meaning…
He let me off – I wasn’t riding dangerously, or even carelessly. Just not in the Highway Code style. Will I change? Nah, doubt it.
How are you SUPPOSED to turn right then?? Surely you’ve got to be in the middle of the road for that?? If it was two lanes you’d be on the right of the right hand lane and quite rightly, no???
you are as bad as my younger brother, he enjoys arguing with coppers, he even enjoys arguing with said coppers superior officer to get his own way………..nuts both of you!
Errr . . . which bit of the highway code bans overtaking when not prohiited from doing so? Am I missing something?
Maybe it’s the bit about always giving cyclists at least a car width of clearance when passing them.
Gordon: if there are two lanes approaching a roundabout, the safest positioning for turning right on a bicycle or motorbike is actually on the left side of the right-hand lane. Or making gratuitous use of any handily placed pedestrian crossings, of course.