The Red Light Jumping Gods

Any sensible cyclist knows that breaking the law is a big no no. It gives us (cyclists) a bad image and can potentially be dangerous.
Each day I see several cyclists whizz through lights with no consequences.  Which is good, i don’t wish harm to anyone but sometimes it’s good to see them fall foul of a common issue for cyclists, such as your chain coming of your chain ring.


9 thoughts on “The Red Light Jumping Gods

  1. “Give us a bad image”?

    I’m no fan of it (obeying traffic law means that road behaviour is reasonably predictable, which is good) but a lot of drivers simply hate the fact that you’re there. “Red light jumping” is just a post hoc justification for it. If it’s not that, it’s road tax, if it’s not that, it’s that you hold them up, if it’s not that, it’s that you’re some kind of eco-fascist, the list goes on.

    1. I agree with you that some people will hate on us for what ever reason they can. I suspect that the vast majority of people are influenced by this hate and then form it as an opinion. So a majority of drivers think that all cyclists jump red lights because that is what others say, just like white van drivers are aggressive and can’t drive.

      I would prefer it if it was something that didn’t label me as a law breaker.

      1. I’ve been put at risk by another cyclist precisely once, in three years of my present commute. Motorists, (and motorists who’ve observed me scrupulously obeying traffic law) put me at risk at least once each week.

        It’s a priorities thing for me 🙂

  2. What an idiot! The problem with idiots like him, is that a cyclist could be seriously injured through colliding with him, or be hit by a vehicle while trying to avoid a collision, etc.

  3. I’m against it. got stroppy while walking my son over a pelican crossing (pushing the bicycle) when someone cycled straight through the pedestrian crossing on red. How can you justify your needs over the pedestrians trying to get to school with their kids, alive. It’s anti-pedestrian, and it does create resentment with both pedestrians (who get endangered) and drivers (who get jealous).

    The irritating thing is if you are working hard, if you are fit, you can stop. It’s used as a substitute for fitness by the less fit riders. Which means, if cycling is to become more mass-market, there will more RLJ-ers.

      1. This is exactly what I say to mates at work… just use the red light for a break, catch your breath and then set off on green – you’ll be fitter for it imo.
        🙂

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