[Closed] PSA: War on britain's roads on BBC1

Bring back TJ.

Yep agree that it was more evenly balanced than the early press made out. Shame they didn't fully explain the mad courier riding much. Button the whole. Pretty fair.

I'm surprised people thought that was well balanced. It made us look like a bunch of lunatics.

Did a couple of weeks commuting in London in September and to be honest, I actually really enjoyed it

*before anyone brings out that old adage (total bollocks)

The guy Gareth. What he said was, for the most part pretty true. How he said it - pretty cringe-worthy

I'm surprised people thought that was well balanced. [b]It made us look like a bunch of lunatics.[/b]

Strangely enough it actually made me want to commute by bike again.

Not sure why!

I was bumped once, two days after a blow-out sent our car onto its roof on the motorway. The lady driver was more shook up than I was. 🙂

I commute a couple of miles a day. Fairly quiet, & have to say the vast majority of drivers I come across are totally fine, but I'm quite submissive to a tonne of steel with a sleepy head in charge, & would rather arrive a min later in one place.

Some of them there Londoners are a bit daft. Darwinian theory I guess.

I didn't think it was "well balanced" at all. They've just trawled youtube for the most confrontational clips and made a cheap tv program out of it. The only exception was whenever Cynthia Barlow was talking.

I commuted in London around 15 years ago for the best part of 3 years , I worked in Kings Cross and Kilburn and rode home to Muswell Hill . Thinking back I rode like a complete Idiot but luckily never had a crash. More luck than judgement to be honest and I wouldn't ride like that when I commute in Edinburgh these days.
When I was on holiday and riding In Barcelona a few months back I noticed the lanes were better structured , they had cyclists riding in both directions on one side of the road and because Its mainly a one way grid system It seems to work. Also there BCN bikes actually look fun to ride compared to the Boris bikes.

I don't mean to belittle those who have been injured or worse by vehicles turning left without signalling but we, who ride on the road know its about its about yield.
Its all down to circumstance but I believe your best to give way to motorists especially HGV's. The same can be said about the boy at the Milngavie Road roundabout with the tanker. Regardless of whether he saw you. You should have yielded. You may well have the 'right of way' but its not going to end well just because you think I'm going, he should have seen me.

That's just bloody minded. You/we are on a push bike, they are in a 25 ton lorry.

Of course there is the occasion to ride defensively and being cut up is dangerous and unnecessary. Like the programme said at the end its about give and take, sharing space and respect. Being aware of your viability as road user, in the eyes of drivers.

Cynic-al - fair point. I wrote that without considering the outright accidents and bad luck, wrong place at the wrong time, etc. (If I admit I am wrong does this break an unwritten rule of STW? 🙂 )

Who is TJ? can someone explain?

(joking! I have read the legends..)

Merak - the chap in that incident said that the tanker was slowing as expected and that he had made eye contact with the driver. I've had exactly this happen to me by a lady who hit me hard enough to bounce my bike about 30 yards away. Fortunately, I saw it coming (to an extent) and was able to sort of 'fall over' onto her bonnet.

Whilst defensive cycling is a very good idea, you can't just yield to every other bit of traffic just in case - it'd be bloody dangerous for a start...

The guy filming drivers on mobile phones was spot on doing that, however I see cyclist riding along on their mobiles also.

Baz there was a ton of dangerous driving that could bud taken cyclists out too.

It's a shame he had such a prominent part as his attitude/persona didn't come across well and would have been seen by many cyclist haters as indicative of cyclists being arrogant w*nkers. no doubt the programme makers chose him quite deliberately.

The courier race sequence was completely unnecessary and just sensationalism - they could just have easily included a clip of people in modified cars breaking the speed limit on public roads. Tiny minority etc etc

Good point.

Also the taxi driver's point should be acknowledged.
It's human nature- once drivers blow their top, they are irrational and will not stop until they cause serious harm.
So, if you can, be the bigger man.

They missed the chance to get a traffic copper to comment on the driving of that shouty taxi driver - he still doesn't appear to think he did anything wrong when passing so close and then forcing the cyclist into the curb.

Also I was rather disappointed by the bike copper in the incident with the cyclist banging on the red cab. A whistle would make somebody realise they were driving too close? I get that he was mainly defusing the situation, but seemed all to willing to pass a bit of blame onto the cyclist, and completely failed to point out to the cabbie that if the cyclist could touch his cab then he was driving too close.

As for those who want to knock a cyclist off his bike because they don't agree with him 🙄

Though I do agree that those couriers deserved to be knocked off 😉

The same can be said about the boy at the Milngavie Road roundabout with the tanker. Regardless of whether he saw you. You should have yielded

You should have yielded

slam on your anchors halfway round a roundabout?

Ok who has bought a camera off the back of this. I have 7dayshop special coming soon.

As has been said he was already entering roundabout, had seen the lorry slowing, just any normal day on a roundabout until the lorry driver stopped braking and kept going.

Ok who has bought a camera off the back of this

Does yielding require slamming on the anchors these days?

Well I'm not sure how else you're suggesting the cyclist should have yielded to the tanker in that situation. Maybe not used the roads at all? Or just got off and walked across that roundabout because he might get in the way of other road users?

As D0NK said, he did yield - otherwise he wouldn't have been able to contribute to the programme!

Well I'm not sure how else you're suggesting the cyclist should have yielded to the tanker in that situation. Maybe not used the roads at all? Or just got off and walked across that roundabout because he might get in the way of other road users?

I'm surprised people thought that was well balanced. It made us look like a bunch of lunatics.

The drivers too.

But drivers know what drivers are like. They know that stuff goes on all the time. It's nothing new. Not everyone does it, of course - but everyone knows that too. Almost all of us are drivers, so we feel we know them well. Cyclists on the other hand are a little known minority group commonly stereotyped. A stereotype which the BBC have just painted perfectly. They have reinforced it out of choice.

The BBC produce some really good documentaries. And this wasn't one of them.

He wasn't sure the lorry driver had seen him, yet he continued

It would be impossible to make progress otherwise.

The thing is, the tanker most likely did see him, and this is my point, he expected the boy to give way! We could argue all night about r.o.w. but you and I know, bike or truck, only one winner isn't it.

The thing is, the tanker most likely did see him, and this is my point, he expected the boy to give way!

We could argue all night about r.o.w. but you and I know, bike or truck, only one winner isn't it.

undoubtedly, still think braking when you are on the roundabout is a bad habit to get into and could well lead to plenty of trouble from traffic behind you not expecting you to brake. Emergencies only.

Absolutely. The guy done all he could. He tried to make eye contact. Thought he had established it. And he eventually stopped. To say that we're expected to do more speaks volumes.

You have to look after yourself, yep. But as said, the alternatives are just as likely to get you flattened. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. And this is one thing the [s]documentary[/s] programme completely missed.

D0NK:Shall we agree to disagree.

Im sure you, like me, are a competitive cyclist who cycles thousands of miles on the road each year. And that controlled braking when encountering potentially hazardous situations whilst cycling through roundabouts with HGV's is best measured by the individual and comes naturally to ensure your safety first, and that of other road users?

I'm off to bed, up early to commute through that very roundabout. Where I will be watching everyone like a hawk:-)

Genuinely, stay safe.

aracer - Member
Also I was rather disappointed by the bike copper in the incident with the cyclist banging on the red cab. A whistle would make somebody realise they were driving too close? I get that he was mainly defusing the situation, but seemed all to willing to pass a bit of blame onto the cyclist, and completely failed to point out to the cabbie that if the cyclist could touch his cab then he was driving too close.

Copper didn't witness the incident

Anyone ordered a whistle?

I'm off to bed, up early to commute through that very roundabout.

Im sure you, like me, are a competitive cyclist who cycles thousands of miles on the road each year.

HTH

Copper didn't witness the incident

Love the bag-grabbin' encounter - made me chuckle.

Some cowbag once overtook me with little space given and then positioned the car near to the kerb immediately stopped and indicated right to join another street all in the space of about 50 yards... I still to this day can't understand why she did it. Just seems to be this mentality that vehicle users must get in front/get past as if i'm holding their journey up. Why is a ten second wait to make a safe pass or just to hold back so difficult, just impatience end of the day.

There is no way I would cycle in London... Or get a road bike.

I bet cyclegaz likes peanut butter on toast

Not much being said about cyclists wearing earphones got to be the daftest thing to do, you need your wits about you at all times and don,t be afraid to stand up to any clown who gets out of his motor , he may be in for a bit of a surprise.

I can't believe some people seem to think the cyclist on the roundabout was somehow at fault for not stopping to let the lorry pull out on him. Staggering.

edlong - Member
I can't believe some people seem to think the cyclist on the roundabout was somehow at fault for not stopping to let the lorry pull out on him. Staggering.

Doing something just because it's 'right' doesn't instantly make it 'wise'

The guy with the tanker on the roundabout did everything right as far as I can see. The lorry driver was completely at fault.
I've ridden 5,000 miles so far this year on my commute from west to east London and I think I've seen or nearly experienced pretty much every situation shown in the programme. There's arseholes on all sides in all walks of life - sometimes you just have to get on with it.

i find if I ride somewhere I don't know it's normally more enjoyable, probably ride slower, more cautious, unsure of route and traffic so give way to pushy drivers more

Yeah good point. We weren't in a hurry either. We commuted from Streatham to the Olympic park (12 miles ish) right through the centre of town. There's LOADS of bikes around at that time of day, people of all sorts riding. OK London doesn't have the best cycle network in the world but its and old, densely built city and it must be tricky to fit new stuff in. But the marked and numbered cycle routes are great for finding your way round and for the most part all the road users seem to be on the ball and not in too much of a rush to kill anyone 🙂
Anyone who "would never cycle in London" would be presently surprised I think. 🙂

I thought it was ok, def not as bad as I was expecting.

We are all cyclists so we will always take the view that we where hard done by. But I'm guessing so will lorry drivers and taxi drivers.

The documentary really could have ended with "****s are ****s doesn't matter if they drive a car/taxi/truck or ride a bike."

Not much being said about cyclists wearing earphones got to be the daftest thing to do, you need your wits about you at all times and don,t be afraid to stand up to any clown who gets out of his motor , he may be in for a bit of a surprise.

No worse than drivers with their stereo on bangIng out toons. I wear headphones and can still hear traffic around me.

doesn't matter if they drive a car/taxi/truck or ride a bike

I am getting a bit tired of this attitude, cyclists are more vulnerable road users, it's like taking a knife to a gunfight then finding out everyone else has apache gunships.

Cycling in London is terrible but it's better than almost any other city in the UK and way more pleasant than riding on rural A roads.