PSA: War on britain's roads on BBC1

Those couriers should have their bikes taken away, crushed into a little can, and forced to drink their own urine out of their bike cans.

NO, they should be forced to drink my urine that’s been stored for at least 12 months to ripen.

Then some fresh warm stuff.

Idiots

EDIT stan it still scares me that cyclists can watch the programme and all they take away is a personal opinion about that guy

All the incidents in the programme stem from one road user believing they have more rights than others..

What an utter crock.

Bring back TJ.

Gaz seemed alright to me, over did it when the taxi driver walked away but taxi driver had just refused to admit he endangered him, adrenaline and all that, gaz even said he regretted it. Couldn’t believe taxi driver was defending his actions “I’d passed him” how could he slap your cab then numb nuts? (Had same thing happen to me Tuesday so a sore point)

Nt as sensationalist as expected

When the road rage bit was on mrs said what do you do if someone gets out of the car and walks up to you?

Er apologise? Back off? Run away?

NO! you hit him first! Driver only gets out of the car for one reason

Ok love will try to remember that.

Not a bad show IMO

I’m of the opinion that some people attract trouble on the roads. Drivers, riders, every type of user. Some people attract trouble like shit to a blanket
I’ve had the odd run in but nothing too bad really. Did a couple of weeks commuting in London in September and to be honest, I actually really enjoyed it. There loads of cyclists in the city now and I think the tide is turning in our favour.

Surely should be named “War on LONDONS roads”

I’ve suffered similar incidents to all of those just cycling round the New Forest / Hampshire. Been bounced across a roundabout very much like that tanker (but thankfully only a car), people pulling out, squeezed into the kerb, peds wandering randomly on shared use paths etc.

On a per cyclist/car ratio its probably little different to the major cities.

Wasn’t as bad as I feared either. Balanced, there are cocks on bikes and in vehicles, who’da thunk it

Shame they threw in that courier racing (I assune thats not actually a frequent occurrence) otherwise reasonably balanced.

The courier racing (aka “Alleycat Races”) were filmed 6 years ago by a professional American filmaker who allegedly didn’t give the BBC permission to use it.

They’re very rare now although they used to be reasonably well publicised in the courier world. Mostly just cos there are far fewer cycle couriers now than 5 years ago but also cos they’re insanely dangerous – effectively a no-holds-barred wacky-races style bike race. They still have a couple of Alleycat Races (in one form or another) in New York and San Francisco.

When I heard about this program earlier this morning I was a little worried about the damage it would do. Having watched it, I think it was pretty well balanced. Sure there was parts that you wish you could have re-written, and I’d have liked it to deal with some of the attitudes towards our right to be on the road, such as the usual VED comments thrown our way. Considering that the mass majority of its viewers have probably never ridden on the road, and many already have grudges about cyclists, this was a good program to challange some of the views without basically alienating them and telling them they’re all wrong. Instead it may make the odd one just think a little.

I was actually +1 the fact he was a COCK but forgot to use the quote function.
If you watch the clip he realises the taxi driver is calming down and walking away so he starts to try and antagonise him by clapping his hands. It seems all he wants to do is ride around looking for footage to post online.

He does come over as a bit of a Whopper. But to be fair he did say he shouldn’t have clapped his hands in hindsight and he has a point in that if he could touch his cab he was too close.
Both as bad as each other really.

The guy Gareth. What he said was, for the most part pretty true. How he said it – pretty cringe-worthy. He crossed the line when he starts clapping the taxi driver, but seconds earlier the taxi driver almost killed him.

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

Bring back TJ.

mouth soap now

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

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. On my usual route I know the trouble spots where there may be contention and I’ll be ready, that’s not me looking for trouble* that’s me being on my guard and not letting arseholes bully me around the road.

*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 cringed at the “riding passed people in their tin boxes”, it’s 100% true and a fun part of cycling but it won’t get drivers on your side.

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

The drivers too.

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

slam on your anchors halfway round a roundabout? You for real? What about any traffic behind you? As it happens he did yield, that or die, but don’t think you should be telling cyclists the should routinely give way when they have right of way.

You should have yielded

slam on your anchors halfway round a roundabout?

Does yielding require slamming on the anchors these days?

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

all those “police decided no further action” comments made me think not worth it

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?

He wasn’t sure the lorry driver had seen him, yet he continued. Anyway this is pointless as I don’t know the junction so can’t comment really.
Be vigilant and be safe kiddies. Don’t wear glasses, work in IT or ride like a cock. 😀

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!

then that (professional) driver is an idiot who shouldn’t still have a licence

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.

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 documentary 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?