lane discipline poll

Andy said:

My question is this; what would you say is the best compromise between
my safety and the drivers' desire to be in front of me in this case?

It sounds to me like you are already taking the safest course of action
by being in the correct lane - it would be far more dangerous to
attempt to cut across from the left-hand lane at a point where you have
people in the right-hand lane trying to cut back across you into the
left-hand lane.

And if a few motorists are focred to go slightly slower than they'd
like for a few seconds, then boo-hoo! It won't make any difference to
their overall journey time.

So, unless they are actually threatening to knock you off your bike for
having the nerve to treat the road like you are entitled to be there, I
wouldn't make any special effort to get out of their way. In fact, I
would probably adopt a position right in the middle of the lane, making
it as hard as possible for them to pass without changing lanes, just so
they got the message that I am not intimidated.

Quoted message said:

Would also be interesting to hear from anyone else who knows that bit of
road to see how they deal with it.

I have ridden along that stretch of road a few times but I don't recall
how I handled it. But in theory at least, I would do it exactly the
same as you.

d.

Andy said:

http://www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/?centerX=-0.11057138442993164&cent
erY=51.48301317379689&zl=1&fl=m-e-h-0&polyline=oueyHzvTmF_CgAbA_DjAkBCmBaB
sCiCqDcE

Link doesn't take me to any map, diagram or picture.

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

Andy said:

http://www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/?centerX=-0.11057138442993164&cent

Quoted message said:

erY=51.48301317379689&zl=1&fl=m-e-h-0&polyline=oueyHzvTmF_CgAbA_DjAkBCmB
aB

Quoted message said:

sCiCqDcE

Link doesn't take me to any map, diagram or picture.

~PB

Try this :-

http://tinyurl.com/aksdr
--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

Andy asked:

My question is this; what would you say is the best compromise between
my safety and the drivers' desire to be in front of me in this case?

I have been on this bit of road but only in the evening. 'Cooperative
assertion' is the best policy. Which is what you seem to be doing
anyway.

Have you considered putting a mirror on your bars? Once correctly
positioned there are very useful in heavy traffic, especially when you
notice that a 'metal box' is approaching you from behind with haste.
You can then claim your legal space from the kerb and lane markings
before they arrive.

Letting those behind you know that you know that they are there can
help you help them help you even if they did'nt intend to help you in
the first place.
Sean.

Pete Biggs said:

Andy said:

http://www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/?centerX=-0.11057138442993164&cent
erY=51.48301317379689&zl=1&fl=m-e-h-0&polyline=oueyHzvTmF_CgAbA_DjAkBCmBaB
sCiCqDcE

Link doesn't take me to any map, diagram or picture.

That's strange... For those who are interested,
http://pod4.org/kennington-cross.jpg is the map I was referring to.

Andy

"Andy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Guys and gals whose forum I found not long ago and whose daily ramblings
I've been enjoying so,
The morning part of my daily commute from Streatham to London bridge
takes me straight up the A23 (Brixton Hill/Road), then continues along
the A3 at Kennington Cross.
Would also be interesting to hear from anyone else who knows that bit of
road to see how they deal with it. For those who do I've also tried
approaching from the Clapham Road end, but it seems Clapham drivers are
even worse and will try to overtake you wherever you are on the road,
and if they can't they'll just try to drive through you.

Know this stretch of road quite well - threw me the first time I negotiated
it as you need to know in advance that you need to be in the right-hand
lane. I always stay in the right and then the middle, unless in the middle
of the night and I can safely stay left until later. Can't claim to have
ever had any trouble cycling through Clapham, but then the times I've been
through there I've been in a burning hurry for whatever reason and have been
going rather faster than anyone else on the road.

soup said:

Quoted message said:

Link doesn't take me to any map, diagram or picture.

~PB

Try this :-

http://tinyurl.com/aksdr

That's the same page, still no pics. But thanks Andy for the jpg link.

Unfortunately I haven't cycled on those roads enough recently to have the
sufficient detail in my mind's eye now to post any specific advice. Like
taxi drivers, I don't go south of the river much :-)

(I was hoping the map would be super-detailed with all lanes marked, etc).

~PB

in message <[email hidden]>, Andy

(') said:

Guys and gals whose forum I found not long ago and whose daily
ramblings I've been enjoying so,

The morning part of my daily commute from Streatham to London bridge
takes me straight up the A23 (Brixton Hill/Road), then continues along
the A3 at Kennington Cross.

http://www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/?centerX=-0.11057138442993164&centerY=51.48301317379689&zl=1&fl=m-e-h-0&polyline=oueyHzvTmF_CgAbA_DjAkBCmBaBsCiCqDcE

Quoted message said:

is the stretch of road I've got a question about, with my route marked
out in blue. At the traffic light-ed junction of Brixton Road and
Camberwell New Road, Brixton Road splits into 3 lanes. The left-most
is a filter on to Camberwell New Road and the right two are for traffic
continuing along Brixton Road.

The two lanes of Brixton Road then join the two lanes on Kennington
Park Road at a set of lights. About 50 yards further down Kennington
Park road gains another lane on its right hand side, and the left-most
lane becomes a filter for traffic turning left on to Kennington Road.

I tend to sit at the first set of lights in this complex in the
right-most lane, in the middle of the lane so no bugger will crush me
trying to pass in the 100yd dash to Kennington Park Road. I stay in the
right hand lane until it becomes the middle lane on the stretch of
Kennington Park Road leading up to the turn-off to Kennington Lane on
the left. I do this to avoid having to cross into a 'faster' lane of
Kennington Park Road in order to stay on it.

However, the business men in their metal boxes (invariably either of
the Fiat Ulysses or BMW variety) take offence at actually having to
obey the speed limit for 300 yds.

My question is this; what would you say is the best compromise between
my safety and the drivers' desire to be in front of me in this case?

Don't compromise. Do exactly what you're doing. Fit an AirZound horn, and
if anyone beeps at you, blast them off the face of the planet with it.
No amount of their time is worth your life - particularly as they're
only zooming on as far as the next traffic light. Oh - and keep a camera
phone (or something that looks like one) where you can grab it in a
hurry. People are much less likely to be seriously aggressive if they
think they're on candid camera.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

IMHO, there aren't enough committed Christians, but that's care
in the community for you. -- Ben Evans

Andy said:

Pete Biggs said:

Andy said:

http://www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/?centerX=-0.11057138442993164&cent

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

erY=51.48301317379689&zl=1&fl=m-e-h-0&polyline=oueyHzvTmF_CgAbA_DjAkBCmBaB

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

sCiCqDcE

Link doesn't take me to any map, diagram or picture.

Me neither. I couldn't work this site out earlier when somebody else (I
think) posted the link. Does it not like konqueror?

Quoted message said:

That's strange... For those who are interested,
http://pod4.org/kennington-cross.jpg is the map I was referring to.

Mmmmm.

South London is full of mad people. Avoid.

I did all of my cycle commuting in North London. They probably weren't much
better than the drivers you describe but if you keep well out into the road
and in the lane you want, you'll probably survive. Only a very small
handful of nutters (even sarf lahdahn nuts) will actually go the whole hog
and knock you off your steed.
--
Chris

in message <[email hidden]>, Chris Slade

(') said:

Andy said:

Pete Biggs said:

Andy wrote:
>

http://www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/?centerX=-0.11057138442993164&cent

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

erY=51.48301317379689&zl=1&fl=m-e-h-0&polyline=oueyHzvTmF_CgAbA_DjAkBCmBaB

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

sCiCqDcE

Link doesn't take me to any map, diagram or picture.

Me neither. I couldn't work this site out earlier when somebody else (I
think) posted the link. Does it not like konqueror?

If it's GoogleMap (which I'm working on stuff for just now), no, it
doesn't work with Konqueror, and you can't do Polylines on Internet
Explorer unless you specify a particular XML namespace (which is fair
enough).

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Morning had broken, and there was nothing we could do but wait
patiently for the RAC to arrive.

"Andy" <[email hidden]> wrote

[snip]

Quoted message said:

However, the business men in their metal boxes (invariably either

of the

Quoted message said:

Fiat Ulysses or BMW variety) take offence at actually having to

obey the

Quoted message said:

speed limit for 300 yds.

[snip]

Well, I don't know the junction, but it sounds as if you are doing
the right thing.

The question is, what do the motorists do to express their
displeasure? If somebody behind me honks, I stop pedalling, and
coast for a bit. It usually only takes a couple of coasts for the
motorist to discover that honking is the way to go slower, not
faster. never look back, of course.

The nice thing about the rush hour is you tend to meet the same
people every day. Only once have I met a motorist who honked at me
on more than two occasions. After that they give up, and start
behaving properly. Mind you, the exception was up to thirteen times
before I moved away. He never honked, though, when I overtook him
while he was stuck in traffic.

Jeremy Parker

Jeremy Parker said:

It usually only takes a couple of coasts for the
motorist to discover that honking is the way to go slower, not
faster. never look back, of course.

A beautiful example of Pavlovian training in action. I'll have to
remember that one.

Jon

Jeremy Parker said:

"Andy" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

The nice thing about the rush hour is you tend to meet the same
people every day.

Happened to me one morning cycling to work at the Fire Station when
this prat pulled out in front (me at red traffic light - his green but
stuffed full of traffic so all he did was block the road - even a
struggle to get the bike through when the lights changed) We exchanged
the usual pleasantries F***### T*** %^$£"&**

About 1/4 mile up the road I thought 'Ive seen that idiot before'

It was the Chief Fire Officer ..........

Got promoted a few years later so I must have been right ;-)

Jon Senior said:

Jeremy Parker said:

It usually only takes a couple of coasts for the
motorist to discover that honking is the way to go slower, not
faster. never look back, of course.

A beautiful example of Pavlovian training in action. I'll have to
remember that one.

Jon

Usually helped by lots of weaving over the road while looking
quizzically down an the back wheel to see what it is wrong with the bike
they are trying to draw your attention to.

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

Andy wrote:

[Junction stuff]

I do what you do at that junction, provided I'm intending ultimately to head
up Kennington Park Road towards Elephant & Castle. If going up Kenington
Road, though, I'll probably use the (whispers) bike lane on the Brixton Road
extention.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Oxymoron: spot cream for chavs.

Jeremy Parker said:

The question is, what do the motorists do to express their
displeasure? If somebody behind me honks, I stop pedalling, and
coast for a bit. It usually only takes a couple of coasts for the
motorist to discover that honking is the way to go slower, not
faster. never look back, of course.

Saw a chap doing precisely this at the north end of London Bridge this
morning, where it goes down to one lane for the Ring of Plastic. What made
it doubly interesting was that the honking WVM was in turn being followed by
a vanload of dibbles...

Alas, I was unable to see the eventual outcome, due to heading in the
opposite direction.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Hoc ardur vincere docet.