Confessions of a red-light runner...

[Tamyka Bell]

Vincent Patrick wrote:
>
> Tamyka Bell wrote:
>
> > Vincent Patrick wrote:
> >>
> >> Tamyka Bell wrote:
> >>
> >> > Vincent Patrick wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >>
> >> >> The Glasshouse may be a casualty, but here is a Dave Hughes
> >> >> impersonation. I'm angry (eyes twinkle). Yeah angry (smiles widely).
> >> >>
> >> >> It's those traffic lights that don't allow enough time for a slow
> >> >> cyclist to go through before they turn red. Sometimes you're only a
> >> >> metre or so from the intersection and the lights go amber. No time to
> >> >> safely brake on the road debris which always seems to accumulate in
> >> >> the narrow bike lane at
> >> >> traffic lights, so you pedal on. You're maybe half way through the
> >> >> intersection and a car whizzes past in a hurry. No problem for them,
> >> >> they're doing 80 km/hr and get through on the amber. Three quarters
> >> >> of the way through the intersection and yep, there you are - a red
> >> >> light runner.
> >> >>
> >> >> It is (probably) safe enough, but if one of the blue gendarmes is in a
> >> >> bad mood then it could easily result in a fine and demerit points.
> >> >>
> >> >> Have you been in a similar situation, or do your traffic lights last a
> >> >> little longer? Please don't suggest interval training, or speeding up
> >> >> to 60 km/hr.
> >> >
> >> > We wouldn't do that Vince, we might be considered speed-ist.
> >> >
> >> > T
> >>
> >> And I thought you'd be the last person to worry about speedism! It just
> >> goes to show what a sensitive person you are.
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >>
> >> Vince
> >
> > Must be sensitive because I'm a woman. But no, Ed, oops I
> > mean Vince , I'm too busy at home with my husband and
> > kids.
>
> Now who's the troll, Tam?

Lotte's got photo evidence of me on top of a bridge, not
under it.

Tam

 

[Vincent Patrick]

Tamyka Bell wrote:

> Vincent Patrick wrote:
>>
>> Tamyka Bell wrote:
>>
>> > Vincent Patrick wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Tamyka Bell wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > Vincent Patrick wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Hi,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> The Glasshouse may be a casualty, but here is a Dave Hughes
>> >> >> impersonation. I'm angry (eyes twinkle). Yeah angry (smiles
>> >> >> widely).
>> >> >>
>> >> >> It's those traffic lights that don't allow enough time for a slow
>> >> >> cyclist to go through before they turn red. Sometimes you're only a
>> >> >> metre or so from the intersection and the lights go amber. No time
>> >> >> to safely brake on the road debris which always seems to accumulate
>> >> >> in the narrow bike lane at
>> >> >> traffic lights, so you pedal on. You're maybe half way through the
>> >> >> intersection and a car whizzes past in a hurry. No problem for
>> >> >> them,
>> >> >> they're doing 80 km/hr and get through on the amber. Three
>> >> >> quarters of the way through the intersection and yep, there you are
>> >> >> - a red light runner.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> It is (probably) safe enough, but if one of the blue gendarmes is
>> >> >> in a bad mood then it could easily result in a fine and demerit
>> >> >> points.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Have you been in a similar situation, or do your traffic lights
>> >> >> last a
>> >> >> little longer? Please don't suggest interval training, or speeding
>> >> >> up to 60 km/hr.
>> >> >
>> >> > We wouldn't do that Vince, we might be considered speed-ist.
>> >> >
>> >> > T
>> >>
>> >> And I thought you'd be the last person to worry about speedism! It
>> >> just
>> >> goes to show what a sensitive person you are.
>> >>
>> >> Cheers,
>> >>
>> >> Vince
>> >
>> > Must be sensitive because I'm a woman. But no, Ed, oops I
>> > mean Vince , I'm too busy at home with my husband and
>> > kids.
>>
>> Now who's the troll, Tam?
>
> Lotte's got photo evidence of me on top of a bridge, not
> under it.
>
> Tam

Came up to eat? You really should have waited for the next one.

Cheers,

Vince

 

[Darryl C]

In article <[email protected]>,
Michael Warner <[email protected]> wrote:

> AFAIK you're only breaking the law if you enter the intersection after the
> light has turned red.

Dead right is still dead.

cheers,
Darryl

 

[Stuart Lamble]

On 2006-11-06, Darryl C <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Michael Warner <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> AFAIK you're only breaking the law if you enter the intersection after the
>> light has turned red.
>
> Dead right is still dead.

True dat.

Not far from Monash is the intersection of Wellington Road and Princes
Highway. I've had reason on a couple of occasions to cross that
intersection by foot. The light cycle is such that I have to cross
*half* the road (to the division in the middle), and wait for the next
cycle to complete the crossing; it's just Too Damn Short to do
otherwise. I don't know what the law says in that situation, and really,
I don't care; I'm not about to argue as a pedestrian against cars coming
along at 80 kph.

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@" to "usenet".

 

[[email protected]]

Zebee Johnstone wrote:
> Did you cross the line before the light went red?
>
> If you did then you are not crossing illegally.

My sister got nicked for getting stuck in the intersection
after the light went red. It was green when she entered
and she was turning, but then there was some obstruction
and she couldn't complete the turn before the lights went
red.

 

[BrettS]

[email protected] wrote:
> Zebee Johnstone wrote:
>
>>Did you cross the line before the light went red?
>>
>>If you did then you are not crossing illegally.
>
>
> My sister got nicked for getting stuck in the intersection
> after the light went red. It was green when she entered
> and she was turning, but then there was some obstruction
> and she couldn't complete the turn before the lights went
> red.

She'd have to be pretty unlucky. How often do you see that sort of
thing in peak hour?

I was taught by my driving instructor to creep past the white line on
the green when waiting to turn (if there's no arrow) so that you can
legally proceed when the lights change. Of course, there is then not
much you can do once you are there and some other numb nut blocks the
exit route...

--
BrettS

 

[Patrick Keogh]

K.A. Moylan wrote:

> Who do I complain to to get something done? Or to sue if a car hits me?
>

The Minister, John Hargreaves [email protected]
The Department http://www.transport.act.gov.au/roadsafety/bicyclesafety
Pedal Power ACT [email protected].
NRMA (OK it is a joke)

 

[Theo Bekkers]

BrettS wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:

>> My sister got nicked for getting stuck in the intersection
>> after the light went red. It was green when she entered
>> and she was turning, but then there was some obstruction
>> and she couldn't complete the turn before the lights went
>> red.
>
> She'd have to be pretty unlucky. How often do you see that sort of
> thing in peak hour?
>
> I was taught by my driving instructor to creep past the white line on
> the green when waiting to turn (if there's no arrow) so that you can
> legally proceed when the lights change. Of course, there is then not
> much you can do once you are there and some other numb nut blocks the
> exit route...

Your instructor is right.
My understanding of the law is that if you are turning right, you must enter
the intersection on the green, wait for the traffic to clear, then make your
turn. You may wait behind the line and eneter on the amber. You may not
enter an intersection if your exit is blocked. If you are turning oncoming
traffic is not considered to be blocking you. If the person in front of you
is also turning, enters the intersection and has to wait for oncoming
traffic to clear, that person is deemed to be blocking your exit and you may
not enter the intersection.

Theo

 

[Theo Bekkers]

Theo Bekkers wrote:

> You may wait behind the line and enter
> on the amber.

Oops. You may _not_ wait behind the line and enter on amber.

Theo

 

[TimC]

On 2006-11-06, [email protected] (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> Zebee Johnstone wrote:
>> Did you cross the line before the light went red?
>>
>> If you did then you are not crossing illegally.
>
> My sister got nicked for getting stuck in the intersection
> after the light went red. It was green when she entered
> and she was turning, but then there was some obstruction
> and she couldn't complete the turn before the lights went
> red.

Yes, because you are also not allowed to block an intersection. You
should have enough foresight driving to make sure that you have enough
room to exit any intersection you enter. What would your sister have
done at a train crossing that had traffic on the other side?

Melbourne drivers in particular always struck me as being people
incapable of understanding that they are not allowed to block an
intersection -- so much so that any driver who actually stopped at a
green light and waited until the other side was clear, surprise me!.
Seems the police didn't care much to actually police it, though.

--
TimC
>You seem to be implying here that one gets rich after gaining a PhD?
Of course one does. The other 99 out of a hundred get bitter.
-- Paula responding to TimC on ARK