A rant about rubbish cyclists (extreme rant warning)

All of you I know are responsible cyclists, so chances are that this doesn't apply to you. I'm just sorry that people that do the things I am about to rant about below tarnish your reputation. But still, a rant has been due for some time...

Anyway, I will start by saying I am pro-cycling. I don't do it myself because I am not confident enough to do it on Edinburgh's roads, but it is nice to see lots of cyclists out on the roads, helping the environment and getting a workout into the bargain. Excellent. However, cyclists are fine when they stay on the roads and on the designated cycle lanes.


Rant I:
One place they are not welcome is the footpaths. I have lost count of the number of times I have nearly been mown down by some idiot who doesn't understand the highway code. Noone should expect anything faster than a jogger creeping up behind them as they are going on a leisurely walk, and even then the jogger can easily get by. What you don't want is a cyclist going downhill at 10-15mph and having to swerve to get out of the way, and then have the audacity to swear at you because you happened to be where you were entitled to be. All this with a clearly marked cycle path on the road beside. Why do people do this? If you're not confident enough on the road then WALK. Yes. Bicycles belong on the road or on cycle lanes, and no cycling means NO CYCLING on Jawbone Walk.


Rant II:
Red lights mean stop. Not "stop only if you have a motor", it means stop. Cyclists are not exempt from the laws of the road. Pedestrians should be able to cross when there is a green man in confidence. Being hit by a car can be fatal, but being hit by a cyclist who thinks themselves above the law can still cause serious problems. Use the extra areas at the front of the traffic queue to get an advantage, and you won't endanger pedestrians.


Rant III:
I don't know how many road deaths Steve Jobs has indirectly caused, but I'm pretty sure having an iPod on when cycling is more of a distraction than having the radio on in the car. You can do without it for 20 minutes. Oh, and wear a freakin' helmet. God won't care how nice your hair looks.

I speak as a pedestrian, and not as a motorist. All I want is for cyclists and pedestrians to have consideration for others and for their own safety. The driving test means that motorists are generally more road aware than cyclists, but the lack of compulsory training for cyclists means that bad ones will always be something of an urban menace, but I hope one day all road users can live in perfect harmony (although this is akin to asking for world peace and asking the BBC to acknowledge that a team from outside England might win the Champions League. Hmm I smell another rant...).

Oh and as a token gesture, here is a pedestrian rant. If you are waiting to cross a busy road, it helps to press the button. There is nothing more annoying than coming up to a crossing where there's a group of people waiting and waiting ages to cross only to realise that no-one has pressed the button. You press it and the lights change immediately. Witchcraft!

Anyway, to counterbalance this massive display of negativity on my part (it's been coming for a while, if I am honest), I'll be doing another anti-rant about stuff I like soon. But for now, I'm going to take some valium.