Top Gear and Cyclists

buffaloskinner · Post by **buffaloskinner** » Sun 02 Mar, 2014 10:03 pm

I hope that all you cyclists on here watched the Top Gear programme tonight.Please take note of all the comments and please note the difference between Red and Green!

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Sun 02 Mar, 2014 11:01 pm

I found the attitude of the Top Gear presenters sickening with regards to their article on cycling. I should have known what to expect but I wanted to see if they might prove me wrong when I tuned in. However it comes as little surprise as the show and its presenters seem to go out of their way to court controversy with their adolescent views on the environment, foreigners etc. I'm surprised the BBC allows this puerile trash but sadly they are happy to give these goons an almost unlimited budget out of licence payers money to promote their brand of garbage. The fact that millions of adults over the age of 11 tune in to watch this drivel is deeply disturbing - and yes I only watched as it mentioned cycling on the TV guide!. The show has got nothing to do with reviewing cars (unless you're as rich as the presenters) as was its original format,. Its just become a staged show for Clarkson and his chums to perform their jolly japes. And when I say 'staged', my god the painful attempts at humour between Jezza and his cohorts makes me want to slash my wrists its so awfully contrived. The fact that they have a warehouse stuffed full of sycophantic 'fans' of the show to provide the forced guffaws and applause to this travesty says it all. I wonder how many cyclists will become road rage or worse victims this week? Doubtless there will be quite a few who'll suffer the wrath of max-powered boy racers rage fuelled by Clarkson et al's broadcast. What is it going to take before the tripe gets pensioned off to some obscure Sky channel? Roll on these Top Gear presenters getting involved in a mutually fatal collision while racing their supercars.

buffaloskinner · Post by **buffaloskinner** » Sun 02 Mar, 2014 11:52 pm

I take it as it is, namely entertainmentI don't however enjoy walking through town everyday been aimed at by cyclists who take absolutely no notice or care of what a RED LIGHT means and continually force pedestrians onto the road because they ride on pavements, go the wrong way down one way streets and take no notice whatsoever of the highway code.These are not a minority either these are the MAJORITY of self minded idiots on our roads.So on the whole I don't want them on our streets, oh sorry I forgot they own them

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Mon 03 Mar, 2014 12:15 am

buffaloskinner wrote: I take it as it is, namely entertainmentI don't however enjoy walking through town everyday been aimed at by cyclists who take absolutely no notice or care of what a RED LIGHT means and continually force pedestrians onto the road because they ride on pavements, go the wrong way down one way streets and take no notice whatsoever of the highway code.These are not a minority either these are the MAJORITY of self minded idiots on our roads.So on the whole I don't want them on our streets, oh sorry I forgot they own them I'm sorry to hear you've had frustrating experiences with cyclists buffaloskinner but I think you'll find the majority of adult cyclists are completely law abiding and considerate. I'm both a cyclist and a motorist and I know the highway code perfectly well. I realise you get a few idiots who will cycle through red lights and on pavements but they really do represent the thin end of the wedge. This animosity that the likes of Top Gear have promoted between cyclists and motorists is deplorable and your own and other road users negative views have clearly been reinforced by it which is what I thought would happen as a result of this programme. As a cyclist I see some appauling behaviour towards both pedal and motorcyclists from car / van / lorry drivers, but I dont see all motorists as behaving like that, the majority of motorists are very considerate with regards the safety of cyclists as fellow road users. Sadly it seems a small minority of both cyclists and motorists are allowed to spoil the whole experience of using the roads for the vast majority. The sooner that Clarkson and company are put up against a wall, covered in petrol and shot dead the better - hangings too good for 'em!

jim · Post by **jim** » Mon 03 Mar, 2014 10:04 am

buffaloskinner wrote: I take it as it is, namely entertainmentI don't however enjoy walking through town everyday been aimed at by cyclists who take absolutely no notice or care of what a RED LIGHT means and continually force pedestrians onto the road because they ride on pavements, go the wrong way down one way streets and take no notice whatsoever of the highway code.These are not a minority either these are the MAJORITY of self minded idiots on our roads.So on the whole I don't want them on our streets, oh sorry I forgot they own them I agree with everything you say except the last buffaloskinner - I DO want them on our streets, but very definitely OFF our pavements. Four out of five cyclists who pass me on my daily walk into town and along Boar Lane are on the pavement, even on the very lightly trafficked section of Armley Road past The Albion.

Riponian · Post by **Riponian** » Mon 03 Mar, 2014 10:50 am

I would point out to Jim that at the bottom of Armley Rd and along towards Wellington Bridge that's actually a shared path. As a cyclist you don't gain anything by going on the pavement, you'd be going up and down curbs and putting up with a generally worse surface to ride on.Some level of enforcement (ie above the current zeroenforcement) would be appreciated, that is to hit the offenders in the wallet. However in these days of tick box target led policing, this sort of thing doesn't count, so no resources are given to it, after all you can't automate it.Maybe they ought to get the Top Gear team to cycle round the first day of the Tour de Yorkshire?

jim · Post by **jim** » Mon 03 Mar, 2014 11:47 am

Riponian wrote: I would point out to Jim that at the bottom of Armley Rd and along towards Wellington Bridge that's actually a shared path. I always walk on the other (east) side Riponian, and that is not permitted to cyclists, as the cycle/pedestrian permission/provision from the end of the Headrow is clearly separated back onto the road at the Wellington Street lights, and there are no permission signs anywhere in the YEP vicinity, yet the majority of cyclists continue to use this pavement, and indeed all the way along Wellington Street. There is admittedly sufficient width of pavement across Wellington Bridge to allow a dedicated cycle track alongside a pedestrian only path, but this would fall down at the railway bridges immediately before the Armley Gyratory, where the pavement is barely wide enough for pedestrian safety, let alone for bicycle use. There are also repeated problems at the bus shelter by the YEP. Needless to say, cyclists continue to use these pavements at totally unsafe speeds and with very little concern for those legitimately walking or waiting at the shelter. Use of roadside footways except where specifically permitted and signposted is still against the law. It would also be good if the permissions for cyclists to use pedestrian precincts also carried an effective speed limit, as there are some very dangerous speeds to be seen in the town centre precinct etc every day

Tyke · Post by **Tyke** » Mon 03 Mar, 2014 12:08 pm

Environmentally speaking I think the use of cycles is to be encouraged but please lets get them off the foot paths. Im personally sick of having to dodge them especially on the riverside and country foot paths where I walk with my dog. I don’t mind sharing the paths but startling myself and my dog and been forced of the paths isn’t on.

Post by **dsco** » Mon 03 Mar, 2014 1:43 pm

Must say I'm not keen on the various 'grumble' threads that seem to have popped up lately, with tenuous links to anything SL-related. It's all a bit Grumpy Old Men/Women. I'm moving this thread to General Chat because I don't think it's particularly relevant to Transport.

WiggyDiggy · Post by **WiggyDiggy** » Tue 04 Mar, 2014 1:42 pm

dsco wrote: Must say I'm not keen on the various 'grumble' threads that seem to have popped up lately, with tenuous links to anything SL-related. It's all a bit Grumpy Old Men/Women. I'm moving this thread to General Chat because I don't think it's particularly relevant to Transport. Cheers DSCO Ive always liked the rather easy going nature of SL so please keep shoving these types of thread away!