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For people who potter about on their bikes then cycle paths are fine . But a decent cyclist can average over 20mph . These cycle lanes where you give way to cars every 100 yards or so mean that you end up stopping every few seconds . On a 10 mile commute it can easily double the time it takes to get to work .
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Cyclists, generally, are selfish people who think they have the right to do whatever they want. Ringing your bell and shouting at me to get out of the way on the foot path will not work. Get off the sidewalk and onto the road where you belong.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair.
Those who seek perfection will only find imperfection
nils illegitimus carborundum
me, me, me
me, in pictures
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mark merrens wrote: CyclMotorists, generally, are selfish people who think they have the right to do whatever they want.
FTFY
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Richard MacCutchan wrote: MotoristsPeople, generally, are selfish people who think they have the right to do whatever they want.
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Yes, and I demand my right to be right.
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Even better, I hereby grant you the right to be correct.
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If you've ever worked in the City of London you'd know it is the cyclists. I agree that motorists can be twats but nothing like cyclists. They came barreling down the street, straight at you and get angry if you don't move out of the way. Morons.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair.
Those who seek perfection will only find imperfection
nils illegitimus carborundum
me, me, me
me, in pictures
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Not all of them, in the same way that not all motorists try to run you down.
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Yes, actually, all of them. Every day was a game of wits with the bastards, especially the delivery cyclists.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair.
Those who seek perfection will only find imperfection
nils illegitimus carborundum
me, me, me
me, in pictures
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Meanwhile in the Netherlands..
This problem doesn't exist because the cyclist lanes are (generally) actually decent. No need to cycle anywhere else.
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I think you've hit the nail on the head there.
I had a holiday in the Netherlands recently (from the UK) and it was a real pleasure to be able to cycle safely (and with far fewer hills).
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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I always cycle on the road, not off-road cycle paths, because those (i) require you to give way at every side road, (ii) are poorly surfaced and maintained, and (iii) are full of pedestrians who don't pay attention to cycles or the lane marking that split them.
Lots of people cycle in pedestrian areas (footpaths and designated vehicle-free zones) because of the attitude that bikes aren't welcome on the road, so people treat them as an extension of pedestrians not a type of road vehicle.
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Basically everybody is a selfish a***hole, particularly cyclists and motorists who get so defensive they become offensive, but pedestrians don't show enough awareness of what is going on around them most of the time.
There was a report a week or two ago about the problems of emergency vehicles in the UK, motorists don't get out of the way anymore. They say it is because of a lack of courtesy, I think it is a lack of awareness. Many is the time I hear a siren, see the vehicle behind me, pull over somewhere sensible, only to have the car behind me and infront of the ambulance overtake me and stay in front of the ambulance.
I was following a police car with lights and sirens on that was in a collision with another car once. The woman driving the other car had no idea at all that the police car was there until the collision happened, unlike the bloke in the passenger seat who's face was an absolute picture of ever increasing fear.
I've seen a number of collisions between cyclist and car, one was a cyclist overtaking a queue of traffic when a car turned right and the cyclist drove into the side of the car. Another was a cyclist crossing a road (on a pedestrian crossing that wasn't showing a red light to cars) between cars in a queue when a car came down the right hand lane and took him out straight on. Another was a car driver having no idea there was a cyclist coming and pulling out in front of him.
I've nearly been taken out by cyclists on footpaths a number of times, they seem to think that one way roads don't apply to them too.
Although I did step out in front of a cyclist crossing the road a few weeks ago, although in my defense the sun was right behind him and I didn't see him coming at all. I apologised and he was happy.
The main problem is that British roads are not suitable for cyclists, and footpaths most definitely are not the correct place for them.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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It can be argued that British roads are not suitable for Cars?
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Perhaps, although still the easiest place for them to drive.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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I don't think it's just about lack of awareness, people just don't give a sh*t.
In Austria they got tired of people obstructing the way for emergency vehicles.
An awareness campaign together with a fine of up to €2180 and temporary confiscation of the vehicle, has solved the problem almost completely.
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Without wanting to upset anyone, I think it is mainly women who have a lack of awareness and mainly men who don't give a sh*t.
Women have less of an awareness around them generally, if it makes life easier for someone to let you out although normal 'rules' say they don't have to men take that option more often than women.
Not always, but generally in my experience.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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chriselst wrote: Without wanting to upset anyone
You have to give in to the urge eventually... 
chriselst wrote: mainly men who don't give a sh*t
Oh yes!
chriselst wrote: it is mainly women who have a lack of awareness
Which is odd considering that they are much better at multitasking.
Think about how they are always completely aware of everything happening despite chattering, cooking and caring for kids (I'm so gonna get fried for that  ), while I can hardly walk and chew a gum at the same time.
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Studies have shown that men are better at multitasking.
Women just think they are because they can talk whilst doing anything else.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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OT, how are your memory issues doing?
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Been considering a post about health in general for a while, it is good to vent to a bunch of people who don't know you at times.
I'd kind of assumed the memory problems were more or less over for a while, because I was experiencing no big issues at all, but that wasn't really true. About three weeks ago I was assessed at a brain injury hospital and formally diagnosed with a brain injury. I felt like a massive fraud sitting in the waiting room as all these stroke victims who were concentrating so hard on just walking came and went, but the doctors validated everything I was experiencing and said that I needed to be there, which was a very good feeling.
I don't have any major issues, I function quite normally, but some things are just different to how they were before the accident, the best way I can explain it is that I am not quite me anymore.
I don't always know where I am going, or why. I get lost a lot and have to do a lot of u-turns. I exited the toilets at work the other day and for a few seconds had no idea how to get back to my desk. I often forget to do things, I keep having to log in from home in the evening when I remember there is something I was supposed to do but hadn't. I struggle with some mental tasks, I spent far, far, far too long trying to work out how many fours go into a hundred the other week. I use the wrong words whilst at times without noticing, not a problem on the internet as a re-read everything before posting, but can be a bit odd in spoken conversation. Shopping for food takes ages as I wonder around supermarkets trying to work out what I need to buy and I end up with some odd things at times. I get timings wrong whilst cooking quite a bit too. I don't always know if I've had conversations with people or just imagined it.
My medium term memory isn't great, I can generally remember things I have just done, but not always, and older memories have been coming back, but things in the last few weeks or months often don't seem to stick around, this frustrates my daughter greatly who has a brilliant memory and is constantly annoyed I cannot remember things we've done or films we've watched.
I had been covering for things at work, I'm fairly lucky in that no-one here really understands what I do so I could cover, but have now admitted to my boss that things are different now. I am having to change how I do things, set reminders and flags on emails, write things down, make lists of things that need doing, all things I had absolutely no need of before.
I am also going back to see the consultant who injected my spine this afternoon as things have deteriorated there in recent weeks. It had been getting steadily worse until I spent four and a half hours driving and it has been much worse since then. Sitting is painful, but I have started waking in pain too the last week or so.
And finally tomorrow I am seeing an ENT consultant to see if he can do anything about the tinnitus that I have been suffering with since the accident. I ignored it for so long assuming it would gradually abate but it isn't. According to the brain injury people sleep is important in the recovery (it should all be just a question of time, possibly quite a long time) but the tinnitus makes it hard to get to sleep and the back pain makes it hard to stay asleep).
The only person any of this makes happy is my solicitor.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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Been in a similar situation myself, had a neck injury that caused me not to able too breath (still suffer a few nerve problems with my feet) but better now, my Mum gave me a set of things I had to remember (a location, a date & a name) this helped as did reading. I also found I went to sleep for long stretches there were days when I couldn't get out of bed, the best cure I found was to force yourself to get out of bed when you woke up in the morning and get dressed straight away (I did have some silly early mornings, 5:30am looking out the window, face to face with a ![Badger | [badger,badger,badger,badger...]](https://codeproject.freetls.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/badger.gif) !). I feel for you, I really do.
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Can't say for certain in your area, but some cycle paths are insanely bad - the worst example in the UK is a cycle path painted on the road in a space not even big enough for a car to park in.
It could be that road has a bad reputation for idiots not respecting the cycle lane. If its dangerous, I'd avoid cycling in it.
Maybe borrow a cycle one day and try it for a week - you may find it the best way of answering your question (if you survive).
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Hmmm, I can't cycle balance problems (possibly the cause of my apathy?...) my flat mate had his bike nicked (I live in Bristol!) and he only bought it because his girl friend of the time was one the Lycra wearing you are damaging the planet types (when he broke up with her, he did a lot of muttering and bought a V8!) 
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