Is today the day anti-cyclist bingo is finally completed? A full house? Get ready to shout 'anti-cyclist bingo' at the top of your lungs and collect your prize...

If I've learnt one thing doing these live blogs it is that letters in local papers about cycling are normally to be avoided, except for bingoing purposes. This one seems to have been sent in to the Argus (link is external) off the back of last week's vote for the Old Shoreham Road cycle lane to be removed...you think joyful Jeff would be pleased.

Titled: "'I never saw more than two cyclists on Old Shoreham Road." Jeff's letter begins with, "as someone who has on two occasions only narrowly avoided being struck by a cyclist riding right through a red light," woah, that's a belter, Jeff. A seriously strong start. No messing about, straight into the red light jumping. Tick it off.

After another not-so-subtle dig at those who ignore red lights, Jeff lands another big one...cyclists riding on the pavement..."again without any action by the police." Straight into, "many cyclists have no knowledge of the Highway Code." Slow down, Jeff, this will be over before we've started. I assume Jeff has read about the proposed Highway Code changes, possibly from his favourite cycling news website's story...

Back to the bingo. Next up, "using mobile phones" to listen to music or chat to friends. And, to top it off, "I know many motorists consider cyclists as at best a nuisance or more likely a blot on the landscape." Tell us how you really feel, Jeff.

A strong effort from the Hove resident. Almost a full house, but perhaps not enough attention to helmets, hi-vis and, of course, 'road tax' and insurance for that honour. He could have asked for number plates too, anyway a deserved 8/10. Give me a minute to recover and I'll dive into the comments section.

https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-17-august-2021-285691#live-blog-item-27093

On 17/08/2021 02:28 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Is today the day anti-cyclist bingo is finally completed? A full house? Get ready to shout 'anti-cyclist bingo' at the top of your lungs and collect your prize...
>
> If I've learnt one thing doing these live blogs it is that letters in local papers about cycling are normally to be avoided, except for bingoing purposes. This one seems to have been sent in to the Argus (link is external) off the back of last week's vote for the Old Shoreham Road cycle lane to be removed...you think joyful Jeff would be pleased.
>
> Titled: "'I never saw more than two cyclists on Old Shoreham Road." Jeff's letter begins with, "as someone who has on two occasions only narrowly avoided being struck by a cyclist riding right through a red light," woah, that's a belter, Jeff. A seriously strong start. No messing about, straight into the red light jumping. Tick it off.
>
> After another not-so-subtle dig at those who ignore red lights, Jeff lands another big one...cyclists riding on the pavement..."again without any action by the police." Straight into, "many cyclists have no knowledge of the Highway Code." Slow down, Jeff, this will be over before we've started. I assume Jeff has read about the proposed Highway Code changes, possibly from his favourite cycling news website's story...
>
> Back to the bingo. Next up, "using mobile phones" to listen to music or chat to friends. And, to top it off, "I know many motorists consider cyclists as at best a nuisance or more likely a blot on the landscape." Tell us how you really feel, Jeff.
>
> A strong effort from the Hove resident. Almost a full house, but perhaps not enough attention to helmets, hi-vis and, of course, 'road tax' and insurance for that honour. He could have asked for number plates too, anyway a deserved 8/10. Give me a minute to recover and I'll dive into the comments section.
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-17-august-2021-285691#live-blog-item-27093

Why not just:

(a) obey the law and

(b) behave considerately on the road,

....thus rendering all such criticisms invalid rather than being the
straightforward truth they currently are?

On Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 2:28:08 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-17-august-2021-285691#live-blog-item-27093

Brace yourselves for the comments section.

We couldn't leave Jeff's letter there. There are 35 comments under it almost certainly bursting at the seams with some more bingo points.

Hugh Mann wrote: "Any cyclists caught running a red light should be fined £10000 and have their bikes crushed in front of them by a council steam roller." Interesting. My 2pence offered the perfect reply, "If only this applied to drivers speeding in 20mph zones then we wouldn't be in this mess, we would have no cars left on the road."

Hugh Mann went again..."Cyclists are an arrogant bunch of twits who believe themselves to be superior to others and that laws do not apply to them as they have a pushbike. I dread to think what some of them are like behind the wheel of a car." Well, they know how to safely pass cyclists, so that's a start.

How nose best commented: "When walking on a shared pavement why do cyclists feel it's ok to ring their bell to get you to move? BUT you drive up behind them in a car a toot your horn they say they are being bullied by motorists." I guess this commenter wasn't one of the pedestrians Sussex Police spoke to at their day of action where they reminded walkers that bells are used as a warning, not a challenge.

And the aptly named agreetodisagree finished us off with this wisdom: "The one thing that frustrates me is cyclists who have use of a nice, wide, most of the time EMPTY cycle lane yet still use the pavement or the road.? I mean, have they got a death wish!?"