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hippy

People are only using the bike because buses are well and truly mince and its pointless trying to get a car on the road as the number roads in the city have been decreasing due to being closed off or narrowed down to the extent that in a few years from now will all be bikes or horses & carts on the roads, yet car usage has been increasing but the good ol council for the past 40 years reduces the number of raods for people to drive on! All these traffic and transport measures currently in place frustrate bus drivers and make cyclists life a nightmare when on the road. Still, it will be the fault of the cycle lanes and not the bus drivers who stick their fingers up to people who complain - just stuff I've seen with my own eyes, if it weren't for arrogance coming from those who are meant to do a public service, then this would be a boring place to live I suppose. £200 for a bike is far better and more economical than giving money to a bus company that can't provide the service you pay them to do and getting a car to not be able to go anywhere in it.

The good Doctor say,s "I was amazed when First contacted me to say it would agree to the campaign,"[YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE PAL ] Wee stickers on the bus drivers cab window warning them to give room to cyclists on the road.They must be having a laugh,this is a joke right.

Bus drivers ignore most traffic at the best of times anyway, so I don't think a sticker is going to help cyclists!

Dr Brennan is to be commended for his initiative. As someone who cycles into Glasgow city centre every day (for over 5 years), I've had more than my fair share of close encounters of the Firstbus kind. However, I must compliment First Group on effecting a positive change in their drivers' behaviour. Their drivers now allow me more space, and more time, on the road. This is a very welcome change in attitude and I believe in credit where it's due so well done Dr Brennan and Mr Shearer. We can ALL get along with just a little mutual respect.

Mutual respect............. ... don't make me laugh. The [bold]CYCLIST[/bold] highway code: ignore red lights, people on green-man crossings, travel in the opposite direction on oneway streets - indulge in a bit of off-roading on pavements - meander through queing traffic. Cycle up the inside of vehicles (at traffic lights) when vehicles are indicating that they are turning left. Adopt a centre-of-the-road attitude (particularly during peak-hours) when travelling through narrowed/ restricted width sections of roads (especially infuriating when they could indulge in one of their frequent off-road pursuits - taking to the pavements). We could add the statutory dress code: dark clothing c/w mandatory rucksack/ backpack all designed to make them more difficult to see at peak-hours (now that we have dark mornings/ evenings). £200 for a bike - [bold]I would charge them £500 for a license/ insurance[/bold] ................ maybe then they would show a little more care and attention and mutual respect for other road-users and pedestrians!!!!

[quote][bold]Southpark[/bold] wrote: Mutual respect............. ... don't make me laugh. The [bold]CYCLIST[/bold] highway code: ignore red lights, people on green-man crossings, travel in the opposite direction on oneway streets - indulge in a bit of off-roading on pavements - meander through queing traffic. Cycle up the inside of vehicles (at traffic lights) when vehicles are indicating that they are turning left. Adopt a centre-of-the-road attitude (particularly during peak-hours) when travelling through narrowed/ restricted width sections of roads (especially infuriating when they could indulge in one of their frequent off-road pursuits - taking to the pavements). We could add the statutory dress code: dark clothing c/w mandatory rucksack/ backpack all designed to make them more difficult to see at peak-hours (now that we have dark mornings/ evenings). £200 for a bike - [bold]I would charge them £500 for a license/ insurance[/bold] ................ maybe then they would show a little more care and attention and mutual respect for other road-users and pedestrians!!!! [/quote] Absolutely! Make it £1000 plus insurance then. Cyclists and buses are the scourge of the normal pedestrian. Also Cyclists with helmets on are even more oblivious to other road users. How good is their peripheral vision?

Southpark, I'd recommend you try cycling through Glasgow for a week yourself before posting such dribble. No cyclist wants to get hurt - only too often have I had to cycle on the pavement to avoid being shunted into the pavement by careless drivers. I've often cycled up the inside of vehicles which are waiting at the lights - how else are we supposed to reach the green "bike boxes" up the front (which are often missed due to a car being stopped upon them!)? If you want to see more cyclists staying on the roads and off the pavements, then give them space! Carmunnock road, as it comes into town - countless idiots driving about 6 inches from the pavement. And dark clothing? You make it sound like cyclists [bold]want[/bold] to be run over.

Hi Southpark, "Mutual respect............. ... don't make me laugh. The CYCLIST highway code: ignore red lights, people on green-man crossings, travel in the opposite direction on oneway streets - indulge in a bit of off-roading on pavements - meander through queing traffic. Cycle up the inside of vehicles (at traffic lights) when vehicles are indicating that they are turning left. Adopt a centre-of-the-road attitude (particularly during peak-hours) when travelling through narrowed/ restricted width sections of roads (especially infuriating when they could indulge in one of their frequent off-road pursuits - taking to the pavements)..." As road users, we all have certain responsibilities and obligations. I neither nor commit nor support any of the illegal cycling activities you mention but remember, there are eejits in every category of road user and we could be here all week swapping anecdotes about the last car driver/bus driver/cyclist/pedes trian that did something dangerous/illegal. I'm just as annoyed by some cyclists' apparent stupidity as you are since it brings out attitudes such as yours, where every cyclist is tarred with the same brush and treated badly on the roads whether they're law abiding or otherwise. As for road positioning, I do take what's known as the primary position in "narrowed/ restricted" sections of road simply because that's what's best for my safety. If there isn't room for a car to pass me with at least three feet of space then I ride centrally until clear of the restriction. There are very few such sections and the total delay to your journey will be nothing you can't make up before the next set of lights. I'll also pass queuing traffic to reach the advanced stop lines there are at many junctions - that's why they're there, to give a cyclist some clear space ahead of motorised traffic.

"Cyclists and buses are the scourge of the normal pedestrian. " Sigh. It's people like the above two posters that make cycling hell in Glasgow. Can't cycle on the left of traffic Can't cycle in the middle of traffic Can't cycle at busy periods Can't wear backpacks (??) Can't cycle on the pavement Can't wear helmets. I think it's time drivers took a good look at their own practices before commenting on those of cyclists

A couple of years ago while home for a visit I was on a First bus and was stunned when the driver opened his window and screamed at a cyclist to 'get that f*****g piece of s**t aff the road ya b*****d', I kid you not, and not one other person on the bus seemed to be shocked.

Thank you Calum for saying exactly what I was thinking. I do not go through red lights, pavement jump etc. I try my best to follow the rules of the road. As Calum has also said there are good safety reasons for taking a central position in the road. It can and does prevent dangerous overtaking maneuvers. As witterquick has also pointed out some cycling facilities encourage cyclists to filter up the left. My personal opinion of these facilities is that they are poor as it can lead cyclists into conflict with left turning vehicles and I always try to filter on the right as I feel it is safer. However, where they exist cyclists are within their rights to use them. An excellent book for cyclists to buy and read on the subject of cycling safety is John Franklins' book entitled Cyclecraft. I encourage anyone considering taking up cycling to read it.

they should ban bikes they are a menace, like old people

[quote][bold]yerauldda[/bold] wrote: they should ban bikes they are a menace, like old people[/quote] what about old people on bikes!! or in cars for that matter!

[quote][bold]sandra[/bold] wrote: A couple of years ago while home for a visit I was on a First bus and was stunned when the driver opened his window and screamed at a cyclist to 'get that f*****g piece of s**t aff the road ya b*****d', I kid you not, and not one other person on the bus seemed to be shocked.[/quote] Thats because its Mother Glasgow

Im all for more folk cycling but they need to be insured & for it to be made mandatory to wear headgear.. I cycle a couple of times a week,im insured & it isnt that expensive but i still enjoy driving my 4x4 & before anyone calls it a Chelsea tractor, i live in the countryside & DO need it as the roads are non-existent...

I too am a cyclist and a driver, so I can see the problem from both sides. I cycle daily along Pollokshaws Road into the city centre and although I don't condone cycling on the pavement, sometimes it's a huge relief to nip onto the usually deserted pavement to get away from the very heavy traffic and, as we all know, there's some truly horrendous drivers out there. It's not doing drivers any harm that cyclists go on the pavement in non-residential areas like that, in fact it's doing them a favour by taking a bike off the road and letting the cars speed up. Also, when a cyclist goes through a junction when the 'green man' is on, who's it hurting? Like one of the commentators above said, it's just giving the cyclist a bit of a chance to get ahead of the scary traffic. Honestly, cycling in Glasgow is taking your life in your hands, a bit more tolerance rather than rage and hatred is needed. I'm just a hard working, law abiding good guy minding my own business, but get grief off people just because you're on a bike. Being careful of cyclists is really only going to add a few seconds to your journey, thing is to keep it in perspective. Most cyclists I know aren't being smart-****, just trying to get where they're going with minimum hassle. Drivers, if it makes you feel any better, just think, you'll arrive at your destination all warm and dry and the poor ba*tards on the bikes will still be getting soaked and going over huge pot holes on the crappy roads. Seriously, borrow a bike and try it sometime, it gives you a whole new perspective. Plus, the more bikes are on the road, the less busy traffic and congestion and tail backs for you drivers. It's [italic]good[/italic] thing!

[quote][bold]Southpark[/bold] wrote: Mutual respect............. ... don't make me laugh. The [bold]CYCLIST[/bold] highway code: ignore red lights, people on green-man crossings, travel in the opposite direction on oneway streets - indulge in a bit of off-roading on pavements - meander through queing traffic. Cycle up the inside of vehicles (at traffic lights) when vehicles are indicating that they are turning left. Adopt a centre-of-the-road attitude (particularly during peak-hours) when travelling through narrowed/ restricted width sections of roads (especially infuriating when they could indulge in one of their frequent off-road pursuits - taking to the pavements). We could add the statutory dress code: dark clothing c/w mandatory rucksack/ backpack all designed to make them more difficult to see at peak-hours (now that we have dark mornings/ evenings). £200 for a bike - [bold]I would charge them £500 for a license/ insurance[/bold] ................ maybe then they would show a little more care and attention and mutual respect for other road-users and pedestrians!!!! [/quote] Southpark? a program which deliberately sets out to offend? 1. Motorists are responsible for much more dangerous law breaking than cyclists. That doesn't mean law breaking is justified by either group. 2. Whilst you mention a 'highway code' you ought to read one sometime. Your comments about filtering and taking primary road position are techniques actually recommended. A trained cyclist, someone competent in negotiating traffic, is going to be in the primary position pretty much of the time. Thats right in the middle of the lane in many city streets. They're going to be claiming their road space at junctions, roundabouts, crossings etc. They're going to be right outside of those pesky little cycle lanes, the ones that are too narrow to use (after all, the standard text that many of these cyclists follow tells you to ignore those lanes if you think that they're unsafe or inappropriate). What all of this means is that if the hoards of gutter crawling, passive cyclists we see on our roads were all 'trained' is that no one in any city or town where there is any reasonable number of cyclists will be able to get anywhere by car. You can guarantee it. Bikes would rule the roost, all traffic in London, Cambridge, Oxford, York, Edinburgh, even central Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow would be going along at slow bike pace; we're not talking about the generous 20mph you get 'trained' cyclists doing now, we're talking about the 14mph that the gutter crawlers occasionally aspire to reaching at best. The last thing the moaning minnie motorists want is cyclists being trained to be in the right place on the road, they couldn't cope with it. They're angry enough now, they'd all burst blood vessels if we behaved 'properly' and took 'appropriate road positions'.

Witterquick - trust me on this one!! Spent much of my youth cycling - thing is back then schools and police ran a thing called 'cycling proficiency' (how [bold]not[/bold] to get knocked down/ how to be [bold]noticed[/bold] by other road-users). Quote: be aware of other road-users - signal your intention well in advance (moving out, turning left/ right)- look over your shoulder before making a manouvere. Trouble is with many cyclists today they are so pre-occupied with avoiding hold-ups/ dodging red lights etc that motorists have to 2nd guess whether they are going - straight on or moving out to position themselves for a right-hand turn. As far as I am aware I have not come across any [bold]one-armed[/bold] cyclists - so tell how difficult it is to stick your right-arm out (that is when you wish to move 90 degrees - 6 o'clock to 3 o'clock) and likewise your left-arm when making the opposite movement. Complete lack of indication or intent of movement infuriates motorists more than anything. My preference would be [bold]not[/bold] to knock you down - have neither the time; to worry about your injuries, the damage to my car or to fill in the paperwork. In this day and age a bicycle is the [bold]only[/bold] piece of road transport where an individual can purchase it - walk out the shop - hop on it without lessons/ tax/ insurance and expose themselves to the risk of death from a 50cc scooter through to a 38 tonne goods vehicle. High-time all you cyclists got other road-users on your side by giving us an idea where you are going/ doing and maybe a polite acknowledgement when someone makes space for you/ waves you past/ holds back to let you out. Courtesy works wonders!!

Only one things more ignorant to other road users than Glasgow bus drivers - Glasgow taxi drivers......

craigr, [italic]" ...when a cyclist goes through a junction when the 'green man' is on, who's it hurting?"[/italic] It's hurting cycling as a whole because: [bold]you[/bold] are fuelling the animosity shown to cyclists by some drivers [bold]you[/bold] perpetuate the stereotype that all cyclists are law-breaking and inconsiderate [bold]your[/bold] behaviour makes Glasgow a place where cycling is [italic]"... taking your life in your hands"[/italic] [bold]you[/bold] reinforce anti-cyclist attitudes and the constant demands for cyclists to get off the road If you are unable to cycle confidently on Glasgow's roads, while obeying all the relevant traffic laws, then you should either: 1 - buy John Franklin's 'Cyclecraft' and study it [see http://www.cyclecraf t.co.uk/ ] 2 - get some training or 3 - do everyone a favour and take the bus.

why do cyclists pedal down the bus lanes in Great Western Road when there are safe empty leafy lanes on either side? i think it's probably stupidity or arrogance (why shouldn't i be here?)

One of the key things is respect and that is a mutual detail I will move out to let a bus pull in behind me at a bus stop, or wave the driver to move off rather than force them to wait for me to cycle past and pull back in at a bus stop. The upshot is that I often get a smile & wave back. Now if only this was part of the driver training - first action is to smile and funnily enough the passengers and cyclists and other drivers tend to smile back, and acknowledge the kindness of letting them finish a manouevre rather than creating conflict and hassle by demanding a right to proceed. First drivers are actually some of the better ones as most realise that any misdemeanours will be recorded on the bus CCTV system and used to review any complaint about their driving. Worst drivers - in my reckoning are the ones on McKindless bus services around the town, with an especially agressive driving style.

Biffo, Helmets are less safe than not wearing one. ET, Do you mean pavements? A cycle is a vehicle and belongs on the road.

wee folding bike, no, LANES, empty traffic-free roadway over the pavement from the bus lanes and completely ignored by cyclists! ... regarding pavements, it makes sense to use these, responsibly and appropriately, at low speed and when empty).