Sunday 12 January 2014

Taking the lane...

The other day Jeremy Clarkson published this tweet
The story from the cyclists point of view has been posted here for all to read.

Even excluding the obvious fact that Jezza is using a handheld device whilst driving which is completely illegal whilst the cyclist is riding legally, there are a few reasons why Jezza is completely wrong regardless of any previous interaction with the cyclist, and why in the same environment I would be in a similar position on the road

If that was me cycling...

  • I would take the lane that close to a junction with a give way, with only a few metres to go because:
  • I would take the lane as the road is fairly narrow anyway, certainly not wide enough for a larger car to safely pass a cyclist.
  • I would take the lane prevents the car from overtaking as anything could turn left into the road.
  • I would take the lane prevents possibility of the car overtaking and then turning left cutting me up
  • I would take the lane to give me space if I was going straight ahead or turning right
If I was in that position it is not because I am trying to "make a point" but keeping some safe space to myself.
If that cyclists had been in a car would Jezza have tried to squeeze past?
Of course not?
What's the difference? the guy on the bike is using less road space as he doesn't need to...

So Mr Clarkson, if you're in a supermarket queue with a large trolley with only one item in it, behind someone with a basket with the same item, would you...
  1. Wait patiently behind them?
  2. Force your way past them as your trolley needs more room than their basket?
  3. Tweet a picture of them along with a idiotic rant about people shopping with baskets "making a point"?
I trust it would be 1 as that's the sane thing. If everyone took trolleys around supermarkets, the aisles would be impossible to navigate when the stores busy. That is also a sane thing to do.

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