BS: Damned cyclists

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 06:25 PM

I bought a Honda 50 moped in the early 70s for fifty quid. Used it mostly to commute between Tipton and Wolverhampton or Tipton and Dudley. I had a flowing mane in those days with a Jaysus beard and I must have looked dead grand sailing along at almost 28mph in a following wind in those pre-crash helmet days. By the end of the year I had no insurance and optional brakes. The bloody thing seemed to need a decoke about once a month. Witnessed a van smashing into a parked car one evening in Tipton and driving off. The tearful car owner tried to get me to wait for the cops as I was a key witness, but I wouldn't because I'd had six pints of Holden's Golden by then. I did leave him all my details but I never heard back. God knows why I'm telling you this.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 06:23 PM

So there are "moped scooters".............interesting!! They used to race 50cc machines, I don't know if they still do, but those racing machines could do 100 mph!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: EBarnacle
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 06:22 PM

Are you sure you don't want them killing themselves off before they breed?
Senoufou, this was almost 30 years age and the other two participants in the conversation are long gone to their rewards.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Iains
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 05:52 PM

A brief history of mopeds:


https://www.bikesure.co.uk/bikesureblog/2016/09/a-brief-history-of-mopeds.html

My 6th form transport was a G9 Matchless with a Steib sidecar.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Raedwulf
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 05:43 PM

Chucking out a "Calm down, dear!" is so tempting at this point, Dave... ;-) Whether you like it or not, to most people, if it looks like a moped, it's a moped. They simply won't be aware of the legal definition or the technical differences. To be honest, whilst I was aware there is a definition of moped & that they are treated differently from other two-wheelers, I didn't know what those definitions / differences were until an hour or two ago. If you'd asked me, I'd have told you there are some seriously over-powered mopeds on the roads these days!

I have no doubt that the police not only know the legal definition, they also know that most people 'know' that if it looks like a moped... Etcetera. So reporting a moped, especially when you're sending them a piccie of it, is not harming anyone either, is it? Are you just jumping at Bonzo's name? I know he's got up a few noses at various times, but it isn't automatically wrong because it's him saying it, y'know! ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 05:26 PM

Whatever you thing dave the gnome is irrelevant, they are collectively known as mopeds by local police here, and provided that they have the registration number they can deal with it accordingly - warning/section 59/ confiscation and crushing of moped as appropriate.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 04:41 PM

Of course they should be stopped but getting the complaint wrong does no one any favours. A scooter is not a moped and telling the police a moped did a wheely when it was a scooter helps no one.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Senoufou
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 04:32 PM

Bonzo is quite right to want to report any idiot who shows off by doing wheelies on the highway. Getting them stopped may save their lives and that of others on the road. It's irrelevant whether they're on mopeds or blooming flying carpets!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 04:12 PM

As I have pointed out elsewhere, it is no good pointing out that bonzo is wrong. As far as he is concerned mopeds are mopeds regardless of what they really are!

As far as I know, knobheads are knobheads no matter what they call themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 03:26 PM

Well whatever, if my photos get these monkeys stopped, I'll be very pleased.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Raedwulf
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 03:01 PM

Unfortunately, whilst the legal definition of a moped has not changed, so DavetG is technically correct, the way that two-wheeled motorised contraptions are built has changed, so Bonzo is also correct. As Iain's link proves, there are moped-built two wheelers that most certainly do have engines bigger than 50cc and, presumably, speed in excess of 28mph (it was lowered in Jan '13, Sen).

Wiki makes a distinction between mopeds, which is the legal definition, and scooters, which is the moped-build non-mopeds that Bonzo seems to be referring to. I presume that scooters basically require a bike licence. I would be very curious to know how many scooters are being ridden on moped licences. They'll be insured correctly, cos the insurance will damn well make sure they know what is what (there's money involved!), but if it looks like a moped... Who's checking it is & that the rider is correctly licenced? I don't know whether insurance companies are allowed to go to the DVLA to check licencing (and there's no guarantee the insurance is in the name of the rider anyway).

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 02:58 PM

How very sad.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Senoufou
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 01:38 PM

When I was at school in the sixth form, a very nice lad sat behind me in class, called David Griffith. His dad got him a scooter (they were all the rage then, remember Mods and Rockers?) One Monday morning our form teacher came in with a trembling lip and a very distressed expression. She silently went to his desk and took out all the contents, then left the room.

We were mystified, but later we learnt that at the weekend poor David had been riding along when a badly-towed caravan swung out and knocked him off his scooter under a lorry.

In those days, folk grieved quietly and there wasn't any of the lighting candles, piles of flowers, sobbing on each other's shoulders etc. But our hearts were truly wrung nevertheless.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 01:25 PM

imho... mopeds are a modern device of natural selection *...

Teenage road deaths over the summer holidays seem to be a post world war 2 way
for adolescents to experience the death of friends,
and learn to deal with mortality...

A vital part of the process of growing from childhood to adulthood...

I'd guess, most schools and colleges, friendship circles, lose at least one teen boy this way every summer...???

Days after O levels we lost a band member guitarist to a very gruesome moped accident...

..and after A levels our band singer to a car crash...


[* though devastatingly unfortunate for any of their collateral victims and their families...]

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Senoufou
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:52 PM

According to the gov.uk website, mopeds are classed under category AM, and should be of the specifications I gave below. (These changed in 2013)

I always use my Teacher's Basilisk Stare when we see a cyclist doing a wheelie. We always worry about their safety; after all, they're somebody's child, and we imagine the grief of their family if the worst should happen.

Just this morning we were on our way to Blickling (usual twisty, single-lane roads, but my husband doesn't dawdle unnecessarily) and a young motorcyclist zoomed past at breakneck speed. He was on chevrons and crossed a solid white line. He flew round a tight bend (no possibility of seeing anything coming the opposite way) and we gasped with fear for him. Luckily we caught a glimpse of him in the distance, still alive and still zooming along. One wonders what life expectancy the lad might have...

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:43 PM

They do!!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:26 PM

these new mopeds look like the bastard child of a lambretta and a disability scooter...

not the wannabe tinny wasp sounding motorbikes of a past era...

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:22 PM

about 15 years ago I once accidently turned into a town centre one way road and was met by abuse from an oncoming driver...

I accepted that driver's anger without question, as I was mortified at making such a stupid mistake,
putting myself at risk of collision.

I'm not trying to sound sanctimonious and priggishly 'perfect',
but just demonstrating a difference between cyclists who care about their safety,
and other cyclists too idiotic and belligerent to be set loose on the road...

Likewise, the driver who nearly mowed me and my wife down while we were carefully crossing a road,
deserved my full loudly shouted abuse because he was staring sideways at his mobile phone as he sped round a corner towards us...

Or the posh looking woman in the brand new 4x4 who nearly hit me at speed as she turned a corner using her phone
while I was already walking half way crossing the road...

All these incidents and more occurred in the same small packed town centre road system....

I really should have learned by now to keep my phone switched on, cam at the ready....

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Iains
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:19 PM

https://www.mopeds.co.uk/
Houston. We have a problem!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Senoufou
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:11 PM

According to the DVLA, the definition of a moped is a two-wheeled vehicle with an engine capacity of less than 50cc and capable of a maximum speed of less than 31mph.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Raggytash
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:05 PM

Today I have just crossed the road, a one way street, when two cyclist came tearing up behind me going the wrong way. I pointed out to them that is was a one way road. They, not very politely, told me they were only going one way and then promptly turned into another one way road.

I know I shouldn't have felt this but I was half hoping they would run into something. I would have stayed around and informed the police that they had been told it was one way.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:03 PM

It is where I live.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Raggytash
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 12:00 PM

Its still not a moped.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 11:59 AM

"I don't want any clever dicks seeing me touch the iphone when driving"

Now that's a sentence you wouldn't want to post jumbled up through lack of concentration...

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 11:49 AM

The local police and local newpapers describe such vehicles as mopeds which is good enough for me. My iphone stands in a holder on the windscreen as a dashcam, video is enabled of course before starting my car - I don't want any clever dicks seeing me touch the iphone when driving!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 11:19 AM

BTW, were you using you iPhone while driving? :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 11:13 AM

You have just proved it was not a moped!

Well done.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 10:39 AM

I was lucky that my iphone was on video from which I extracted that still - now on police file!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 09:29 AM

Moped rider with a death wish!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 08:01 AM

Do you know what a moped is Bonzo?

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 06:49 AM

Moped riders have become like a notifiable disease where we live, so the more we report to the police the better.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 06:10 AM

Yes.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 05:58 AM

Doing a wheelie? On a moped?

Duck, everyone, here comes a flying pig...

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jun 18 - 03:59 AM

Passed an idiot moped rider yesterday defiantly doing a wheelie at speed in the opposite direction towards a tram crossing. Impossible to see registration plate unfortunately, but will get it one day and report to police. Meanwhile, I hope he falls off before he kills somebody!!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Senoufou
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 06:38 PM

Which W African country was that Ebarnacle? I've never seen such patience myself in the ones I've visited!

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: EBarnacle
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 06:22 PM

In West Africa, the prevailing attitude toward people who block traffic seems to be much different. My friend Joe French tells me that his brother David, who worked in West Africa for the Helen Keller foundation reports that when people see friends near the road, they stop and chat, leaving the vehicle in the line of traffic. Rather than being upset by this, the people who are delayed simply shrug at intone "WAWA" meaning West Africa wins again.
This way may not be good for getting places quickly but I would bet that everyone gets along better than if they were standing on their horns and complaining.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 03:45 PM

The guy who invented spell-check died yesterday. His funfair is next monkey.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 03:34 PM

I dust lot my spill chucker do it.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Raedwulf
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 03:23 PM

Spolling, man, shpolling! Errrmmm…

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 02:51 PM

I used to get top marks in spelling at infunts shcool...

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Raedwulf
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 02:31 PM

buggered if I can even spell 'arseholes' correctly these days

The bind moggles, pfr, truly it doth... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 02:11 PM

Narrow country roads...

I remember once as a kid up a village in N Wales where the bus driver got a couple of us help him to bump a car out of his way.

I could also give you one case I heard of where someone blocked by someone objectionable in a Rolls, locked up her car and proceeded to walk and good on her.

But it wasn't the usual way on those roads. If local, you knew where the give way points were, you could often see (particularly if coming down) where another vehicle was and most of the time, people were prepared to give way or understand who had the easier job of reversing.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Senoufou
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 02:02 PM

That's why we love living in our village Raggytash. We all know and care about each other. The mutual support is excellent.

We found it strange when we visited London last year (coach trip from Norfolk) as people were walking around like robots or zombies, unaware of and not a bit interested in the folk around them. Standing in one's way, pushing past, yelling into their mobile phones. Weird!

We're used to smiling at random people, helping in the supermarket when an elderly person can't reach a high shelf, commenting on the weather etc. It's calming and reassuring.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Raggytash
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 01:53 PM

Iains, I am not talking about car drivers in particular, but the pervading attitude of people in general.

I am far happier being in Ireland with all it's failing than being in the UK. I am finding more and more that the attitudes of people in England it that the only person who matters is the individual.

No thought or concern for anyone except themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Iains
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 01:12 PM

Raggytash I think the major difference in parking is that misbehaviour in the UK is accompanied by a diligent parking warden placing an expensive piece of paper on the windscreen. Where I am parking wardens have yet to evolve and anarchy largely prevails. This is further aggravated by a road system deemed barely adequate for donkey carts in many places. I know one road that the school bus drivers must hate with a passion. They frequently only have an inch or two clearance to get by.
They occasionally extract revenge by punishing wing mirrors of the most guilty.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Raggytash
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 12:34 PM

Iains, try visiting England for a week or two, you will soon find out exactly what I mean.

The people in Ireland, by comparison, are far more considerate although I detect a change in that in the past few years.

Either that or I am becoming an even more grumpy bastard than I was as a youth.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 12:17 PM

buggered if I can even spell 'arseholes' correctly these days...!!!???

it's the heat of the sun - we British are not used to it...

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 12:14 PM

So by now then, it's surely more reasonable that this thread title really all along should have been...

" Damned inconsiderate stupid aresholes - irrespective of mode of transport,
age, social class, or any other demographic categorization"

See, whatever our opinions are of Bonzo, or his intended agenda,
he can certainly start off some very interesting discussions...

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: Iains
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 11:41 AM

" It's starting to occur in Ireland albeit to a far lesser extent (at the moment)"
I think I would take issue with that. I believe double yellow lines are regarded as free parking over here, and pavements are designed to enable 2 wheels to be parked off the road. That is on the odd occasion an attempt is made to park. Most of the time vehicles are simply abandoned with the accompanying whine"I will only be here for a moment". Yesterday I attempted to travel along the pavement with a pushchair, with cars on the pavement it was a struggle. One poor guy in a wheelchair had to abandon the attempt and turn around. Traveling anywhere near a rural school when the little darlings are being picked up or dropped off, you might as well park up for the duration. You are not going to be able to get by.

Subject: RE: BS: Damned cyclists
From: leeneia
Date: 23 Jun 18 - 11:34 AM

I encounter considerate people very frequently.

Watch 5 or 6 lanes of LA traffic stop on the freeway so a kitten can be rescued:

kitty