Why so much anger towards cyclists?

[Thatsthatthen87]

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/01/i-will-never-ride-a-bike-again-why-people-are-giving-up-on-cycling

Just read this and I can totally relate to what a couple of people are saying about drivers' attitudes to cyclists. If people are not following the rules or using their bikes responsibly or whatever, I get it, but some drivers just seem to hate the fact that they have to share the road. Why? I've even had 'get a car' yelled at me from a window. 😄

I cycle and I drive.

When I am cycling I find cars pass too close and too fast and often with little regard for whether they can see if something is coming the other way. (Naturally I wouldn't do this if I were driving!)

When I am driving cyclists hold me up and do a litany of things I wouldn't if I were cycling, such as tonight's experience of coming acros a cyclist in the dark without lights and without using the cycle path that would mean it wouldn't matter that I didn't see them straightaway.

I think it is more a case of getting annoyed with others doing something that I don't like, whether or not that is reasonable!

I cycled to the dentist this morning less than 10% of mybroute was an accessible cycle path (one requires me to jump up a 9 inch curb on my bike...I cant)

then i went to have a blood test - the satnav cycle route took me down a narrow steep path to some stairs, then through a park on a dirt track to a very steep downhill covered in mud with maybe 50% of the journey on the road

On the way home I rode on the road and travelled 2 miles less than on the way

I wear a very bright jacket, but 2 days ago a car turned right onto the road I was travelling down and had to slam their brakes on because I was riding on the bit of road she wanted to turn into

A cycle/pedestrian path near me is a tiny narrow pavement on a residental road but the road that is parallel has few larger businesses and a huge wide path that is pedestrian only

I went to London by train and was told off for taking a few extra moments getting my bike off the train, then cycled down to Bromley, the cycle satnav took me to a railway bridge I couldn't carry my bike over and then a tunnel I couldn't use because of the stairs

I drive a lot of the time because I'm disabled and I like to think I am tolerant of all road users and very careful of cyclists and pedestrians - but the rest of the time I cycle as I can't walk easily and I am very careful of pedestrians

I am nervous on the road and would always choose a cycle path until they make it impossible fore

Because - and this is purely due to my experience of the cyclists around me that I encounter every day - they get on my titting nerves!

They ride dangerously. The are a hazard to themselves and car drivers (but it'll be the car driver that gets the blame!). They ride 3 and 4 abreast talking to each other in rush hour traffic, meanwhile everyone leaving our village is trying to get to work. They don't signal correctly or position themselves to give you a clue, so you have to have a sodding crystal ball handy.

What really irks me is there is a set of traffic lights which is single file over a bridge. They hold me up all the way down the road, swerving about, headphones on, not a blinking clue what's going on behind them, no lights when it's dark etc, and then hop onto the pavement to cross the bridge and avoid waiting at the light 😡

Well.... clearly I needed to get that off my chest

Too many of them are rude, selfish, entitled and dangerous.

As a pedestrian I I have almost been hit on more than one occasion by male cyclists while I was walking on the pavement or in my local park. Not to mention that they gave me a mouthful of abuse for daring to complain about almost being run over.

*They hold me up all the way down the road, swerving about, headphones on, not a blinking clue what's going on behind them, no lights when it's dark etc,

I nearly got wiped out by a twat with headphones AND looking at his phone and he had the nerve to swear at me. Some of them I swear have a death wish*

And why that's in italics I have no idea.

The behaviours you whine about are done by motorists 1000 times over. The ignoring or ignorance of the Highway Code and the idea you should be able to drive anywhere/anytime without hindrance because you are entitled to. You aren't entitled to anything. You share the road with other users. Sometimes I have to share the pavement but I get that and adjust my behaviour accordingly.

I live in London and a large percentage of cyclists here have no respect for the rules of the road (belting through red lights, not signalling), nor their own safety (no lights, no helmets).

I've had far more unpleasant encounters with idiot cyclists, as a pedestrian, than I have with car drivers.

Really? can't recall seeing any motorists bomb along the pavement with no lights on.

I've had far more unpleasant encounters with idiot cyclists, as a pedestrian, than I have with car drivers.

☝Another pedestrian here. At least motorists stick to the roads.

<sigh> culture wars nonsense

Some cyclists are inconsiderate.

Some drivers are inconsiderate, and impatient, and dangerous.

The argument that cyclists are dangerous isn’t backed up by statistics.

Wouldn’t it be better if everyone just calmed down a bit. I was held up for moments this morning on school run, passed the cyclist safety and wasn’t angry. That’s my experience, driving a few hundred miles per month, I have to slow down and bear in mind other road users.

Idiots in cars far outnumber idiots on bikes.

Exactly this! I've had a few give me the finger when they realise I'm behind them. All of a sudden it's my problem!

I think the problem is that anyone theoretically can ride a bike. There's no test. I doubt many read the Highway Code (but that goes for drivers as well!). Im sure there are some very good considerate cyclists around. I just don't seem to encounter very many.

Because so many break the law and act with impunity

Because so many break the law and act with impunity

As opposed to the law abiding car drivers that grace our highways 🙂

All those drivers texting and drinking and speeding are paragons of virtue of course.

Because as a car driver you don't want to be held up on an empty road by a cyclist in the middle of the road going at 10 mph. You just want them to fuck off out of the way.

Agree with a lot thinking rules don't apply to them. Running red lights, not signalling etc.

Also agree with not needing a test to ride a bike, no way to identify them etc.

Exactly this. From March to October they race through this village with their dark coloured clothing on and shouting at each other from about 5am. The cars don’t wake us but the shouting people do. They’re often holding full conversations or shouting at the “DRAIN!!!!” The pitch of a shouting human voice wakes us, I guess humans are wired to respond to other humans shouting 🤷🏻‍♀️

I have sat for miles behind packs of men in Lycra, and although it’s frustrating, I take extreme care to give them space and respect their equal right to the road.

If you are on an empty road you should be able to pass safely. The cyclist ie me wants you to pass if it safe to do so. I will move in if it is safe for me to do so. Your second comment is seemingly every motorist plus throw in overtaking then cutting left.
Lots of motorists out there driving while disqualified, driving while drunk/drugged, using a phone,having no license, number plates greyed out, no front number plate.

Because they're a menace.

Because they're a menace

Yes a menace. A true menace.

Ban them, immediately!

I live in Ireland and feel so much for cyclists because it’s like they take their lives into their hands here, we have very few cycle lanes and most take up a lot of a road so a driver has to drive in it or suddenly end so a cyclist is suddenly on the road!! Saying that I see a lot of cyclists cycle so dangerously. The biggest problem in our rural locality is them waving you by as you drive twisty dangerous country roads. I’m not going to overtake if I can’t see ahead!!

I dunno I'm usually bemused by a lot of cyclists. There's so many of them atm, theres no point in getting aggroed about it. It does make me nervy when you're stuck behind one and there's no way to overtake safely and they keep looking backwards. It's obvious I'm stuck. Not sure what they want me to do.

I did have one knobend recently with a pal riding side by side, which is fine. But the one riding in the middle of the road kept weaving side to side to fill the whole road up and looking back. No way I could risk overtaking even though the other side of the road was clear in case he misjudged his weaving.

Most of them however are alright. Just make sure I can see you and it's all good.

So long as they aren't cycling on the pavements whatts the problem, just a shame you can't hope out your car and walk it across the pavement. I mean thats pretty unreasonable to get annoyed about to be honest.

Why do you need to mention lycra. What they wear has nothing to do with it, your problem is a pack of cyclists.

Why are you getting nervous? Its no different to a driver driving slowly and your behind them and you cannot overtake them. Maybe you shouldn't be driving if you get nervous.

They cyclist isn't wanting you to do anything but pass them by safely when or if you can. They keep looking over their shoulder because duh thats just common sense. Like drivers should check their mirros regularly. When I cycle I am always regularly checking my surroundings and behind me. I am not expecting anything I am just making myself aware of what is around me. If I am on a narrow road I check behind me to see if there is long queue because then Ill decide to at the first opportunity pull over and move myself into the bushes/ grass a bit to let them pass .