Bike-buggy-smuggy-mummies: they think they're invincible!

[Vagabond]

You know those little carriages on the back/front of bikes with little children cocooned inside? What are these mums thinking of? It looks like they've got a litter of kittens inside sometimes!

The way they ride their kids around town in these bicycle people carriers seems so dangerous to me. I pass at least a dozen of them a day and I'm astounded by the sense of entitlement these mums feel above the overwhelming enormity of actual traffic. They seem invincible when, actually, they are putting themselves and their kids in enormous danger.

I drive so carefully around them but it irritates me to see the smug look on their faces. I'm equally sure that they hate my smug face driving my car. It's soooo Oxford and it irritates the hell out of me!

Yes, it's green. I get that. It still gets on my nerves.

What do you mean ivykaty?

you talk about cars having blind spots - I have yet to come across a car that is sighted or blind, they are driven by people with sight, necks, two mirrors on each side and one in the middle - all to assist the people to be able to see around the car - you talk about the car as if it is the car that see and can't see

Never seen so many people on an MN thread piping up that they're from Oxford! I'm always amused by the fleets of cyclists heading off from the lights at the same time here. Having said that, I also always get massively annoyed with cyclists on the pavement / running red lights. It's not like we all do it though.

Very much looking forward for the time when DD is old enough to go on a seat on my bike: might also buy a cargo bike or similar to be able to transport her and me and a load of shopping too. I don't fancy the trailers myself but a hefty Dutch bike for family cycling, yes, now you're talking... Pricey though!

Winter: You clearly don't empathise with the majority of opinion on this thread,

Feel fee to indulge in your pleasure at making motorists wait behind you. And please know that it's not for you. It's for the imperilled position you've put your children in and our caution is entirely due to the thoughtless and innocent position you've put them in.

I fiind your use of the word "twat" as self indulgent as the position you hold. I would never particularly use the word myself. However, when I think of your user name, the word does come to mind.

Cycle carefully, dear.

Oh right ivykaty...no I am not talking about the car having blind spots. I mean that we have blind spots whilst driving the car. There is a certain point when another car or cyclist pulls up or is near the front of a car when you actually lose sight of it in the wind mirror. Also it is quite difficult sometimes to see cyclists..obviously the car itself cannot see

pretty evenly spilt actually, but you probably can't see all the cyclists posting in your giant blindspot.

This is a grown up site, twats are easy to spot. Plenty of cunts and fuck-knuckles too.

You seem unable to come up with the goods, if my trailer is so dangerous and my children so at risk (from motorists, lets not forget), where are the reports of serious injuries or death in trailers? The only link on their saftey provided says they are perfectly safe.

Deafening silence from the angst-ridden drivers on the subject.

Winter....very vulgar language and not necessary

really? I like it and find it very necessary at this gubbins here, which essentially boils down to: hey you lot legally using the roads in contraptions I am unable to use don't know anything about, I'm shit at driving and I might kill you and/or your children, but I'm going to criticise you for my ineptitude. And make stuff up. And ignore requests to back up my position with them there pesky facts.

If you don't like the language, go somewhere with swear filters. Or report my posts if you like.

What is a fuck-knuckle when it's at home?

Winter..... I love your feistiness! We would soooo clash over a bottle of wine and, really, isn't that what makes the world go around!

We clearly disagree on the buggy thing. Que sera.

I worry about your vulgarity though. Am I to think that smug mummies with buggies use the C word? I might have to re-position my thoughts and give you even more latitude on the roads.

You are clearly invincible!

PS: Does your husband know about your predilection for filthy language? Maybe you should tell him. All those hidden depths!

he applauds and expects it. He also gets the benefit of my rock hard thighs and super human endurance.

I'm thinking of emblazoning CUNT in neon strips on the back of the trailer...it will have a two-fold effect for the drivers, but may make me less popular at the school gates.

Any advice?

You are so good for a laugh, I'll give you that.

Just a little hint: men seem to love the C word when it comes to sex. I don't think they like it so much as it pertains to their kiddies being ridden about in flimsy buggies on main roads. Just a though.

Keep safe.

actually I find the word "kiddies" far more offensive than cunt. So twee.

I don't understand the hint. It seems to imply that I should modify my language to suit a man, but since we aren't in the 50's I must have taken you up wrong.

Vagabond you're talking utter shite.

You asked IABU, minority says no, majority says yes, you call winter smug, she call you a twat, so what?

mumsgotatum - yes I know, people say all sorts of weird things about the car ran of the road, cars having blind spots, the car ran out of petrol - but really they mean the motorist was at fault but don't seem to want to admit that the motorist acted very foolishly.

It would be good if people could have a mind set that you are in charge of a car, drive with care and thoughtfulness and awareness and you will not do stupid things with the car and hurt or kill others - it's not the cars fault

vagabond - Does your husband know about your predilection for filthy language? Maybe you should tell him. All those hidden depths!

which century are you living in? Can I link to the feminist section to see what they make of your statement?

As a car-owning but bike-commuting resident of the UK's first Cycling City, can I just chip in with a link to some advice to help cyclists and motorists get along? Safer cycling and safer driving.

The key points are everyone follow the highway code, motorists use your eyes and try to anticipate cyclists behaviour, and this: "The vast majority of road users, whether they drive, walk or cycle, behave responsibly, but there are minorities in all groups who are inconsiderate. Treat others with courtesy and don't get upset when you sometimes don't get it in return!"

I wish that councils would make it more clear where cycle paths and shared use paths are; the shared use sections in particular often just have a tiny picture of a bike embedded in the pavement every 20 feet or so, which results in cyclists being given dirty looks by pedestrians who think they're riding on the pavement.

Plus my own bugbear: the highway code recommends that cyclists have a bell and use it to "let pedestrians know you are there". But a large percentage of pedestrians seem to interpret bell-ringing as Smug Cylist code for "I'm a cyclist who owns this off-road path, get the fuck out of my way". I think it more along the line of "Hi, there's a cylist behind you coming up on the right, please don't suddenly jump to one side in front of me or that'll be painful for both of us when I crash into you."

I've not read the whole thread.

Can't believe this pile of tosh.

For as long as people like you continue to spout this crap about how dangerous cycling is (meanwhile continuing to drive your car to 'protect' your child) the environment is getting trashed.

FFS. Cycling in town really isn't that dangerous.

COI: committed city centre cyclist. don't own a baby bike trailer though due to lack of baby!

I think Vagabond for all your seemingly polite language you are an absolute viper and I have no interest in your arguments any longer.

But to return this therad to a mumsnet favourite theme maybe I'm just showing my class.

A huge proportion of city cyclists are upper middle class in well paid jobs (or thinking about my friends are academics!) This statistic came from the cyclists touring club but was collected in London by TfL.

well maybe its because I don't live in a city, but I am about as far from uppermiddle class with a well paid job as you can find!

Lurker, you can't compare London with the rest of the UK :)

I am not a city cyclist either or upper middle class with a well paid job.

I don't live in London either but anecdotally the cycle racks at work are full of my colleagues (ie the graduate professionals) wheras the admin/ clerical/ cleaning staff all moan endlessly about the car parking charges!

They don't appreciate my telling them that it costs nothing to park a bike and that hot showers and towels are provided!

I leave you to work out what sorts of class rides the village bike then whilst we carry on talking about cycling on the roads of towns up and down the country north of Watford gap

Oh dear, vagabond, if you have to resort to the 'vulgar language' defense - have you actually spent much time on MN? - then you've clearly lost not only the argument but also the plot...

YABVU. Sense of entitlement? That'd be the same sense of entitlement that car drivers have, I suppose? I bet you love horse riders too, eh? Well, dear, here's a heads-up - we have EVERY right to use the road and it is incumbent upon all of us to obey the rules of the road. If that means your precious journey is delayed by 5 minutes because you can't safely overtake another road user, then perhaps you'd better either leave earlier or invest in some anger management therapy. Or else realise that you are not the centre of the universe and leave your ego at home when you get behind the wheel? :)