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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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to ask you what do I DO? Cyclists, one way streets.

95 replies

LRDtheFeministDragon · 03/08/2012 18:39

There's a street near where I live which is one-way. It has cars parked on both sides, just space for one car through the middle, and a blind turn off to one side, so you can understand why it is one way. I have before driven down it (at 20, which is the limit, or less - often more like 5 or 10) and found a cyclist coming the other way at speed, often turning in at the end. It is really scary. You do not have much time to see them and slam on the brakes. I do honk when they do this (if I have the time to react), because plainly they haven't seen me (and don't know it's one-way).

Today, three cyclists came riding triple-file down the middle, the wrong way. I slammed on my brakes and honked, and because I'd come to a complete stop and my window was open, I called 'it's one-way!' to them.

One of them laughed, and said:

'Don't be stupid - I live here! It's only you who honks!

I said it's one way and it's illegal what you're dong.

'I don't think it's illegal! It's not illegal. No-one cares! Do you know what speed limit it is?'

I said 20, and I hadn't been doing 20.

'Oh, I think so, I think you were.' (I wasn't. I wouldn't have been able to stop for them if I'd been much over 20, which is why I wasn't. I'd been doing mayb 5, because another bike going the right way had been in front of me. He seemed to find all of this very funny).

At this point one of the others slammed his hand on the back of my car. They were all laughing and shouting.

Ok, I know probably it was pointless to stop, or to argue. I am still shaking.

What can I actually do about it? They obviously either don't know, or don't care what the law is. One day they are going to get themselves killed, or me, or some other driver, killed.

I don't have the first idea what to do but I want to do something.

OP posts:
Trills · 03/08/2012 20:22

I'm not saying that it is two-way and you don't know, I'm saying I can see why they might think that one-way streets don't apply to cyclists.

StunningCunt · 03/08/2012 20:23

TBH I remember at 17-18 going in people's cars and they were doing handbrake turns and racing round estates. It's just kids really, they do not act responsibly but rather that they are on a bike than a car tbh.

Trills · 03/08/2012 20:23

(other than "because they are stupid and generally think that the rules don't apply to bikes")

WelshMaenad · 03/08/2012 20:23

Please do, I'd be interested to know what they say!

The fact that cyclists are not required to have, as a minimum, third party insurance to ride on a road is donething that baffles me. Horses too.

StunningCunt · 03/08/2012 20:24

how about pedestrians, kids on heelies, scooters, etc???

LRDtheFeministDragon · 03/08/2012 20:25

Just clarifying, trills.

stunning - it wasn't 'just kids', this lot, they were adults, and no, it's not better they're on a bike than a car, there's no 'better' to going on a road, being stupid, and endangering yourself and others. IMO.

OP posts:
JumpJockey · 03/08/2012 20:34

LRD i suspect we might live in the same city - heavily populated with cyclists, and lots of them language students over the summer? Not many hills...?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 03/08/2012 20:36

There are at least two such cities I can think of, jump. Neither is fun for cycyling in, or for drivers.

OP posts:
Trills · 03/08/2012 20:46

I think I'm in the one that LRD is not in.

I live on one of those one-way streets with cars on both sides, and everything.

JumpJockey · 03/08/2012 20:46

As a cyclist, I tend to stick as much as possible to the cycle paths (on and off pavements) in this one, but deliberately choose not to drive, even though I can, simply because as you say the roads are frequently very narrow and full of bikes weaving about and being generally unaware of their surroundings. :(

LRDtheFeministDragon · 03/08/2012 20:52

There's probably quite a lot of places fit the description, but it sounds similar, trills.

jump - I wish cycle paths were better, I know they're not great. Here, though, there's another one-way street going the opposite way and parallel, and they're only maybe 100 yards apart, so it's not exactly a huge shortcut.

OP posts:
Redbindy · 03/08/2012 20:59

OP - Ram them, they are not an endangered species.

suzikettles · 03/08/2012 21:11

Definitely report it as an issue to the police and the council. They're unlikely to do anything, but if noone reports it then certainly nothing will be done.

Maybe they need to look at parking restrictions for one side of the street, cycle lane, extra signage etc.

Unfortunately a couple of cyclists will probably have to be seriously injured/killed before anything is done (and probably not even then).

We have a problem with our local park where commuter cyclists bombing through on the footpaths come up against children walking to school. No-one wants someone in hospital before something is done (a bit of common sense on both sides is all that's needed). The Community Police Officers were really helpful at the end of last term, making sure they were in the park at problem times and talking to cyclists and children.

ToadsPornFrogsPawn · 03/08/2012 21:12

Are you in Cambridge? Off Mill Road?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 03/08/2012 21:13

I'm not, no, but I know that area a little, toads.

suzi - good to know the police were useful to you.

People have been killed and injured, though not on that street AFAIK. I just hope no more are.

OP posts:
suzikettles · 03/08/2012 21:17

I think you're doing the best you can in the meantime btw. Keeping on driving slowly and defensively on that road, assuming that a cyclist is about to race round the corner, is all you can do really. They also have to take responsibility for their own safety.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 03/08/2012 21:26

Thanks suzi, I will do. Smile

OP posts:
kirsty75005 · 03/08/2012 21:27

There are quite a few places overseas where cyclists are allowed to go both ways in one-way streets (I live in one of them), that might explain some of the cyclists you meet (though not these ones apparently, and would have excuse being rude).

TheQueenOfDiamonds · 03/08/2012 21:28

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YusMilady · 03/08/2012 21:29

I commute in a 'Cycling Demonstration City' (hollow laugh) and one of the recommended cycle routes actually sends you the wrong way up a one way street. Madness.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 03/08/2012 21:31

Yes, I heard so kirsty - those are the ones I was referring to further up the thread, who honestly didn't know UK rules were different. And, of course, if they see everyone doing it, they won't know, because there's no test to cycle.

OTOH, I know Dutch cyclists who are utterly shocked people in the UK would cycle without learning the rules - they are very vocal about it, even more than me!

queen - not that I ever would, but if I tried to fling the door open on this road, I would hit a parked car. There is really very little space on either side.

yus - that's depressing and shit! Shock

OP posts:
ThePan · 03/08/2012 21:38

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TheQueenOfDiamonds · 03/08/2012 21:44

Thepan Lighten up. We're not really going to go out and abuse cyclists you know unless they abuse me first, then it's ON

ThePan · 03/08/2012 21:46

oh It's a sense of humour failure! okaaay.Hmm

OlympiaMumsnet · 03/08/2012 21:46

AHEM