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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Cyclists - IADNBU

61 replies

Squirmy65ghyg · 17/09/2016 21:51

Had to go to the other side of my city today. Some charity cycle event was on, no road blocks just a lot of cyclists with the normal heavy traffic. At several stages had cyclists on both sides of my car, they were also weaving in and out of traffic by driving in the middle of the road, cutting in front of cars etc.

Pissed me the fuck off. Why on earth is it okay for some cyclists to act like twats? On both sides of my car!! Still raging.

OP posts:

PacificDogwod · 17/09/2016 21:52

It's not ok for any road user to behave like a twat.

What is your AIBU?

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 17/09/2016 21:54

I don't have one. I feel like a rant. There is no "have a rant section."

OP posts:

PacificDogwod · 17/09/2016 21:55

Ah, rant away

I like a good rant.

Sugarcoma · 17/09/2016 22:15

I hate cyclists. And I hate the way the holier-than-thou cycle brigade act as though every time a cyclist gets injured on the roads it's automatically the driver's fault when I see cyclists being careless and downright dangerous all the time e.g. cycling with their mobile in one hand, headphones in and no helmet.

Not to mention they slow down traffic including and especially buses - the amount of times I've been on a bus chock full of people crawling behind one oblivious cyclist pootling along at 10 miles an hour happy as larry with no thought to the fact that there's 50 or so people trying to get to work/school/appointments behind them etc...grr!

And by the way - I don't drive and don't own a car. So this isn't the rant of an angry motorist - just someone who really hates cyclists!

Rant over!

SpringerS · 17/09/2016 22:23

Not to mention they slow down traffic including and especially buses

Cyclists don't slow down traffic. They ARE traffic. And they are, by virtue of the mode of transport they use, just about the most vulnerable and least dangerous form of traffic on the road. Also the lowest polluting.

I'm a driver btw, not a cyclist.

StripeyMonkey1 · 17/09/2016 22:28

It sounds like an unusually bad experience.

It does however sound very much like the way pedestrians much more commonly behave on a cycle path. On a local one near me they seem to treat it as an extension of the pavement - walking two or more abreast on it with no space to pass and even worse, stopping in the middle of it. Shocking isn't it. Shall we all hate pedestrians (i.e. all of us) too!

Seriously, the problem is that cars feel entitled to the road (cyclists are an inconvenience) and pedestrians feel entitled to shared cycle routes/paths - and also some pure cycle routes when the pavement is busy such as the one near me (they have the right to spill over and cyclists again are in the way). We need pure, separated spaces for cyclists and until then the actual answer is for everyone - including cyclists - to behave as well as they can, to be tolerant of others (and we all make mistakes sometimes!) and not to generalise that all of one category of persons is bad.

PickleSarnie · 17/09/2016 22:29

What springer says.

Some cyclists are idiots, some drivers are idiots.

Differences between idiot cyclists and idiot drivers is that idiot drivers are sat in 2 tons of metal going a lot, lot faster and capable of causing a lot more damage.

Scholes34 · 17/09/2016 22:33

Sugarcoma - I accept you might need the occasional rant, but not all cyclists behave in the way you say.

Monochromecat · 17/09/2016 22:40

I get really angry about the irresponsibility of many cyclists because I get so worried that they will hit me or I will hit them... I say that as both a motorist and cyclist.
I do think it's the worry that causes the anger...

Woodacorn · 17/09/2016 22:42

I live in a rural area and my BP is raised on a daily basis by cyclists. The roads are single lanes not wide enough for 2 cars but wide enough for a cyclist plus car however the cyclists rarely cycle any where other than the centre of the lane meaning I get stuck behind one most times I leave the house, they generally have earphones in listening to music and have no awareness there is a car behind them, wandering randomly across from one side of the road to the other going up hill at a snails pace and not pulling over at passing places. They rarely wear hi-viz or have lights on and therefore disappear like chameleons when they go into a part of the road shaded by trees. I curse them daily. It's like they think no cars should be on the roads it's just a little private cycle track for themselves.
I cycle the lanes myself, both on my own and with my kids and we all wear hi-viz, never have earphones in, cycle on the left hand side of the road to allow cars to pass and if I/we are gong uphill will pull over into passing places if a wide vehicle is trying to pass.

StripeyMonkey1 · 17/09/2016 22:43

Actually, I think your experience OP was a force of numbers issue.

The same would happen to you in parts of London (e.g. West End) every Saturday night, or even outside of London after a big event like a football match or fireworks display where people spill out across the road and stop and slow down traffic. Whilst it is annoying when it holds you up in your car, I suspect you would not be ranting online afterward about pedestrians being inconsiderate.

StripeyMonkey1 · 17/09/2016 22:46

In the examples I gave you can also expect someone drunkenly to lurch in front of your car. That's pretty hair raising. At least cyclists are normally sober!

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 17/09/2016 22:49

I didn't give a fuck about being held up, I was angry that THEY put me in the situation where I worry they will hit me or I will hit them, as Mono said. It is madness to cycle in a dangerous manner without any regard for others.

OP posts:

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 17/09/2016 22:50

That makes it worse! Honestly, these people were arseholes.

OP posts:

StripeyMonkey1 · 17/09/2016 22:51

Would you be as angry with pedestrians spilling into the road after a big event - maybe with some poorly supervised kids in the mix? That does happen equally - in fact probably more often. A good and common example would be after a fireworks event, but also any concert or show.

Scholes34 · 17/09/2016 22:53

If we produce a Venn diagram, there would be an intersection to include people who are both arseholes and cyclists, but not all cyclists would be included in the group of arseholes.

StripeyMonkey1 · 17/09/2016 22:54

And arseholes and drivers

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 17/09/2016 22:56

But there is no excuse to cycle on either side of my car? None.

I can't see that the two things are linked. Tbh if pedestrians were being cocks and deliberately being unsafe then yes I'd be angry.

OP posts:

Scholes34 · 17/09/2016 22:56

And pedestrians and arseholes.

Scholes34 · 17/09/2016 22:58

OP - your heading should have been Arseholes - IADNBU

PacificDogwod · 17/09/2016 22:58

There are arsehole-drivers and arsehole-cyclists and arsehole-pedestrians IME, just like there are considerate drivers and cyclists and pedestrians - the balance of power is quite significantly shifted in favour of car drivers.

I am a driver, and a cyclist, and a pedestrian.

On balance, I fear other drivers the most whether I am behind the wheel myself, on my bike or walking.

A big event breaking up is always a nightmare to be caught up in though - must have been scary, Squirmy

StripeyMonkey1 · 17/09/2016 23:00

Scholes34 I agree that Arseholes are definitely unreasonable

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 17/09/2016 23:02

It was really scary.

Note I did say " some" in my OP.

True re arseholes in all sectors of society but just now I'm taking about cyclists. The arsehole ones.

I must go to sleep. Arrgghahahaha.

OP posts:

user1473282350 · 17/09/2016 23:05

Was it the Deloitte around Britain thing?

Cos they are about to get a ranty email from me about HSE and the shocking things I witnessed when the came past us.

Cyclists on blind 90 degree bends coming over a metre into the oncoming lane, cyclists riding in packs on unclosed country lanes, milling around on narrow bridges. Camera car parked up right before a blind bend onto a narrow bridge filming the cyclists.

Awful really, they do need to put some rules in place if they do this again.

Champagneformyrealfriends · 17/09/2016 23:08

I have no issue as long as they wear helmets. Seeing anybody cycling without a helmet makes me feel panicky. A local man was knocked off his bike and died recently-the circumstances around the accident were a bit confusing but the general consensus is that had he been wearing a helmet he probably wouldn't have sustained such terrible head injuries.

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