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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:

StarryIllusion · 17/09/2016 23:08

We could do with a "have a rant" board. I would live in there. MNQH, can we please have one? completely misses point of thread

StripeyMonkey1 · 17/09/2016 23:09

Night Squirmy and I do get it that it is unpleasant driving when a big event is on.

As an aside, other than big events I find locally that Christmas shopping seems to unleash the inner arsehole in a large number of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians too. The irony.

Sleep well.

PacificDogwod · 17/09/2016 23:09

There is an Arsehole Cyclist who regularly barrels down our (narrow, residential, one way) street at really rather very high speeds - he does not use his bell, he shouts for people to get out of his way and once almost ran me over - on my bike
Arsehole MAMIL!

Glad I got that off my chest.

Hope you can sleep, Squirmy

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 17/09/2016 23:09

Yep it was!!!

I sent them a FB message. Said please can you try to ensure this does not happen again if there is actually a next time. No idea how.

OP posts:

Champagneformyrealfriends · 17/09/2016 23:09

Oooh I second "starry"'s suggestion!

PacificDogwod · 17/09/2016 23:11

Champagne, it has been shown that car drivers give cyclists without helmets a wider berth than when they are wearing helmets
It is one of the arguments against wearing helmets, apparently.

And, oh, YES to a Rant Board

Notthiswankagain · 17/09/2016 23:28

Where I jog (the odd time I do jog), you get cyclists pelting down the yow path at full speed, not ringing their bell and being downright dangerous in an area that has loads of kids, elderly people etc. There is a tiny narrow bridge that clearly say "cyclists" dismount, and every single time they barge on ahead without respect to pedestrians. It's a bridge that can barely fit two people side by side for fucks sake. I appreciate when I see a responsible cyclist because it's so fucking rare!

As for being traffic, yes, they are, and as a driver I have witnessed some shocking behaviour from other drivers (driving too close, parking in cycle lanes etc), but it does piss me off when cyclists don't behave like traffic and run red lights and swerve in front of traffic. There has to be a common ground!

Don't get me started on twat drivers, as I'd be hear all night.

Notthiswankagain · 17/09/2016 23:29

HERE all night. Rant made me a grammar dickhead.

5Foot5 · 18/09/2016 00:14

OP, rather than blame the cyclists in this case why don't you blame the organisers who appear to have screwed up by not making appropriate arrangements for keeping thiss event safee.

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 18/09/2016 07:06

I did blame them too, I messaged them. It is common sense to not cycle on both sides of a moving vehicle surely to fuck. I'm not talking about 100s of cyclists filling the road. It was groups of eg 10 cyclists. Absolutely no reason for them to not follow normal traffic rules or common sense.

OP posts:

Minesril · 18/09/2016 07:39

"just a lot of cyclists with the normal heavy traffic"

So it's on for there to be loads of cars on the road, but not loads of bikes?

Meh I'm still angry about the bus who almost went into me because I stopped at a red light and he didn't. And then he fucking SHRUGGED at me when I glared at him. And I have a child's seat on the back!!!

HapShawl · 18/09/2016 07:46

I was woken up at 6.30 this morning by lots of groups of cycling men bellowing at each other as they go down my street on their Sunday morning meet

I am a cyclist myself - I commute daily leaving at 6.30 and manage to be considerate enough to realise that others might not want to be awake at the same time

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 18/09/2016 07:48

If the bikes cycle like twats then no, it isn't!

OP posts:

Guavaf1sh · 18/09/2016 08:39

Normally at this point in these types of thread someone will go on about cyclists not paying 'road tax' which will then take a further 50 posts of righteous indignation pointing out that road tax was abolished by Winston Churchill 80 odd years ago to undo. So I will save everyone the effort now and say this to avoid this massive and almost certain diversion which would otherwise occur.

PacificDogwod · 18/09/2016 08:47

I am just musing in principle terms now, not commenting on Squirmy's specific even yesterday (it sounds like it could have been better organised and, yes, individual riders could have been better behaved/followed traffic rules), but it IS interesting how we as a society have fully bought in to the concept that the road 'belongs' to cars and their drivers, to the detriment of other road users, be that cyclist, pedestrians or horse riders.

The roads are car-ist, just like society is sexist and we would all gain if that were to change.

wowowowow · 18/09/2016 08:52

I'm with Pacific Dogwood on this one. I'm more concerned with drivers acting like twats rather than cyclists.

As a driver and a cyclist and a pedestrian I see it from all sides. OP perhaps you should try cycling too.

PS There are a lot of lot of twat pedestrians going about too. Have you noticed the ones that come straight out of shop doorways at speed and expect the whole pavement to stop for them

Original poster

Squirmy65ghyg · 18/09/2016 09:04

I do cycle.

My son cycles.

My partner cycles - he is doing a 90 mile challenge next month.

Whether I cycle or not makes fuck all difference to what happened yesterday.

OP posts:

CombineBananaFister · 18/09/2016 09:14

ahh, those people yesterday who happened to be on bikes were assholes, just as, am sure a % of people who happened to be in cars or walking. Being an inconsiderate person is just that - you are an inconsiderate person whether it is on a bike, taking up a parking spot you shouldn't be in or not waiting your turn in a queue.
Arseholes are a % of all types of transport users unfortunatley, its in their nature. Does sound like the event was badly managed/supervised to allow all forms of travelling to do so safely.

Sugarlightly · 18/09/2016 09:55

We had a cycle event on this week. On Monday. At 830am. Rush hour. Literally chaos. Miles long tailbacks of traffic and then cyclists weaving in and out of traffic.

user1473282350 · 18/09/2016 09:57

Not sure if they were arseholes or just really, really bloody stupid.

Champagneformyrealfriends · 18/09/2016 10:37

Pacific drivers aren't the only danger to cyclists though. And not all accidents are the drivers fault-I've seen cyclists pull out onto
roundabouts and junctions in front of cars. My mum was so adamant we wore helmets when cycling or rollerblading as children and it's really stayed with me.

MetalMidget · 18/09/2016 10:50

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.

Cyclists (like motorcyclists) are legally allowed to filter through slow moving or stationary cars. They're allowed to both undertake and overtake to do this. The Highway Code makes it clear that this should be done safely, but also that it's the responsibility of the motorist to also keep an eye out for filtering traffic.

RainyDayBear · 18/09/2016 11:04

Ooh I love a good cyclist rant. I have no issue with them (I get a bit miffed when I'm stuck behind one for ages on twisting moor roads when I'm running late for work - but accept that it's my own fault!). However I nearly hit one the other day, no helmet and completely not my fault - just pulled from the pavement into the road, went right in front of me, and was only not hit because I was vigilant and doing 25 in a 30 zone.

The ones that really annoy me are the ones that cross junctions when the lights are on red. If you're on the road, the fucking red light applies to you too!!!

Scholes34 · 18/09/2016 12:27

Just been out on my bike (wearing a helmet) - riding through town, down a quiet road, had to use my bell (rang it gently) as a young couple walking arm in arm in the middle of the road meant I couldn't get past. The abuse I got was not at all justified. You really can't win as a cyclist.

RichardBucket · 18/09/2016 14:39

I might frame Sugarcoma's post.

Also YY to the worry about hitting these reckless morons causing most of the anger.

See MetalMidget for a perfect example of an entitled cyclist. It's legal so I'm going to do it, no matter how inconsiderate or reckless it is. Get off the fucking roads.

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