Woman threw water at me

[ijustheartdietcoke]

I was cycling and came to some trafficlights. A woman was looking at her phone so I banged on her window and shouted get off your phone. She tried to throw water at me and drove off, would police be interested?

And who said cyclists are morally superior?

The same people who think they should bang on peoples windows and shout at them.
Which is a dick move.

But somebody driving whilst on their phone is very dangerous to other road users particularly cyclists who aren't easily seen. That is why there is a law against it. How else should turnip of quickly got her attention?

Op not turnip

It is illegal to use your phone while your engine is running, that much is clear, and acknowledged on this thread. However common sense tells us that being stationary at lights, with handbrake on, is, in practice, a different level of dangerous to texting while moving. So I am not quite sure why the OP might have felt at immediate risk or need to get the woman's attention that second.

Because if the lights changed quickly and she had to move quickly she'd be more focused on her phone than checking mirrors properly, other vehicles and moving off safely for all road users. There is a law re stationary cars for a reason. Op I'd ring the non emergency number and report.

Greenginger How can you say cyclists are difficult to see? Our tiny single track roads are full of thousands of them in bright Lycra every weekend. They disrupt normal village life, are intrusive and definitely entitled, sticking laminated arrows on our well, gateposts and trees. They shout to each other, spit, ride three or four abreast. In general, they're like ants. Absolutely unaware that people live and work where they want to cycle. They park all over the place and stop the tractors getting through. Cycling as a form of transport is fine; racing and rallies on country lanes should be banned.
They even knock on our door for water, lavatory, directions and to use the telephone as they are rather surprised to find they lack any mobile reception. Now I'm not mean so do provide a mug of tea and biscuits for lost souls, give lifts to those with punctures and don't charge for phone calls but it is very irritating at peak times.

I don't use a hand held phone while driving. I give cyclists plenty of room. But ...
Who made you Judge Dredd, op? If you banged on my window, I'd tell you to FUCK OFF.

In two or three congested lanes of traffic with your head in your lap looking at your phone of course cyclists are hard to see.

Your rural lane woes don't really speak for traffic everywhere or excuse a motorist breaking the law whilst risking the lives of other road users.

If there didn't need to be a law there wouldn't be one.

side by side is in fact perfectly legal

But a dick move.

side by side is in fact perfectly legal

Not completely no, according to rule 66 of the Highway code: never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends.

Mind you there are loads of other rules being broken every day. I wonder how many cyclists actually know their own rules?

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82

I borrow a mobility scooter from Shopmobility once a week to go shopping with a friend. I'm going to buy us both a water pistol in case the OP cycles near us and sees us using our mobiles

But somebody driving whilst on their phone is very dangerous to other road users particularly cyclists who aren't easily seen. That is why there is a law against it. How else should turnip of quickly got her attention?

She WASN'T DRIVING!

And since OP isn't police, it wasn't her job to get her attention at all.

turnip

Here's OP just after the water incident. Sadly I couldn't find a photo of a turnip actually riding a bike.

GreenGinger OR she might fling her phone down on the passenger seat, check mirrors, release hand brake and move.

I really am wondering how the police would respond to a call that went ' the other day I saw a woman sitting stationary in traffic checking her phone..the car was a metallic green, greens blue, maybe? Umm, possibly a Toyota, would that narrow it down?..."

SWBU

She should if used the wind screen wash and saved her upholstery from getting damp...

Using your mobile phone whilst driving, stationary at traffic lights, is ilegal.

I just wish thinking your are morally superior and can tell people off willy nilly was too..

OP should of just reported the reg end of.

(Top tip, putting your windscreen washer on is also effective for tail gaters too, not just over zealous super hero cyclists who just want to protect "public safety".)

Next time it could be acid squirted at you or some other blinding disfiguring liquid.

Some people do get so very indignant when it's pointed out that they're doing something wrong don't they. It's really not the banging on the window that causes offence, though that is a convenient excuse, it's the being caught out. I wonder if these are the same sort of people who would mouth off if a fellow train passenger asked them not to put the feet on the seat, or get aggressive when asked not to drop litter. But of course, no one should ever object directly to the perpetrator, because that's just being 'morally superior'. What crap.

No, it really is the banging on the window that's the problem...

There's lots of comments on here saying the OP had no right to tell the driver off.

I wonder if the OP was complying with all the cyclist rules? I wonder if it would be okay for me to accost cyclists to give them a row for wearing dark clothing or cycling with no lights etc. Or weather that would be seen as none of my business or aggressive and confrontational.

All of you idiots saying that it's fine to 'glance' at your mobile while driving - have a look at this and then see whether you feel the same...

As it happens, WHaT, I did ask a cyclist this morning why on earth they weren't cycling in the totally clear bus lane but instead blocking cars in the other lane (they weren't turning off, overtaking a bus or anything). I don't have any problem with asking them to use lights either. There isn't a requirement for wearing HiVis (not that it seems to make much difference either, given that the last two days cycling to work I've had cars pull out on me despite being dressed so you could see me from the moon.)

The police take a very dim view of people taking it upon themselves to police the roads OP.
Are you related to the prick that was cycling in the very busy, dangerous pothole filled road 2m to the right of a clean, well kept, flat, suitable for purpose, 4 mile long cycle path with kerbs that separate it from pedestrians this morning on my way into work?

Stop trying to prove a point. You're lucky she didn't get out and punch you.

There is a requirement to wear light or reflective clothing though. I regularly come across a guy dressed in camouflage clothing cycling on a tree lined country road. Total fuckwit.