AIBU to bloody hate cyclists

[FortyAndFlagging]

I have just trailed three cyclists during the course of the day. Honest to God, why don't they just pull over and let people pass?

And I give far more space to a cyclist than a parked car. But yes that may mean I am trailing behind you on narrow twisty roads for some miles.
The road users that really make me gasp are the motorcyclists who weave in and out of moving traffic. It always looks so dangerous.

Laughing at the idea that everyone won't be able to drive anywhere. In London fair enough. Outside of London it would take major investment to make this happen, and I just don't see it coming.

I'm aware of the state of the roads thank you, this one has just been fully resurfaced.

You know it's not just potholes that pose a danger for bikes, don't you? On a typical country lane, there will be large stones, branches, litter and other debris which a car wouldn't even notice but which a cyclist would need to avoid or risk having an accident.

The chances that you (as a driver) would notice the things that would matter to a cyclist are pretty much zero. I say this as a driver myself.

I don't really cycle in groups, but those that do can't see as far ahead on the road because of the cyclists in front of them. Groups therefore shout to each other to flag up potential hazards. The alternative would be for members of the group to potentially have a nasty crash when one of them is sent off course by debris on the road.

But yeah, cyclists aren't safety conscious or anything, they're just loudmouth bastards throwing their weight around as if they own the road....

I am laughing at the idea of waiting until you can overtake parked cars on roads. Many roads would grind to a halt if that happened. Every road I drive on in my way to work has parked cars, and busy roads in both directions. It would be impossible to drive if I took this approach.

So that’ll be sailing past & knocking off wing mirrors then?

Cyclists are generally much more aware than drivers about the risk of parked cars opening their doors.

The reason is pretty simple. If a car opens its door into me when I'm driving, my car will be damaged, as will theirs. But unless they leap out of the car the moment the door opens (highly unlikely/impossible), noone will be badly hurt. It would be unpleasant and inconvenient, but not life threatening.

If, on the other hand, a car opens its door into me when I'm cycling, I will get very seriously hurt, possibly killed. For that reason, I am much more alert to parked cars when I cycle than when I drive - I try to look to see if there is someone sat in them, and I try to leave enough space that a door could be opened without injuring me.

That is good practice, and is safe, defensive cycling. But I imagine all the drivers watching me give parked cards a wide berth would claim that I was inconsiderately taking up the whole road for no reason.

This sort of thing is exactly why experience of cycling on roads should be mandatory to get a driving licence. Because the main problem is that the majority of drivers have absolutely no clue about what is safe/dangerous for a cyclist, and why cyclists behave the way they do around hazards which a car driver wouldn't even notice.

There is an enormous difference between pulling out on to the other side of the road to overtake a parked car, and driving along the street normally. The former does not involve knocking off wing mirrors unless you are a terrible driver. Just hyperbole from you.

As a horse rider I have had issues with cyclists and motorists. Mainly motorists but that's probably because of the volume of each.
Cyclists can be very insular and not very forward thinking of other vulnerable road users as much as motorists are. Motorists can be ridiculously dangerous at times. Even without the presence of a bike or horse on the road.
Why can't everyone just treat everyone else on the road with a bit of respect?
I can understand the defensive riding from cyclists, riding two abreast and up to the white line, we do it on horses and get the same shit about it, but so many people don't realise that you're supposed to go onto the opposite carriageway when it's safe to overtake, so it doesn't matter how many abreast horses or bikes are, if they're on that side of the carriageway up to the centre White line. If you're overtaking correctly and not trying to squeeze between the bike/horse and incoming traffic it makes no difference whatsoever. And you're the one in the wrong trying to squeeze between the bike/horse and the oncoming traffic. That's why many of both do it, because the amount of times I've ended up in ditches and literally in hedges because someone decides to squeeze through, straddling the white line then swerve towards me when they meet oncoming traffic is stupid. Even on my own I ride in the middle of the carriageway, and if someone slows down and backs off, and there's somewhere to safely do so, I'll move over. It's a shame when you have to force people to drive sensibly and safely so you don't get killed or injured. But that's where we've reached.

Aren't stupidly high car parking charges and congestion charges supposed to discourage driving in London

While there is even one private car in central London (except for those used by people with disabilities), clearly not. I'd say it needs to get even more expensive.

Do you not see this as a problem also? What if someone in the car opens the door while you are passing closely

"Dooring" is a massive problem for cyclists, that is why people have talked about the so-called "dutch reach" where you look behind you before you open a door.

I can never unterstand why people open doors when cars are coming, either. About a year ago I was driving down a road (thankfully in my car not on my bike) and was coming up to a car facing me, so the driver and passenger could see me coming very clearly. As I got to them, the person on my side threw open the door into my path. Why on earth would you do that? I was able to swerve, but they could kill a cyclist.

Also mountain bike riders who insist on cycling on footpaths and jostling me for room.

I accidentally tipped one of those off his bike a few years ago.

I was out with the dogs, on a footpath through woodland, when I heard someone call out behind me. As I turned, my hiking pole got caught in his wheel and he went flying.

He gave me a gobful of abuse which would have shocked the average midlle-aged lady dog-walker, but I believe in calling a cunt a cunt and gave as good as I got. He wanted my name and address so he could bill me for the repairs to his bike, the cheeky fucker, and started ranting about how he had to go 12 miles back to his car.

I gave him my name and address, and explained that I would vigorously defend any proceedings, given that he was riding on a footpath and I had no reason to aniticipate the presence of a cyclist careering down the hill.

Funnily enough, I never heard any further.

A few weeks later, another mountain biker rode very fast downhill on a local footpath and hit an elderly lady's dog and didn't stop. The vet bill to fix the dog's broken hip was several hundred.

We rarely see mountain bikers these days, they've obviously fallen out of love with this bit of the South Downs. They're a bloody menace.

They do it because they forget to check. Sometimes it is a child who opens the car door. People do daft things all the time. It happens, there is no rational reason beyond forgetting to look.

But Claire in my case they were looking right at me! And it's not kids, it's always adults in my experience.

LakeyLady you should not be driving at all if you have Menieres!

why don't you fuck off to your own special roads - the motorway network - that was built especially for motorised traffic and nobody else;

Great plan. Are you able to teleport my car to the next county, which is my nearest motorway?

There is an enormous difference between pulling out on to the other side of the road to overtake a parked car, and driving along the street normally. The former does not involve knocking off wing mirrors unless you are a terrible driver. Just hyperbole from you.

No hyperbole, just trying to gauge how close you think it’s safe to pass a cyclist. You mentioned giving same amount of room as to parked cars but you clearly don’t think parked cars need much room so very likely you are endangering other road users.

Userx I am going to stop responding to you. You are just trying to pick an argument. I said what I thought the Highway Code says, and said that I give much more space to cyclists when passing than if I pass a moving car. So no I did not say that at all.

fairweathercyclist I have no idea unless they have very poor vision. Does seem a strange thing to do.

Are you able to teleport my car to the next county, which is my nearest motorway?

That's my point. Are you able to teleport bikes to the next bike lane which may or may not be usable, may or may not be shared with people who walk all over it, may or may not even be in the right direction?

PP claiming people should only use bike lanes is as ridiculous as me claiming drivers should only use motorways. Yet that one gets trotted out every single time.

LakeyLady you should not be driving at all if you have Menieres!

I've notified DVLA and they haven't told me to stop! My GP says as it's mild and controlled by meds when it becomes severe, it's not a problem. I'm never really aware of it when I'm driving, it's more noticeable when I'm walking around or lying down (I feel like I'm on a boat some nights).

The tinnitus is more of a problem than the dizziness, although my balance is definitely affected. I can't stand on one leg any more!

I feel sorry for cyclists. They get moaned at for being in the road and moaned at for being on the pavement. Some of the motorists on here need to re read the highway code I think.

I think the issue, like all road users, is the idiots who cycle without consideration of others. So if you are one of those cyclists who cycles along a pavement and assumes that simply ringing your bell means anyone can get out of your way in time, then I doubt you will be a considerate cyclists on the road either.

claire DD was almost knocked off her bike close to school by a child opening a car door without looking. So not only does that child’s parent add to the pollution around London schools by driving to school, they also endanger other children by parking illegally and incomsiderately and not teaching their children to look before they open the door.

Being a child and not checking is no excuse for endangering other road users. If your child can’t check then you get off your backside and get them out of the car yourself. Which that parent won’t becuase they’re too bloody lazy, hence driving to school and parking right outside rather than safely around the corner.

Yabu. And lacking HC knowledge.

cassian I was not defending a child not checking. Of course it is dangerous to open your car door without checking and all children should be taught this.

I feel sorry for cyclists. They get moaned at for being in the road and moaned at for being on the pavement

Yep. And then the dog walkers hate us (and runners) on our local canal towpath.

So if you are one of those cyclists who cycles along a pavement and assumes that simply ringing your bell means anyone can get out of your way in time

Oh well bells cause a split too. I hate them when I am not on my bike and think they just sound really imperious "get out of my way". When I am cycling on a shared use path I just say hello or excuse me if I can't get round someone. On one occasion a guy told me off for not ringing my bell so I explained to him why I didn't like them. Not sure he agreed. Oh well.