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?

Leaving early between appointments is not an option. I don't control my employer I just work there.
You dont have to leave early. You have to leavr enough time to get from A to B and relying on an ideal time for each occasion is silly from anyone or employer.
DH travels with work, and they don't cut it to the wire on travel times because common sense says you could be held up for any number of reasons. When I travel between sites, I don't cut it fine because what if I get a run of red lights, what if I get stuck behind a learner moped driver, or a tractor or any other issue. Same in previous lines of work.

Your work diary should reflect reasonable times for the journeys, not the quickest it can possibly be done in. Complaining that there's other people going slower on the roads is poor planning by someone.

If you're in such a hurry debfronut why not get a bike?

The drivers who actively try to scare or harm cyclists (and cause many deaths and injuries each year) are emboldened to do so by all the complaining, the prevalence of 'jokes' about running over cyclists, and claims that cyclists have no right to use the road.

Similarly, people who actively attack members of ethnic minorities are emboldened by lazy racist stereotyping, the government's 'hostile environment', and claims that immigrant have no right to be here.

The small stuff makes a difference as it's all about othering and lack of tolerance. If joking about killing cyclists was genuinely seen as unacceptable, I bet incidents would decrease. As it is, it is so acceptable that there are regular threads in my local community FB group where people do it. And get lots of laughs.

They add up to 30 minutes on my journey every day
Sounds like you should get on your bike, not much longer commute and it will be much healthier. Seriously, I do agree that some cyclists are jerks and indeed, if you are on a road with a long queue behind you, be considerate, stop or do ride closer to the gutter slowing down. I would always stop in these circumstances but I do also agree that if you opt to live in the countryside, you have to accept that commuting is going to be slower.

I have just been a cyclist for an hour and a half, I don’t think I caused too much chaos!

Lolasmiles In fairness in plenty of jobs you have no control over this. Try being a delivery driver or carer? Your employer sets times it should take you and they do not allow leeway.

Cars, trains, planes - can all suffer some kind of delay out of your control. The only one that doesn't is the bike

Much much prefer cyclists than these tractors round here that take up the whole road and literally go like 5 mph. Always seem to get stuck behind them. Especially when in a rush.

LolasmilesIn fairness in plenty of jobs you have no control over this. Try being a delivery driver or carer? Your employer sets times it should take you and they do not allow leeway.
And that's piss poor planning on the employer's part. That's what I was saying - there's poor planning somewhere. Anyone (individual or company) who doesn't factor in reasonable travel time is on a hiding to nothing when inevitably there are many other road users who may not be doing the speed limit.

Complaining about other road users or suggesting other road users get off the road because you have somewhere to be is still ludicrous.

Obviously it is not okay for other road users to get off the road. But I can still sympathise with people in those jobs.

Where I live tractors always pull over at regular intervals to let cars by.

I would much rather wait a few minutes more until I know I can pass safely than risk causing or being involved in an accident. If that pisses off a driver behind me then that’s their problem

Yes this is a problem. I won't overtake until I feel safe to do so. I am not overtaking on a blind bend or when cars are coming towards me. And I am not overtaking with cm to spare. As it is, sometimes I do feel pressure from cars behind me to go when I am not happy to do so, and have had people sound their horn or try to overtake me AND the bike when a car is coming towards us or we are approaching a bend.

I am not a particularly hesitant driver but a head on collision is not something that appeals and it amazes me how often people risk their lives to save a few seconds.

jennymanara
But that's the attitude that's been on this thread towards cyclists: 'I have places to be, they add hours to my journeys, there's no reason for them to the on the roads ... well ok maybe if they're commuting but even then I'm not happy about it and they better not look be lycra clad hobby cyclists' (even though many commuters use lycra because it's practical).

The point being that many things could add time to your journey. That's part of travelling by road. Whining about cyclists because the driver is more important and has places to be is silly.

I am absolutely sick to death of motorists hooting at each other aggressively when I am a pedestrian on the pavement running alongside

Oh yes this. Really offputting for cyclists and pedestrians who don't know who's beeping who, or why.

Lolasmiles Well having done those kind of jobs I can sympathise when people doing those jobs moan about anything that makes them late. It can lead to them being sacked or having money docked.

We were in the Netherlands this week. Nearly everyone manages to cycle without fuss. Proper separate cycle, vehicle and pedestrian lanes, everyone knows the rules and rights of way. Not sure we would be so compliant in the UK

To be fair the only time I have seen someone knocked off their bike - was in the Netherlands. Hit and run too, but she was ok and was able to continue the ride.

The thing that struck me there (other than the lack of cycle helmets) was that pedestrians use the same rules as drivers do. There's none of the dancing around the pavement that you get over here when someone is coming towards you on the pavement because people don't stay on the right side (which would be the left side here). In the Netherlands people walk on the right hand side. So much easier.

Why don't you get a bike? We could do with less cars on the road.

On a brighter note, we've just rode over to Bodmin and back, lovely quiet lanes, crossed the A30 and seeing 1000s of cars crawling along... delaying all their journeys but not a cyclist in sight.

We were overtaken but everyone was nice! and we pulled over whenever a car was behind us, few drivers acknowledged us :(

Oh and had a great coffee at the Rising Sun pub, watching locals play boule in the sun.

By the time a car makes a manoeuvre to overtake you, you probably can not see if they are thanking you or not as they are too far away. You should have both hands on the wheel whilst doing the manoeuvre.

I dread running into cyclists because I'm not confident at overtaking but that's my fault not theirs. The only cyclists I hate are the ones who cycle at high speed and think they can ignore red lights and pedestrian crossings and feel free to cycle at speed on the pavement. (there are one or two like this near me).

No, i meant we stopped, so were looking at the driver, as the lanes were narrow and the cars were driving v slowly.

Generally speaking i find most drivers do appreciate cyclists who let them past but i take your point on keeping control of the car.

To be fair Tea, where I used to live I could easily add on 10-15 mins each way during the spring-summer months due to tractors, horses, busses, cyclists. It does change the commute time. I just think that it's the responsibility of the commuter to adjust their timings and expectations accordingly.

I get delayed by about 20 minutes each way on my commute because there are too many cars. That is by far the most common reason for traffic congestion.

Teateaandmoretea
And I bet you leave enough time for the congestion too.
jennymanara
I can sympathise with them. Their organisation is making piss poor decisions and leaving their employees in an awkward position.

It doesn't mean I think it's right to be bitching about other road users who are using the road in a perfectly legal way because the driver is so much more important and has places to be.

In fact, if anything their anger is misdirected. Surely their irritation should be with their organisation for poor time management and poor planning and not valuing employees properly rather than random strangers who are just getting on with their life.

The only cyclists I hate are the ones who cycle at high speed and think they can ignore red lights and pedestrian crossings and feel free to cycle at speed on the pavement.

Please stop parroting Jeremy clarkson.

I do find it odd wildly exaggerated how all these cyclists that only the antis seem to encounter all the time, go at "slug" pace on the road, then hop onto the pavement to do their time trial and human skittles practice.

Cyclist at high speed 🙄 have you seen how fast motorist drive..