To ask cyclists to follow the rules!!!

[summeriscomingsoon]

Nearly hit by a cyclist going through a red light again as I was crossing the road. We have numerous offenders doing this.

Also going on the pavement to avoid traffic jams.

Cycling has increased so much since lockdown and great health benefits but some of them make me mad!!!

Aibu to expect them to behave as if they were a car on the road and stick to the rules.

Arseholes, the lot of them

@CharlieSocial have you had training in debating?

Every time I see a cyclist I see another car off the road, they're doing you petrol heads a service

@CharlieSocial

Arseholes, the lot of them

Straight after my post about sweeping generalisations comes this gem. It really couldn't have been better timed.

Interesting how almost no one on this thread is acknowledging the fact plenty of people do not have access to either a car or a bike, and that people who have no choice but to walk (remember driving a car or riding a bike are both choices) are the most vulnerable.

It used to take me 20 minutes to cycle to work across town. Driving was about 40 on a good day.

But sure, it's cyclists holding everyone up

No, I don’t have any idea what they think, I just judge selfish actions as selfish actions when I see them.

No, you attribute selfishness to anyone who gets in the way of what you personally think is most important ie you. You don't know if it's justified and you don't care, because if you think it's selfish then that's what it is. Yet you feel entirely justified that any car journey you want to do is of the utmost importance and everyone needs to put themselves out on your behalf. I think we can all see where the selfishness sits here.

As it happens, I often pull in on tight roads to allow drivers to pass, and accept the risk that in doing that they will have to pass a little closer than is really safe, because it's a brief risk that I have chosen to accept for myself.

You know when I won't do that? When someone is driving tight and revving up behind me to pass. Not because I'm bloody minded but because I don't trust a driver who does that to pass me safely. With that driver, I will ride in primary until I judge there's enough space to let them past safely. Because it's not up to bad drivers to decide what's an acceptable risk to take with my life.

That's something the "wah-wah-wah cyclists should do what drivers do" people don't get. What's simple and safe in a metal box is not necessarily safe for a cyclist. The opposite is true as well of course; cyclists can safely do things that would be dreadfully dangerous if a driver did it.

The problem is cyclists are so aware of the risks drivers pose to them (which is fair and valid) they ignore or downplay the risks they pose to pedestrians.

In terms of vulnerability the list goes drivers > cyclists > pedestrians.

Some cyclists are so fixated on viewing themselves as vulnerable they never stop to think of people who are more vulnerable.

The drivers that hate cyclists would hate it even more if all the cyclists decided to drive instead.

Think your commute to work is a pain? Let's see what you think when there's even more cars. Because cars cause congestion. Bikes don't.

I did a bad thing the other day. I cycled on the pavement for about thirty yards.

I was first at the traffic lights, with between ten and twenty cars behind me. The road is narrow at that point, and passing is impossible as there is a barrier in between the two lanes of traffic for a short distance and once they've past that they can't see oncoming traffic all that far ahead. The pavement is wide and there were no pedestrians on it, so I took the decision to cycle on the pavement in order to let the cars pass.

Shoot me 😂

@Ohforarainyday

The problem is cyclists are so aware of the risks drivers pose to them (which is fair and valid) they ignore or downplay the risks they pose to pedestrians.

In terms of vulnerability the list goes drivers > cyclists > pedestrians.

Some cyclists are so fixated on viewing themselves as vulnerable they never stop to think of people who are more vulnerable.

If a bike hits a pedestrian, both are likely to come off quite badly. Therefore the cyclist has a reason to avoid risking a collision.

If a car hits a bike or pedestrian, the car may well get away without a scratch. Therefore the car driver has less of an incentive to be careful when passing.

I'm always careful when on mixed use paths, giving pedestrians plenty of room, particularly if they may not be aware of my presence (and therefore liable to blunder into my path). If there is not enough wobble room to pass, I ring my bell to alert them to my presence, and then pass them once they are stood safely. I thank them as I do so.

No cyclist has to wear a helmet; it is debatable whether helmets offer the protection that you think they do.
And if cyclists should wear helmets, so should pedestrians and motorists, for they are also at risk of head injuries

I know people who would not be alive today if they hadn't been wearing a helmet.

@LimaFoxtrotCharlie

No cyclist has to wear a helmet; it is debatable whether helmets offer the protection that you think they do. And if cyclists should wear helmets, so should pedestrians and motorists, for they are also at risk of head injuries

What a weird argument.

I know people who would not be alive today if they hadn't been wearing a helmet.

I personally don't think there's an honest argument against wearing a helmet when cycling. I think though that as long as it's a choice then people can choose. If you're only wearing one in anticipation of being run over or knocked off I can understand peoples reticence. It would be nicer if people didn't run you over, but it's a pretty foolhardy expectation

@OooPourUsACupLove

No, I don’t have any idea what they think, I just judge selfish actions as selfish actions when I see them.

No, you attribute selfishness to anyone who gets in the way of what you personally think is most important ie you. You don't know if it's justified and you don't care, because if you think it's selfish then that's what it is. Yet you feel entirely justified that any car journey you want to do is of the utmost importance and everyone needs to put themselves out on your behalf. I think we can all see where the selfishness sits here.

Can’t you see you hypocrisy in that post?

Literally no one needs to put themselves out or increase their journey time for me to drive to work, nor would I expect them to.

Can’t you see you hypocrisy in that post?

Literally no one needs to put themselves out or increase their journey time for me to drive to work, nor would I expect them to.

Ahem. This is literally what you said : They have the option of moving aside or stopping.

Here you are, in your own words, expecting cyclists either to stop completely to let you by, or risk a dangerous close pass, just for your convenience.

I think we can both see the hypocrite here and it ain't me.

You've already been told it's at best inconvenient and and at worst downright dangerous, but just to remind you: a bike does not respond to a little more or less right foot pressure on the accelerator, it tales actual effort to speed up after slowing down, and if there's not room to pass two bikes safely it's unlikely there is room to pass one, because unless the lane is very wide you can't give a cyclist the recommended amount of space without crossing the centre line, and if there's room to cross the centre line half way there's no oncoming traffic so there's room to cross it all the way.

And let's remember the rest of your charming and not at all selfish sentence:

they are selfish. That is why they deserve the most hate. Although personally I wouldn’t choose the world hate, I just choose to give a fuck about them as little as they choose to give a fuck about anyone else

You absolutely do think they should put themselves out for you, and that they deserve actual hate for not doing so. Your. Own. Words.

@PrelovedWithValue

The drivers that hate cyclists would hate it even more if all the cyclists decided to drive instead.

Think your commute to work is a pain? Let's see what you think when there's even more cars. Because cars cause congestion. Bikes don't.

I did a bad thing the other day. I cycled on the pavement for about thirty yards.

I was first at the traffic lights, with between ten and twenty cars behind me. The road is narrow at that point, and passing is impossible as there is a barrier in between the two lanes of traffic for a short distance and once they've past that they can't see oncoming traffic all that far ahead. The pavement is wide and there were no pedestrians on it, so I took the decision to cycle on the pavement in order to let the cars pass.

Shoot me 😂

Were there any houses with gates that an innocent pedestrian would walk through and not realise that a bike was coming towards them, because that's what happened to my Niece she came out of her house, through the front gate and WHAM she was hit, it was also a wide pavement, my sister was behind her and saw it, try and find my original post, have a think about how I described all the things my Niece cannot do as she is brain damaged, and BTW if you want to reply don't use the infantile laughing emoji PLEASE

Were there any houses with gates that an innocent pedestrian would walk through and not realise that a bike was coming towards them

No

Whole mindset needs to flip. The entitled Jeremy Clarkson fuming car drivers need to come second to everyone else. The pollution cars produce is sickening (I drive a diesel so yes guilt). Traffic jams prove individuals in cars just is not workingwitj do many of us. Plus most people now are fat. We need to move away from car is king. They should come last in priority.
Pedestrian
Bike
Car

Dh found best place to cycle was California. Zero road rage as the culture and expectation is that everyone drives so slowly or is in a jam there isn’t that weird “quick quick quick” mental sweary impatience you get here.

I'm very sorry about your niece @Oldsu and that particular cyclist acted dreadful. But it's not a reason to be angry with every cyclist. Blame the ones that don't follow the rules, but don't have this infantile all cyclists are idiots/dick heads/should be shot attitude!

That's bloody ridiculous.

People have an awful attitude towards cyclists and it goes to extremes.

Here is an example of it.

www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-03/sydney-man-jailed-for-eight-years-over-cyclists-death/8672666

You absolutely do think they should put themselves out for you, and that they deserve actual hate for not doing so. Your. Own. Words.

Ok, I’ll say it slowly.

I don’t expect anyone to put themselves out for me, but nor do I expect others to hold me up when they don’t have to. Its not the same thing. The only reason I’d expect a cyclist to stop is when they are causing the problem

That’s not the same as expecting them to put themselves out for no reason.

As as cyclist, if you go out onto a long windy road, knowing that there is no way that cars can safely overtake without waiting more than five minutes, you know, from the start, that there WILL be cars that you’re going to hold up. So you have started your journey knowing that you’re going to make someone else wait so that you can do your thing the way you want.

As a car starting that exact same journey, I can guarantee that in the normal running of things, no one else will be held up by me doing my thing.

There isn’t a problem while cars are allowed to move as they’re supposed to, the problem only happens when a cyclist refuses to stop, and when there are safe options to do so, that is selfish. Ok, so it might take a little more effort to start again, but surely that’s just part and parcel of the whole business of cycling on country roads? It just goes with the territory.

Waiting for cyclists goes with normal driving territory too, and that’s reasonable for a short amount of time, but not for five minutes or longer.

It's part and parcel of driving on country roads

What do you do when there's sheep being moved or tractors? Or a larger vehicle that had to navigate the lanes slowly?

You do understand that the only person who cares if you get there with 10 minutes spare for a coffee is you?

But you won't take the steps to ensure you achieve it.

It's bizarre logic