AIBU Cyclist Twats

[TractorAndHeadphones]

Walking down lovely canals with DP. Supposed to be romantic - but every 5 minutes we were interrupted by a cyclists whizzing along! Some had the courtesy to ring the bell but even so they rode straight at us instead of around us.

This really boils my piss because cyclists always complain that cars overtake dangerously and that’s it’s their god given right to hold up traffic. But cyclists can ride straight through pedestrians?

There was enough space for a cyclist to ride alongside us if they’d been slower ; even so you don’t expect people to walk in single file on canal roads which are meant to be enjoyed slowly! There were families in front of us, mothers with prams etc. Thé cyclists were probably scared of swerving into the lake but if you can’t control your bike then dont bloody ride!
It really ruined my day.

This has also happened on pavements with people whizzing along in the middle. Even if the road is dangerous there’s no need to go that fast.
AIBU to think that cyclists are twats and should be licensed?
People often complain that cars are rude to cyclists but IMO people in general are twats. Cars can do more damage but they’re not behaving worse than cyclists.

@PattyPan a pedestrian isn't on a moving object.No not children just adults.

@Sunshineonmars

No problem with them at all but I suspect that 6 Lycra clad men riding 2 abreast aren't going to work but are pursuing a hobby. I go on bike rides with my family but will always pull over where safe to let motorists past. It's called having consideration for others. And what about the retiree that's not driving fast enough on the way to do their shopping, do they need get out the way too ?

Ideally yes

I bet you are one of the selfish car drivers that goes right up peoples arses to make them go quicker

[quote MintyGreenDream]@PattyPan a pedestrian isn't on a moving object.No not children just adults.[/quote]
yes they are... their feet

@CovidCorvid it's a very twisty, hilly road. There are a number of spots where you can overtake one or two cyclists safely but definitely not 30.

There were at least 4 junctions on the road where they could have pulled in. But all were at the bottom of slopes and they clearly wanted to use the little speed they had gained on the decent to get up the next hill. I was about the 4th vehicle behind them and the number of vehicles behind me probably came close to the number of cyclist.
Sadly it's not a rare occurrence round here. We are on one of the potential routes for the lands end to John O Groats route along with others. So we get a huge number of cyclists round here!

@PattyPan your being obtuse on purpose now

@Skyla2005

I bet you are one of the selfish car drivers that goes right up peoples arses to make them go quicker

Was that aimed at me? If so I hate to disappoint you but I most definitely am not one of those and I even overtake cyclists wide (shock) even if they are being selfish idiots because I have no desire to kill anyone, even if they are a knob.

@Lockheart

It's arguable that the cyclist were not behaving safely!

I can't tell you that since I wasn't there. But the fact you were late to see your client has nothing to do with the fact that all road users have the right to use that road as long as they are using it legally and safely.

Unless you're the emergency services, you will come across things that obstruct your progress. Car crashes, broken down vehicles, cyclists, horses, roadworks, faulty traffic lights etc. The fact you were made late because you had to wait to pass some cyclists is unfortunate but does not in and of itself mean the cyclists were doing anything wrong.

On this particular incident there were as many vehicles in the resulting traffic queue as there were cyclists. They absolutely would have been holding up the emergency services had they needed to get through!

@TractorAndHeadphones

Walking down lovely canals with DP. Supposed to be romantic - but every 5 minutes we were interrupted by a cyclists whizzing along! Some had the courtesy to ring the bell but even so they rode straight at us instead of around us.

This really boils my piss because cyclists always complain that cars overtake dangerously and that’s it’s their god given right to hold up traffic. But cyclists can ride straight through pedestrians?

There was enough space for a cyclist to ride alongside us if they’d been slower ; even so you don’t expect people to walk in single file on canal roads which are meant to be enjoyed slowly! There were families in front of us, mothers with prams etc. Thé cyclists were probably scared of swerving into the lake but if you can’t control your bike then dont bloody ride!
It really ruined my day.

This has also happened on pavements with people whizzing along in the middle. Even if the road is dangerous there’s no need to go that fast.
AIBU to think that cyclists are twats and should be licensed?
People often complain that cars are rude to cyclists but IMO people in general are twats. Cars can do more damage but they’re not behaving worse than cyclists.

Wasn't Bath/Bristol was it?

I've given up using the shared cycle /pedestrian walks along the canal and river it's just too dangerous to use on foot.

[quote PattyPan]**@Dobbyafreeelf* I don't think that would be a problem actually! If someone isn't prepared to pay a small amount for insurance then frankly they shouldn't be on the roads!*
Odds are the insurance would still be way less than the alternative forms of transport anyway!

It's less about the cost (although since I don't live in a well-off area I think a lot of the cyclists here can't afford to travel by car and you would be making their free transport cost money which is obviously not ideal in the current economic climate) and more about the forward planning. It would stop people who might otherwise think 'oh it's a lovely day, I'll cycle to work/bring the kids' bikes when I pick them up from school today' on the spur of the moment because they haven't got insurance in advance.[/quote]
But cycling on the road shouldn't be a spur of the moment thing! Children should only be on the roads once competent. The roads are far too busy today for it to be safe.

Like when I'm in a car I pull over for the emergency services to get past. But also like when I'm in a car I don't pull over because someone wants to go faster than me and they can't work out how to overtake appropriately

Yes!!! And why is it they ding their bell expecting YOU to move over on to the grass so they can stay on the path.... Why can't THEY ride on the grass to go around you?!

Why can't you decide to cycle on the spur of the moment @Dobbyafreeelf? I walk most of my journeys with occasional cycling, do I need to commit to cycling them all to be allowed to do it?

I'm not being obtuse @MintyGreenDream, you just didn't make any sense. Of course pedestrians are moving and there are more accidents involving pedestrians each year than cyclists.

If I am in my car I take care around cyclists. When I am a pedestrian I should receive the same consideration from cyclists. But no, the vast majority behave as the OP describes. I decided to be more assertive and now don't move when I am dinged at or called to. I haven't yet been run into. They seem stunned by my refusal to get out of their way.

[quote Dobbyafreeelf]@CovidCorvid it's a very twisty, hilly road. There are a number of spots where you can overtake one or two cyclists safely but definitely not 30.

There were at least 4 junctions on the road where they could have pulled in. But all were at the bottom of slopes and they clearly wanted to use the little speed they had gained on the decent to get up the next hill. I was about the 4th vehicle behind them and the number of vehicles behind me probably came close to the number of cyclist.
Sadly it's not a rare occurrence round here. We are on one of the potential routes for the lands end to John O Groats route along with others. So we get a huge number of cyclists round here! [/quote]
That does sound shit. I cycle in the fens and we don’t have such issues…..it’s all straight and flat here so I guess I’m used to being able to cycle without causing too much of an issue to motorists 98% of the time.

@PattyPan

Why can't you decide to cycle on the spur of the moment *@Dobbyafreeelf*? I walk most of my journeys with occasional cycling, do I need to commit to cycling them all to be allowed to do it?

I'm not being obtuse @MintyGreenDream, you just didn't make any sense. Of course pedestrians are moving and there are more accidents involving pedestrians each year than cyclists.

Don't be ridiculous Patty! If your going to cycle on a regular basis and be competent doing so then paying I don't know £20 a year on insurance shouldn't be a big deal. That doesn't mean you suddenly have to cycle all your journeys! How ridiculous! Suddenly deciding on a Sunday afternoon that it would be good to take the kids out on their bikes on the road isn't a good idea nor is it safe. It would encourage people to go to more appropriate places or cycle paths to do so. Which can only be a safe and positive thing!

@FlowerPig

Yes!!! And why is it they ding their bell expecting YOU to move over on to the grass so they can stay on the path.... Why can't THEY ride on the grass to go around you?!

I’d ding my bell in such circumstances so I don’t make people jump as I come up behind them. People complain if you don’t use the bell so you can’t win. 🤷‍♀️ If the path is wide enough I’d like/expect them to stay to one side so I can pass them slowly rather than them stay in the middle blocking the entire path. I wouldn’t expect someone to go off the path/onto the grass, the path is so wide they don’t need to. Likewise I’m not going on the grass, it’s only a narrow bit of flat grass and I’d worry about it being uneven and I could end up in the canal. Or get a puncture. If someone insisted on staying in the middle of the path guess I’d just have to stop in the middle of the path. But everyone is nice enough to stay to one side, I say thanks, they smile and say no problem. Everyone is happy, no drama.

@Dobbyafreeelf my point is that I'd be less likely to do that random journey (say once a month) by bike if I need to remember to sort out insurance first.
Cycling on the road may be safe depending on the road, but unfortunately cycle paths being safe is not guaranteed. Usually around here they have vehicles parked in them (worst offenders being delivery vans 'just stopped for a minute'), or broken glass and slippery drain covers, or you are at risk of being doored by a car.
Also, what if rather than going out with the kids on a sunday for a bike ride as a leisure activity in itself, I want to cycle into town with them to go shopping or for lunch or something. We would have to go on the road, because that's how you get there. We need to focus on making sure it's safe to do so, not trying to deflect cyclists into other places - they have just as much right to the road as anyone else - and putting up further barriers to families making those journeys by bike. Obviously I'm not talking about really little kids here but slightly older kids who are in control of their bikes.

Cyclists get too much hassle, from pedestrians and drivers alike. I won't use shared spaces by roads as parents don't control their children from wandering all over the cycle section so I have to go on the road, which is far less safe for me. I get cars trying to beat me to a space, pedestrians just stepping out in front of me without looking, people like the poster complaining about you trying to pass them in limited spaces, van drivers shouting abuse, and now I have to contend with teenagers with no road sense on illegal scooters. There are some annoying cyclists, but most of us are trying to do our but for the environment and our waistline!

@Spanielsarepainless

If I am in my car I take care around cyclists. When I am a pedestrian I should receive the same consideration from cyclists. But no, the vast majority behave as the OP describes. I decided to be more assertive and now don't move when I am dinged at or called to. I haven't yet been run into. They seem stunned by my refusal to get out of their way.

You're not being assertive though, you're just being a dick. I will ping my bell to alert a pedestrian to my presence, I am not expecting them to fling themselves into bushes, or the canal, I just want them to move over a bit to let me pass, which I will do slowly and I thank them for it. Can't fathom the problem with some of the people on this thread. Some cyclists are idiots, but would appear to be an equal number of pedestrians are too.

@FlowerPig

Yes!!! And why is it they ding their bell expecting YOU to move over on to the grass so they can stay on the path.... Why can't THEY ride on the grass to go around you?!

Oh God another ignorant, ill informed person! Does common sense just go out the window when your talking about cyclists.

How stupid can you be if you fail to even grasp that ringing a bell as a cyclist is their to let people know a cyclist is coming, not to mention if your blind or bit hard on hearing, its even more important to announce your presence. It serves to warn you so if you have a kid you might hold their hand tighter to make sure they don't suddenly veer off into a cyclists path because even going slowly past someone will still hurt them if you collide.

Fml common sense is really getting worse.

[quote PattyPan]@Dobbyafreeelf my point is that I'd be less likely to do that random journey (say once a month) by bike if I need to remember to sort out insurance first.
Cycling on the road may be safe depending on the road, but unfortunately cycle paths being safe is not guaranteed. Usually around here they have vehicles parked in them (worst offenders being delivery vans 'just stopped for a minute'), or broken glass and slippery drain covers, or you are at risk of being doored by a car.
Also, what if rather than going out with the kids on a sunday for a bike ride as a leisure activity in itself, I want to cycle into town with them to go shopping or for lunch or something. We would have to go on the road, because that's how you get there. We need to focus on making sure it's safe to do so, not trying to deflect cyclists into other places - they have just as much right to the road as anyone else - and putting up further barriers to families making those journeys by bike. Obviously I'm not talking about really little kids here but slightly older kids who are in control of their bikes.[/quote]
Patty car drivers have to have insurance regardless of the number of journeys they make! What makes cyclists so special that they get to avoid taking any form of liability for their own actions?

How stupid can you be if you fail to even grasp that ringing a bell as a cyclist is their to let people know a cyclist is coming, not to mention if your blind or bit hard on hearing, its even more important to announce your presence. It serves to warn you so if you have a kid you might hold their hand tighter to make sure they don't suddenly veer off into a cyclists path because even going slowly past someone will still hurt them if you collide.

How is being rude to posters helping you put your point across?

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

How stupid can you be if you fail to even grasp that ringing a bell as a cyclist is their to let people know a cyclist is coming, not to mention if your blind or bit hard on hearing, its even more important to announce your presence. It serves to warn you so if you have a kid you might hold their hand tighter to make sure they don't suddenly veer off into a cyclists path because even going slowly past someone will still hurt them if you collide.

How is being rude to posters helping you put your point across?

As rude as the posters making those comments, seems to be a level at which they might understand

@dobbyafreeelf

What makes pedestrians so special they don't need insurance either? I mean I've had a pedestrian walking along a pavement whilst I'm on the cycle path next it to suddenly turn round and walk straight into me, he was lucky I missed him by millimetres! Had he not he could of caused me some serious injuries not to mention damage to my bike which isn't cheap. And if he refused to give me his details and ran off what could I do but suck up the cost myself.

So if your going to demand insurance for cyclist then it should go for pedestrians too.

Not to mention the number of pedestrians who walk in cycling paths on shared pavements even when its clearly signed