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.

YNBU about their behaviour

YABU to let it ruin your day and to want a license. A license won’t make a difference

@JassyRadlett

But surely the awful inconvenience of having to briefly move over is outweighed by the potential risks of cyclists having to slow right down behind walkers, or injury being caused?

That’s a wee bit dramatic.

I love cycling beside the river, but if choose that route I do so knowing that there will be slower people than me on the path, and that they’ve as much right to it as I do - and that I am a greater

Any cyclist on a shared path who doesn’t have the skill to slow right down because someone is waking slowly in front of them and they have to wait to be able to go around, shouldn’t be on a shared path. There’s no risk here unless you’re cycling totally inappropriately for the circumstances.

If I want to bomb along at speed without obstacles, I take a less scenic path.

I get what the OP is saying here - while I’ve seen plenty of oblivious walkers, I’ve also seen plenty of cyclists who don’t want to slow down to pass safely and expect pedestrians to step off the path so that they’re not inconvenienced.

Cyclists on a shared path with pedestrians occupy a similar position to cars in a shared space with cyclists. On a road, we’re the little guys, usually slower, certainly at much greater risk.

The risks to a pedestrian from a bike aren’t there same magnitude but we have more ability to injure a pedestrian than they us. And so we should act with the respect we’d like cars to show us on the road.

Exactly. My entire post can be summarised as such:

If you expect cars to wait behind you, then you must wait behind pedestrians.

If you think that cars should give you space but pedestrians should move out of your way you are a twat.

Narrow path etc etc is a red herring because on a narrow path no vehicle should be going at speed because you need more time to react and stop if a hazard appears. If it’s very narrow then people have to walk single file anyway.

YABU to say that canal paths “are meant to be enjoyed slowly”. For plenty of people, including pedestrians, mums with prams, and cyclists, the canal path is their commute. There is no speed limit, and if you are two abreast on the path, you are blocking the route.

Your stroll is no more important than their journey.

YABU. Don’t walk hand-in-hand slowly along a small space when there are other faster moving joggers/cyclists.

YANBU regarding any cyclists making dangerously close, fast passes.

YABVU for suggesting all cyclists are twats, which I can see you’ve attempted to backtrack on, but your responses as a whole indicate this is your view. It is a dangerous mindset, and worries me an incredible amount given that cyclists are vulnerable road users and x15 times more likely to be killed on the roads. They also have just as much right to be there as drivers. Please do not adopt this attitude when you’re in your car. I have a DashCam on my bike, as do an increasing number of cyclists, and will report dangerous driving in a heartbeat. Most police forces have an upload form for DashCam footage; I suggest other fellow cyclists do this, and wear a sign on your back to warn motorists that you have a camera on board - it stops most of the close passes. Which is depressing as apparently people care more about getting fines, disqualifications and license points than your life, but still. It works.

YANBU to expect cyclists on shared paths to behave respectfully. The fact is that far too many people, regardless of their chosen mode of transport are inconsiderate twats and those of us who are decent cyclists/drivers/whatever should call them on it.

YABU to think that placing barriers in the way of cycling being a genuine alternative to driving is a good idea. We need to encourage people out of their cars and you don't do that with pointless licencing and insurance requirements.

Such typical cyclist arrogance
No the arrogance is to think it's absolutely fine to block a road for your entitled convenience. You don't have to walk single file the whole way, you stay aware of your close environment at all time, and move into single lane when you need to make way.

You don't want to do that? Walk somewhere where you don't have to. The sense of entitlement of some people, just because they can't relate to those who do different things to them is bewildering and make for a very unpleasant society.

@LadyCatStark

YANBU, cyclists are the worst thing about living in the countryside including bugs and cockerels! But cyclists will defend themselves to the death even when they are completely in the wrong so these threads never go well.

Yes about cyclists defending themselves to the max!

I used to work in City of London and lost count of how many cyclists went through the red light push button crossing at Bishopsgate to Liverpool Street station and at great speed too. Can’t say that’s not all deliberate can you?

bad drivers are worse because bad driving can kill

Bad cycling can badly injure though.

Like everything there is good and bad, unfair to tar all with the same brush. There are definitely twat cyclists though and there needs to be a better separation for pedestrians and cyclists. I agree canal paths are not great for the two to be together.

Our local canal's path is so narrow that a cyclist couldn't pass a single file walker (or walkers). The walker has to stop walking, step into the long (and often wet) grass so the cyclist can zoom past while furiously ringing their bell.

@bridgetreilly

YABU to say that canal paths “are meant to be enjoyed slowly”. For plenty of people, including pedestrians, mums with prams, and cyclists, the canal path is their commute. There is no speed limit, and if you are two abreast on the path, you are blocking the route.

Your stroll is no more important than their journey.

It's not unreasonable to walk two abreast on a walking route, don't be absurd.

It just requires a bit of give and take with other path users. Anyone coming up behind you has the responsibility to make other users aware of their presence and overtake safely. If the walkers see people approaching it's polite to move into single file if there isn't room for everyone to get past each other.

I used to cycle to work and part of my journey took me along Brighton seafront, which has a very clearly marked (painted red!) cycle path. God, I used to dread it, especially when the place was heaving. Pedestrians just strolled blindly into it and across it, and once someone ran across the road and vaulted over the railings straight into me. I put a cow bell on the front of the bike so that no one could miss me coming, but this made very little difference.

Some of the cyclists you've described certainly sound like twats, but I wouldn't draw the conclusion that cyclists are twats. I think people are often twats, and that's all there is to it. Or at least, it's easy for us all to get wrapped up in our own little world and not notice rather obvious things around us.

I do agree that a narrow towpath can be tricky to navigate on wheels, so you ambling along it two abreast might have been rather selfish. I think we need the equivalent of a parking diagram 😊

YABU. There are idiots on every form of transport. Being on a bike tends to make you feel vulnerable, it's a minority who take risks.

If there was a proper system of bike paths then you wouldn't find so many cyclists on unsuitable paths.

@HJ91

YABU. Don’t walk hand-in-hand slowly along a small space when there are other faster moving joggers/cyclists.

YANBU regarding any cyclists making dangerously close, fast passes.

YABVU for suggesting all cyclists are twats, which I can see you’ve attempted to backtrack on, but your responses as a whole indicate this is your view. It is a dangerous mindset, and worries me an incredible amount given that cyclists are vulnerable road users and x15 times more likely to be killed on the roads. They also have just as much right to be there as drivers. Please do not adopt this attitude when you’re in your car. I have a DashCam on my bike, as do an increasing number of cyclists, and will report dangerous driving in a heartbeat. Most police forces have an upload form for DashCam footage; I suggest other fellow cyclists do this, and wear a sign on your back to warn motorists that you have a camera on board - it stops most of the close passes. Which is depressing as apparently people care more about getting fines, disqualifications and license points than your life, but still. It works.

Another one who doesn’t see the irony.

I explicitly stated there was space to pass when riding slowly. I don’t know why so many people derisively use ‘hand in hand’ when this was stated. The reason being there’s a canal and a cyclist swerving on a stone or similar would have fallen in. Loads of joggers passed us happily. Didn’t even have to break stride.

The level of reading comprehension is making me cry, although I appreciate you reading all my posts :)

I think you should definitely try cycling that path yourself. Then you'll find out what it's like. It's surprising what hazards and difficulties become apparent when you actually do it.

Your post is so rude - it’s the title. Calling cyclists twats.

Your posts then go on about all the times cyclists are in the wrong - cue big cycling bitchfest thread.

But they are not the things that happened to you on your romantic walk.

YABVU to call cyclists twats.

I road cycle.
I go about 20mph
I go around bends and I stay on my side of the road.
I want to stay alive so I respect junctions and crossings.
And as someone raised - cyclists shout. Yes indeed we do. I shout to my other cyclists because it is how we keep safe about immediate dangers - potholes - oncoming issues etc. Sorry if that upsets people in villages but I think the crime of disruption is our outweighed by the fact it’s for safety. It’s how you learn to ride - you are advised to do exactly this.

The canal pathways around here are subject to bylaws which prohibit cycling.

Thats not the case everywhere, but it is in a lot of places.

People still ignore it. I do feel like pushing them in when they do.

You don't have to walk single file the whole way, you stay aware of your close environment at all time, and move into single lane when you need to make way.

With the numbers of cyclists on the canal path near us, you do end up having to single file all the way.

You don't want to do that? Walk somewhere where you don't have to. The sense of entitlement of some people, just because they can't relate to those who do different things to them is bewildering and make for a very unpleasant society.

What about those who can’t do that? We had to stop using the canal path for walking because DD is disabled and when walking needs one of us on each side of her. It isn’t easy for us to just move over, and apparently we never did it quickly enough, according to the abuse shouted at us. So now we stick to paths just for pedestrians. That brings it’s own problems though. Because many cyclists are too bloody stupid or arrogant to stay off paths when there is just a sign up telling them to do so, our council like many others have put up those chicane type fences at either end of the path which makes them really difficult to navigate for people using mobility aids. So you can whinge about people not relating to those who are different, but many cyclists and those who pander to them completely ignore the needs of disabled people to favour cyclists.

I am a keen cyclist. I give way to pedestrians, I am courteous and I always stop at red lights. Shared paths in urban areas work well so long as everyone extends basic courtesy. From my experience, only a small volume of drivers/cyclists/pedestrians are a problem to each other. Cycling reduces pollution, and for those who need to drive it reduces the number of cars on the road and therefore congestion. Building cycle lanes is massively cheaper than providing infrastructure for any other form of transport. IMV we need to get more women cycling- any view that cycling is some form of extreme sport requiring body armour needs to be countered. In Denmark and Holland, everyone cycles, the roads are clearer, people are fitter and the roads are less congested everyone wins.

Normally I would say YWBU just from your thread title though and I came on this thread to moan about that tbh.

@Alcemeg

I think you should definitely try cycling that path yourself. Then you'll find out what it's like. It's surprising what hazards and difficulties become apparent when you actually do it.

I will if you buy me a bike - I’ll even give you my address so you can send it over. Make it pink please so it matches the cycling helmet I’ll get

YNBU OP. I always made sure I give way to cyclists but after so many horrible encounters, I don’t bother. My dogs and I get priority and the horrible cyclists in my town can fuck off.

@Sparklingbrook

Our local canal's path is so narrow that a cyclist couldn't pass a single file walker (or walkers). The walker has to stop walking, step into the long (and often wet) grass so the cyclist can zoom past while furiously ringing their bell.

Cyclists really shouldn't be on those kind of narrow tow paths.

@BoredZelda

You don't have to walk single file the whole way, you stay aware of your close environment at all time, and move into single lane when you need to make way.

With the numbers of cyclists on the canal path near us, you do end up having to single file all the way.

You don't want to do that? Walk somewhere where you don't have to. The sense of entitlement of some people, just because they can't relate to those who do different things to them is bewildering and make for a very unpleasant society.

What about those who can’t do that? We had to stop using the canal path for walking because DD is disabled and when walking needs one of us on each side of her. It isn’t easy for us to just move over, and apparently we never did it quickly enough, according to the abuse shouted at us. So now we stick to paths just for pedestrians. That brings it’s own problems though. Because many cyclists are too bloody stupid or arrogant to stay off paths when there is just a sign up telling them to do so, our council like many others have put up those chicane type fences at either end of the path which makes them really difficult to navigate for people using mobility aids. So you can whinge about people not relating to those who are different, but many cyclists and those who pander to them completely ignore the needs of disabled people to favour cyclists.

100% this! I think many people don’t understand the sheer number of cyclists. It’s not ‘momentarily stepping aside to give way’ it’s a constant stream of people.

Also the majority of votes are YANBU 😎
Treat everyone with respect that’s all I’m saying
Cars, cyclists, pedestrians

I think many people don’t understand the sheer number of cyclists. It’s not ‘momentarily stepping aside to give way’ it’s a constant stream of people.

It's difficult to walk anywhere these days without all kinds of vehicles streaming past (scooters, bikes etc).

There's no concept anymore of pedestrianised places actually being for pedestrians and the road being for vehicles.

You can't even walk down a pedestrianised high street without bikes and scooters flying past.