To wonder why some people are twats towards cyclists

[Apacheshadows]

I’ve lost count of the number of times a car has driven past me and people (usually grown men) have screamed/shrieked at me out of their window, shouted obscenities etc.
Beeped at and then they drive on laughing
Today I had a teenage boy deliberately try and jump in front of my path on a road, this isn’t the first time someone has done that.
I had another teenager try to intimidate me by pulling out in front of me on his own bike, forcing me to quickly swerve

It’s putting me off cycling really, there are some absolute pricks out there.

Also, the number of people who have to comment on how small the bike is. It’s not one of the mini fold up bikes or a children’s one, it’s a bit smaller than average but suits me fine, but people have to comment on it constantly which is weird.

Anyone else had this when cycling? I’m responsible, use lights and wear a high vis and go slowly

Yes ivykate exactly the car is lugging a sofa everywhere you go! That what I’ll love about my bike. We are about 1.5/2 miles from the city centre. If you drive it’s such a hassle. Sit in a jam find a parking space. On my bike there in minutes and can go straight to where I need to be and avoid car park palaver. Just much better generally. And I’ve dropped 2 dress sizes since taking up cycling!

ivykaty44,

I've seen a lot more e-bikes, scooters etc over the last few years. The problem is that it's only the affluent (ie, those who can afford them in addition to a car) who have them.

I'd love to see the day when bikes, e-bikes and scooters reach sufficient numbers for the road rules to be made for them and for car drivers to become the marginalized group that irritates everyone but it seems as far off as ever.

In NZ, where I live, towns and cities are very low density and utterly car-dependent.

TomPinch

*Drivers lug round 3 seater sofa and armchairs, 95% of the time empty! Then have the audacity to complain about two bikes side by side.

As petrol increases in price, people will look at electric cars but also electric bikes*

And where would you suggest car drivers go to purchase and choose from a massive array of one seater cars?

I’ve never seen any….,

Arse- I have a one seater mode of transport, its called a bike

Arse - by all means drive your big fat car, I know some people need them, but please just let cyclists be

Most of them could, not all but most as you’ll always have an exception, walk, bus or bike instead.

And the reason why people don’t do it is

• they are not just going from A to B, they are doing their shopping, carrying stuff (ever tried to do your weekly shopping for 4 people by bus?). They are actually doing going from A to B and the to C and D.

• COST of buses are extortionate. Who will pay £4 for a return ticket for. 2 miles journey? Very few when it costs much less to take the car. It’s true for trains too btw.

• people are uncomfortable using a bike (because they haven’t risen a bike since they were a kid plus they probably dint own one - and that costs money too)

• walking is great nit when it rains, you have a child with you blablabla

So yes of course people use cars! Berating them to not do that isn’t going to make a difference. Actually it will only make people like myself who can’t physically walk those two miles (which are actually 4 once you also need to go back home) feel crap because they can’t….
What would make a difference is

• increasing buses and trains at a reasonable price.

Even wo taking the stupid price into account, I can’t go back home using a bus. They stop at 5.30pm, I s usually finish work at 7.00pm. So yes I, shoch horror, use my car for a short journey….

• have proper cycle lane (not mixed with pedestrians and/or cars) and have cyclists using them - rather than claiming they are too slow/a pain etc…. But actually safe

What is nit working is to say the road is for cyclists and if there are problems it’s only the fault if car users.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

TomPinch

*Drivers lug round 3 seater sofa and armchairs, 95% of the time empty! Then have the audacity to complain about two bikes side by side.

As petrol increases in price, people will look at electric cars but also electric bikes*

And where would you suggest car drivers go to purchase and choose from a massive array of one seater cars?

I’ve never seen any….,

I think you meant to respond to someone else. Still, why would you need a one-seater car when you can have a bike for cheaper?

Offmyfence

As are a number of mumsnetters!

Nice of you to own up to it! I'm guessing you're also a cyclist.

PerfectlyUnsuitable

the reason they don't do this is irrelevant, the fact that the person with the coins queues at the bank at a particular time is also irrelevant. Both cause congestion and longer queues.

If your happy with congestion from other drivers then don't complain about the congestion of a few seconds for bike riders.

You've never been stuck in congestion caused by cars then?

Yes, it's unavoidable.

Driving down country lanes with 30 cars behind you is unnecessary knobhead behaviour.

its avoidable but drivers want to queue and don't want to walk in the rain - put a raincoat on, or pay £4 for a bus trip - buy a weeks pass its cheaper, lug shopping home for 4 people - use the supermarket delivery

its not about saying you shouldn't use your car, its about saying drivers cause congestion and its a choice they make and decide not to complain about

What is nit working is to say the road is for cyclists

But it IS for cyclists. A percentage of drivers getting their knickers in a twist about that does not change the fact that cyclists have just as much right to use the roads as drivers do. Yes it would be much improved if everywhere had decent segregated cycle lanes, but everywhere doesn’t, so cyclists need to be on the road rather than on the pavement.

“I have to share the route with slower/more vulnerable users and that makes me feel cross” is not justification for acting like an arse.

Why don’t they pull over on country lanes when there is nowhere to pass and a massive queue has built up? Tractors always do it, they pull in to a lay by or passing place and wait until the build up has passed, so why can’t cyclists have the same courtesy when they are slowing a whole road right down for a long time.

@Offmyfence - Do you live in a rural area? “Another mode of transport” or car sharing is often not an option, especially when most people have to travel from small villages to main towns and back again for work purposes

[quote IggleyP]@Offmyfence - Do you live in a rural area? “Another mode of transport” or car sharing is often not an option, especially when most people have to travel from small villages to main towns and back again for work purposes[/quote]
Nope I don't, but my comment still stands? Can't they travel together?

@Quirrelsotherface

Offmyfence

As are a number of mumsnetters!

Nice of you to own up to it! I'm guessing you're also a cyclist.

Only a fair weather one, not serious.

I'll continue to cycle and if that causes queues all well and good! It's not going to change.

@Offmyfence - Not really no. Everywhere I’ve ever worked has been 30/45 mins away and on the rare occasions there has been someone there from my town it is pretty hard to co-ordinate with start and finish times, picking children up on time etc, there isn’t any time to spare to pick up someone else in the morning if you drop children at school and are then cutting it fine to get to work on time anyway.

A bus journey can take 1 hr 15 minutes to do a journey that is 25 min by car. The buses are unreliable and don’t get into the main towns in time to start work at 9am anyway.

[quote IggleyP]@Offmyfence - Not really no. Everywhere I’ve ever worked has been 30/45 mins away and on the rare occasions there has been someone there from my town it is pretty hard to co-ordinate with start and finish times, picking children up on time etc, there isn’t any time to spare to pick up someone else in the morning if you drop children at school and are then cutting it fine to get to work on time anyway.

A bus journey can take 1 hr 15 minutes to do a journey that is 25 min by car. The buses are unreliable and don’t get into the main towns in time to start work at 9am anyway.[/quote]
Maybe you should try cycling? Super good for you, you can pass queues of traffic etc.

(Imagine about 5 “main towns” where the jobs are, and then people travelling in different directions from a selection of other towns and offices that are scattered all over, with only the ones who actually live in that town able to walk to work, and some towns with access to a train line but most don’t. Lots of country roads)

Yes and pedestrians too I keep a pebble in my pocket for their windscreens :)

@Offmyfence - So, I drop the kids off at 8.15 and have to be at work somewhere that is a 40 minute drive away to start at 9am

How long is it going to take me to cycle? There might be some issues with my home visits as well 😂

[quote IggleyP]@Offmyfence - So, I drop the kids off at 8.15 and have to be at work somewhere that is a 40 minute drive away to start at 9am

How long is it going to take me to cycle? There might be some issues with my home visits as well 😂[/quote]
Well I guess that depends on the traffic, doesn't it? It takes me 40-45 mins to drive to work, but only 20mins to cycle.
And I do three home visits a day in my bike.
So it's now manageable for all but it's definitely manageable for some.

@catterycatcat your home visits must be fun when it’s pissing down and you arrive drenched…. 😂😂

Maybe you should try cycling? Super good for you, you can pass queues of traffic etc.

@Offmyfence, you’re living in a town that is always grid locked right?
You realise that nit everyone does?

Where I live, if it takes 40mins by car, it takes much longer to go by bike. Because you know going at 60mph is somehow quicker than 30….

[quote PerfectlyUnsuitable]@catterycatcat your home visits must be fun when it’s pissing down and you arrive drenched…. 😂😂[/quote]
Not if I'm wearing right clothing. I only get as wet as my colleagues who use the bus and walk.

Rain coats are great for the rain

Okay, @catterycatcat, I’ll bite.

I am 17 miles away from the office I work in. Once I am there, I drive up to 40 miles for a visit, then back again, and sometimes have several apts in a day. This is not wildly unusual where I live, especially not for people who work in education or social care.

Is it realistic, as part of a working day, to be dashing about on a bicycle - even with some kind of full waterproof outfit on ?

Of course it isn’t. You are being deliberately obtuse by pretending to yourself that everyone lives in the same type of area that you do and that cars are not necessary for anyone, even in rural areas. That is not true.

I don’t hate cyclists, I just wish they would be more considerate of others if they are causing traffic jams. One did actually pull in a little for me the other morning and waved me past and I was very grateful.

I don’t overtake unless I have a really good amount of space and it is a safe place. But it can be a long time uphill behind a slow cyclist. As I said before, tractors don’t let big queues build up as the farmers have consideration for other road users.

There are many passing places cyclists could detour into for a couple of minutes, but they choose not to.