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

@EightWheelGirl

Tbh they give me the rage too. They're like the people who go to the bank at lunchtime with a big sack of coppers to change and hold up the queue. It's not just about what you're allowed to do but also about being considerate. Making a long stream of cars look at your lycra clad arse for 15 mins is basically being a massive cunt IMO.

I 100% agree. Like I said up post, it's about manners

I've never met a bad mannered driver in my life

@IggleyP

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.

So in one breath you say that cyclists do pull over and then you berate them for never pulling over?

And I've never, ever seen a tractor driver pull over when holding cars up.

Weird what confirmation bias can do, isn't it.

@SusieBob - One cyclist. Only one.

Re: tractors - honestly?!

I don't understand why being slowed down by a traffic jam caused by sheer volume of traffic on the roads is acceptable but not by a bike?

@Fomofo

I don't understand why being slowed down by a traffic jam caused by sheer volume of traffic on the roads is acceptable but not by a bike?

Because people hate cyclists, it's ridiculous isn't it?

People on here state i hate cyclists, like everyone of them, with out exception?

It's so ridiculous.

They've never seen a good cyclist in their lives.

Arseholes are Arseholes be they walking, cycling, riding driving or floating.

@Fomofo

I've never met a bad mannered driver in my life

Again, like I said in thread, it's manners for everyone. Regardless of how I am travelling, if I can see someone who is clearly in a hurry on foot, bike or car, I pull over

I hate cyclists. Whenever I cross a pedestrian crossing in London they clip red lights. One drove into DS, one missed him with millimetres. Both were when the wanker male cyclist should have stopped for the red light.

I am teaching my children that even if it is a green man, they need to make very sure that a cyclist doesn’t drive into them. We have avoided many accidents by assuming that all cyclists will ignore red lights and risk driving into children.

I’ve only ever been a pedestrian abused BY cyclists so take a very dim view now. One almost ran me over at a crossing and shouted at me! They also seem to stop pedalling when they’re not going particularly fast, holding up traffic.

However, we need more cyclists in the city and we need better cycle lanes etc to facilitate this. So I am pro cycling a a concept, especially environmentally - I just haven’t had many positive experiences.

I also teach my kids to double check that traffic has come to a stop, having seen too many cars run red lights.

I live in a small city and know several colleagues who live less than two miles from work, have no children to take to school on the way, yet drive and complain about the traffic.

If I had a pound for every car I see that jumps red lights on my cycle commute to work, I'd be able to buy a tesla!

@IggleyP

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.

Hence me saying is not manageable for all but it definitely is for some. I live in London. There are a huge amount of people that are perfectly capable of walking or cycling but chose to jump in their cars to go less than 2 miles. It's very different in more rural areas, I get that. But as a daily cyclist I'm sick of being seen as the arsehole when every day motorists in their huge deadly polluting metal boxes close pass me, turn left in my path, and occasionally actually drive into me and knock me off. When what I'm actually doing is causing less congestion on the roads and less pollution into the air that found here has been found to be culpable for the death of at least one child directly.

@Fomofo

Rain coats are great for the rain

Not when you arrive to see a customer, have to remove your gear (in their entrance ir in the rain?). When your bag is dripping with water abd you then expect that person to welcome you whilst you put water everywhere It’s not the same than someone who has taken their Cara de has walked 2 mins to the door.

@catterycatcat I hope you can also imagine that people act differently tkt outside of London.
Where I live cars don’t jump the red lights.
People drive fir usually linger than2 miles because well rural ish area.
Cyclists are much more if a pain on a countryside road than in a town centre IMO. ESP if grid locked
Basically your anger at cars and cars owners is misplaced because you seem to think that everywhere else is the same than London. You know your ‘only a few people really need a car fir two mikes bla-bla-bla’

Fwiw if I was in London I wouldnt cycle either. You have buses, the underground etc… so I would t have a car either. But it’s London… not the north if England

[quote PerfectlyUnsuitable]@catterycatcat I hope you can also imagine that people act differently tkt outside of London.
Where I live cars don’t jump the red lights.
People drive fir usually linger than2 miles because well rural ish area.
Cyclists are much more if a pain on a countryside road than in a town centre IMO. ESP if grid locked
Basically your anger at cars and cars owners is misplaced because you seem to think that everywhere else is the same than London. You know your ‘only a few people really need a car fir two mikes bla-bla-bla’

Fwiw if I was in London I wouldnt cycle either. You have buses, the underground etc… so I would t have a car either. But it’s London… not the north if England[/quote]
Spot on

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

I often don't use the passing places if they are gravelly, it would be dangerous.

Mammyofonlyone

You pull your car over for drivers that are in a hurry? how do you know they are in a hurry?

Not when you arrive to see a customer, have to remove your gear (in their entrance ir in the rain?).
When your bag is dripping with water abd you then expect that person to welcome you whilst you put water everywhere
It’s not the same than someone who has taken their Cara de has walked 2 mins to the door.

Bags are put in bins bags, keeps them dry!

That should say bike bags

Cyclists give me the rage too. They jump up and cycle on pavements when it suits them, fly through red lights.
I live in a rural area with lots of winding country roads, often cyclists are out in groups riding together making it impossible to pass, often long lines of traffic being held up for miles.
Cyclists want all the respect of being a road user with no regard for the responsibility.

@Fomofo

I don't understand why being slowed down by a traffic jam caused by sheer volume of traffic on the roads is acceptable but not by a bike?

Because on country lanes the bike is the cause of the jam. If they pulled into a passing place to let cars past (like I do when riding) there would be no jam. Jams caused by sheer volume of traffic on larger roads are a totally different thing. We all expect to sit in those because we have no choice.

It’s seems it’s only cyclists that are in impolite when traveling, or people with large amounts of change at the bank. The same made up rules don’t apply to motorists, they can hold each other up and it’s fine due to xy&z there are more traffic jams on the M6 every Friday night and holdups than there ever are on country lanes

We need a shift in mindset away from cars. Cars should not be the “defaul” normal. We all

No cars should be in cities except for narrow set of circumstances which is where it’s heading anyway.