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

Cyclists should not be allowed to use the roads as a racetrack.
Boy/girl racers, quite rightly, get pulled by the police if found to be racing, so why are huge groups of cyclists allowed to ride 4 abreast for miles where you can't pass.
No problem with cyclists on the road going to work or a couple of friends out for a ride but to take over roads like they do shows that they are nothing but selfish scum.
Racetracks are for racing.

Also if they want respect then they should show it themselves when they are on the footpaths, they act like they own the place. I had to explain what a FOOT path is for to one cycling idiot who squared up to me once, clue Is in the name.

Really dislike cyclists. They break the rules, get away with it and don’t even pay road tax. I’d never be rude but can understand some lose their temper.

One of the problems with many cyclists is that the bikes and tyres they are on are not suitable for the roads they use. You can see this clearly with the amount of cyclists who say they can't use passing places or cycle paths because of gravel or grates or horse shit etc. Well no, of course you can't if your bike is built for speed in a velodrome. Get something suitable for the terrain.

Maestoso I take it you e never avoided a pot hole whilst driving?

84wood I really dislike when people talk about fictional taxes and don’t understand how roads are funded. Even worse is when it’s explained to them in several posts they still don’t grasp it

@ivykaty44

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

Why are you comparing country lanes with cyclists holding up traffic (clear road in front of them) to a jam on the M6? Makes no sense. A traffic jam on the motorway would not be helped by one car pulling over. Cyclists hogging an otherwise clear road would be.

Maestoso Perhaps read the entire thread, we have had cyclists holding up traffic as the same as a queue at the bank - both are apparently rude

@84wood

Really dislike cyclists. They break the rules, get away with it and don’t even pay road tax. I’d never be rude but can understand some lose their temper.

The same applies to a lot of car drivers too, including £0 VED. You certainly won't catch a cyclist dou g 50mph+ through our village which cars do all the time. It's not cyclists that park on the nasty, narrow bend by the primary school causing traffic chaos twice a day and blocking the entrance to the petrol station.

www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/driving-advice/middle-lane-hogging/ And yes pulling over from the middle lane will ease congestion- but drivers like hogging the middle lane, even though it’s illegal and you can get points

As a driver, my dislike for cyclists is nothing to do with their general attitudes (despite some of the comments on this thread).
My issue is that when you are driving a large lump of metal along at speed (which is exactly what you are supposed to do, in a car), it is very unnerving to have such a vulnerable figure, wobbling along on the same stretch of road next to you/in front of you. You are acutely aware of the utter disaster that would unfold if the two were to collide, which could happen for a number of reasons, with driver error being only one of them.

I don't have an issue with cycling in particular, but fragile humans on push bikes, and motor vehicles are a very unsafe combination, and disaster can happen even if everyone does everything right. We live in an age where the primary road user is a car/van/lorry etc. That's a simple fact. And push bikes just don't seem to be a safe addition to that, in exactly the same way that you wouldn't ride an electric scooter on a busy main road. It's dangerous.

No need to be twats to cyclists but by God, it's tempting.

It's universally male cyclists round my way and they're selfish dicks far too often.

You can pull closer to the kerb for just a few seconds on narrower roads rather than make sure you ride towards the white line.

You can actively ride as a group in single file to let traffic past not continue with your Tour De France dreams and ride four abreast.

Consideration works both ways.

The riders on the canal tow path however are really nice. Go figure.

Pazu, i get that being slowed down on ones journey is annoying but can you not just relax and see it as all part of sharing the space in our small over crowded little island. Does a few minutes really matter? Our roads are full of impediments from horses to road works to traffic jams to tractors, I don't see the point in getting angry everytime something slows you down

Opalescent you dislike cyclists because they're vulnerable? Victim blaming at its finest.
You say 'We live in an age where the primary road user is car', - yep and look where that's got us, things need to change

Absolutely Fomo. Things are changing. Certain types of vehicle now banned from our small city centre I can see that expanding to private cars eventually. I feel guilty driving into town now try and go by bike or bus.

Opalescent you dislike cyclists because they're vulnerable?

I feel the same.

It is the vulnerability of cyclists that make them quite unnerving.
Nothing to do with victim blaming.
I don;t want to injure anywone, but drivers are forced to take risks on some winding country roads, overtaking or staying behine and driving at 5 miles an hour for miles.
I would feel the same if a person was walking along a road with a baby in a pram- and indeed I feel the same about horses.

@speakout

Opalescent you dislike cyclists because they're vulnerable?

I feel the same.

It is the vulnerability of cyclists that make them quite unnerving.
Nothing to do with victim blaming.
I don;t want to injure anywone, but drivers are forced to take risks on some winding country roads, overtaking or staying behine and driving at 5 miles an hour for miles.
I would feel the same if a person was walking along a road with a baby in a pram- and indeed I feel the same about horses.

Drivers are not forced to act dangerously, no one would ever force me to make a dangerous manoeuvre. I am able to drive safely.

drivers are forced to take risks on some winding country roads, overtaking or staying behine and driving at 5 miles an hour for miles.

No, you are not forced to take risks. Not unless your passenger is holding a gun to your head. If you drive dangerously, it is your choice and your choice alone. Don't blame others for your poor choices.

@84wood

Really dislike cyclists. They break the rules, get away with it and don’t even pay road tax. I’d never be rude but can understand some lose their temper.

FGS! Educate yourself about what tax pays for roads!

@Fomofo

Opalescent you dislike cyclists because they're vulnerable? Victim blaming at its finest. You say 'We live in an age where the primary road user is car', - yep and look where that's got us, things need to change

To say that my comment was 'victim blaming' is tenuous to say the least

@opalescent

As a driver, my dislike for cyclists is nothing to do with their general attitudes (despite some of the comments on this thread). My issue is that when you are driving a large lump of metal along at speed (which is exactly what you are supposed to do, in a car), it is very unnerving to have such a vulnerable figure, wobbling along on the same stretch of road next to you/in front of you. You are acutely aware of the utter disaster that would unfold if the two were to collide, which could happen for a number of reasons, with driver error being only one of them.

I don't have an issue with cycling in particular, but fragile humans on push bikes, and motor vehicles are a very unsafe combination, and disaster can happen even if everyone does everything right. We live in an age where the primary road user is a car/van/lorry etc. That's a simple fact. And push bikes just don't seem to be a safe addition to that, in exactly the same way that you wouldn't ride an electric scooter on a busy main road. It's dangerous.

So you don't trust yourself to be able to drive safely then?

Just return your licence please, ta.

I'll get right on that @SusieBob.

Great post, by the way

Opalescent, so you dislike cyclists because you're afraid you might hurt one, have I got that right?! My advice is drive safely or drive alot less, or don't drive at all. As a driver I never felt worried about hitting cyclists.

@opalescent

I'll get right on that *@SusieBob*.

Great post, by the way

Thanks. Address is

DVLA
I can't drive for shit because the thought of having to deal with a vunerable road user terrifies me
PO BOX 31
SW21 OMG

@opalescent that's very concerning that you don't feel able to drive safely and not harm other road users. Not good at all.

Issue is our island is too crowded and our roads are too narrow. Dh loved road cycling in Southern California wide roads everyone drives slowly and the drivers were really nice. Not the frenetic weird stress and anger you have in England (and depressingly actually displayed by many on this thread especially the super dim “road tax” crowd 🙄).