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

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Nothing like a bit of completely unsubstantiated generalising

Its true though. Dealing with cycling clubs is like playing Risk. How much territory can they take up, without conceding an inch. They have car drivers exactly where they want them.

Why can they ride in packs hogging the whole road? Imagine if cars tried that.

It's not true. Plenty of times I've come across cyclists who are perfectly civil and pull over etc if they are holding people up.

And plenty of times I've come across arsehole drivers.

It's almost as if the mode of transport a person chooses to use has no bearing on whether they are an inconsiderate wanker or not, and generalising about it is utterly, utterly pointless.

Why is wearing headphones rude?! Are they supposed to march along in total silence?😂What was the point of inventing portable headphones and music if you can’t use them?

Wearing headphones is NOT rude. I’ve heard of all now!

God this thread is depressing. I don't think people realise how exposed you can feel as a cyclist. I've had two accidents. In one a car drove into the side of me, in another a women stepped in front of me into the cycle lane. On both occasions the person who caused the accident tried to put the blame on me being in the wrong place.
I cycle every day to work. Some of the route is a "shared path", clearly split into two, with plenty of room on the pedestrian side for two, three people to walk side by side, enough room for double prams etc. People still walk in the cycle lane / step into it for no reason/ with no warning. I use my bell, but often that gets me abuse for just daring to try and get people to step back onto the pedestrian side.
On the roads, I get close passed daily. Cars ignore the give way signs that separate the cycle lanes from the main roads forcing me to swing out into busy roads.
Pedestrians will look me in the eye then step out in front of me to criss the road, like I'm invisible, and don't have a stopping distance like a car.
One thing that seems to have ramped up recently is cars cutting corners when turning right into a side road so me having to swerve out of their way to avoid a head on collision as they are completely on my side of the road when turning.
And the majority of drivers I come across have no understanding of the "primary position" stated in the Highway Code. If the road isn't wide enough for a car to pass safely, then the cyclist should stay in the centre of the lane. There is one road on my commute home that is less than 100m long with double parked cars. I get abuse pretty much daily for cycling in the primary position (less than 10 seconds end to end) rather than getting off and walking along it.

Drivers can and often do kill cyclists because they are in huge heavy metal boxes. It's fucking terrifying being out there on two wheels.

Susiebob, it depends where you live.

I live next to a national park. Believe me, they are in packs EVERWHERE. Absolutely everywhere. Swarms of them.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Why is wearing headphones rude?! Are they supposed to march along in total silence?😂What was the point of inventing portable headphones and music if you can’t use them?

Wearing headphones is NOT rude. I’ve heard of all now!

No wearing headphones isn't rude. But ambling along in the cycle Lane and ignoring cyclists trying to warn them to move out of the way is.

Yeah that’s rude. But l thought it was a combined cycle/passenger lane?

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Susiebob, it depends where you live.

I live next to a national park. Believe me, they are in packs EVERWHERE. Absolutely everywhere. Swarms of them.

Then maybe drivers need to take that into account.

I live near a load of farms. At certain times of the day and year I can expect to come across "swarms" of tractors. Do you know what I do?

I plan around it, allow for 5 minutes extra on my journeys or go on roads I know that tractors don't usually use.

What I don't do is rage at people going about their daily business. Simple.

Because when you’re trying to drive down a busy 50mph road and you have traffic coming towards you with no break for you to pass the cyclist you’re stuck behind, it becomes very easy to hate cyclists. They hold things up so much for everyone else

So is everyone with a carsupposed to plan their Sunday afternoon out to accommodate the huge amount of cycling clubs?🤔

I answered YANBU because there are drivers who are twats but there are also just as many cyclists that are twats too.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Yeah that’s rude. But l thought it was a combined cycle/passenger lane?

The ones I use daily aren't. There's a massive line down the centre with a picture of a bike every 20m on the cycle Lane side. It's pretty obvious it's half and half.

Actually there’s a big cycling trail near me. It’s for walkers and cyclists.

Everyone bumbles along and accommodates each other. It’s nice. But there aren’t any aggressive cycling clubs on there. Just families and walkers.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I know cars can hog the road. But not in packs like cyclists. Driving side by side or more. In big groups.

Eh ?

In a car you usually have four people arranged in two pairs with 1 to 2 metres space between them. The people are wrapped in a metal box which is much bigger than necessary and usually occupies an entire lane. To overtake you cross the centreline of the road when safe to do so.

Cyclists riding in a group of four usually have four people arranged in two pairs with 1 to 2 metres space between them. The people are wrapped in fresh air which provides no protection at all. To overtake you cross the centreline of the road when safe to do so.

Four people travelling using a different piece of technology. Treat overtaking them exactly the same.

@TuftyMarmoset

This needs to be displayed in every car until people stop moaning about cyclists cycling side by side

Yes, this explains it perfectly

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

So is everyone with a carsupposed to plan their Sunday afternoon out to accommodate the huge amount of cycling clubs?🤔

Well, if you live in a place that is popular with cyclists I would have thought it was sensible to take that into account when planning trips. Just like, I dunno, if you are driving to an airport through rush hour traffic you maybe give yourself a bit of extra time. The cyclists have as much right to use the roads as drivers.

Or you can just rant about it on an internet forum. One of the two.

I use my bell, but often that gets me abuse for just daring to try and get people to step back onto the pedestrian side.

You absolutely cannot win with bells. Don't use them, people grumble that you come out of nowhere and don't give them any warning. Use them, people grumble that you're ordering them out of the way.

In the same way that you shouldn't cycle on roads, because then you're holding up the Important People; but also you shouldn't cycle on shared use paths, because then you're annoying and scary to pedestrians; but also you shouldn't cycle on the pavement, because that's for pedestrians. Somebody will always always be annoyed that you are daring to get somewhere on two wheels rather than four, and not teleporting to your destination.

(I do agree with not cycling on pavements, but anywhere else - if a bike's allowed to be there then it's got as much right to be there as anyone else.)

Because many cyclists are total pratts.
All road users have their small groups of idiots, including cyclists.
I am a car driver and a cyclist, do not prejudice in any way.

No one should be abused. That isn’t on. But it kind of feels like imagine someone pushing in front of you in a que (at a shop or something) and then being painfully slow. You’d feel annoyed right. I think that’s why people find cyclists annoying, they push in front and then go at a painfully slow pace in the middle of the road. It’s not right to be shouted at ever though.

Oh and also, you should not go slowly on a bike because then you are annoying and holding up traffic. You should also not go fast because then you are dangerous and scary. There is no middle zone, you go instantly from "bloody cyclist pootling along when I have somewhere to be!!!!!" to "and the cyclist came RACING down out of NOWHERE, must have been doing at least 50mph."

I think it's more to do with being a woman more than a cyclist to be honest.

Once DH was walking infront of me and DD, DD was young at the time so we were quite a bit behind. A cyclist came behind us (it's country lane for people and cyclists), he didn't ring his bell or make any sound so we didn't know he was behind us until it was quite close, we immediately moved to the side so he can cycle past, just after he went past, he swore at us! Then he went towards my DH and said thank you when he cycled pass.

There are a lot of dicks cyclists out there.

Sorry to say this,but an awful lot of cyclists are complete twats. They cycle at speed on the pavement and expect me to jump out of their way in a split second because they ring their bell/shout at me. I can't move very quickly as I'm disabled with arthritis. I then get shouted at because I didn't move quickly enough. Really pisses me off. I'm not saying that all cyclists are like this,but a significant minority are.

I don't have a problem with cyclists when I'm driving, I'll wait behind them until it's clear and safe to pass widely, but I am astounded by the number I see on the roads with no lights on at night or with head phones in or going through red lights across busy junctions. 😱

As a cyclist this thread is depressingly predictable. I still fail to see why my life should be less valuable just because some other cyclists are idiots but drivers jumping red lights or using the pavements* get a free pass.

*If they don't drive on the pavement presumably the cars levitate to park there...

There appears to be a theme here

Drivers complaining about cyclists holding them up = ignorance on driver's part

Pedestrians holding up cyclists = ignorance on pedestrians part.

It's never the cyclist's fault is it?

It's never the cyclist's fault is it?

I'm sure plenty of things are the fault of various cyclists, but do any of them warrant deliberately scaring or doling out abuse to anyone else you see on a bike, like the OP is talking about?