....to tell you that negative comments about cyclists can cause issues...

[alittlequinnie]

I cycle to work - every day that I'm working in the office.

This morning I was cycling - wearing high viz, a helmet - two red lights on the back and two white lights on the front.

I'm going to try to upload a picture of where I was - the road is really really narrow - so no matter where I position the bike if you want to overtaken me you are going to have to go over the centre line.

This morning only me and a car coming up behind me on the entire road. I'm pretty much bang on centre in the lane. Nothing coming towards me or the car behind me.

Car behind overtakes - really really close and then pulls in too quickly in front of me - causing me to swerve.

Few meters up the road catch up with them at the lights. Knock politely on the window and ask her "why on earth did you do that - there was plenty of room?"

She responds that it's my "own fault" I was "riding in the middle of the road" I "do it on purpose" and she see's me "every morning" - then calls me a stupid cow.

I say "really? you did it as a punishment?" - she then repeats that I shouldn't be in the middle of the road.

No point arguing with stupid so I remind her that it's a good idea to read the Highway Code - she tells me I need to read it and then calls me a cunt.

I feel this all the time on the bike that all the comments that "all cyclists" do red light jumping and pavement cycling etc means that there is just such a HATE for cyclists - wherever and however they ride.

Imagine what this is like for me - this woman has told me she sees me all the time and she did it on purpose - so she's bound to do it again - it's really frightening.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to achieve by posting this - just think carefully before spreading the sort of venom for cyclists that I see on here and other sites?

Get a head cam and report her to the police with the video footage if she does it again. She's breaking the law driving like that and needs to be told officially apparently.

Agree with the above. As a fellow cyclist this kind of behaviour from drivers makes me so cross.

yes, get a go pro or similar.
and then upload them to the local police.
some people really shouldn't drive.

Pre pandemic I cycled to work every day, uploaded a few, only aware of one person that got in trouble for how he drove. We need massive support from the police and the courts to protect cyclists and massive spending on bike lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods so that many more people can cycle like they do in the Netherlands etc and we remove our dependency on cars in urban areas. Her behaviour as you describe it is far from acceptable. I'd say get a helmet cam if I thought the police took it seriously.

It's a big jump though from 'all cyclists to X and that really annoys me' - to actually driving dangerously deliberately. I think she has to accept far more of the responsibility than an idiot arguing on the internet. Which I know isn't much comfort if she were to hit you.

Unfortunately I think all you can do is get a helmet cam. There are some very odd people about but this person clearly doesn't spend much time discussing or reading about cycling and cyclists or she'd know that what you were doing was reasonable. I wonder if she even has a licence?

Well this morning I saw a bike miss a pedestrian by a few centimetres on a zebra crossing in between two schools. She didn’t stop. The pedestrian (and the kid behind him) stopped dead otherwise at least one of them would have been hit. Cyclists are an absolute menace and the sooner they are required to be tested, licensed and insured the better.

I had an experience with a van driver that took exception to me daring to be on the same 3-line roundabout as him (clatterbridge, Wirral, if anyone knows it..)

He went round the roundabout 3 times, clipping my handelbar on the second time.

By the third time, I had my multitool out of my pocket, hopefully the 5 or 6 screwdriver holes in the side of his van and nice scratches taught him a lesson.

This was probably 20 years or longer ago, before helmet cams - and could have very easily gone wrong for me, but this guy seemed to have such an irrational hatred of cyclists he was willing to potentially kill me.

These days - good quality helmet cam, with audio, stay safe, report to police.

Oh and a few weeks ago, at a different crossing, I saw a cyclist - wearing a camera helmet LOL - actually knock over a kid in the middle of a busy road. He barely glanced over his shoulder as he sped off.

That doesn’t even scratch the surface of the dangerous and irresponsible things I see cyclists do in front of cars every single day.

...proving the pount of the thread...

Same here. I live in a busy city and the behaviour of the majority of cyclists is dangerous, mainly to themselves.
Obviously the lady who swore at you behaved really badly OP, no excuse for that.
We need a huge investment in cycling infrastructure, there is no way that bikes and cars should be on the same roads!

Well this morning I saw a car mount a pavement to park, and then start reversing backwards towards a pedestrian the driver had clearly failed to noticed. The pedestrian (and the kid with her) stopped dead otherwise at least one of them would have been hit. Drivers are an absolute menace...

Except not all drivers are the one I witnessed this morning, and the idiot of a cyclist you saw is not the OP, or the many many other cyclists who cycle safely and sensibly.

It has a knock on effect - lots of cyclists ride on the pavement where I live but they in turn are nearly crashing into pedestrians. Everyone needs to take responsibility collectively, drive / cycle to the law and come up with solutions.

On the basis that most cyclists are also drivers, I’d imagine that these are not “dangerous cyclists” but dangerous road users who are the shit drivers who also drive badly when they’re in their cars. Not stopping at zebra crossings or for pedestrians crossing the road isn’t cyclist-specific behaviour.

I've seen more drivers behave dangerously around cyclists than cyclists around pedestrians.

I've seen more drivers behave dangerously around pedestrians.

I've seen pedestrians wander out in front of cars and bikes.

I've seen people drive directly at the lollipop lady outside school.

I see numerous people park dangerously near schools.

Conclusion: some people are dangerous arseholes whatever form of transport they use.

Red light jumping and pavement cycling IS all I see cyclists do in London, oh and don't forget cycling the wrong way up one way streets. If that ever stopped then I might have had some sympathy for you and other cyclists, but no sympathy from me. I'm saying that as a pedestrian, not a driver, cyclists are a pain in the arse.

I would love to cycle but I'm too scared of drivers. The local Facebook page is full of absolute hatred for them.

So you intend to teach all cyclists a lesson for the crimes of a few, by endangering their lives.

That's one cyclist - from which you have made ridiculous illogical extrapolations.

Most one way streets in central Lindon are two way for bicycles. If you only drive or walk you often don’t realise this - it took me a while to get used to being able to take different routes when I cycle than I can when I drive.

Me too - no way I will cycle on public roads. Obviously there are bellend cyclists but there appear to be many more bellend motorists.

I think you caught the driver on the defence and she was looking to blame you to ease the dissonance. I'm sure you have shook her up by challenging her and hopefully she will think twice before doing something stupid from the comfort of her car next time.

THIS!!
As a driver I see cyclists who are a danger to themselves and others and as a cyclist there are a lot of drivers who drive like a dick around cyclists (and other motorists).

Dangerous cyclists are mostly a danger only to themselves. Bad cycling around pedestrians probably feels more unsafe than it actually is - falling off a bike hurts a lot and so cyclists have a strong incentive to avoid actually hitting anyone.

Meanwhile plenty of drivers drive dangerously around pedestrians in spite of the far greater risks, knowing perfectly well as they do that they themselves won't suffer any significant damage in a collision.

I would have reached into the car grabbed her by the throat, dragged her out and kicked the living s* out of her
For that reason I am very careful to avoid engaging with people in situations like this 😬