....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?

Bikes are traffic.
All this othering is what leads to clashes.

Meh, even as a cyclist I preferred to think of myself as separate from car traffic. I find a totally different headspace with both. Car: I watch for bikes knowing I can harm them so easily if I'm not careful. Bikes: I'm on guard against cars and I'm in a more self-protective mindset. I do see myself as different in each situation

I also put buses, trains and trams in different traffic categories and respond to them differently in kind. No othering, just real differences.

Drivers do this with pedestrians as well. How often have you nipped across traffic lights on amber and car drivers put their foot down as they come towards the lights because they are amber and not red. Or you just cross the road in a gap and a car driver deliberately speeds up.

We need a fundamental rethink of how careless and dangerous driving is prosecuted and punished, and there needs to be a new category of using a car as a weapon. It happens so often.

Pedestrians and cyclists might do stupid things themselves from time to time, but they generally only hurt themselves. Drivers can do very serious damage to more vulnerable road users and the current laws don't go far enough.

Sinnerboy you are correct it's not strictly called Jay walking, but it's a bit foolish to step into a road without looking or listening especially at a non crossing.

Lifeinthehills, so you're advocating bikes sitting at the end of traffic jams? In cities there is no end of traffic, the safest place for bikes to be is ahead of the traffic, hence the introduction of advance stop lines (which many drivers choose to ignore) and separate traffic lights for bikes allowing them to move off first - in front of the traffic - where its safest

From the many threads on here and from what I have seen IRL. I have come to the following conclusion.

Those that are arseholes in a car would be the same on any form of transport.

And the same can be said for those that are arseholes on a bike.

Its not the form of transport that is the problem but the person themselves.

But an arsehole in a car can kill a lot more people.

but they are still an arsehole and will do as many arsehole things.

Devoutspoken

'its not strictly called Jay walking, but it's a bit foolish to step into a road without looking or listening especially at a non crossing.

It's not "not strictly," it's simply "not."

Anyway, I agree that pedestrians often don't take a proper look and just step out. On the main road by me, there are two Pelican crossings, about 100m apart.

Loads of people cross between them, even when there are lots of cars. I just assume that lots of people are attempting suicide and go a bit slower, watching carefully for people who look as though they might step out.

Yes. I hate it when pedestrians cross between zebras. So dangerous and thoughtless.

I think in Germany you can cross the road anywhere that isn't in sight of a crossing, but crossing in sight of a crossing is jaywalking, as is using a crossing when it shows a red man.

Might also have just made that up

I got dragged back to the pavement by a woman, in Bremen. The crossing was on the red man, but there were no cars in sight. She berated me in German, then realised I was English and said, "Well, you wouldn't do that in England, would you?"

She was very surprised to hear that it's entirely legal in the UK.

Jay walking is a term widely used in the UK, legal or otherwise, not really the point surely? I am a massive advocate of pedestrians having more rights, given the last 100 years of car domination, but crossing the road safely is just a good idea

They are certainly much more disciplined when it comes to crossings, even if the road is completely clear, if the little man is red, they stay put.

I am not sure it is very sensible to blindly rely on red and green men. Some years ago, two girls were mown down on a crossing by a drunk driver. It was green for them and red for him.

Of course kids need to comply but as you grow up and learn more road sense, you know when you can cross the road. However, the onus is on drivers, they are the ones driving the killing machine and they are the ones with licences. The licences are not very easy to get, but they are extremely difficult to lose and maybe they need to be made easier to lose.

Yes. I hate it when pedestrians cross between zebras. So dangerous and thoughtless

Probably because people don't stop for them at zebras anyway. Or because they are located in the wrong place. I remember one being put in where I live and people said it was in the wrong place. County council said "tough, you get what are given and where we say". It's just past a busy roundabout and would be much better a bit further up the road. But hey, what do the local residents know...

That is foolish. I did read somewhere that car manufacturers lobbied US authorities for the offence of jay walking to be created so that cars could play safely in the streets but I don't know if it is true.

No, not at all. I'm talking about my own experience where I feel safer with cars in front of me. I've cycled in suburbs and rurally, but never in the actual city.

I'm very courteous towards cyclists on the road.

My hatred of cyclists is confined to the ones on the shared footpaths/cycle ways near me. Apparently all the cyclists' rhetoric about being careful and patient to the more vulnerable doesn't apply if there's a pedestrian in their way.

I ride my bike to work every day. Ca drivers constantly overtaking me then cutting too close in front of me to avoid hitting oncoming traffic. There’s a small hump of a railway bridge that they overtake me on, not knowing what may be coming over the jump in the other direction. I’ve started to ride further away from the verge to try to stop them overtaking me and having a head on crash but oh no they still overtake and cut me up. Don’t even get me started on cars pulling out of junctions on me

My hatred of pedestrians is confined to those who step onto the bike section of a split path without looking.

Hatred is a really strong word, not all pedestrians are phone zombies, not all cyclists are entitled twats and not all drivers are arrogant tossers, but I know which one does most harm