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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

396 replies

alittlequinnie · 05/12/2022 11:15

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?

....to tell you that negative comments about cyclists can cause issues...
OP posts:
whynotwhatknot · 05/12/2022 12:50

that was wrong of her and you need to get a camera-but i also have had near misses with cyclists going through a red light, zebra crossings i really wished everyone was licensed now

angharadsgoat · 05/12/2022 12:52

Cycling in the gutter is more dangerous for cyclists both because of hazards like litter and drains which can catch the wheels and tip the bike into the path of cars, and because it encourages some drivers to think they can squeeze past to overtake even when there isn’t really room to do so. The Highway Code was changed because it’s demonstrably safer for cyclists to take a more dominant road position, not because the powers that be thought it would be a lark to inconvenience car drivers.

I still wouldn't cycle in the centre, nor quite as far left as the gutter (memorably had to jump the curb once, and sustained a mild head injury on another occasion). You'd be surprised, or maybe you wouldn't, by how many people (cyclists and car drivers) aren't aware of some of the intricacies of the Highway Code.

whynotwhatknot · 05/12/2022 12:52

Oh and my dh who travels into london is always telling me about cyclist on the pavement-theres even cycle lanes but they wont use them- then shout at pedestrians to get out of their way-hes had a few runs in one which a policeman intervened and fined the cyclist-but doubt they care

angharadsgoat · 05/12/2022 12:55

Kerb not curb. Thanks autocorrect 😐

walkinginsunshinekat · 05/12/2022 12:57

@TheSnugglyDuckling

How many people do car drivers kill every year?

Its 1800, 300 are children, our children & thats before we get on to air pollution and the deaths that causes - 10s of 1000s.

Yet cyclists are the problem!

You sound exactly like the entitled driver the OP encountered, was it you?

RoseBucket · 05/12/2022 13:01

I bloody hate cyclists, especially the ones who use the country winding roads where I live who hold up the traffic for long distances. They should have to be insured.

However I nod and smile and give them a wide birth and be mindful to leave enough room at junctions /lights etc. Still hate them but won’t risk harming them.

Nat6999 · 05/12/2022 13:02

In reality cyclists & motorists need to be separated with cycle routes away from traffic & pedestrians, use central reservations on dual carriageways for specific cycle lanes or move the two sets of lanes closer to the centre & the space nearer the pavement in to a cycle lane. In the city I live we have a disused railway line that runs from the edge of the city right in to the city centre that would make a brilliant dedicated cycle path but the council are too spineless to do it & prefer closing roads & causing massive traffic jams & increased pollution instead.

amatsip · 05/12/2022 13:02

A tad harsh

Georgeskitchen · 05/12/2022 13:02

Cyclists should pass a safe cycling test, hold a licence, bike registration and road tax.
Like the rest of us have to

amatsip · 05/12/2022 13:03

Soothsayer1 · 05/12/2022 12:05

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 😬

A tad harsh

DeliberatelyObtuse · 05/12/2022 13:08

Helment cam for sure

My mate also has a top which says "helmet cam in use" (she had it specially made)

She says it has made a huge difference to how car/bus/lorry drivers act around her

Frabbits · 05/12/2022 13:09

Georgeskitchen · 05/12/2022 13:02

Cyclists should pass a safe cycling test, hold a licence, bike registration and road tax.
Like the rest of us have to

For a start, road tax is (currently) a tax on emissions and so as cyclists emit precisely nothing then obviously the idea that they should pay VED is absurd, and will remain so regardless of how road tax is charged in the future.

And secondly more cyclists on the roads means less cars which is better for everyone. Putting barriers in the way of pointless, expensive beaucracy doesn't help anyone.

midgetastic · 05/12/2022 13:09

Georgeskitchen · 05/12/2022 13:02

Cyclists should pass a safe cycling test, hold a licence, bike registration and road tax.
Like the rest of us have to

If You pay road tax you are being scammed

I'd suggest police

walkinginsunshinekat · 05/12/2022 13:10

Georgeskitchen · 05/12/2022 13:02

Cyclists should pass a safe cycling test, hold a licence, bike registration and road tax.
Like the rest of us have to

2 million drivers in the UK drive uninsured & it doesn't stop any driver killing people, DD, speeding or driving dangerously.

Just be honest, what you really want is to ban ALL cyclists from the roads.

No such thing as Road Tax, its based on emissions, as a qualified driver you ought to know this but you don't, so i hope you will follow your own advice and re take your test?

Dragonskin · 05/12/2022 13:13

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...

The big difference is that motorists are licensed, registered and insured, so can be held to account for being a menace. Cyclists are none of those things and can behave exceptionally dangerously without any way of identifying them

JusteanBiscuits · 05/12/2022 13:13

Problem is the stupid MAMIL's that give all cyclists a bad name. 90% of cyclists are great. That 10% though, as yes, they are nearly always the men in lycra, that act like entitled twats that cause the problems. I recently reported a group to their cycling club (idiots were wearing their club jerseys) because of both their cycling, and then their language towards me when I leant on my horn (carving me up from both sides on a roundabout then undertaking me when I was indicating left to turn. If I wasn't already closely watching them I would have wiped two of them out when I turned left).

Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit · 05/12/2022 13:13

Tge problem is while some are fine, some are not. I am held back by cyclists in the middle of the road nearly every day. They refuse to keep to the left so cars can overtake safely.

As for electric scooters - the sooner they are banned and confiscated the better!

Frabbits · 05/12/2022 13:15

Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit · 05/12/2022 13:13

Tge problem is while some are fine, some are not. I am held back by cyclists in the middle of the road nearly every day. They refuse to keep to the left so cars can overtake safely.

As for electric scooters - the sooner they are banned and confiscated the better!

If you aren't able to overtake when a cyclist is in the middle of a lane then you shouldn't be overtaking.

This is in the HC. It's not hard.

midgetastic · 05/12/2022 13:16

You are advised to cycle on the middle of the lane

You are not advised to make it easy for cars to overtake

This is because the more a cyclist makes it easy the more likely they are to be killed by motorists who take advantage and rush past with little space on their left

Unfortunately a few bad drivers have killed too many cyclists so the guidance has been updated to protect them

EarthlyNightshade · 05/12/2022 13:17

Wakk · 05/12/2022 12:23

You knocked on her window?

You asked for her opinion then and obviously don't like it

Cyclists are allowed to cycle in the middle of the road.
The car driver should not really have an "opinion" on that. She's actually wrong.

Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit · 05/12/2022 13:18

Frabbits · 05/12/2022 13:15

If you aren't able to overtake when a cyclist is in the middle of a lane then you shouldn't be overtaking.

This is in the HC. It's not hard.

Show quote history

The road is narrow. There is plenty of room to overtake if they stayed in to the left. But they insist on cycling in the middle of the road. Yet when the traffic lights are against them, they decide they are in fact pedestrians/and the red lights are not for them and sail through red lights.

midgetastic · 05/12/2022 13:19

They insist on following the official guidelines

You insist that they shouldn't

?

Soothsayer1 · 05/12/2022 13:20

Cycling, running, walking, dog walking, driving ....these are all completely valid activities
all completely incompatible and need their own dedicated areas !
Cyclist should not be pitted against lorries it's ridiculous cycling is a great way to get about we need proper provision for it we shouldn't be having to wrestle with multi ton vehicles !
No wonder there are so many battles, you can't exercise your dog properly if there are cyclists around but at the same time you cannot cycle safely if there are off lead dogs, forcing people with conflicting and competing needs into the same space is just a recipe for conflict

Frabbits · 05/12/2022 13:27

Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit · 05/12/2022 13:18

The road is narrow. There is plenty of room to overtake if they stayed in to the left. But they insist on cycling in the middle of the road. Yet when the traffic lights are against them, they decide they are in fact pedestrians/and the red lights are not for them and sail through red lights.

Show quote history

If you aren't able to give a cyclist the room required as per the HC, it doesn't matter where they are positioned, you don't overtake them.

Rule 163: Give vulnerable road users at least as much space as you would a car

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/using-the-road-overtaking.html

Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit · 05/12/2022 13:30

Frabbits · 05/12/2022 13:27

If you aren't able to give a cyclist the room required as per the HC, it doesn't matter where they are positioned, you don't overtake them.

Rule 163: Give vulnerable road users at least as much space as you would a car

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/using-the-road-overtaking.html

Show quote history

HC applies to the cyclists too. Of course once they meet lights the cyclists decide they don’t have to stop. They can’t have it both ways!