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AIBU?

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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:
FloydPepper · 05/12/2022 15:27

gogohmm · 05/12/2022 15:09

Unfortunately many cyclists seem to be completely unaware of the dangers they are putting drivers in, that cars really can't be driven that slowly and that we have joint responsibility to be safe on the roads.

I am rural so the situation is quite different to towns, I deal with horses, tractors and yes cyclist's daily, I'm also hilly, this is the principle problem, secondary issue is very narrow roads, done with passing places, thirdly high hedges with blind bends ... be driving at 2 mph up a narrow windy hill behind a cyclist, a road marked "not suitable for cyclists!" puts me in danger of being rear ended, I've seen it happen when I was coming from the other direction and had to go to court as a witness. It's 40mph road so the car going at 2mph behind the cyclist was behaving differently to what traffic coming up behind would expect (police confirmed the offending vehicle was only doing 30 mph so well within the speed limit.)

Yes a bugbear of mine, cyclists on roads not suitable for bikes! Add not sticking to the left so you can't pass them in the OPPOSITE direction, insisting I back up?? Yep I get annoyed, and also the big groups when I'm driving to work at 8.45am, just wait until 10am for your leisure cycle

Cyclists don’t put drivers in danger, and cars can be driven slowly! Unless you’re an incompetent driver obviously

bad cyclists (of which there are some) put pedestrians and themselves in danger. They also give the good cyclists (of which there are some) a bad name. The same with the bad drivers (some of whom it seems cannot slow their cars down)

FloydPepper · 05/12/2022 15:29

And, if someone drives round a bend where they can’t see ahead, and hits someone, that’s totally on them.

Want2beme · 05/12/2022 15:45

A cyclist in town today overtook the static lane of traffic he was in. He was heading towards me, and I was driving in the opposite direction. I didn't make an issue of it, however, cyclists do take risks, drivers are expected to just accept it and move on.

DeeCeeCherry · 05/12/2022 15:59

I both cycle and drive. flFairly recently I saw a post elsewhere to do with traffic caused by road closures, those giant garden boxes that are springing up in London, and roads closed during school hours. Somehow the conversation got around to cyclists and I was actually taken aback at the vitriol, the way drivers spoke about cyclists.

They weren't prepared to understand that it's local councils etc that should be lobbied. Seemed to think its a 'cyclists vs drivers' & more than 1 suggested if cyclists are maimed or die then so what, who cares we pay to be on the road they don't.

Where does this level of anger come from?

I cycle less now as I cant be doing with enraged, impatient people who channel all their life frustrations onto the road as soon as they're behind the wheel of a chunk of metal.

Sorry this happened OP. Not sure I'd tap on someone's window, on the other hand I fully understand why you did.

starfro · 05/12/2022 16:06

gogohmm · 05/12/2022 15:09

Unfortunately many cyclists seem to be completely unaware of the dangers they are putting drivers in, that cars really can't be driven that slowly and that we have joint responsibility to be safe on the roads.

I am rural so the situation is quite different to towns, I deal with horses, tractors and yes cyclist's daily, I'm also hilly, this is the principle problem, secondary issue is very narrow roads, done with passing places, thirdly high hedges with blind bends ... be driving at 2 mph up a narrow windy hill behind a cyclist, a road marked "not suitable for cyclists!" puts me in danger of being rear ended, I've seen it happen when I was coming from the other direction and had to go to court as a witness. It's 40mph road so the car going at 2mph behind the cyclist was behaving differently to what traffic coming up behind would expect (police confirmed the offending vehicle was only doing 30 mph so well within the speed limit.)

Yes a bugbear of mine, cyclists on roads not suitable for bikes! Add not sticking to the left so you can't pass them in the OPPOSITE direction, insisting I back up?? Yep I get annoyed, and also the big groups when I'm driving to work at 8.45am, just wait until 10am for your leisure cycle

This.

And they all drive 2 hours from London to cycle in the countryside, not caring about the damage they do to the locals.

greenacrylicpaint · 05/12/2022 16:07

The Councils ought to do more to build safe and secure cycle paths, so that the population can get fit; we can get to work inexpensively; and pollution will be reduced.

absolutely
but if there aren't bicycles have as much right to be on the road as cars, horses, lorries, motorbikes etc...

midgetastic · 05/12/2022 16:22

If you can't drive your car slowly I suggest you hand on your licence

loveisanopensore · 05/12/2022 16:24

They should.
Where I live everytime a new cycle lane is proposed the objections come thick and fast. Any attempt to take space from motorist devolves into "War on Cars" rhetoric.

Sirius3030 · 05/12/2022 16:28

A very similar experience a few weeks ago. I held up a woman driving a horse-box trailer along a narrow country lane for perhaps 2 minutes, before the road widened and I waved her on to overtake. She overtook me then presumably deliberately cut in, forcing me off the road into a hedge. Could easily have seriously injured me.
Some people are just evil.

KevinsChilli · 05/12/2022 16:34

I never understand the hate for cyclists, people online spout some right rubbish out! Because they've seen a few bad cyclists they therefore think all shouldn't on the road, and often take it too far by driving dangerously around them. Yet there's many, many more bad car drivers than there are cyclists. Cyclists have just as much right as cars to be on the road. People are just so bloody impatient these days.
My DP likes to cycle, but he comes back with many tales of angry car drivers purposefully driving dangerously around him and shouting obscenities at him. I really hate it when he's out on his bike!

KevinsChilli · 05/12/2022 16:37

loveisanopensore · 05/12/2022 16:24

They should.
Where I live everytime a new cycle lane is proposed the objections come thick and fast. Any attempt to take space from motorist devolves into "War on Cars" rhetoric.

Or the usual comments of 'they won't ride in the bike lanes anyway!' well, quite. If you'd seen the state of some of the bike lanes round here, some which have barriers to separate from cars but then causes a build up of rubbish in the cycle lanes. Or there's cars parked in them, or they're just painted on pavements and pedestrians carelessly walk along in them.

Ringneck · 05/12/2022 16:45

I cycle a lot and don't get called names or have drivers try and punish me. Maybe it's because I'm considerate, and allow them to overtake wherever possible. There really is no need to always cycle in the middle of the road/lane, despite what the your legal rights might be according to the HC.

Btw I find I'm at least as likely to get into an accident by a pedestrian crossing without looking, or even a cyclist pulling out without checking, as by a car driving without due care.

In my life I've once been knocked down by a car (new driver), twice by a cyclist, and 3-4 times hit a pedestrian with two of those times causing injury to me. That's with well over 10k miles.

starfro · 05/12/2022 16:52

Sirius3030 · 05/12/2022 16:28

A very similar experience a few weeks ago. I held up a woman driving a horse-box trailer along a narrow country lane for perhaps 2 minutes, before the road widened and I waved her on to overtake. She overtook me then presumably deliberately cut in, forcing me off the road into a hedge. Could easily have seriously injured me.
Some people are just evil.

Just stop and let them pass.

If I was driving a car at 10mph because of a technical issue with it, I'd let people pass straight away. It's a lot easier to do on a bike.

No wonder drivers get so wound up.

Lockheart · 05/12/2022 16:56

starfro · 05/12/2022 16:52

Just stop and let them pass.

If I was driving a car at 10mph because of a technical issue with it, I'd let people pass straight away. It's a lot easier to do on a bike.

No wonder drivers get so wound up.

Show quote history

Narrow country lane, big wide vehicle... It's very possible they could not pass safely, even if OP was stopped.

Ncgirlseriously · 05/12/2022 16:58

I’m not a driver, and I live in an area with a lot of cyclists. I’ve been hit by a cyclist (cycling on a pedestrian path with a “no bikes” sign) and seen a small child get hit by a cyclist too. It almost seems like drivers expect cyclists to leap out of their way and cyclists expect pedestrians to do the same.

I don’t think that drivers should behave badly towards cyclists but equally I’m not going to not talk about how horribly some cyclists behave.

Original poster
alittlequinnie · 05/12/2022 16:58

For everybody asking why I confronted her...

It's because it was such a shock - there was sooooooooooo much room on the other side of the road and nothing coming. She could have got around me and back in without any issue at all.

I have been cycling the same route for about 22 years now. I have tapped on windows maybe 5/6 times in that time.

Sometimes - if you are nice and polite (as I was) people say they "didn't realise" and you are able to say that you need to give a cyclist a bit more room than maybe you realise" - This has honestly happened to me about 3 times - the other 2/3 times yeah - called a cunt whatever - or told "next time I'll run you over"

I will be asking Santa for a go-pro.

OP posts:
marlenemoams · 05/12/2022 16:59

greenacrylicpaint · 05/12/2022 16:07

The Councils ought to do more to build safe and secure cycle paths, so that the population can get fit; we can get to work inexpensively; and pollution will be reduced.

absolutely
but if there aren't bicycles have as much right to be on the road as cars, horses, lorries, motorbikes etc...

The last accident I had was because a pedestrian stepped into the cycle lane so I had to swerve or hit her
The one before that was a car doing a three point turn on a main road and they reversed into me. They then tried to blend me.
I cycle to work daily, and daily I have cars that close-pass me, and pedestrians that will look straight at me (or straight through me) then step into the road because of course a bike doesn't have any kind of stopping distance, does it?
The hate for cyclists in this country is absolutely out of control. I worry for my kids. It's ridiculous.

SantasGrotty · 05/12/2022 16:59

TheSnugglyDuckling · 05/12/2022 11:36

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.

You gonna chase down little Sophie on her tricycle and demand she show you ID?

marlenemoams · 05/12/2022 17:02

Ringneck · 05/12/2022 16:45

I cycle a lot and don't get called names or have drivers try and punish me. Maybe it's because I'm considerate, and allow them to overtake wherever possible. There really is no need to always cycle in the middle of the road/lane, despite what the your legal rights might be according to the HC.

Btw I find I'm at least as likely to get into an accident by a pedestrian crossing without looking, or even a cyclist pulling out without checking, as by a car driving without due care.

In my life I've once been knocked down by a car (new driver), twice by a cyclist, and 3-4 times hit a pedestrian with two of those times causing injury to me. That's with well over 10k miles.

Cyclists are advised to take the primary position to stay safe. Your attitude just leads others who don't believe that cyclists have as much right to be on the roads aa cars to think that are right.
The recent changes in the Highway Code were made for a reason.

marlenemoams · 05/12/2022 17:04

Ncgirlseriously · 05/12/2022 16:58

I’m not a driver, and I live in an area with a lot of cyclists. I’ve been hit by a cyclist (cycling on a pedestrian path with a “no bikes” sign) and seen a small child get hit by a cyclist too. It almost seems like drivers expect cyclists to leap out of their way and cyclists expect pedestrians to do the same.

I don’t think that drivers should behave badly towards cyclists but equally I’m not going to not talk about how horribly some cyclists behave.

Ok, but unfortunately this then emboldens those drivers like the one who almost hit the OP, and truly believe they were in the right. And ultimately places lives at risks.
The stats make it clear that car drivers are a much much bigger threat / risks to cyclists and pedestrians than cyclists are.

LlynTegid · 05/12/2022 17:07

OP I am with you 100%. The different judgment about cyclists compared with car drivers is a form of victimisation towards them.

Ncgirlseriously · 05/12/2022 17:11

@marlenemoams

So if a pedestrian gets hit by a cyclist they should just take in on the chin and not mention it?

Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit · 05/12/2022 17:14

Anyone driving/cycling/scooting on a main road should have to have insurance and pass a test.

Too often cyclists and scooters decide they are on wheels or on foot depending on the traffic lights they are approaching.

midgetastic · 05/12/2022 17:20

Sorry but drivers have to pas a test and pay insurance and that doesn't stop the crap drivers so why would it stop crap cyclists ?

olderthanyouthink · 05/12/2022 17:24

@Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit at what age?

I've cycled in the road since I was about 7/8, without a parent definitely from 10 to get to school.

The driver in a lorry that passed me way too close this morning will have passed multiple tests, didn't help there did it?