Page 5 | Cyclist bad manners?

MinnieMountain · 03/03/2023 17:45

That incident scared me @Alexandra2001 . She was sentenced at my local crown court. My family and I often cycle on shared paths like that. Pedestrians don’t always notice the blue signs.

LlynTegid · 03/03/2023 17:45

Your grounds for complaint are the roadworks. Probably being carried out in March (and February perhaps) to spend the budget of the local authority or utility, not because in any way they are essential to be done now.

Alexandra2001 · 03/03/2023 17:47

MelchiorsMistress · 03/03/2023 16:51

That’s not true though, there is a pecking order where cyclists are seen as having more rights than drivers despite the latter having training, registration and insurance and the former being able to use the road without any knowledge of how it’s supposed to work. The law that presumes the motorists are at fault and that cyclists are blameless no matter what they do really doesn’t help anti cyclist views.

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Its not a pecking order of rights.

Its about responsibilities, based on vulnerability and the law doesn't automatically blame the motorist either, that will be decided by the Police and then the courts.

So a pedestrian is more vulnerable than a cyclist, who in turn is more so than you in your car and you are more than a HGV.... incidentally YOU haven't done a HGV course have you? but most cyclists will have passed a driving test and use a car too.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 03/03/2023 17:47

Redebs · 03/03/2023 15:17

Cyclists normally go to the front. Although it's a nuisance to be stuck behind one, their safety is the most important thing.

Please explain this. I've never understood the logic. Which of these is safer:

(a) A cyclist approaches a queue of vehicles which will be faster-moving than he will be once they set off. He moves past all the stationary vehicles to position his bike at the front of the queue. When the queue can move, the cyclist holds them all up & is then passed by one vehicle after another, with the potential for an accident to happen every time.

OR

(b) A cyclist approaches a queue of vehicles which will be faster-moving than he will be once they set off. He stops at the back of the queue & when the queue moves again, he carries on his journey, as the vehicles in front of him disappear into the distance.

I mean, to me (b) is safer for the cyclist. And it has the added advantage of not holding up the traffic. And the cyclist isn't held up either. All he's lost is the time it took him to cycle to the front of the queue - he's had to wait for a few seconds more than he otherwise would have. Worth not risking accidents for, I'd say.

And to the person upthread who's never been on a road where they couldn't pass a cyclist, do come & visit me. It's scenic with more narrow, twisty country roads than you can shake a stick at. Townies, eh!🙄

NewPapaGuinea · 03/03/2023 17:50

Of course the cyclist can filter past. You shouldn’t be annoyed about that. I do have sympathy for being slowed by a cyclist and I always pull over when safe if there have been cars behind for a while.

Fact is, your journey was really delayed by roadworks and traffic lights, which are necessary because of cars so your frustration is aimed at the wrong person.

Alexandra2001 · 03/03/2023 17:52

@ifIwerenotanandroid Believe it or not, if you wait in the queue, some drivers will try to get past you, no matter where you position yourself, i have had this happen to me.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 03/03/2023 17:56

ifIwerenotanandroid · 03/03/2023 17:47

Please explain this. I've never understood the logic. Which of these is safer:

(a) A cyclist approaches a queue of vehicles which will be faster-moving than he will be once they set off. He moves past all the stationary vehicles to position his bike at the front of the queue. When the queue can move, the cyclist holds them all up & is then passed by one vehicle after another, with the potential for an accident to happen every time.

OR

(b) A cyclist approaches a queue of vehicles which will be faster-moving than he will be once they set off. He stops at the back of the queue & when the queue moves again, he carries on his journey, as the vehicles in front of him disappear into the distance.

I mean, to me (b) is safer for the cyclist. And it has the added advantage of not holding up the traffic. And the cyclist isn't held up either. All he's lost is the time it took him to cycle to the front of the queue - he's had to wait for a few seconds more than he otherwise would have. Worth not risking accidents for, I'd say.

And to the person upthread who's never been on a road where they couldn't pass a cyclist, do come & visit me. It's scenic with more narrow, twisty country roads than you can shake a stick at. Townies, eh!🙄

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But they'll still hold up all the cars behind them providing they actually wait and don't pull up beside the cyclist or try and overtake as the traffic starts moving again.
Plus can't be nice sitting behind loads of exhausts chugging out.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 03/03/2023 17:59

Alexandra2001 · 03/03/2023 17:52

@ifIwerenotanandroid Believe it or not, if you wait in the queue, some drivers will try to get past you, no matter where you position yourself, i have had this happen to me.

Acknowledged, but the cyclist MIGHT be the last one in the queue, & even if not, surely the more cars there are in front of the cyclist, the fewer cars have to overtake him?

Zodfa · 03/03/2023 18:00

A cyclist in this scenario may well not know what is causing the queue in the first place when they arrive at the back of it. It may be the case that they can in fact proceed safely past the obstruction even when the queuing cars cannot.

Pocketfullofdogtreats · 03/03/2023 18:01

I agree with you. I also live in rural Devon and have been stuck behind cyclists for miles, with another driver behind me getting very annoyed (hooting horn). Much less stressful for all if the cyclists would pull over.

OneTC · 03/03/2023 18:02

ifIwerenotanandroid · 03/03/2023 17:47

Please explain this. I've never understood the logic. Which of these is safer:

(a) A cyclist approaches a queue of vehicles which will be faster-moving than he will be once they set off. He moves past all the stationary vehicles to position his bike at the front of the queue. When the queue can move, the cyclist holds them all up & is then passed by one vehicle after another, with the potential for an accident to happen every time.

OR

(b) A cyclist approaches a queue of vehicles which will be faster-moving than he will be once they set off. He stops at the back of the queue & when the queue moves again, he carries on his journey, as the vehicles in front of him disappear into the distance.

I mean, to me (b) is safer for the cyclist. And it has the added advantage of not holding up the traffic. And the cyclist isn't held up either. All he's lost is the time it took him to cycle to the front of the queue - he's had to wait for a few seconds more than he otherwise would have. Worth not risking accidents for, I'd say.

And to the person upthread who's never been on a road where they couldn't pass a cyclist, do come & visit me. It's scenic with more narrow, twisty country roads than you can shake a stick at. Townies, eh!🙄

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You forgot c) not being able to clear the roadworks before angry drivers start bearing down from ahead

ifIwerenotanandroid · 03/03/2023 18:03

The exhaust fumes are irrelevant to the safety issue. Even if it were valid, my car stops the engine automatically anyway, & many drivers switch off in a queue.

I'm trying to see if there's a factual basis to 'cyclists are safer if they start at the front of a queue'. It seems to me they aren't.

OneTC · 03/03/2023 18:06

I just gave a pretty good reason!

MrsAvocet · 03/03/2023 18:06

piedbeauty · 03/03/2023 17:36

What sort of road was it that was big enough for coaches yet nobody could overtake one cyclist?

Nice age-shaming there too 👍🏼

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Single track roads. Massive logging lorries and animal feed wagons use the road I was cycling on this morning but there are very few places where a car could overtake a cyclist without an extremely close pass. A car, plus a suitable gap, and a cyclist not riding in the gutter take up more of the road side by side than a coach or an HGV does.
There are also plenty of 2 way narrow roads in our area where you would have to cross into the other lane to pass any kind of other road user safely but the bends are such that you can't really see far enough ahead to do that. Personally I'd rather pull over into a gateway for a few seconds to allow a car to pass than have them sitting behind me for ages or attempting to pass me in circumstances where if they misjudged things even slightly and there was a vehicle coming the other way we would probably all be (at least) badly injured.

ClaudiaWankleman · 03/03/2023 18:17

MrsAvocet · 03/03/2023 18:06

Single track roads. Massive logging lorries and animal feed wagons use the road I was cycling on this morning but there are very few places where a car could overtake a cyclist without an extremely close pass. A car, plus a suitable gap, and a cyclist not riding in the gutter take up more of the road side by side than a coach or an HGV does.
There are also plenty of 2 way narrow roads in our area where you would have to cross into the other lane to pass any kind of other road user safely but the bends are such that you can't really see far enough ahead to do that. Personally I'd rather pull over into a gateway for a few seconds to allow a car to pass than have them sitting behind me for ages or attempting to pass me in circumstances where if they misjudged things even slightly and there was a vehicle coming the other way we would probably all be (at least) badly injured.

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None of those roads are safe for overtaking then - in any capacity.

Cyclists (or anyone) shouldn't have to leave the carriageway (crossing the gutter, ducking into a gateway). It's ridiculous.

If the roads are really that narrow, then those logging trucks and animal feed vans will often be driving in the middle of the road, so the road is unlikely to be safe enough to travel at much speed anyway. Otherwise, the motorists could try driving a smaller car that is more appropriate for their surroundings.

NewPapaGuinea · 03/03/2023 18:22

@ifIwerenotanandroid there’s reason ASLs exist.

WiIson · 03/03/2023 18:26

Most cyclists seem sensible but every now and again I come across a complete idiot who seems to think the road belongs to him

As opposed to belonging to you instead?

Alexandra2001 · 03/03/2023 18:34

ifIwerenotanandroid · 03/03/2023 17:59

Acknowledged, but the cyclist MIGHT be the last one in the queue, & even if not, surely the more cars there are in front of the cyclist, the fewer cars have to overtake him?

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...so lets say i get to some roadworks, 10 cars in front, i wait as you suggest, lights go green and 10 cars go through but then go red, i'm now at the traffic light, meanwhile another 10 cars line behind me... what should i do?

At one point or another i have to cycle through the roadworks.

Mumski45 · 03/03/2023 18:34

OP I think when I'm cycling my safety trumps your requirement for manners and I think I am in a better position than you to determine what is best for my safety.

In situations such as you describe it is sensible to read the road. If cars are stopped and I can get to the front before they start again then I will because I can put myself where I can be seen and take advantage of the fact that I am legally allowed to filter. If I don't think I can get to the front then I filter on the right until I find a suitable gap to wait in making sure I'm positioned so that I can be seen when we set off.

If I'm only a few cars behind the front then I take my place in the queue but in the middle of the lane to avoid dangerous overtakes.

The key here is being seen as most accidents happen when a cyclist is not visible to the driver. Whilst you can never account for a driver who is not looking (eg on their phone) you can minimise risks by good positioning and most drivers don't actually want to hurt you even if you annoy them.

Alexandra2001 · 03/03/2023 18:37

@Mumski45 On the point of being seen, i ve found that a really bright flashing light or better still one that senses when a car is coming up behind you and goes bright and randomly flashes is the best investment a cyclist can buy.

Arrocahar23 · 03/03/2023 18:41

Hagridy · 03/03/2023 15:14

There were roadworks on my journey today which kept us waiting for 20 minutes so quite a few cars waiting. Just before we were allowed past a cyclist came up behind us but decided to pass us all and wait at the front. Once we were past the roadworks the road is very windy so it took a couple of miles before I could safely pass never mind all the other cars he had pushed past.
AIBU to think it was bad manners for the cyclist to whizz past us all and keep us all waiting. Most cyclists seem sensible but every now and again I come across a complete idiot who seems to think the road belongs to him.

Cyclists are annoying, entitled beings. They think the rules do not apply to them because they are on a “vehicle” which is not a car.
They seem not to be the brightest.

Mumski45 · 03/03/2023 18:45

@Alexandra2001 I've not heard of that type of light before. About to google. I do always have a rear light and a helmet light together with a brightly coloured jacket.

Lights help but good confident positioning matters.

I do also cycle as considerately as it is safe to including slowing/pulling left to allow overtaking when appropriate and will thank drivers who give me time/space

Arrocahar23 · 03/03/2023 18:46

DottieUncBab · 03/03/2023 15:44

YABU it’s standard for cyclists to go to the front of a traffic queue, in fact many junctions encourage this with a cyclist box at the front. I always think anything that inconveniences driving is a good thing anyway as it’ll encourage people to look at other ways of travelling.

The cyclist had no manners which is kind of the point. This was a temporary set of lights not a junction.

ivykaty44 · 03/03/2023 18:46

I had a bad experience with temp traffic lights on road works. I got to the traffic lights first and they were on red, s driver pulled up behind me and when they turned green I waved them on - then proceeded myself. As I reached the other end in full view, daylight the driver waiting at the other end started to drive towards me and berated me for jumping a red light....
Eventually he reversed (the driver behind had stayed behind the wait here sign, and I continued my journey

It wasn't my fault the lights didn't allow a slower travelling traffic to get through on one cycle of the green lights, the driver could see me and just drive towards me

now at temp traffic lights I make sure I don't wave drivers on as I had previously done in case I meet a someone who doesn't wait the other end

ivykaty44 · 03/03/2023 18:49

Arrocahar23 do you always behave like a bigot