Cyclists who act like they own the road should pay towards it

[dreamingofsun]

So cyclists get priority on the roads, and are happy to ride two abreast so they hold all the car traffic up. Shouldnt they at least pay towards the upkeep of the road?

I've just seen this on Twitter and it made me think of this discussion.

"Instead of telling someone who rides a bike how dangerous it is:
Look twice.
Stay on your side of the road, especially in corners.
Don't follow too closely.
Don't pull out when you do not have priority.
Keep your eyes on the road and off your phones."

Excellent advice that I hope all the drivers on here will follow!

Anecdotally, the more anti-cyclist someone is, the worse they are at driving. If you think cyclists delay you more than other drivers, traffic lights, road works, accidents, broken down vehicles (the list goes on) you are delusional.

Absolutely agreed! I’ve got two exes who were terrible drivers, made me feel unsafe and I told them so. The second one was awful around cyclists, like think we are in no hurry and it’s a winding road and he just had to do an dodgy overtaking manoeuvre when there was no real need type thing. I hated it and we had more than one fight about it. Not saying it was the reason we split but it certainly added to the decision.

@DdraigGoch the ones near me the council went out and painted give way markings on loads of the cycle lanes recently where they meet side roads. I reckoned it was linked to the new Highway Code guidance as road markings still have to be followed. They also turn the path away from the main road towards the side road at crossings and then hide it with trees so cars turning in can no longer see the cycle path and bikes can’t see cars turning in until they have turned. I know this means you should go at a speed where you can stop but so many still take the corners fast in a car. If you can see it you can avoid it doesn’t seem to have been heeded here.

I note in Belgium/The Netherlands visibility at junctions is nigh on always an awful lot better so cars can stop short of the cycle lane and still see the road clearly to pull out. Here we like sticking shit in the way… it’s either trees, buildings/walls or street furniture that makes visibility harder for drivers hence the creep into on road cycle lanes in London (not where I’m from but where I’ve also done plenty of cycling) so whilst they are in the wrong here I do sympathise with the drivers a bit too.

Those councils should have put the give way markings on the side roads.

Contrast with this roundabout in the Netherlands where the cycleway is physically segregated from the footpath (no shared spaces here), and the give way signs clearly give cyclists and pedestrians priority. In the UK cars would just sit blocking the crossing.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.1416197,4.3996324,3a,75y,244.12h,72.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stOB8Msd4fqS3tcbxjbW5cg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu

It means that in order to overtake them, you will definitely need to move onto the other side of the road (just like if you were overtaking a tractor or other slow-moving vehicle). That forces you to wait until there's a gap in the traffic on the other side of the road, rather than trying to squeeze your car between the cyclist and any vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.

Im a cyclist, and i often move into the middle of my side of the road if feel that the road is not wide enough for a car to overtake me without moving to the other side of the road. I don't care if cars have to wait a bit longer, my safety is more important than them saving 20 seconds.

I'm also a motorist, so I know it can feel annoying being stuck behind a bike, but serously, just allow a bit more time for your journey so you don’t hurt or kill someone.

Taxes in the UK aren't hypothecated, is earmarked for specific purposes. Even if you don't drive, you still pay for road upkeep. Even if you have no children, you pay for education. It baffles me that people don't know anything about the tax system they pay into. Shouting the odds about 'road tax', which hasn't existed since 1937, making utter arses of themselves.

And as for this 'They should be taxed and insured like motorised vehicles'. Cyclists are essentially wheeled pedestrians. If you can't tell the difference between a bike and a car, do us all a favour, you dumbo, and get off the road. You are a danger to everyone.

Bikes cause less pollution, do not use diesel, petrol or electricity, are cleaner and cause less congestion, use less metal and result in less metal being dumped, kill fewer people, pets and wildlife on the roads and improve the health and fitness of their riders.

I don't understand ill feeling towards them.

They are supposed to ride like this for safety. It's in the fucking highest code.

The tax is vehicle excise duty based on emissions.

If you don't know these basics but are that entitled to start a thread, hand your ducking licence back because you're a liability.

HTH.

Urgh. Highway Code and fucking. Obviously. 🦆🦆🦆

And no, I don't cycle.

I had a van blast its horn at me yesterday - I was cycling on a single track, slightly uphill country road, filled with potholes, many deep and dangerous to bikes so couldn't ride any further into the gutter, no gateways for the 1/4 mile to the village (went that way to keep out of motorists way !) at around 15mph. I upped my speed to try and annoy the driver less but he still couldn't get past until the village. What should I have done? I probably held him up for 3 minutes in total.

If you live in an area with loads of windy roads like we do, a couple of cyclists can add a long time to a journey as it's just not safe to overtake on a bend. 15 minutes or more easily added to a journey by one cyclist and we get a lot of cyclists. Plus there's some uphills and the hideously slow pace a tailback of cars ends up going because of one bike in front is ridiculous sometimes.

But If you're lucky enough to have mostly straight roads then it's not really a problem.

Your post sounds petty towards the poster you're replying to.

I did the maths and the OP would have been held up for around 2 minutes, depending on the speed of the road - so less time than it would have taken to start and engage with this moaning thread.

If you are regularly ‘held up’ by 15
minutes or more, then you need to factor this into your journey time, same as you would allow extra time at rush hour.

I bet you don’t bemoan all the extra cars ‘holding you up’ at busy times of the day, do you? No, of course not, because you only see cyclists as a problem.

Is it necessary to be so rude just because someone disagrees with you? Are you a politician, used to the puerile behaviour in parliament, perhaps? Nothing is ever cut and dried but like it or not cyclists are a danger to themselves, pedestrians, horse riders, other cyclists and to car drivers so by no means the innocent party.

This and when they bang on your car roof because you’re in their way when they want to use the VERY narrow and windy country lane as a race track it is terrifying so forgive me for my lack of sympathy. I’m sorry to say but they are generally rude and ignorant.

What all cyclists? 🙄 ate “car drivers” a homogeneous group too ?

I am sure that it is excellent advice but where’s the equivalent for the cyclists? Do
motorists deliberately set out to drive cyclists off the road?

@Bingbangbongbash

Not everyone has the luxury of factoring in cyclists into their daily journeys. Once again, a "one size fits all" response to someone daring to point out the frustrations often faced by drivers. No thought or consideration given from some cyclists to the possible needs of others as they and their time are far more important. (Not all cyclists I hasten to add!) Think delivery drivers who work to a schedule determined by opening hours, any employee who drives as part of their job who has to work within their work hours (e.g. site visits), GPs on call, care assistants, district nurses....the list goes on. But of course, any of the above are being completely unreasonable in their frustration at being held up just as the cyclists who regularly ding at me to move out of the way on shared paths or woodland tracks etc. ,must feel at being stuck behind a mere pedestrian. I have every right to be there just as they have every right to be on the road but I have to step aside to allow them on their way.

Sigh.

There is nothing to stop you overtaking cyclists- when it is safe.

Or are you suggesting that the people you list above should be allowed to drive dangerously?

Yes

What did you do? Close pass I'd imagine

Not everyone has the luxury of factoring in cyclists into their daily journeys. Once again, a "one size fits all" response to someone daring to point out the frustrations often faced by drivers. No thought or consideration given from some cyclists to the possible needs of others as they and their time are far more important. (Not all cyclists I hasten to add!) Think delivery drivers who work to a schedule determined by opening hours, any employee who drives as part of their job who has to work within their work hours (e.g. site visits), GPs on call, care assistants, district nurses....the list goes on. But of course, any of the above are being completely unreasonable in their frustration at being held up just as the cyclists who regularly ding at me to move out of the way on shared paths or woodland tracks etc. ,must feel at being stuck behind a mere pedestrian. I have every right to be there just as they have every right to be on the road but I have to step aside to allow them on their way

If you do not have time to carry out your duties then raise it with your employer.

Bloody hell, what do you drive?! My car is a 10 year old, 2 litre diesel and only costs £35 a year.

Lol. No hun. They bang on your roof because your driving has made them feel at risk.