Shaken after being sworn at by horrid man

[cadburyegg]

Posting for traffic

Was cycling home from after school club tonight with kids. We all have lights on our bikes and hi vis jackets. Nearly home when I get beeped at by a car. The driver stops and shouts at me that I'm an idiot for driving down the road without lights on the bikes. I said oh, we do have lights but he was adamant that we didn't and he couldn't see us. Became really aggressive and called me a "fucking twat" in front of the dc and that I "shouldn't have" dc.

I feel really upset that he couldn't see us and like an idiot because I thought the lights and hi vis made us visible, they were definitely on and working obviously not and I will get more lights, and make sure this doesn't happen again, but I can see the dc very clearly in the road. he also had a go at us for cycling in the road rather than the pavement. But am also upset that he was so horrible. We are told not to drive to school but I don't want to cycle anymore either. Feel so upset that my dc had to witness it and so guilty 😥

This a million percent! Please don’t let this knobhead stop you from a brilliant, green and mostly enjoyable way to get around. Yes it’s more tricky in the dark, but you can make it as safe as possible with lights and reflective clothing. We all have totally reflective jackets, (mostly found on eBay), lights front and back and reflective stickers on the bikes too. I’m also hoping to get some reflective mittens for Xmas which should help with seeing hand signals too. I also cycle behind and slightly to the right of my children to give drivers more of a chance to see that were there and so they can’t try and sneak a close pass. Good luck and well done for trying to do your bit and not just relying on the car.

When I used to cycle in the dark, I had several lights on my bike, one on my helmet, and reflective strips with red leds that wrapped round my right arm and leg. Plus lots of reflectors, including the ones that go on the spokes, and a hi-viz/reflective jacket. I probably looked like a rolling Christmas tree, but I was never in an accident....

The study you linked was into Leeds city centre. It did not prove that you are exposed to higher levels of pollution in a car than on a bicycle in the general sense. It actually proved the opposite on a per minute basis.

It concluded that if cycling 4km into a city centre is faster than driving due to heavy traffic, then the cyclist is exposed to less pollution. It’s more due to less time being exposed than being on a bicycle or in a car.

“Cyclists may breathe more rapidly as they exercise, which would bring the particles they inhale up to close to that of motorised transport users. But on routes with slow traffic, where car and bus commuters are forced to sit in clouds of pollution, cyclists fare best.”

See graphic, a cyclist is exposed to 1.1m of particulate pollution per minute, but a car driver is exposed to 0.95m of particulate pollution per minute. The cyclist was only exposed to less pollution because cycling the 4km was almost twice as fast as driving the 4km.

Thank you. I was more questioning the statistical safety of cycling vs driving than thinking of long term health benefits due to exercise which do not need to be achieved by cycling in the dark to and from school. I agree that regular exercise does increase longevity and health.

“In 2021, 42 people per billion miles were killed or seriously injured when travelling by car. The rate for motorcyclists was almost 50 times higher (2,040 per billion miles) than for cars, and over 20 times higher for cyclists (956 per billion miles).”
https://www.health.org.uk/evidence-hub/transport/transport-trends/deaths-and-serious-injuries-by-road-user-type

He was the twat here.

Tbh I wouldn't put kids on the road, even I won't cycle on the road. I walk and see a lot of vulnerable cyclists. Those flicky rear lights are scarily hard to spot. A rear helmet and bike light always seems to be effective.

His behaviour and language were unforgiveable, but SOMETHING spooked him OP. He didn’t just decide to shout at a random family for the fun of it. Clearly your lights etc weren’t visible enough to him, and therefore likely not visible enough to other drivers too.

These men litter the country with their musigynistic hatred. I was called a cunt for having the temerity to cross a quiet road by a white van driver.

Myself & DC cycle mon-fri several times each day during peak traffic times, the school run etc. We NEVER cycle on the road, it's too dangerous I choose not to risk it.

We cycle on the pavement and always give way to any pedestrians, unless they offer to stop first. It's their right of way, not ours & we fully respect this. We also don't cycle fast at all. Bike lights & hi vis jackets we still use as have to cross over some roads & want drivers to see us clearer.

I don't feel we should have to give up cycling & walk everywhere because it isn't safe to cycle on roads. Cycling saves us time & helps with fitness. Not every family are in a position to own a car.

I also cycle behind and slightly to the right of my children to give drivers more of a chance to see that were there and so they can’t try and sneak a close pass.

yes, I did do this, that was another thing the man had a problem with, shouting that I "shouldn't be in the middle of the road" (I wasn't, he had loads of space to pass, but chose to do so very closely)

thanks everyone else for the comments, I know I haven't replied to all of them but I really appreciate them. I grew up cycling round a university town so I'm very well versed with bike safety but a pp made a good point about how lights have got a lot better and more options available now, so drivers are used to seeing people more lit up. Also I wasn't aware of reflective jackets being better option than hi vis.

The dc do enjoy cycling and much prefer it to scooting and walking so I'm loathe to give it up. The issue on Thursdays is that they go to school normal time in the mornings but go to ASC so we could just cycle in the morning and drive later but then bikes would be left there overnight. It has become really difficult to drive and park at school now at normal drop off and pick up times. Our route home is very popular with runners and dog walkers using the pavement who really are not visible in the dark which is another reason we were on the road. Not making excuses just explaining the logic behind my decisions. The dc also found it too cold last night too so that and needing better lights etc will mean we will take a temporary or permanent break from cycling in the dark. If we ever go back to it we will end up being lit up like a Christmas tree on the pavement. 🎄

Sidebeforeself - something spooked him? More like he's a massive bully who doesn't want to share road space with anything other than a car, and he probably shouts at them as well

There’s a family near me, dad and two small primary age kids who cycle in the dark on the roads. The children are on small kids bikes and while they have the visvest and lights on, bigger cars wouldn’t see them clearly as they’re so low in the road.

I fully support cycling and used to do so exclusively before getting sick but in the dark get the kids on the pavement or just walk because its hard enough to see an adult with all the gear on, especially with the ridiculous LED lights on oncoming cars blinding drivers, let alone seeing small kids whose heads barely pop up above the bonnet.

It’s very virtuous cycling in all conditions but the safety of the rider, particularly kids, is far greater than making an environmental point in subzero conditions in the dark.

Too low on the road? And there's me thinking car drivers can see all the road

I've read 2 pages and can't be asked reading anymore from people telling the OP to not cycle. Driver was a twat. A scum. A bad driver too.
Amazing for you to be cycling with kids. Very impressive. Get brighter lights or whatever you need and carry on. We need more cyclists on the road, not fewer.

I was wearing a high vis gilet over my winter coat and I find that when I wear high vis, I get close passed and get shouted

I'm a pedestrian and get wisecracks and people shouting when I wear high viz gilet over my coat. Just not popular. Still, I'd sooner be seen although the comments etc. are profoundly irritating.

hes trashing probably if he had those stupid LEDs he blocked out everything else or probably was on his phone.

nothing wrong with cycling and everyone does round here to and from school as well as after school

He was in the wrong, lots of drivers are blind to bike lights, yellow hi-viz. I would also recommend ProViz, they make highly reflective jackets for adults and children. I have one to cycle as my arms are visible for signaling, they are pricey but well worth it in my opinion.

He picked on you cause you're a woman with DC on the road.
You didn't do anything wrong.

I regularly stop and tell cyclists that they are not visible enough, usually boys/young men, I speak politely, and it is usually accepted in the way it was intended. The worst situation is dusk, on tree lined roads. Perhaps your lights are not bright enough, the modern ones are usually very bright and rechargeable.

You probably had a very close shave which you were completely oblivious to.

It obviously scared the life out of him, hence his angry reaction.

NEVER a good idea to ride a bike in the dark on a frosty winter night.

He is a cock. If you weren't visible he could have told you politely, especially as you have children with you and as you were clearly making an effort with lights and hi-vis vests! I bet you were visible but he just wanted to start on someone to make him feel like the big man. What a wanker. Try to forget about him, hopefully you won't come across him again. Maybe get a helmet cam so you can record him next time (just in case).

If it's foggy, then yeah, I get your point. But just a cold winter night?? Then what's the issue. I live in London so everywhere is pretty well lit, so maybe if you're cycling out in the countryside it could be different.

OP, the driver was a dickhead. Theres no way he wouldve missed seen you AND your dc if he'd been looking.

My only scary moment with a cyclist when driving was a c6clist whose rear light was covered by his black jacket... at night, no streetlights, nsl road.

I have 4 rear lights. One on my helmet, one on my rucksack, one on the back of my saddle bag and one on the angled rear stay on the right side. Two steady lights and two flashing ones.

I can’t have one on the seat post as my saddle isn’t high enough for a light here to be visible

you need a few. The combo of flashing and steady also helps.

Icy roads massively increase the chances of a car being unable to brake in time. You might have more traffic meaning less ice in London, but in the provinces, it's dangerous.