"Use the cycle path"

graeme_s-2

This morning as I was making a right turn off the Kenilworth Rd in Coventry, some moron decided to yell "USE THE CYCLE PAAAAAAF" while leaning out of his open window as he passed me. My well thought out and reasonable response was to scream "F**K YOU!" as loud as I possibly could back at him, which I'm now quite embarrassed about :oops: . He probably didn't hear me anyway, and anyone else in earshot probably decided I must be a crazy person. It was such an instant response I even surprised myself. I went from zero to blood boiling with rage in a nanosecond.

The thing that's most annoying is it's a particularly crap cycle lane (actually featured in the "Crap Cycle Lanes" book), and it would have been incredibly difficult for me to make the right turn I was making from the cycle lane, as there's always traffic coming into and out of that road.

The other thing that really annoys me, is my journey this morning was affected by the 200 odd drivers who insist on milling aimlessly about in front of the traffic lights where the Kenilworth Rd reaches the A45. I didn't start screaming "go via Hearsall Common so you're not in my way" at them as I passed them all did I?

DavidTQ

Graeme_S wrote:

This morning as I was making a right turn off the Kenilworth Rd in Coventry, some moron decided to yell "USE THE CYCLE PAAAAAAF" while leaning out of his open window as he passed me. My well thought out and reasonable response was to scream "F**K YOU!" as loud as I possibly could back at him, which I'm now quite embarrassed about :oops: . He probably didn't hear me anyway, and anyone else in earshot probably decided I must be a crazy person. It was such an instant response I even surprised myself. I went from zero to blood boiling with rage in a nanosecond.

The thing that's most annoying is it's a particularly crap cycle lane (actually featured in the "Crap Cycle Lanes" book), and it would have been incredibly difficult for me to make the right turn I was making from the cycle lane, as there's always traffic coming into and out of that road.

The other thing that really annoys me, is my journey this morning was affected by the 200 odd drivers who insist on milling aimlessly about in front of the traffic lights where the Kenilworth Rd reaches the A45. I didn't start screaming "go via Hearsall Common so you're not in my way" at them as I passed them all did I?

The driver has insufficient knowledge of the highway code to be using the road at all. Perhaps the more appropriate response would have been "read your highway code"

hamboman

What a bell end. Why is it that when you put people into a vehicle they think it's OK to heckle people. Would they walk along the street doing it? (actually an ignoramus like that guy probably would!)

DavidTQ

Just to make things clear here :-

63
Cycle Lanes. These are marked by a white line (which may be broken) along the carriageway (see Rule 140). Keep within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check before pulling out that it is safe to do so and signal your intention clearly to other road users. Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

74
On the right. If you are turning right, check the traffic to ensure it is safe, then signal and move to the centre of the road. Wait until there is a safe gap in the oncoming traffic and give a final look before completing the turn. It may be safer to wait on the left until there is a safe gap or to dismount and push your cycle across the road.

From what Im reading here your cycling is textbook highway code stuff and completely in keeping with cycle craft. The driver on the other hand is a TWAT

Random Vince

Graeme_S wrote:

This morning as I was making a right turn off the Kenilworth Rd in Coventry, some moron decided to yell "USE THE CYCLE PAAAAAAF" while leaning out of his open window as he passed me. My well thought out and reasonable response was to scream "F**K YOU!" as loud as I possibly could back at him, which I'm now quite embarrassed about :oops: . He probably didn't hear me anyway, and anyone else in earshot probably decided I must be a crazy person. It was such an instant response I even surprised myself. I went from zero to blood boiling with rage in a nanosecond.

The thing that's most annoying is it's a particularly crap cycle lane (actually featured in the "Crap Cycle Lanes" book), and it would have been incredibly difficult for me to make the right turn I was making from the cycle lane, as there's always traffic coming into and out of that road.

The other thing that really annoys me, is my journey this morning was affected by the 200 odd drivers who insist on milling aimlessly about in front of the traffic lights where the Kenilworth Rd reaches the A45. I didn't start screaming "go via Hearsall Common so you're not in my way" at them as I passed them all did I?

turning onto gibbet hill road?

yeh, getting to that cycle lane is interesting,

i've done it once, the only way that seemed sensible, a 20mph dash across oncoming traffic, never since (don't see the point, not due to my suicide dash for it)

that cycle lane is there for uni students pootleing to and from campus on scrap bikes (what i'd call pub bikes) that they don't mind being nicked.

a right turn onto the A45 from the kennelworth road (heading out of coventry) is one of my favorite manouvers, a nice wide corner where car's daren't overtake me as they're all thinking "what the heck is he doing at that speed?"

graeme_s-2

Random Vince wrote:

turning onto gibbet hill road?

Nah - Cannon Hill Rd. I used to go up Gibbet Hill every morning, then I wanted an easier route for a couple of days before my first triathlon, so ditched the hill for cutting through Cannon Park - due to my inherent laziness I haven't been up Gibbet Hill since :oops:

That cycle lane is absolutely crap. Between bins, dead leaves, off camber drive ways and bus stops it's next to useless, but even if they fixed all that, I still wouldn't use it, as it's a total pain in the arse to cross the A45 or get on and off it.

graeme_s-2

DavidTQ wrote:

The driver has insufficient knowledge of the highway code to be using the road at all. Perhaps the more appropriate response would have been "read your highway code"

You never think of the right thing to say until half an hour later do you?

I don't think I'd have found it quite as annoying if I'd actually had the opportunity to discuss it with him, and I could have explained just how useless that cycle lane is.

As Hamboman said, you wouldn't just walk down the street yelling at people, so why do people feel it's acceptable once they get in their cars?

Babbsy

I have a preprogrammed response to things like this- "use the motorway". As you say the culprit probably won't hear you or even care but it sounds better than expletives, particularly if tehre are others within ear shot.

DavidTQ

Graeme_S wrote:

DavidTQ wrote:

The driver has insufficient knowledge of the highway code to be using the road at all. Perhaps the more appropriate response would have been "read your highway code"

You never think of the right thing to say until half an hour later do you?

I don't think I'd have found it quite as annoying if I'd actually had the opportunity to discuss it with him, and I could have explained just how useless that cycle lane is.

As Hamboman said, you wouldn't just walk down the street yelling at people, so why do people feel it's acceptable once they get in their cars?

I know exactly what you mean about thinking of the right thing to say later, but trust me you dont feel any better when you do catch them and explain, they are first class fools who cant grasp the highway code or law if you spoon fed it to them. Actually talking to them would make you angrier than their actions... Getting a twat like that shout something makes you angry for a day or two, actually meeting them and discussing it with them and hearing just how deep their lack of knowledge and piss poor attitude goes you carry the anger for longer... Best to let it go

patchy

Graeme_S wrote:

DavidTQ wrote:

The driver has insufficient knowledge of the highway code to be using the road at all. Perhaps the more appropriate response would have been "read your highway code"

You never think of the right thing to say until half an hour later do you?

the french have a word for it - it's called 'esprit d'escalier' - the spirit of the stairway. Presumably based on the fact you think of all the really good things you should have as you're on the way down the stairs out the door...

BentMikey

Ooh, that sucks mate!! "Use the motorway" is a great response, or in a strong accent "Naaawww, YOU is de cycle lane".

orienteer

"Use the bus!"

Bassjunkieuk

I had a similiar experience to this whilst out for a ride on Sunday morning!
I'm working on a site I've only been to twice before (both times driven my a friend) so I wanted to get an idea of the route I hoped to take!

In this particular instance I was heading down a marked cycle route (route 74 I think, heading from Surbiton towards Colliers Wood) that had these awful little built out pavement sections to narrow the road down every time we went past a traffic island! There was a cycle provision down the pavement side of these, which basically amounted to a 12-18" wide "gutter" filled up with crap!

I was riding down the road in primary as there are parked cars and it's a residential street. The first tw@t seemed to think his time was so important he went round the wrong side of the traffic island to get past me. The second person came up behind me, tooted (which made me jump and wooble a bit) then sped past pointing towards the edge of the road, obviously indicating to use the cycle lane! I reacted and just stuck 2 fingers up! I think the worse part was the person who tooted me was an old lady - not the typical road rager!!

nwallace

The problem with the motorway retort is that usually there isn't one for the journey being done. THe only time i've been informed there is a cycle lane was when on the road between St Andrews and Guardbridge, a local informed me about it, I did mean to tell him that the reason i wasn't using it (it is a rather good one (especially now all the gates are gone), faster surface than the road :evil: ) (it was the first time i had been on that bike in traffic or for that matter ridden on 700s) unfortunately it translated in to "It's shite"

I found in an old AA handbook a suggestion that on approaching a cyclist, to give a polite toot of the horn, to let them know you are there. But to be careful about the use of this advice as they may have an accident should they get a surprise.

Piezo electric and air horns have kind of made polite toots impossible.

My one and only reason for wanting to own an Austin 7 is because they pre-date the banning of Kalxons!

Haaa--Wooo-Gaahhh

Hairy Jock

Graeme_S wrote:

This morning as I was making a right turn off the Kenilworth Rd in Coventry, some moron decided to yell "USE THE CYCLE PAAAAAAF" while leaning out of his open window as he passed me. My well thought out and reasonable response was to scream "F**K YOU!" as loud as I possibly could back at him, which I'm now quite embarrassed about :oops: . He probably didn't hear me anyway, and anyone else in earshot probably decided I must be a crazy person. It was such an instant response I even surprised myself. I went from zero to blood boiling with rage in a nanosecond.

My reply is normally "Use the bus!!" The morons are best ignored, difficult as that is sometimes.

dondare

Cycle lanes aren't there to be used by cyclists; they're there to encourage motorists to start cycling.
The correct response, therefore, is: "You use it".

graeme_s-2

I had an exact repeat of this incident this morning. Exactly the same road, exactly the same junction, same manoeuvre from me. As the car behind me passed, I heard the driver (with the window wound down) yell "Cycle lane arsehole!". It may have been "Use the cycle lane arsehole", but I only heard the last 3 words.

Having had 6 months to come up with a much more well thought out response, this time I responded by bellowing "F**K YOU!" as loudly as I could again :oops:

Pretty sure that due to the volume of my yell, and him having his window wound all the way down he heard me this time. No idea if it was the same driver or not, as I have absolutely no recollection of what the first car was like.

Was mainly pissed off today as when I pulled into the primary position to make the right turn, there was no one directly behind me, I had to wait briefly for oncoming traffic to pass and then I made my turn. The guy wouldn't have had to wait even a second longer if it had been a car making the turn. He wasn't being held up because I was on a bike, he was being held up because someone wanted to make that right hand turn.

lastwords

I have had 'use the cycle lane' shouted at me several times now on the way to work

I dont use the cycle lane provided as it ends on a turning from a mini roundabout which is always very busy, so i would have to wait for a lull in the traffic to get back onto the road.

It makes me wonder sometimes if there is a policy stating that coucils have to provide cycle paths. So they just paint lines and put signs up on existing pavements to comply with the policy without actually thinking about how the cyclist will use the cyle lane.

I dont ride a road bike but im sure a lot of cycle paths are also have a very unsutable surface for a road bike

linsen

I get beeped at on a weekly basis by people who would rather I wasn't on the road, mostly because I refuse to ride in the gutter. I thought my road rage would go when I got out of the car and onto two wheels but no. These poeple aren't interested in any arguments are they? If I go on the cycle paths round our way I get stung by nettles, risk punctures and stone chips on my bike, and have to frequently yell a cheery "excuse me" to all the dozy pedestrians on my half of the dual use path. Mostly I'm going too fast to belong on those ones, so I'm better off on the road. These are the same drivers who doubtless rant on about road tax for cyclists, are shamefully unfit and don't know how to have fun anymore

ChrisLS

...I always make an effort to ignore people who shout from moving cars...usually you can't hear what they are shouting anyway...also shouting at strangers is a sign of very low intelligence...

Parkey

lastwords wrote:

It makes me wonder sometimes if there is a policy stating that coucils have to provide cycle paths. So they just paint lines and put signs up on existing pavements to comply with the policy without actually thinking about how the cyclist will use the cyle lane.

I don't think it's a case of "have to", more that councils like to boast about having a map with lots of nice green lines on it.

I don't know how on earth, in their world, people who aren't living on one of those green lines are supposed to cope?

boybiker

I did have someone shout at me to use a cycle path and I even managed to have a civilised conversation with him at the next lights about why I didn't use said cycle lane. I didn't even have to punch him so I was quite pleased about that

SmellTheGlove

All purpose retort:

"Does your boyfriend know you're out in his mum's car?"

(Change genders to suit situation)

El Gordo

I've had the same thing shouted at me a few times but once, just once, I caught up with the shouter at some lights a few meters down the road and through her (it was a mum with kids in the back, not a burly bloke in a van) open window said,

'Sorry, what did you say?'
'I said you should get on the cycle path', she repeated
'But it's rubbish' I said 'It's only 100m long, full of pedestrians and goes left whilst I need to go straight on.'
'Oh, sorry' she said, 'I didn't realise'
'No problem' I say, and ride off.

It really was that amicable.

graeme_s-2

I must admit I spent the rest of my commute fantasising about chasing him up the hill to the next set of traffic lights, asking him what he called me and then dragging him out of his car and breaking his driver's side wing mirror off with his face.

In reality had I actually bothered to pursue him I'd probably have changed my mind about confronting him by the time I'd caught him up anyway

jstutters

Happened to me once something like this: cycling along Acton High St when a woman steps out in front of me. I tell her to "mind out" as I swerve to get round her. Her reply is "You should be in a bloody cycle lane". I badly regret not stopping to point out that a) there wasn't a cycle lane and b) that she was standing in the road. :roll:

chuckcork

jstutters wrote:

Happened to me once something like this: cycling along Acton High St when a woman steps out in front of me. I tell her to "mind out" as I swerve to get round her. Her reply is "You should be in a bloody cycle lane". I badly regret not stopping to point out that a) there wasn't a cycle lane and b) that she was standing in the road. :roll:

Get out of the -ing road should do it!

downfader

Cant remember the last time someone shouted about cycle lanes. Did have a guy a few weeks back who leant out his window and shouted about my cycling over the toucan crossing - which is perfectly legal - thats why they have a little cycle-green light

Have had a few occasions of drivers shouting "get on the pavement!" though. Stupid people

sc999cs

jstutters wrote:

Happened to me once something like this: cycling along Acton High St when a woman steps out in front of me. I tell her to "mind out" as I swerve to get round her. Her reply is "You should be in a bloody cycle lane". I badly regret not stopping to point out that a) there wasn't a cycle lane and b) that she was standing in the road. :roll:

Also frustrating when you are on a split pavement cycle path and the pedestrians are on the 'cycle/ side. Am I right in thinking that the law allows cyclists to ride only on the one side, but pedestrians on both?

toshmund

What happened to the old philosophy of keep to the left, as well? Feel like a game of "chicken" sometimes - especially with runners. Also, runners who run in the gutter/in the road towards oncoming traffic, when there is a decent pavement...oh don't get me started on those numpty's :x :?

RSV_Ecosse

DavidTQ wrote:

The driver has insufficient knowledge of the highway code to be using the road at all. Perhaps the more appropriate response would have been "read your highway code"

Sorry, I'm afraid that is incorrect.

The appropriate response in this instance would have been :-

"F**K you and read your highway code"

Most of the cycle lanes around where I live are rubbish.

Full of stones, bits of glass and other road debris. And most of them run for a short distance, then inexplicably stop, then there's a gap, then they begin again.

Totally disrupts your stride, so I just tend to avoid them.

I know its a whole different subject altogether, but I own two cars and a high performance superbike.

I pays me road tax three times over, so I'll bloody well use the road as I see fit and get my money's worth whether I'm sat in/on something with a combustion engine or not!!!. 8)