Have you ever been 'told off' by a cyclist

MattHybrid

I always want to shout at misbehaving cyclists, or kick motorists wing mirrors off, but I never do. Just this morning I had a blonde in a Micra overtake just to pull right in front of me at the red lights. Felt like giving her window a bang, but what's the point really.... that's life and you've just gotta get on with it.

MattHybrid

I nearly ran over a little kid the other day actually. I saw his mum and her other siblings had all ran across the road when the green man was flashing, and he got left behind. I couldn't see him at first as I had a bus on my right at the lights (whom I was undertaking whilst bombing down a hill, oops!) I skidded to a halt about a foot away from him, then helped him onto the curb whilst the mum just stood there... Felt like saying to her 'Walk on green and not inbetween! ...and if your going to do it don't leave your children behind to take the hit!' Instead I just shook my head at her. It's the method of choice for me, and isn't going to get me punched in the face.

2wheelzgood

I'm normally not vocal and don't get shouted at much.. but I was on t'other end of these shenanigans a few weeks ago... 2 cars giving us abuse on the same roundabout...

1) souped up volvo man with windows down etc was not apparently content with the speed my girlfriend moved off onto the roundabout (it's up hill and she often forgets to change to a lower gear but c'mon it's 5 seconds of your life..
So i shouted back.. I cannot recall what he was on about but the distance from bumper to bike of under 1m told me what his issue was.. I gave him choice words to which he countered with equal intelligence!

2) coming off that very roundabout a boyracer type golf slowed behind me and told me to move over... I was towards the centre-left of the left lane in a quiet 2 lane roundabout (from what I saw with a glance over) and the dual carriage way was clear ahead.
I shook my fist (for a while but he didn't see) then motioned for him to come back (silly of me as he may have been big!.. my girlfriend later told me she mistook my gesture as a middle finger too.. thanks god he didn't ad stop because of it!)

He did stop in a layby and I was forced to hurry up the hill to meet him, I stayed no the bike in case of a quick departure and force him out (genius I am). SO he explains we forced HIM into the other lane.
I said maybe but I'm using the road, we rode in front of his nose coming round his entrance to the roundabout so he MUST'VE seen us.. surely...(hmm)
Anyway I pointed out the road to his right was clear so no problem ( I know I looked behind whilst he was being angry and focussing his gaze at us). He was having none of it so I just gave up... and failed to point out that I'm a motorised road user with the IAM pass certificate in motorbikes and have brains even though I was on a cycle at the time.


Later on that ride, we had so many patient cars on tiny lanes willing to give us space and stick behind for ages.. what s with all the shouting.. it only happens in built up areas.

CarKiller

but more concerned with just getting from A to B as quickly as possible no matter the cost.

Pretty much the definition of antisocial I would have thought.

I agree with.. erm whoever it was, I generally say "It's people like you who make these fuckers"... at which point I indicate the motor vehicles... "think they can kill us".

always_tyred

chewa wrote:

I stopped RLJ'ing at the only light I jumped (well leaving the redlight early - cyclepath at Haymarket if anyone knows Edinburgh), because another cyclist said "I know why you do it, but the blokes in cars don't"

Did get passed by a roadie the other day - on the Forth Bridge no other cycles or peds about, passed me with an inch to spare obviously making a point. I caught him on the climb to the petrol station and said "You a taxi driver?" he said "no, why" and I said "usually it's only taxi drivers who are stupid enough to pass that close"

He mumbled a sorry and went on his way. Passed me the next day - if he's been any further over hed have needed a boat.

That's a hell of a commute!

chewa

Always Tyred wrote:

chewa wrote:

I stopped RLJ'ing at the only light I jumped (well leaving the redlight early - cyclepath at Haymarket if anyone knows Edinburgh), because another cyclist said "I know why you do it, but the blokes in cars don't"

Did get passed by a roadie the other day - on the Forth Bridge no other cycles or peds about, passed me with an inch to spare obviously making a point. I caught him on the climb to the petrol station and said "You a taxi driver?" he said "no, why" and I said "usually it's only taxi drivers who are stupid enough to pass that close"

He mumbled a sorry and went on his way. Passed me the next day - if he's been any further over hed have needed a boat.

That's a hell of a commute!

13 miles door to door. Nice in the summer, can be a wee bit windy in the winter!

martinwilly

I always talk to badly behaved cyclists if I get a chance. I normally say "that's whay motorists hate us you know" or summat.

Always try to be super-friendly in the hope that I might actually persuade them I'm right.

Think I'll try screaming "red light" in the future if I don't think I'm going to catch the plonker up later.

I'm a goody goody.

M

urban_winter

What's up with you all? Shouting abuse at other people, doesn't matter whether cyclists, motorists or peds, is just bad manners. It's also somewhere between utterly pointless and hazardous.

If someone has just ploughed through a load of peds after jumping a red light then a polite bit of feedback (although probably still pointless) is as far as it makes sense to go. "Hi. I think that what you did was dangerous. What do you think?" Who knows, maybe you will make them think about it.

It's also good to remember that we are all sometimes victims of our own poor judgement. This doesn't make us bad people (or worthy of shouts of "W*nker!") - it makes us human.

If I shout (which I do many times a week) it's restricted to "Bike!" and is my alternative to horn or bell (and is slightly more polite and less confrontational that my previous "Oi!".

U.

always_tyred

urban_winter wrote:

What's up with you all? Shouting abuse at other people, doesn't matter whether cyclists, motorists or peds, is just bad manners. It's also somewhere between utterly pointless and hazardous.

If someone has just ploughed through a load of peds after jumping a red light then a polite bit of feedback (although probably still pointless) is as far as it makes sense to go. "Hi. I think that what you did was dangerous. What do you think?" Who knows, maybe you will make them think about it.

It's also good to remember that we are all sometimes victims of our own poor judgement. This doesn't make us bad people (or worthy of shouts of "W*nker!") - it makes us human.

If I shout (which I do many times a week) it's restricted to "Bike!" and is my alternative to horn or bell (and is slightly more polite and less confrontational that my previous "Oi!".

U.

I find that a number of scared expletives are out of my mouth before even thinking about my manners when a car gets too close, or I have to make a Jesus move to avoid someone.

I simply don't have enough wits about me to say, "Excuse me young Mr. Chumley-Warner, but the positioning of your Nova was rather proximal to my push bicycle as you were proceeding towards the loval village grocer's. Could you consider a slight modification of your future driving and take care around the village green area?"