MANNERS

tardington

Generally other are cyclists are nice!

I was heading up the road the other morning, and overtook some guy who was weaving in and out of the traffic and shooting through pedestrian crossing red lights... 2 mins later he cuts right in front of me at red light and shouts at me for going through a junction 'wrong' or something. As I was wobbling from him almost hitting me I asked what he said. He replied the same but shouting. I just stared at him till he cycled off.

Coming down the road the other night, I am stopped at a red light. A different bloke cuts in front of me, then speeds off. Now I am reasonably fit, so I just overtook him about a minute later. He overtakes me again by whizzing through a pedestrian crossing red light, scattering the pedestrians!

:evil:

artaxerxes

Is this in Eritrea?

dondare

The current economic climate is encouraging people to switch to cycling in order to save on petrol or fares.
When you see how they used to behave behind the wheel of a car or when fighting for a seat on public transport you can understand why they think they can cycle in the same way.

artaxerxes

I don't think it is due to the recessions, there have always been and always will be a**holes, whether cyclist, motorist or pedestrian. Some days you are lucky and don't come across any, other days you are not so lucky

tardington

Heh! Actually it's Edinburgh but I signed up on the old cyclingplus board and make a wee mistake and don't seem to be able to fix it!

Actually the first guy I've seen commuting for a while - not seen him for ages though. Maybe he was just in a bad mood!

The second guy was tubby though so probably a new guy!

glebrus

I usually go through pedestrian red light (yielding way to pedestrians of course) after filtering between standing vehicles. I do not think I create major problems to anyone.
I may upset motorists that have to wait for the green light, but then I don't need to inhale their emissions as they start and accelerate all together after the light changes.

I mean they could be less ... could emit less poison as they go. I don't want to wait then start together with them and breathe exhaust gas for just high principles. I respect pedestrians and ride carefully when crossing on red. Then I have some half minute to ride away from the crossing through relatively clean air and free street.

Do you think I'm very wrong?

[Edited, I don't want to offend motorists by calling them all a***holes. That would be wrong indeed.]

ellieb

glebrus wrote:

Do you think I'm very wrong?

yes

glebrus

ellieb wrote:

glebrus wrote:

Do you think I'm very wrong?

yes

I know I am, but the air quality situation overweights each time. :oops:
And, technically, being a non-motorized vehicle, I have the right to be in the pedestrian crossing with a bicycle. I should be walking not riding it, but that's a minor offence.
The only problem is that car drivers are so unhappy... some even try to overtake me later on.

artaxerxes

I love the smell of gasoline in the morning....it smells like victory.

I'll get my coat.

hisoka

I was cycling on a ride canal towpath once. Wide enough that 4 people can walk down it easily.
I saw a couple of cyclist ahead of me, seemed to be a couple riding one behind the other. I wasn't going that fast but much faster then they were. So I rang my bell and said excuse me politely. The lady at the back moved over out of my way, and it looked like the guy in front did to. It all seemed fine. So I started to overtake, I was on the water side at this point which wasn't a problem as people cycle down there on whatever side takes their fancy anyway. So was going past, not too fast but fast enough to get past. The guy then starts to swerve into me, so I decide rather then slamming on brakes and getting the lady run into me from behind to push hard and get past as soon as possible, shouting "woh" as I do so as nearly plunging into the water (ended up with my left foot on the pedal actually being over the water with this).
I carried on cycling, thinking the guy just had a trouble with his balance and wanting to get on anyway. A minute or two later I hear shouting behind me and whirring of wheels. I stop for a moment and he comes racing up shouting at me that "the path is a one way path". One way? so I was wrong for going the same way as him on it? I ride that path everyday, it is a path open to cycles (have checked with the police before to make sure) and it is fine two ways to go along. I point that out and he goes "you shouldn't pass, you can't go that fast on it as you are speeding, I'll tell the police and get you arrested". What the hell he was going on about I don't know, but at this point he takes the earphones out. I point out that I had rang my bell, and said excuse me. That his riding partner had heard me and moved and I believe that he had done too as he had gone to the side. I said I didn't know he hadn't heard me due to listening to music and perhaps he shouldn't while he rides. "I don't listen to music, I have these in to keep my ears warm." They were the insert type earphones, and it was the middle of a warm summer day so I didn't get what the hell he was on about. Then he just dismissed me and said "you can go on, don't do it again.".
What the feck was he on about I don't know, but I do ride more carefully there now mostly to try and avoid problems as I was shaken up nearly taking a canal dive.

always_tyred

It was his wife's fault for letting him off the lead.

hisoka

Always Tyred wrote:

It was his wife's fault for letting him off the lead.

I think I might well agree there. hehe.
Only other trouble I ever have along that towpath is other cyclists who ride right in the middle and then aim straight at you, WHEREVER you go on they path they aim at you. I think it is accidental mostly but somedays it can make you worry that you are going to do a remake of duel with two wheeled only.

gtvlusso

I guess this comes back to the git that queue jumps at lights and then is fecking slow.....

ride_whenever

I regularly coach from the towpath here in oxford, and I've a a number of near misses. In fact a few weeks ago an iped stepped across me and i ended swerving into the river! Ped didn't even notice...

It's just part and parcel of being on a towpath. If you want to see something really funny watch some of the busy races we do, lots of spectators watching and coaches cycling alongside crews not watching where they're going... It gets pretty interesting at times.

always_tyred

ride_whenever wrote:

I regularly coach from the towpath here in oxford, and I've a a number of near misses. In fact a few weeks ago an iped stepped across me and i ended swerving into the river! Ped didn't even notice...

It's just part and parcel of being on a towpath. If you want to see something really funny watch some of the busy races we do, lots of spectators watching and coaches cycling alongside crews not watching where they're going... It gets pretty interesting at times.

Are those the races where the boats set out to intentionally collide with each other?

Its almost as stupid as deliberately jumping off a bridge into shallow water to celebrate the start of summer.