Today's commute made me realize that we have no chance...

FyPunK

To change the mindless morons sat in their tin cans.
I have a meeting tonight and I have had to commute by car :shock: along the way I came across one of the many cyclist that I come across in the mornings, as the road narrows and he is front I slow right down to allow him the room to carry on, it's only for about three hundreds or so before we get to a traffic light junction and back to a wider road, behind me sits a moron who starts banging his horn because I have not overtaken the cyclist who is maintaining a steady 22mph. What chance have we got to change the mind set of these people?

andy83

none at all

however i have noticed when i am in the car with people who know i cycle they are VERY careful overtaking cyclists, so at least people who know me have learnt a little

i do love the people who shout, get off my roads when im cycling

Feltup

Well done on protecting said cyclist against the moron behind you.

itboffin

I think I might have the solution to this any many of our visibility problems.

Lycra shorts & jerseys in flesh tones, it would be the cycling version of fake boobs but more so, I can't think of a single driver who would slow down to look at what they thought was a naked cyclists, just think what fun you could have by mixing gender kit, oh the confusion!!!

No really I've been looking for a company that will print such a design.

Just think of the room you'd get on the train :shock:

c12345

I've got a theory.

Cars are such sheep, that if a car overtakes nicely (even speed, safe, plenty of distance, indicating etc), the car behind it also tends to do likewise. If a car overtakes dangerously, it seems quite common for 2 or 3 more cars to squeeze through at increasing speed into a decreasing gap?

My theory is that the better drivers tend to obey speed limits, and drive according to conditions, and how far ahead they can see. The good drivers tend to be at the front of rolling traffic queues, hence encourage good behaviour by example to those following them. Therefore, the more cars on the road, the better behaved motorists will become.

... Obviously this only applies to ideal roads in the absence of impatience or idiots, but it gives me hope.

Kieran_Burns

Haven't you ever seen the immediate knock on effect of courtesy on the road?

Let someone out of junction, or give them room to pull out into your lane, or give them a thanks for similar. Watch what they do next; as like as not they will extend a courtesy to the next person.

Likewise, when someone gets cut up or ignored or generally p*ssed on by someone else, THEY will take out their ire on the next person

Actions and consequences - it's like a mantra to me.

If we all extend a little courtesy at all times, then it is likely it will be passed on. If we face a discourteous act, let it go and make sure you are nice to the next person.

Rich158

itboffin wrote:

I think I might have the solution to this any many of our visibility problems.

Lycra shorts & jerseys in flesh tones, it would be the cycling version of fake boobs but more so, I can't think of a single driver who would slow down to look at what they thought was a naked cyclists, just think what fun you could have by mixing gender kit, oh the confusion!!!

No really I've been looking for a company that will print such a design.

Just think of the room you'd get on the train :shock:

DDD might just explode if he saw that

Kieran_Burns

itboffin wrote:

I think I might have the solution to this any many of our visibility problems.

Lycra shorts & jerseys in flesh tones, it would be the cycling version of fake boobs but more so, I can't think of a single driver who would slow down to look at what they thought was a naked cyclists, just think what fun you could have by mixing gender kit, oh the confusion!!!

No really I've been looking for a company that will print such a design.

Just think of the room you'd get on the train :shock:

So let me see if I understand this...

You've been looking into buying tight clothing that can make you look like a woman so you can get people to stare at you when you're cycling.

Ooookkkkkaaayyyyy..... 8)

At weekends - do you have a *cough* different name?



Actually I've been running this idea around my head and can imagine the uproar if you wore something that.... 'impersonated'... hairy bits.

always_tyred

The driver behind you was likely a keen cyclist.

benborp

merkin

downfader

benborp wrote:

merkin

Wasnt he the wizard in LOTRs? Or King Arther's mate

cee

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Haven't you ever seen the immediate knock on effect of courtesy on the road?

Let someone out of junction, or give them room to pull out into your lane, or give them a thanks for similar. Watch what they do next; as like as not they will extend a courtesy to the next person.

Likewise, when someone gets cut up or ignored or generally p*ssed on by someone else, THEY will take out their ire on the next person

Actions and consequences - it's like a mantra to me.

If we all extend a little courtesy at all times, then it is likely it will be passed on. If we face a discourteous act, let it go and make sure you are nice to the next person.

I agree.....my theory is...if everyone let just one person out, there would no gridlock anywhere.

vorsprung

FyPunK wrote:

To change the mindless morons sat in their tin cans.
I have a meeting tonight and I have had to commute by car :shock: along the way I came across one of the many cyclist that I come across in the mornings, as the road narrows and he is front I slow right down to allow him the room to carry on, it's only for about three hundreds or so before we get to a traffic light junction and back to a wider road, behind me sits a moron who starts banging his horn because I have not overtaken the cyclist who is maintaining a steady 22mph. What chance have we got to change the mind set of these people?

I would probably just ignore the cock in the car behind. It is unlikley that he is in a hurry so he can save the world from space aliens. If I was in a particularly bad mood I might be tempted to drop my speed even lower than 22mph

JonS123

I often get this on a stretch of road where it forks into 2, major road carries on to the right, but majority of the traffic will take the fork to the left. Cars often overtake then brake suddenly to go left, or sit behind me revving their engines waiting for me to carry on and goto the right, even though im at 20mph+ Luckally only had one accident were a estate did the overtake and move to the left manoeuvre, while lady in her little cleo pulled out from the fork... she hit me side on so did give her a nice me sized dent in her bonnet

avoidingmyphd

Kieran_Burns wrote:

itboffin wrote:

I think I might have the solution to this any many of our visibility problems.

Lycra shorts & jerseys in flesh tones, it would be the cycling version of fake boobs but more so, I can't think of a single driver who would slow down to look at what they thought was a naked cyclists, just think what fun you could have by mixing gender kit, oh the confusion!!!

No really I've been looking for a company that will print such a design.

Just think of the room you'd get on the train :shock:

So let me see if I understand this...

You've been looking into buying tight clothing that can make you look like a woman so you can get people to stare at you when you're cycling.

Ooookkkkkaaayyyyy..... 8)

At weekends - do you have a *cough* different name?



Actually I've been running this idea around my head and can imagine the uproar if you wore something that.... 'impersonated'... hairy bits.

could you get them to do tights that looked like hairy legs for roadies?

downfader

JonS123 wrote:

I often get this on a stretch of road where it forks into 2, major road carries on to the right, but majority of the traffic will take the fork to the left. Cars often overtake then brake suddenly to go left, or sit behind me revving their engines waiting for me to carry on and goto the right, even though im at 20mph+ Luckally only had one accident were a estate did the overtake and move to the left manoeuvre, while lady in her little cleo pulled out from the fork... she hit me side on so did give her a nice me sized dent in her bonnet

I think we cycle-commuters should carry water baloons full of red paint fixed to our bodies. So when/if we are hit it splatters all over the damn car. :twisted: Then EVERYONE will know how bad a driver they are. :twisted:

always_tyred

downfader wrote:

JonS123 wrote:

I often get this on a stretch of road where it forks into 2, major road carries on to the right, but majority of the traffic will take the fork to the left. Cars often overtake then brake suddenly to go left, or sit behind me revving their engines waiting for me to carry on and goto the right, even though im at 20mph+ Luckally only had one accident were a estate did the overtake and move to the left manoeuvre, while lady in her little cleo pulled out from the fork... she hit me side on so did give her a nice me sized dent in her bonnet

I think we cycle-commuters should carry water baloons full of red paint fixed to our bodies. So when/if we are hit it splatters all over the damn car. :twisted: Then EVERYONE will know how bad a driver they are. :twisted:

Tempting.
Ink in water bottle might do as well.

Kieran_Burns

You could have a variant on the skeleton top.

Have it showing internal organs - or make you look like road kill - now THAT would get peoples attention! :twisted:

CiB

vorsprung wrote:

I would probably just ignore the cock in the car behind. It is unlikley that he is in a hurry so he can save the world from space aliens. If I was in a particularly bad mood I might be tempted to drop my speed even lower than 22mph

Please don't. I had some old boy do this to me last week - he was doing way below the speed limit anyway (NSL, clearish A roads, out in the country), he knew I wanted to get past and gradually dropped down to 25mph clearly doing his best to slow me down to a speed he thought I should drive at on the open road. Eventually it was safe and I passed him and got on my way. Why? Because I'm some nutter who can't bear to be held up in the car and demand to drive everywhere at or about NSL? No. I'd had word at work that one of my kids' 'poorly tummy' had turned out to be appendicitis and he'd had it whipped out that afternoon, and the other boy was still being looked after at school well after chucking out time and needed collecting.

Not everyone who wants to pass a slower car is a madman. Some might even have a reasonable reason for wanting to move on at a reasonable speed within the legal limits. It's not yours or anyone else's job to decide that you won't allow another driver to do that. And regardless of all that, if he is a nutter, he can have his crash in someone else's boot not yours.

</done>

always_tyred

Kieran_Burns wrote:

You could have a variant on the skeleton top.

Have it showing internal organs - or make you look like road kill - now THAT would get peoples attention! :twisted:

You wouldn't see me dead in this.


you may, however, see me cycling in it.

vorsprung

ChrisInBicester wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

I would probably just ignore the cock in the car behind. It is unlikley that he is in a hurry so he can save the world from space aliens. If I was in a particularly bad mood I might be tempted to drop my speed even lower than 22mph

Please don't. I had some old boy do this to me last week ...

The specific example was

1) you are following a bike doing 22mph
2) you have 300 metres to a point where the road gets wider
3) it is not possible to overtake the bike at a safe passing distance

Old people being poor drivers has no bearing on this!

downfader

ChrisInBicester wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

I would probably just ignore the cock in the car behind. It is unlikley that he is in a hurry so he can save the world from space aliens. If I was in a particularly bad mood I might be tempted to drop my speed even lower than 22mph

Please don't. I had some old boy do this to me last week - he was doing way below the speed limit anyway (NSL, clearish A roads, out in the country), he knew I wanted to get past and gradually dropped down to 25mph clearly doing his best to slow me down to a speed he thought I should drive at on the open road. Eventually it was safe and I passed him and got on my way. Why? Because I'm some nutter who can't bear to be held up in the car and demand to drive everywhere at or about NSL? No. I'd had word at work that one of my kids' 'poorly tummy' had turned out to be appendicitis and he'd had it whipped out that afternoon, and the other boy was still being looked after at school well after chucking out time and needed collecting.

Not everyone who wants to pass a slower car is a madman. Some might even have a reasonable reason for wanting to move on at a reasonable speed within the legal limits. It's not yours or anyone else's job to decide that you won't allow another driver to do that. And regardless of all that, if he is a nutter, he can have his crash in someone else's boot not yours.

</done>

Still, a horn is not a siren and doesnt tell people what the matter exactly is. :?