Shouting at RLJers Part 2

hoolio

I don't have any respect for the car driver who side swiped me yesterday ensuring that I spent the morning in hospital.
On the other hand if they'd had greater respect for cyclists they might not have hit me.

Paulie W

I believe that if all cyclists followed the rules of the road then other road users would have a different attitude to cyclists and that in all likelihood cycling on the roads would be safer. I don’t have any evidence for this except my own experience.

I think a lot of cyclists (and not just cyclists) see the roads as a battleground where normal rules don’t apply and where vehicles and pedestrians (and often other bikes) are the enemy and the name of the game is getting from A to B as quickly as possible preferably in one piece. I can understand this, particularly somewhere like London. To my mind, however, this creates an us and them attitude and RLJing is just one of a number of things which emphasises that divide.

Headhuunter

Paulie W wrote:

I believe that if all cyclists followed the rules of the road then other road users would have a different attitude to cyclists and that in all likelihood cycling on the roads would be safer. I don’t have any evidence for this except my own experience.

I think a lot of cyclists (and not just cyclists) see the roads as a battleground where normal rules don’t apply and where vehicles and pedestrians (and often other bikes) are the enemy and the name of the game is getting from A to B as quickly as possible preferably in one piece. I can understand this, particularly somewhere like London. To my mind, however, this creates an us and them attitude and RLJing is just one of a number of things which emphasises that divide.

I don't feel it's us and them, most motorists are perfectly pleasant, even in London but I don't feel the need to behave just because motorists are watching. Even idiot peds who walk out withuot looking are hardly blameless. Perhaps I would feel more like diong so if motorists had angelic halos of perfection hovering over their vehicles. Two wrongs don't make a right but I don't feel I am coming from a position whereby I have to earn my rights to the road from the "dominant" motorist.

symo

RLJing is for those that cant keep up with me.