Hardening attitudes

jjojjas

It's pretty same ol' same ol' here in Newcastle / Gateshead area. Traffics not as bad as "down your end" and the cyclists still are infrequent enough to nod at every other passing cyclist.

Jas

bradford

Headhuunter wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

chillax 8)

You obviously don't ride in London!

You don't ride in Southampton!!!!

tjwood

bradford wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

chillax 8)

You obviously don't ride in London!

You don't ride in Southampton!!!!

I do... though not sure what that's supposed to mean?

Since the schools went back drivers are more grumpy. When I used to drive to work every day, I found driving during school holidays was fine, but as soon as the schools went back "the traffic" became a nightmare. This makes everyone grumpy. Drivers are angry at each other as well as at cyclists, just cylists might notice the anger more. I blame the parents... ;-)

I had to drive to work a couple of days in the last couple of weeks for one reason or another. After cycling regularly I noticed quite how much I actually hate driving to work, whereas cycling is still a lot of fun. This knowledge makes me feel all smug whenever I see angry drivers on the way to work...

I've noticed thought that on days when the weather is truly awful, cyclists get a lot more respect from drivers. So perhaps as we get in to winter it will get better?

bradford

I mean that riding in southampton is becoming dangerous!Read Sick of Abuse.

TiNuts

Headhuunter wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

chillax 8)

You obviously don't ride in London!

+1

It seems to be getting worse. I've had an increase in drivers passing way too close and just being plain aggressive. I'm sure that, in the increasingly fading evening light, they think they can get away with it even more so than usual!

It still amazes me that, given the miles of traffic queues I bypass every morning, so many people still choose to waste their time sitting in them. I cycle to work because there is no other way I can do the distance any quicker. Perhaps the car drivers are secretly jealous.....

Aguila

A small increase in incidents here too. One totally unprovoked one with man screaming out his passenger window at me, not had that for a while.

smoothhound

Headhuunter wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

chillax 8)

You obviously don't ride in London!

I must admit the whole "London is the scariest commute" thing perplexes me a bit, I've cycle commuted in lot's of places over the years and I feel safest in London, I think it's the whole safety in numbers thing, in London traffic is more used to fast assertive cyclists and bike shaped traffic at least registers with motorists.

I'm much more wary in Aylesbury (which is a 'Cycling demonstration town' or summat but that absurdity is a whole other thread ) where I also regularly commute at the moment because I confuse and frustrate drivers by taking the primary and seem to be invisible making right turns at roundabouts. I find much less of these sorts of problems in London

Just my 2c

The Running Man

Mine is a country commute apart from the last 5 miles or so which is on the A4. I have to say that my biggest worries are the country lanes not the main road. Most of the motorists seem to have a complete inability to resist overtaking me on totally blind corners where they have no hope whatever of seeing what's coming in the opposite direction.

It really is pure luck most of the time that nothing is coming but this morning between Sandy Lane, Lacock and then Corsham 3 times it happened and 3 times there was traffic coming towards the lunatics overtaking and 3 very very near misses.

Perhaps I don't understand the Highway Code and I've missed the bit where it says YOU MUST overtake any cyclist irrespective of the road conditions, visibility or personal or 3rd party safety???

tjwood

Wet morning this morning, so a lot more traffic around than usual (first wet morning for quite a while, so I imagine too many parents went soft and caved in to their kid's pleas to be driven to school). My journey was slower than usual because of this and although the traffic was bad everyone seemed more considerate - I do think being stuck out in the rain does make people more sympathetic towards you...

Big Wib

The Running Man wrote:

Perhaps I don't understand the Highway Code and I've missed the bit where it says YOU MUST overtake any cyclist irrespective of the road conditions, visibility or personal or 3rd party safety???

Ah, you had one of those dodgy copies without that bit too.

The version round here also says something about the requirement to park in cross-hatch boxes on junctions. A red light doesn't always mean stop for cars either :roll: