Want to educate drivers?

MTB-Roadie-Commuter

notsoblue wrote:

Unfortunately, the drivers you'd want to target with all this aren't very open, or susceptible to "education" :S

Glad to see a couple of non-cynical replies. Pictures aren't likely to be able to say what you want or be understood as quickly I reckon, unless there's a suitable road sign image

Agreed, but there's definitely a majority who despite sharing the same roads with bikes day after day after day just don't think or realise the near-misses they cause on a daily basis

sketchley

On the basis that I seem to get called it once or twice a week, can I have one that says fat cnut so they don't bother?

HamishD

Sorry OP - This might be London-centric (and I don’t know where you ride) but on my daily commute from SE13 to NW10 by far and away the most inconsiderate, dangerous, law-breaking group of road users are cyclists.

Jump the Lights - tick
Wobble – tick
Endanger pedestrians - tick
Manoeuvre without looking, let alone signalling - tick


In the provinces where car speeds are higher and there are less cyclists this obviously may not be the case and you may have a point. Good luck with your mission!

CyclingBantam

Unfortunately I agree with a few posts on here. I really don't think it resonates with people if they see a cyclist with a slogan on their back. All it does is widen the us and them gap and make us appear self rightious etc.

IMO one way we can improve relations is by not breaking the rules of the road. The more excuses we take away from drivers the more respected we will be. I think the issue is a lot deeper than what we can do though. People get in a car and behave like an absolute ar$ehole when they wouldn't normally dream of doing so.

I think Honda did a tv advert where a ped was acting like a driver.

I believe the way to improve standards is to make drivers aware how serious driving actually is, that it isn't a right, that it only takes a second to hurt/kill someone and that they should have a little patience.

Haven't got a clue how we do that though...

MTB-Roadie-Commuter

CyclingBantam wrote:

Unfortunately I agree with a few posts on here. I really don't think it resonates with people if they see a cyclist with a slogan on their back. All it does is widen the us and them gap and make us appear self rightious etc.

IMO one way we can improve relations is by not breaking the rules of the road. The more excuses we take away from drivers the more respected we will be. I think the issue is a lot deeper than what we can do though. People get in a car and behave like an absolute ar$ehole when they wouldn't normally dream of doing so.

I think Honda did a tv advert where a ped was acting like a driver.

I believe the way to improve standards is to make drivers aware how serious driving actually is, that it isn't a right, that it only takes a second to hurt/kill someone and that they should have a little patience.

Haven't got a clue how we do that though...

Well, those as old as me will remember the days when we had public information adverts which served that purpose (the days when buses had "Please let buses pull out" stickers on them). Personally I have zero faith in government achieving anything remotely useful or pro-active and feel that grass roots is the only way to achieve change these days.

If we can't even express our concerns without it being smug or arrogant then I guess we'll just have to continue as we are and behaviour by both groups will continue to get worse until enough deaths are caused for someone in power to have to act.

Yes some cyclists do behave badly, not the majority though and I'm sure you'd find if there were less traffic then there would be less bad behaviour by cyclists or drivers. The key problem (in London anyway) is the degree of traffic and the largest unecessary constituent of that is cars.

nickthetrick

How about:

'Please let me cycle around you while you're stuck in traffic'

Or this apparently simple message with many levels:

'green'

Or I like this:

'I'm in front of you' on the back
and
'I'm behind you' on the front.

CyclingBantam

I'm not saying we don't do anything. I'm saying I think this is the wrong thing to do and will make things worse.

Unfortunately I am in a position I don't like to be in though and I am saying I don't like this but I don't have an alternative solution as I just don't know how to change the way people behave in cars.

MTB-Roadie-Commuter

CyclingBantam wrote:

I'm not saying we don't do anything. I'm saying I think this is the wrong thing to do and will make things worse.

Unfortunately I am in a position I don't like to be in though and I am saying I don't like this but I don't have an alternative solution as I just don't know how to change the way people behave in cars.

Make them cycle so they can experience it from the other perspective!

Most of us own cars and therefore know both sides of the "road experience" (for wont of a better phrase), unfortunately it's probably the laziest, most selfish and most arrogant drivers who drive unecessarily in London so we're inflicted with the worst of it.

All we can do is speak up. I don't believe the phrases I suggested should inflame anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence, you're just reminding them of what they already know. Am very open to suggested alternative phrases unlikely to inflame, but anything which can be interpreted as weak won't achieve anything.

Until a public transport "experience" exists which is sufficiently good to reduce the number of cars or working from home becomes more acceptable perhaps we're stuck for options

Clever Pun

Sketchley wrote:

On the basis that I seem to get called it once or twice a week, can I have one that says fat cnut so they don't bother?

or "I used to be a really fat C*nt"??

gets them off your back and implies cycling is good for you

Gaz545(that the right name) should get that

bails87

MTB-Roadie-Commuter wrote:

[ I don't believe the phrases I suggested should inflame anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence,

Just like not ploughing into cyclists on a clear, straight road shouldn't be difficult to avoid, for anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence.

Or overtaking with plenty of space should be an obvious thing to do, for anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence.

Or anticipating the red light or pinchpoint up ahead, so holding back until a safe pass can be made should be easy, for anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence.

Lots of people don't seem to have a reasonable degree of intelligence, or they leave it at home when they get in the car.

scrumpydave

I thought about sticking something to the back of my littleun's trailer to remind people that there was a young, unprotected child in there. When I asked some mates what they thought they said it was pointless because people know there's a kid in there and won't pay any attention. I found that a bit distressing given how some people drive when I'm towing it. How can people be so wilfully dangerous, and around a child too?

rick_chasey

scrumpydave wrote:

I thought about sticking something to the back of my littleun's trailer to remind people that there was a young, unprotected child in there. When I asked some mates what they thought they said it was pointless because people know there's a kid in there and won't pay any attention. I found that a bit distressing given how some people drive when I'm towing it. How can people be so wilfully dangerous, and around a child too?

What difference does the child make?

bails87

Rick Chasey wrote:

scrumpydave wrote:

I thought about sticking something to the back of my littleun's trailer to remind people that there was a young, unprotected child in there. When I asked some mates what they thought they said it was pointless because people know there's a kid in there and won't pay any attention. I found that a bit distressing given how some people drive when I'm towing it. How can people be so wilfully dangerous, and around a child too?

What difference does the child make?

Lycra lout vs toddler.....who's going to get the most sympathy from the general public.

I know what you're saying, but be realistic about the public's view of cyclists.

davmaggs

There might be a danger of being a bit sanctimonous. Personally I think that the baby on board stickers are silly.

How about "I am a person" or "I am a man" or some variant just to say that we aren't cyclists or some kind of other.

http://nmaahc.si.edu/section/programs/view/39

noodles71

$OUTH EASTERN
TRAINS
ARE
SHITE

CyclingBantam

bails87 wrote:

MTB-Roadie-Commuter wrote:

[ I don't believe the phrases I suggested should inflame anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence,

Just like not ploughing into cyclists on a clear, straight road shouldn't be difficult to avoid, for anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence.

Or overtaking with plenty of space should be an obvious thing to do, for anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence.

Or anticipating the red light or pinchpoint up ahead, so holding back until a safe pass can be made should be easy, for anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence.

Lots of people don't seem to have a reasonable degree of intelligence, or they leave it at home when they get in the car.

+1

This is the issue. You are not dealing with people who are using their brain. The vast majority of drivers are excellent, it is the tiny percentage of dimwits who spoil it for every one.

Te point about getting everyone to ride a bike, made by MTB'r earlier is my point about me not having any better answers. Everyone riding would be great but it won't happen. The people who would be willing to cycle are not the people we are trying to reach out to.

Drysuitdiver

noodles71 wrote:

$OUTH EASTERN
TRAINS
ARE
SHITE

tell us something we don't know

phy2sll2

noodles71 wrote:

$OUTH EASTERN
TRAINS
ARE
SHITE

That would be awesome! I know that's the reason I got back on a bike 18 months ago, and I'm sure there are loads who've had the same experience. Could be like a critical mass style thing, all moaning about the state of PT!

Might be getting a bit carried away...

Tonymufc

I'd love a jersey that just had a fist with the middle finger showing as I sped past a nice long queue of traffic with the words "I bet I'll be getting home to your wife before you" wrote underneath it.

SimonAH

bails87 wrote:

Maybe just a big white arrow on a blue background, pointing down and to the right. Like you'd get on a bollard on a traffic island.

Now this I like , no really, seriously, I like this

kurako

SimonAH wrote:

bails87 wrote:

Maybe just a big white arrow on a blue background, pointing down and to the right. Like you'd get on a bollard on a traffic island.

Now this I like , no really, seriously, I like this

You get rucksacks with that on. They're pretty lame.

I also, last night, saw a guy with one of those safety arms thingies attached to his bike. He then proceeded to squeeze between the kerb and cars all the way along High St Ken.

Perhaps part of the problem is that drivers see riders squeezing through unbelievably small gaps and think that's as much space as they need.

MTB-Roadie-Commuter

How about this...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loose_chippings

...but replace the chippings for a falling cyclist and put:

RISK OF LAWSUIT

or

NO WIN
NO FEE

johnboy183

My initial thought on reading the OP was it sounds like a good idea. However after a bit of thought I'm not sure just how effective it would be. Aside from some of the perhaps 'more inflammatory offerings', (and I did chuckle at a few), I'm thinking that trying to read someones jersey maybe too distracting and possibly cause more incidents.

Initialised

Put this on your back.

tobermory

Drysuitdiver wrote:

noodles71 wrote:

$OUTH EASTERN
TRAINS
ARE
SHITE

tell us something we don't know

First crapital connect are exactly the same