Frik'in cyclists

dilemna

I can now see why cyclists have such a bad public image. Yesterday while walking around Peterborough I was nearly knocked down by 4 frikin' cyclists cycling on the pavements two of them riding and dialling. They didn't give a sh1t expecting me a pedestrian on the pavement to jump out their way .

Last night in Cambridge driving down Hills Road after setting off from one of the sets of lights giving a gal lots of space and time I was close passed down the inside by 3 w4nker bloke cyclists who pushed passed the gal swerving out of the good cycle lane into the road without so much as an indication let alone a look behind to check it was safe, riding at one point 4 abreast along the road as the outside rider tried to overtake two slower cyclists who were passing another gurl cyclist - must go faster. Frikin idiots.

Coming home about 9:30 - 10pm many many cyclists without any lights and lights with very weak batteries meaning as dim lights as them, dressed in black and also riding and dialling. Muppets.

Monkeypump

Aversion to the word "girl" ?

notsoblue

You had me at "I can now see why cyclists have such a bad public image."

Clearly, we deserve everything we get. :roll:

ndru

If only drivers where measured by the deeds of mentally deficient minority - we would then have to beat up every person that admits to driving with a dlock.

rick_chasey

Glad to see you've noticed that the notion that Cambridge is a cycle friendly place is a myth...

thelawnet

Meanwhile on my bike today I had several cars pass me to close in order to get 10 metres in front of me at the lights (I repassed them at the lights), a driver undertake me at speed when I was signalling right, a car rev at me so aggressively I reported him to the police, an Audi driver pass me in a 5 (!) mph zone at high speed only to brake hard 50 yards ahead at a zebra crossing, and a car driver shout at me for not getting out of his way quickly enough, he got so agitated he stalled his car.

I also heard a car driver calling a cyclist a dickhead for crossing the road in front of the car in front.

Clearly all car drivers should be put to death. Muppets.

spen666

ndru wrote:

If only drivers where measured by the deeds of mentally deficient minority - we would then have to beat up every person that admits to driving with a dlock.

How many people admit to driving with a "D" lock? :?: :?: :?:

Paul E

spen666 wrote:

ndru wrote:

If only drivers where measured by the deeds of mentally deficient minority - we would then have to beat up every person that admits to driving with a dlock.

How many people admit to driving with a "D" lock? :?: :?: :?:

I do, oh no wait I sold my car a couple of months ago

Monkeypump

thelawnet wrote:

Meanwhile on my bike today I had several cars pass me to close in order to get 10 metres in front of me at the lights (I repassed them at the lights), a driver undertake me at speed when I was signalling right, a car rev at me so aggressively I reported him to the police, an Audi driver pass me in a 5 (!) mph zone at high speed only to brake hard 50 yards ahead at a zebra crossing, and a car driver shout at me for not getting out of his way quickly enough, he got so agitated he stalled his car.

I also heard a car driver calling a cyclist a dickhead for crossing the road in front of the car in front.

Clearly all car drivers should be put to death. Muppets.

Does anyone call you 'magnet'?

AidanR

I tend to agree with the OP - though there are plenty of safe cyclists around, there are a significant number of truly awful ones. Aggressive, sanctimonious and with no respect for the rules of the road. If the same percentage of drivers drove in the style that some of the worst cyclists ride, roads would be an utter war zone littered with dead bodies.

The Rookie

I have to agree, the fact that cyclists can get away with it (as in not cause an accident as often) seems to encourage some truly dreadful riding, if car drivers were that bad I'd be being killed twice a day!

Was in the town just 2 nights back, stopped at a red light, empty ASL box in front of me, grey haired women on a classic steel town bike sails straight through the red and almost gets hit by a car coming from the right on a green, then she hurls a tirade of foul abuse at him!

Simon

Moostah

The Beginner wrote:

IWas in the town just 2 nights back, stopped at a red light, empty ASL box in front of me, grey haired women on a classic steel town bike sails straight through the red and almost gets hit by a car coming from the right on a green, then she hurls a tirade of foul abuse at him!

Simon

This is what I dislike about the world today, nobody takes responsbility for their own actions. It is always somebody elses fault! Even in this case somebody clearly breaks the law jumps a red traffic light and then proceeds to hurl abuse at some almost running them over because they go through a green traffic light.

Some times I think the some portions of the human race has de-evolved.

The Rookie

They are already saying that evolution (Darwinian) has enede as we are allowing the 'unsuitable' to live and procreate and thus dilute the gene pool.

I am not saying this is necesarily a bad thing (would we want to do without Stephen Hawking's intelligence?) but it will inevitably impact on average intellignce - still it means my IQ will go up!

Simon

Herbie The Dog

AidanR wrote:

I tend to agree with the OP - though there are plenty of safe cyclists around, there are a significant number of truly awful ones. Aggressive, sanctimonious and with no respect for the rules of the road. If the same percentage of drivers drove in the style that some of the worst cyclists ride, roads would be an utter war zone littered with dead bodies.

Ditto.

While waiting patiently at red lights the other day a cyclist rode past the queue and RLJed. The motorist next to me wound down his window and said directly to me 'that's why people think all cyclists are pricks'. So his view was tainted by the cyclist in the wrong and not the one waiting patiently with him.

A few minutes later I caught up with the RLJer and told her I'd been abused (OK...slightly strong) because of her actions.

Her response 'But I'm entitled to go through if it's clear'.

Stunned.

RowCycle

I found a quote I really like that applies.

What people do is their karma, how you react is yours

Or I guess can be read the other way around, "what you do is your karma, how other people react is theirs".

I had a women in a car beep me for daring to position my bike in the middle of the lane at a set of traffic lights in front of her - admittedly infront of the white line. I thought why beep. Will it change what I've done? No. Will it change what I will do in a similar situation? No. Has it wound me and her up? Yes. So what was the point in doing it?

Although I do agree with the OP to some extent. I see many 'chavs' riding very poorly and giving cyclists a bad name. These people are usually the same that seem to think trousers should be worn below the arse rather than around the hips...

daviesee

There are muppets in all walks of life, using all means of traffic. End of.

will3

daviesee wrote:

There are muppets in all walks of life, using all means of traffic. End of.

frikin bus passengers

will3

Moostah

Herbie The Dog wrote:

Her response 'But I'm entitled to go through if it's clear'.

Stunned.

This concerns me, people actually think this? eeek!

Confusedboy

Stop being sanctimonious guys. I recently filled the time waiting for my mate to turn up sitting outside a local pub with a beer watching the action at a busy crossroads controlled by traffic lights (The Birchgrove in Cardiff if anyone's interested) and doing a rough count of cyclists breaking the law in some way and motorists doing the same. In a 25 minute period, 26 out of 34 cyclists had broken the law at this junction; RLJ, pavement riding, and 2 guys actually RLJ'd on the wrong side of the road. One bus driver RLJ'd, and apart from him all the motorists obeyed the law to the letter.

We are talking about actually breaking the law here, not just behaving aggressively or inconsiderately, and this impromtu survey does not take into account those cyclists who crossed the junction legally enough on green lights but who would have RLJ'd them if they'd been red, or those who would have been riding without lights had it been after dark. The 34 cyclists were all adults and riding the usual mix of BSOs, expensive MTB's, hybrids and road bikes, but all groups behaved just as badly as each other, except that all but one of the BSO's were being ridden on the pavement.

As individuals you may be purer than the driven snow (I know I am*), but as a group cyclists are by and large contemptuous of the law, other road users, and, in my experience, other cyclists. We are worse than motorists by a massive amount, although from what I have read Addison Lee drivers might be giving us a run for our money, and do not help our cause by blaming motorists for everything. No wonder some people hate us.

*take with a pinch of salt.

hfidgen

Had a chat with a guy on a motorbike at the Embankment station traffic lights on Monday. I apologised for the 2 roadies who RLJ'd and explained we weren't all assholes only for him to say "weeelll it's fair enough really, they aren't doing any harm"

I didn't quite know what to reply!

Herbie The Dog

Moostah wrote:

Herbie The Dog wrote:

Her response 'But I'm entitled to go through if it's clear'.

Stunned.

This concerns me, people actually think this? eeek!

I was too stunned to respond. Sadly it's not the first time I've heard it.

daviesee

will3 wrote:

daviesee wrote:

There are muppets in all walks of life, using all means of traffic. End of.

frikin bus passengers

Last time I was on a bus, oh yes, you bet!
Reminded me as to why I don't use public transport unless I have to!

daviesee

will3 wrote:

:P :P :P :P

_Brun_

RowCycle wrote:

Although I do agree with the OP to some extent. I see many 'chavs' riding very poorly and giving cyclists a bad name. These people are usually the same that seem to think trousers should be worn below the ars* rather than around the hips...

Why do they not get accused of giving all trouser wearers a bad name?

gb155

I saw a 4 ish year old , cycling , on the damn footway, today


Freakin cyclist

mybreakfastconsisted

Confusedboy wrote:

as a group cyclists are by and large contemptuous of the law, other road users, and, in my experience, other cyclists. We are worse than motorists by a massive amount,

"At Piccadilly Circus 101 road users jumped red lights in three hours, including 43 cyclists, 27 car drivers, eight motorcyclists, one lorry driver and 22 vans. A similar pattern emerged at the junction of Kensington High Street and Kensington Church Street."

If we take these statistics as representative of the problem, then 57% of red-light jumping is carried out by motorists.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... brigade.do

nigglenoo

Confusedboy wrote:

One bus driver RLJ'd, and apart from him all the motorists obeyed the law to the letter.

So you had a speed camera did you?