Housewife gave me the finger today, why the cyclist hatred ?

Ezy Rider

I dont know how old she was, Id say about 45 at a guess. I was out today on a fat burn ride, just keeping heartrate ticking over and maintaining a constant pace. THere was a section of road that had a sideroad for taxis to park and 2 lanes going in either direction. The road was quiet enough and I road past the taxis that were parked at about 6 inches to the right of the painted line on the road and leaving an abundance of room for any traffic coming along to overtake me. This "lady" pulled up alongside me tooted her horn and glared at me like id murdered her family, she then gave me the middle finger , swore at me and drove on. I was kinda taken by surprise :shock:

At the next set of lights she was sitting there and looked real uneasy as I approached as she couldnt just push the accelerator and drive quickly away. I tapped her window and caught her eye, I then told her she was a cheeky b#tch and she could go and fu*k herself :oops: . Needless to say, I got another barrage as she sped off :roll:

Ive had abuse fom many intolerant swines on the road , but the look in that womans eyes, it was like she wanted to kill me . I just dont get why the average cyclist is treated like a freakin leper on the roads these days. In other countries the cyclist is given room to ride and treated with respect on the roads, in the UK we are treated like scum as we ride our bikes.

Kind of takes away the enjoyment doesnt it.

NeilMick

The majority of people driving on the roads in the UK are retarded scum, it's bad enough sharing the road with them in a car.

Thebigbee

Ezy Rider wrote:

I dont know how old she was, Id say about 45 at a guess. I was out today on a fat burn ride, just keeping heartrate ticking over and maintaining a constant pace. THere was a section of road that had a sideroad for taxis to park and 2 lanes going in either direction. The road was quiet enough and I road past the taxis that were parked at about 6 inches to the right of the painted line on the road and leaving an abundance of room for any traffic coming along to overtake me. This "lady" pulled up alongside me tooted her horn and glared at me like id murdered her family, she then gave me the middle finger , swore at me and drove on. I was kinda taken by surprise :shock:

At the next set of lights she was sitting there and looked real uneasy as I approached as she couldnt just push the accelerator and drive quickly away. I tapped her window and caught her eye, I then told her she was a cheeky b#tch and she could go and fu*k herself :oops: . Needless to say, I got another barrage as she sped off :roll:

Ive had abuse fom many intolerant swines on the road , but the look in that womans eyes, it was like she wanted to kill me . I just dont get why the average cyclist is treated like a freakin leper on the roads these days. In other countries the cyclist is given room to ride and treated with respect on the roads, in the UK we are treated like scum as we ride our bikes.


That is the funniest post I have ever read on here. Cheers!!
Kind of takes away the enjoyment doesnt it.

tlw1

Just ignore the stupid muckers, don't let them drag you down to there exceptionally low level

MattJPaul

I get the impression that drivers who are most nervous about having fragile bodies riding steel/aluminium/carbon/bamboo skeletons near them are invariably the angriest. Too proud to acknowledge the real problem, too dumb to care.

SCR Pedro

NeilMick wrote:

The majority of people driving on the roads in the UK are retarded scum, it's bad enough sharing the road with them in a car.

Harsh, but true. My 75km ride on Friday was so bad I was talking about walking away from the sport. A tad over dramatic perhaps, but I'm becoming too aware of the consequences of some dozy båstård running me off the road.

Pedro

gaddster

Worst encounters I've had when out on the bike are the middle aged women on their way to work, usually in something German. No idea about distance perception or how to judge the size of their cars.

tlw1

gaddster wrote:

Worst encounters I've had when out on the bike are the middle aged women on their way to work, usually in something German. No idea about distance perception or how to judge the size of their cars.

Tribant?

gaddster

Trabant?! Nah, they don't even make it to 20mph!

velvetytoast

Remember to always give them a cheery wave as they look in the mirror - they'll be wondering for weeks if it was the hubbys boss they just tried to maim / kill / abuse - it makes me feel so much better (well except for the other week when I left a dent in a guys door with my fist :oops: )

gwillis

Ive had a bit of flack in the past for what ever reason ie not riding in the gutter or holding up a driver for a moment..... The funny thing is they are usually fat, smoking, overweight pyjama wearing pie eaters... My usual response is to offer to swop places and that maybe they should get off their fat useless ass and do some exercise

sharky1029

If you get cut up or abused buy a bus they have a special button on the back which alerts the driver that you are there and shows that you are displeased with their driving.
Unfortunatly, this feature has not yet been incorporated into any other sort of vehicle which is a shame.

mr_poll

Worst thing is that they teach the next generation - cycling along today by myself and a 4x4 (BMW surprise surprise) had to slow as I held my line (not cycling in the gutter) and a car was coming the other way. At the earliest opportunity he rev'd his engine and shot past me - What really took the biscuit was the 10 year old kid who hung out of the passenger side window screaming abuse at me - not sure what he said but caught the words "get over" and "cyclist" were definitely in the volley of abuse.

Ezy Rider

sharky1029 wrote:

If you get cut up or abused buy a bus they have a special button on the back which alerts the driver that you are there and shows that you are displeased with their driving.
Unfortunatly, this feature has not yet been incorporated into any other sort of vehicle which is a shame.

in a perfect world you would press that button and a voice would be heard over the intercom saying "excuse me driver , but your driving is a disgrace", oh if only.

coombsfh

Some people spend their entire lives wishing to be slipped a finger by a dirty-mouthed housewife...in some circles you would be considered exceedingly lucky

As for her lack of decorum, it is better to be sworn at than hit I suppose...

Anonymous

Ezy Rider wrote:

sharky1029 wrote:

If you get cut up or abused buy a bus they have a special button on the back which alerts the driver that you are there and shows that you are displeased with their driving.
Unfortunatly, this feature has not yet been incorporated into any other sort of vehicle which is a shame.

in a perfect world you would press that button and a voice would be heard over the intercom saying "excuse me driver , but your driving is a disgrace", oh if only.

Ahhh, are you talking about the emergency engine cut button? I've always wondered what would happen if you pressed that, except cut the engine of course. How easy is it for them to restart?

Anonymous

Ezy Rider wrote:

I dont know how old she was, Id say about 45 at a guess. I was out today on a fat burn ride, just keeping heartrate ticking over and maintaining a constant pace. THere was a section of road that had a sideroad for taxis to park and 2 lanes going in either direction. The road was quiet enough and I road past the taxis that were parked at about 6 inches to the right of the painted line on the road and leaving an abundance of room for any traffic coming along to overtake me. This "lady" pulled up alongside me tooted her horn and glared at me like id murdered her family, she then gave me the middle finger , swore at me and drove on. I was kinda taken by surprise :shock:

At the next set of lights she was sitting there and looked real uneasy as I approached as she couldnt just push the accelerator and drive quickly away. I tapped her window and caught her eye, I then told her she was a cheeky b#tch and she could go and fu*k herself :oops: . Needless to say, I got another barrage as she sped off :roll:

Ive had abuse fom many intolerant swines on the road , but the look in that womans eyes, it was like she wanted to kill me . I just dont get why the average cyclist is treated like a freakin leper on the roads these days. In other countries the cyclist is given room to ride and treated with respect on the roads, in the UK we are treated like scum as we ride our bikes.

Kind of takes away the enjoyment doesnt it.

I think you suffer a similar infliction to me.

I automatically amuse that women are more polite and courteous than men. That older people are more polite than the young and the more expensive the car the more respectful the driver will be.

Therefore in my ignorance I assume a middle aged women in a decent car will show nothing but good manners and a refreshingly dignified approach to other road users.

Time and time again my theory is proved wrong.

I once had a women who nearly hit me as she pulled out of a junction without looking calling me a "W*NKER". Perhaps she was upset I manged to take evasive action and wasn't pasted all over the road?

Ezy Rider

there is a cyclist despising guy where i work who drives a merc, he says the round bit mounted at the end of the bonnet are snipers crosshairs for flattening cyclists :roll:

markos1963

I just wave pleasantly at car drivers who sound their horn as if I know them. It confuses them and stops me from getting wound up. Not worth getting involved and stressed out, it's not what I go cycling for.

mediamazter

No just Cars..

On a cycle path today where there is no road to follow... Im riding as far left as you can go... Guy appears ahead coming towards me.. Also hard to his right (so directley facing each other)...

Hes seen me so i think he will move across... nah I have to dive to the right at the last min to avoid him and nearly come off..

I shout you would not ride down the wrong side of the road into On coming traffic so why do it here...

All i got was abuse and threats of violence... mmm ... Sure i was in the right... Maybe i got it wrong..

Either way no idea why the need for all the abuse.. And it were another roadie lol.

Duffer65

Everybody hates us...we even hate each other...especially on this forum! I think it's the lycra it must give off some toxic odour that causes irrational rage. :twisted:

benno68

It sometimes disarms them by asking why they've just behaved like that, a calm approach is often better. I can't say that I always manage it.

One of the worst incidents was at the end of a club run and we were taking our own seperate ways off the A470 going into Cardiff. The outside lane had been coned off leaving one lane available which resulted in some motorists having to slow down for 1/2 a mile.

One of our older members (in his 70's) took serious abuse from a 30 something couple in a new 320 Merc who squeezed past. What sort of behaviour is that to teach their two young children in the back seat!

We're lucky to have found such a great hobby that offers many more positives than the odd idiot that we have to face from time to time. Don't let them put you off.

Anonymous

Duffer65 wrote:

Everybody hates us...we even hate each other...especially on this forum! I think it's the lycra it must give off some toxic odour that causes irrational rage. :twisted:

Absolute rubbish you don't know what your talking about, just the sort of crap we'd expect from someone who rides a Jamis and lives in Tooting.

Lycra giving off a toxic odour that causes irrational rage? Never herd such bollocks in my live. Who the hell do you think you are!!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

Oh, no wait, you might have a point.

Duffer65

RichardSwt wrote:

Duffer65 wrote:

Everybody hates us...we even hate each other...especially on this forum! I think it's the lycra it must give off some toxic odour that causes irrational rage. :twisted:

Absolute rubbish you don't know what your talking about, just the sort of crap we'd expect from someone who rides a Jamis and lives in Tooting.

Lycra giving off a toxic odour that causes irrational rage? Never herd such bollocks in my live. Who the hell do you think you are!!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

Oh, no wait, you might have a point.

Lol...as the young people say.

Secteur

Yesterday as I cycled up a road, a chav walking towards me on the same side, for absolutely no reason, spat at me as I went by. Luckily for him 1) he missed 2) I'm a lover not a hater anyway, but since I was knackered and tetchy if he'd got me I genuinely dont think I'd have been responsible for my actions.

About 2 weeks ago, another chav spat two tic-tacs at me from the back seat of a passing taxi, at about 0600hrs on a Sunday morning - he was drunk. The taxi pulled over about 50 yards down the road - outside his house - and as he fumbles his keys with the front dooor I pulled up alongside, and seemed somewhat surprised to hear me say "now I know where you live, you smart-arsed ***** **** ***** ***** ****!!!!"

cyberknight

Duffer65 wrote:

Everybody hates us...we even hate each other...especially on this forum! I think it's the lycra it must be our toned healthy bodies that causes irrational jealousy. :twisted:

andy777

I cycle, drive a car and also ride a motorbike. The problem is that whichever mode of transport you are using the others are all a pain in the bum.

Andy

u05harrisb

i think the best on i have ever had was when a 35-40ish guy who dressed like an 18yr old in a pimped out daihatsu materia over took me and he clipped my elbow so gave him the w@nker sign and he pulled over and started shouting at me and giving it all when i pulled up next to him but he failed to realise the windows were up so i couldnt hear anything so i gave the sign to roll the window down and laughed and cycled off then he pulled alongside while rolling the window down carrying on shouting, was dead funny

se-po

andy777 wrote:

I cycle, drive a car and also ride a motorbike. The problem is that whichever mode of transport you are using the others are all a pain in the bum.

Andy

Definitely, I hate cyclists when I'm walking in Central London, crossing the road at red light watching at the wrong side.

Duffer65

cyberknight wrote:

Duffer65 wrote:

Everybody hates us...we even hate each other...especially on this forum! I think it's the lycra it must be our toned healthy bodies that causes irrational jealousy. :twisted:

"toned healthy bodies" that's me...ahem.

Although I have always thought that there may be a (subconscious) jealousy involved. In the sense that bike riding is more enjoyable and (usually) less frustrating than driving and running a car.

squired

Some people are just idiots, simple as that. Last weekend I was crossing my road on foot. A guy in a car was coming up the hill next to my road and turned left into it. The left turn has a nice curve, so cars barely even brake to make the turn. I was 3/4 of the way across the road before he even turned (no indicator either). Of course he took exception to the fact that I was in his way.

The car was a convertible, so with the top down he said something and I responded by saying that I had right of way. He then stopped. I walked over calmly and explained that if turning off a road and a pedestrian is already crossing, they have right of way. He gave me a tirade of abuse. I calmly suggested that he check the highway code, to which he suggested that I was lying/making it up.

The fact is that no matter what you say to these people, it isn't going to make any difference. I reckon the odds that this guy checked (and found out that I was indeed correct) are less than 1%. As far as he was concerned it was his road and all others should get out of the way.