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

cyberknight

squired wrote:

Some people are just idiots, simple as that As far as he was concerned it was his road and all others should get out of the way.

+1 i have just gone into town (in the car it is pissing it down + a 4 year old ) and i was in the middle lane of a roundabout clearly marked straight on , the left hand lane guy should have gone into the shop car park.Instead he wants to go straight on and races past squeezing me over the white line.

cyco2

Nothing worse for a woman in an altercation than to hear herself being referred to as Jaffa. Also, opening her passenger door and glaring at them is very disconcerting for them. If they get to close I push their wing mirror forward and shout ouch!. I'm afraid no matter what you do even if petrol ran out the last motorist driving must be regarded as a menace to cyclists. Having said that I am always trying not to get in their way and wave them on or get well over to let them pass. Having had myself and a few friends damaged by motorists, the cyclist is always at fault, like they shouldn't be there. The police in my case couldn't even get the road name right.

bendertherobot

I'm reminded of that "you wouldn't steal a car" advert.

Turn that into "you wouldn't hold a gun to someone's head, you wouldn't hold a knife to someone's throat."

Yet, a large number of motorists are happy to carry out a manouevre which has much the same effect.

Woman last week in a 4x4 squeezed me into the kerb on a roundabout, I remonstrated, she slammed the brakes on, I went round her, she then swerved as I was taking avoiding action to force me into oncoming traffic.

sparkins1972

My eyes were imediately drawn to the post title and was really disappointed to find out it was a story of simple road rage - I had hoped it was going to be a 1970's style 'Confessions of a Roadie' type romp

My only road rage incident was documented on here about 6 months ago when confronted by a steaming mad, hungover, red faced, sweating oaf on a Sunday morning, I committed my own offence by declaring myself as Sergant Johnson of the local police force - never have I seen a man's attittude snap into line so quickly...

Nik Cube

I had some-half wit cut me up the other day and then make some friendly hand gesture at me. Oh the joy when he dropped said car off for it's service and Mot a couple of days later. He certainly could see me as he paid his bill - I know because I asked.

itboffin

Riding around Greenham common today pulling a mini peloton of fellow sportive riders a complete brain donor driving a lexus 4x4 decides to over take on a bend swinging wildly into the other lane for no reason as we were all single file and well into the left, stupid bitch then notices the car on the other side of the road and swerves back cutting our group, skids and misses me by a hair - no apology of any kind, just pulled back out and shot off like a flipping F1 start.

I'm pretty sure it's a 20mph limit around that section - what a tool. In fact today was most defo a day for shite drivers.

itboffin

Nik Cube wrote:

I had some-half wit cut me up the other day and then make some friendly hand gesture at me. Oh the joy when he dropped said car off for it's service and Mot a couple of days later. He certainly could see me as he paid his bill - I know because I asked.

Ace!

Richard_D

Some drivers are one of the reasons I am nervous about cycle lanes leading to ASLs. Twice in the last month I have seen near misses prevented in both cases by observant cyclists.
Yesterday a Van decided not to wait for the 2 cyclists that were heading straight on but turn left in front of them andearlier in the month when I was one of a group filtering through on a cycle lane just before a set of red lights the car at the front of the queue decided to move forward in to the ASL while the lights were red and turn left in front of us when they turned Green.[/b]

russdcycle

just remember the car and if you ever see it unattended, dogshit placed under doorhandle sorts it.

jumbojimbo

Some European countries have in place a "strict liability" law, in which the automatic assumption of responsibility rests with the less vulnerable road user. One of the benefits of the "strict liability" laws is the shift in emphasis. If my bicycle is involved in a crash with a motor vehicle, and I'm injured, no longer is it for me to prove that I wasn't at fault. The law automatically assumes that you, the motor vehicle driver, is at fault and the onus is shifted to you to prove otherwise. The net benefit is that it forces the driver of the much larger vehicle to be more considerate to much more vunerable road users.

chiark

Nik wins this thread . Awesome.

All I can think of is that as cyclists we should try to take the moral upper stance here... The stereotype is that cars hate cyclists, and it seems that cyclists hate cars with an equal passion. That's not helpful, and the vulnerable cyclist will end up losing ultimately.

More often than not, I find that drivers are taking a little more attention nowadays. When cars leave enough room for me, for example, or slow right down because there isn't enough space, I give them a thumbs up and try to get out the way as quick as possible. This sometimes gets a smile and a wave.

Of course, you also get the driver who fails to see a fluorescent jacket, lights, helmet, etc and give millimeters of room...

I try to never react to idiocy though: I'm on a bike, they're in a tin can that could easily kill me. I try to diffuse the situation with a shake of the head, that's all - not always easy - because if push comes to shove I could end up dead and they might be looking at a death by dangerous driving charge.

I know which is worse.

I've only ever been knocked off my bike once, 20 years ago, by a transit who forgot he was towing a trailer too and pulled in on me. A lady in a metro stopped to help me and check I was alright...

Jumbojimbo, I wouldn't want to see strict liability in the UK. Last week a cyclist went through a red light -not amber, proper red, halfway through the red cycle- at an unsighted T-junction when I was driving with wife and kids in the car. I slammed on the anchors, threw the family around, all because some selfish guy decided to put his own life at risk because he couldn't be bothered to unclip likely as not. That's not the point of this thread, but not all cyclists are idiots and not all motorists are idiots.

I do think as cyclists we need to take the moral high ground though, and praise good driving where possible - also diffusing bad driving situations before they get terminal.

dcurzon

i had a nice encounter with a truck today - 2 lanes one way system, approaching junction where left lane goes straight on, right lane swings to the right. I was just to the left of the middle line but getting ready to go right, to give vehicles plenty of room to go straight on past me on the left, and past me on the right. Truck driver had plenty of room to pass me before the road swung right, but held back very patiently. After the manouvre i gave him a little wave of thanks.

They're not all bad

Ezy Rider

i wonder if its middle aged woman in a 4 x 4 that are the most likely to give riders grief ?

CiB

chiark wrote:

Jumbojimbo, I wouldn't want to see strict liability in the UK. Last week a cyclist went through a red light -not amber, proper red, halfway through the red cycle- at an unsighted T-junction when I was driving with wife and kids in the car. I slammed on the anchors, threw the family around, all because some selfish guy decided to put his own life at risk because he couldn't be bothered to unclip likely as not. That's not the point of this thread, but not all cyclists are idiots and not all motorists are idiots.

Just to be clear, strict liability places an assumption of responsibility on operator of the larger vehicle. In the situation you've described it's no contest - you just point out that the cyclist jumped a red. An assumption is just that. It's a start point. It's also the reason why we'll never have this law in the UK - whenever it's mentioned it's always misrepresented as 'drivers are always the guilty party', and the mud sticks.

stavrosk83

Being new to cycling, getting out has opened my eyes as to how i drive in a car. Everyone should be made to ride on the roads on a bike before getting let loose in a car!

Anyway, I just picked up my new bike from the shop yesterday, my first road bike so excited but apprehensive bout being on the road still. On the route home i'm coming up to a roundabout and turn to check my rear and signal to move over to the right when the articulated lorry behind me decides to dive past me and cut across to take the 1st exit. I dont even think he made it into the left hand lane for his exit. Scary what some people will do so they dont lose those vital 10 seconds from their journey!

Greer_

stavrosk83 wrote:

Being new to cycling, getting out has opened my eyes as to how i drive in a car. Everyone should be made to ride on the roads on a bike before getting let loose in a car!

Would love to see this happen

simon_e

For those who, in their ignorance, think Strict Liability will give RLJing cyclists carte blanche - read and learn:

http://www.stricterliabilityforus.org.uk/

RoadPeace are very much in favour of it. The only people who aren't are the ones causing the carnage.

king_jeffers

stavrosk83 wrote:

Being new to cycling, getting out has opened my eyes as to how i drive in a car.

+ 1

Totally changed my outlook on the way I drive, defo more chilled out now. Anyway as so many people have said chances are they will catch you when your stuck at the lights :-)

TanukiRider

couple of weeks back I was riding home from work, approaching cars parked at the kerb on the other side, there was room enough between two for a car to squeeze in, so the first car in a line of five passes the rearmost car, then pulls in to allow me and another cyclist to past with a cheery smile........ just as you think there are some decent people in the world, the silly cow in the car behind decides to scream past him, force me (and Im in the middle of my lane) and the other cyclist behind me to the side of the road, scream abuse at both me AND the bloke who stopped to let us past........

I turned around, followed her down the road, and told her the worst cyclist to p*ss off was an off duty traffic copper, and the look on her face was priceless.

chiark

TanukiRider wrote:

I turned around, followed her down the road, and told her the worst cyclist to p*ss off was an off duty traffic copper, and the look on her face was priceless.

Brilliant, utterly brilliant. I may adopt this ruse, as long as it's not illegal on the grounds I'm impersonating an off-duty traffic copper

Thanks to all for the clarifications on Strict Liability. It almost sounds like the roadgoing version of the rules of the sea - power gives in to sail, etc... I completely agree with the separation of liability from criminal 'fault' though: that does make sense.

windsorwise

Apart from actually being taken out by accident my top experiences of cyclephobia are:

Been pulled over by a guy who thought I was swearing at him when in fact I was signalling right Squirted by a water pistol by the passenger of a white van hit by an apple thrown from a car so hard it shattered all over me - one for the helmet debate! having the c word shouted out as loud as possible to try and get you to fall off

Most of the time I am so gob-smacked I don't react but I was always a little slow

stavrosk83

windsorwise wrote:

having the c word shouted out as loud as possible to try and get you to fall off[/list]

What, 'cyclist'?

windsorwise

stavrosk83 wrote:

windsorwise wrote:

having the c word shouted out as loud as possible to try and get you to fall off[/list]

What, 'cyclist'?

I can see a new entry in the dictionary's definitions

thiscocks

Ezy Rider wrote:

i wonder if its middle aged woman in a 4 x 4 that are the most likely to give riders grief ?

They have got to be the worst drivers in my experience. When I see a woman in something like an X5 I try to steer clear if possible but usually they will manage to remind you how bad they are at anything other than popping children out of themselves at some point.

dilemna

jumbojimbo wrote:

Some European countries have in place a "strict liability" law, in which the automatic assumption of responsibility rests with the less vulnerable road user. One of the benefits of the "strict liability" laws is the shift in emphasis. If my bicycle is involved in a crash with a motor vehicle, and I'm injured, no longer is it for me to prove that I wasn't at fault. The law automatically assumes that you, the motor vehicle driver, is at fault and the onus is shifted to you to prove otherwise. The net benefit is that it forces the driver of the much larger vehicle to be more considerate to much more vunerable road users.

You and others are terribly confused. Strict liability is a legal concept that only requires the actus reus part of an offence to be committed for some one to be guilty of an offence. The "strict liability" you are referring to is actually a CHANGE in the PRESUMPTION of GUILT or LIABILITY. For example a driver who knocks down a pedestrian or cyclist would be PRESUMED to be at fault or liable unless they could or it could othewise be shown that they were not. This has nothing WHATSOEVER to do with strict liability offences.

Where's Spen666?

bompington

procyclist wrote:

Stanley222 wrote:

procyclist wrote:

Those who sound their horn or gesticulate get the finger from me. In 20 years of cycling two drivers have stopped to take it further, both got a smack in the teeth before they could annoy me any more. Get the first punch in and you'll find it usually stops there

This is a forum for beginners into the world of road cycling - in fact it doesn't matter how long you have been cycling but that is really poor advice :roll:

and I suppose you buy them a box of chocolates and some flowers in case your presence on the road has upset them?
As for the Dundee willy boy, sound your horn behind me and see what happens sunshine

Well actually I don't go through life trying to look or sound like a hardman, either in real life or in the rather easier environment of an internet forum. I've discovered that being polite to people gets better results in most cases, and I should point out that working as I do with disturbed young people, I do get threats, abuse and physical violence on a near-daily basis.

Come to think of it, that's where I recognise the "I'm such a hardman, I just hit them" attitude from - I initially thought you were Black Panther's latest sock puppet but perhaps you're a 14 year old boy in care?

Solarized

Its nice that so many motorists out there tell us we are all Number 1 in there eyes as they drive past raising the middle digit to us!!

Re the impersonating a police officer, just tell them you would like them to pop down to the "station" the following day when your next "on duty" to discuss it in more detail...
Its not your fault if they assume your a police officer and not a train driver!!

winterdancer

+ 1 (@ markos1963) for the cheery wave at the drivers who blast the horn at you - it definitely keeps me happier (and that's the whole point of getting out on the bike for me) and really confuses the target driver, if they see it.

saintdracula

The fact is that most people are mediocre and that their mediocrity is imbibed into all aspects of their lives. Mediocre people will be mediocre drivers, cyclists, lovers, etc

Luckily we are superior and conscientious so we are cool

mikebikemike

One more vote for the cheery wave - I especially enjoy smiling and waving to the grump whilst saying loud enough for my passengers/pedestrians but not the target to hear: "Cheerio you big ugly heifer" / "Bye, you tiny penised inadequate" etc etc