Dangerous Cycling

klforster

I would be Interested in peoples view and opinions on an incident on my journey to work this morning.

I have been cycling to work for most of the last year and have generally had a good relationship with other road users. its a good way of keeping fit and saves money and as far as I'm concerned, if you respect other road users they will respect you. From time to time I drive into work and this morning was such a day. it was what happened on today's journey that really surprised and annoyed me.

My journey to work is through slow traffic, never exceeding 20-25 MPH - I was moving along with the traffic and could see that I was catching a cyclist. she was very noticeable in a high viz jacket, white helmet and lights. She ticked all the health and safety boxes and I spotted her straight away. When I caught and passed her I gave her plenty of room, at least half a lane, and as far as I could tell I had passed the her safely. she made no indication that her route was anything other than straight on. I got 50 or so meters down the road and as the traffic slowed for lights I noticed she was right behind me on my bumper. Next the traffic came to a halt and I can only assume she thought I had deliberately obstructed her (she now being on my outside to turn right) to which she slammed my roof with her hand and gave me the finger! I would have devastated if I had knocked her off her bike, but actions ended up making me angry that some one would act like that and give cyclists a bad rep.

Now I cant help but think her actions were unacceptable. unless someone can point out where my mistake was? Both of us are using the road, both of us have ways of signaling our intentions, indicators, arm signals etc. but one of us is not using them properly. if it were the other way around, and I had acted as she in my car, she would have come across a lot worse, so why act like that?

Now point is this, if I had knocked her over by dangerous driving, she could take my registration and report me. she would be within her rights to do this and I could have no complaints. however I wasn't driving dangerously, and she could have caused damage to my car then peddle off into the sunset. who do I report her to?

I have no problem with sharing the road with cyclists, as far more often than not I am one. I just hope she doesn't act like that when driving a car.

Initialised

From her perspective it was an unnecessary, "got to get past the bike", overtake as you were not able to clear the next junction before she got there, thus wantonly if not intentionally impeding her progress. If traffic is moving at 20-25 mph there's no point overtaking a cyclist, you'll only end up getting in their way and making them angry at the next set of lights, next time you could lose a wing mirror or tail light.

slowbike

Initialised wrote:

From her perspective it was an unnecessary, "got to get past the bike", overtake as you were not able to clear the next junction before she got there, thus wantonly if not intentionally impeding her progress. If traffic is moving at 20-25 mph there's no point overtaking a cyclist, you'll only end up getting in their way and making them angry at the next set of lights, next time you could lose a wing mirror or tail light.

Depends on the speed of the cyclist and if the traffic may clear the next junction before they get there ...

as with all these things it's down to judgement.

If the rider is going slow enough to be over taken then I would think there's a reasonable expectation to be overtaken - providing there isn't any silly overtake manoeuvre going on. But then 50 meters before having to stop isn't a lot and probably not the best place to overtake - depends on the traffic and the likelyhood of having to stop.

klforster

I should have probably noted that they were pedestrian traffic lights and not a junction. lights weren't red when I overtook her. I'm not sure about comment about losing a tail light or wing mirror. I don't think there is any place for that. I mean, I wouldn't let her tires down if I took exception to her getting in the way. Your right if it was a junction then no point in trying to overtake.

Initialised

If you cut in too soon assuming the cyclist is going slower or riding closer to the kerb than they are their bars could hit your mirrors or tail lights, it's happened to me twice.

slowbike

klforster wrote:

I should have probably noted that they were pedestrian traffic lights and not a junction. lights weren't red when I overtook her.

Sounds like just one of those things then .... if you had reasonable expectation to carry on at your faster speed then an overtake could be reasonable.

HellsCyclist

He who smacks my car gets smacked himself.

tootsie323

Some drivers can be self-righteous tools... so can some cyclists...

thistle_

I would have been irritated by your manoeuvre, however I would have been looking ahead and seen that it was clear to go when you overtook and realised your not done anything wrong (provided you didn't cut me up while slowing down).

If the actions of the cyclist were considered acceptable, there would be an awful lot of smashed up cars on my commute to work (what do you do with someone who overtakes you, nearly clips you, cuts you up, then swerves further over to the left and stops to turn right because there is oncoming traffic?).
I have some self control though - you get the yellow card for the offence but the red card for the retaliation.

mr_evil

I assume you overtook on a straight section of road with good visibility?

lancew

I don't care how badly a car is driving smacking someones car is something you should only do if you're willing to accept that the driver could get out of his car and hit you back, because eventually that will happen, and getting into the habit of hitting out at cars will just lead to you getting hurt. This lady sounds like an out of control lunatic who gives cyclists bad names.

It sounds like you just made a slightly bad judgement call, which happens, and you just need to put it out of your head because the empathy you're feeling shows that you're being considerate.

The Rookie

The only time I've hit a car (two occasions) was when it was in the process of driving me off the road, as much as a warning as anything else, never as a 'retribution' for the reason EPOw has given.

She may have considered the pass too close, that you pulled back in too early, that you shouldn't have passed at all where you did, that you should have stayed further out so she could filter to the left, from what we have any or all could apply! Maybe she was in a bad move and your action was marginal, maybe she is a miss angry to be seen on every 'critical mass' ride (though that doesn't tally with the H&S boxes being ticked in my perception!)

BigLights

Off topic, but I am unable to ride at the moment, so redcued to being on public transport and pedestrian. I have to say, it's really shone a light on 'the other side' in terms of RLJers. I seriously feel like punching these cretins,a couple of whom have come very close to taking me out on a red light when I'm crossing the road. Taht would be disastrous, given i'm recovering from a spinal op.

I don't RLJ, but I've never been as wound up about it as I am now.

bigmat

My take on this is that the OP probably did something to annoy the cyclist that he wasn't (and still isn't) even aware of. Its usually the way - drivers don't set out to overtake too close, cut in too sharply etc etc. No idea why the cyclist banged his car but unlikely to have done so without a good reason based on my experience.

tangled_metal

My view is the only good reason for hitting a car is if it is needed for your safety. If the car is pulling over into you and the driver doesn't look like he's seen you then perhaps I can imagine hitting the car is valid. However it sounds like the op overtook and drove away from the cyclist who caught up after lights changed suddenly and had a bit of a tantrum, letting out her frustration with a quick slap. If no damage, or even if there is as you'll not get her done for anything, then just forget it and move on. One of those things. Angry.cyclist, angry driver, they're both tossers.

tangled_metal

Just be pleased it wasn't the cyclist I used to work with. He was mad keen cyclist who kept that chain on a stick tool, sorry too tired to remember it's name, it had extra chain on it and he kept it in his back pocket. Then pulled out to remonstrate with drivers by taking out lights with it whip style. His mate used a metal frame pump for that same purpose. Both tossers.

chris_bass

BigLights wrote:

Off topic, but I am unable to ride at the moment, so redcued to being on public transport and pedestrian. I have to say, it's really shone a light on 'the other side' in terms of RLJers. I seriously feel like punching these cretins,a couple of whom have come very close to taking me out on a red light when I'm crossing the road. Taht would be disastrous, given i'm recovering from a spinal op.

I don't RLJ, but I've never been as wound up about it as I am now.

dont pull at that thread!!

davis

Tangled Metal wrote:

Just be pleased it wasn't the cyclist I used to work with. He was mad keen cyclist who kept that chain on a stick tool, sorry too tired to remember it's name, it had extra chain on it and he kept it in his back pocket. Then pulled out to remonstrate with drivers by taking out lights with it whip style. His mate used a metal frame pump for that same purpose. Both tossers.

So, it was a chain tool... which he used like a whip, eh? A bit like a sort of "chain whip"? :P

Cutty Dyer

She sounds like a nutter!

We all know what it feels like to be cut up and abused by drivers and it is only by Gods good will, that I haven't dragged people kicking and screaming out of their builders vans to show them the error of their ways. However, this is usually after some near death experience or a verbal insult just because the driver thinks cyclists shouldn't be there. I have never been upset because a driver has failed to observe some minor courtesy
- stoopid moo!

Beeblebrox

I'm not sure where the 'dangerous' bit comes in for the topic title.

I suspect you might have done something without realising, because that reaction must have caused by something you specifically did. Or possibly a case of mistaken identity.