I am overweight so what is their problem

jeremyrundle · August 2010

What is it with people these days.

Unless you are a non smoker, 6', six pack and under thirty you appear to be the butt of jokes or open to abuse.

I was cycling home today, from a food fayre in Tavistock, Devon, and a white van passed me.

"Get off the road you fat &^%$".

I have not always ridden a bike but unlike most motorists I have ALWAYS moved well over and only overtaken when clear, but I am carved up constantly.

Yesterday my youngest son was behind me as we went to cross a busyish road, the traffic was very slow moving, so a chap kindly stopped and waved us over, as I passed the bonnet a MORON on a motorbike came over the button roundabout a YARD over the wrong side and white lines.

He had to stop or hit me and the bike, I wondered what would have happened had my son been alone (has learning difficulties). As the moron "flew off he tooted many times and stuck 2 fingers up.

Is it me

andy83 · August 2010

theyre just jealous that they couldnt ride a bike.

I had some bloke call me a fat git and went to get out of his car and chase me, fair to say he was that fat he was out of breath by the time he undone his seat belt

you will always get drivers think you shouldnt be on the road "you dont pay road tax" etc but its just a confidence thing. i dont recomend to people to cycle on the roads although i do all the time

it may be worth riding out a little from the curb. if your in the gutter then cars will think they can squeeze past you, if you ride a foot or so out from the curb it makes motorists have to overtake you safely

Tonymufc · August 2010

In the words of a clever man (can't remember his name) F**K EM.

jeremyrundle · August 2010

You are both right, but I ride in because I don't want to cause inconvenience.

stuaff · August 2010

It's a lot of people sadly. I was riding back home from the station this afternoon after an all-nighter, in lycra, and some kid on a BMX said I looked like a homosexual. Or he was comparing me to a popular pork liver & onion dish. Might have had an impact (OK, not anyway...) if he hadn't quite clearly been fat, lazy stupid, and incapable of racing me on his excuse for a mode of transport had I been so inclined.
As Tony says......f*** 'em.

SimonAH · August 2010

I've had to come to the horrible soul destroying conclusion that 80% of the population are just, let's be honest, ignorant, unintelligent, boorish, self centred, sucking on the teat a-holes and as a result one has to assume that they will behave as such.

Short of a Bond villain just pressing damn button instead of delivering a long monologue and thusly being foiled we've just got to live with it.

Damn I'm depressed now.

On a brighter light a 20%er did stop all of the traffic this afternoon to let the mini AH and myself cross the road to the cyclepath on the other side - they are out there!

Anonymous · August 2010

I don't seem to get half as much abuse as other cyclists.

I'm starting to get a complex. What's wrong with me? :oops:

UndercoverElephant · August 2010

RichardSwt wrote:

I don't seem to get half as much abuse as other cyclists.

I'm starting to get a complex. What's wrong with me? :oops:

Me neither. I very rarely get even inconsiderate motorists, let alone rude ones.

pastryboy · August 2010

Some people are just knobends

Case in point, the other day a bloke was sitting on my wall in front of my house chatting on the phone. I knocked on the window and gestured him to move away. He ignored me so I opened the window and told him to move off my wall.

He replied that I should have some courtesy as he was in the middle of his call and I shouldn't speak to him till he'd finished!!!!

When I pointed out his lack of courtesy for sitting on my wall he said 'I don't see your name on it'. :roll: He looked about 35 as well so not even some scrote.

I've had a car deliberately swerve at me before - it was coming the opposite way up a narrow side road so there was no reason for it other than 'amusement' as the driver obviously thought it would be funny if I fell off (I didn't).

coopster_the_1st · August 2010

jeremyrundle wrote:

You are both right, but I ride in because I don't want to cause inconvenience.

There is a cycling saying "Ride in the gutter, get treated like rubbish".

Unfortunately sounds like this is happening here.

Unless the road is very wide, I ride in a position that forces the traffic to overtake on the other side of the road(generally the left had tyre tracks). This then makes them feel vulnerable as it puts them in danger and the vast majority over take safely and without fuss.

It take a bit of confidence to do this and you need to be travelling at a reasonable speed but it has helped my feeling of safety

merkin · August 2010

the other day a bloke was sitting on my wall in front of my house chatting on the phone. I knocked on the window and gestured him to move away.

Why did his sitting on the wall annoy you? :? I wouldn't care.
If ever I build a wall in front of my house, you are all free to sit on it whenever you wish.

Especially Lit.

jimmypippa · August 2010

Coopster the 1st wrote:

jeremyrundle wrote:

You are both right, but I ride in because I don't want to cause inconvenience.

There is a cycling saying "Ride in the gutter, get treated like rubbish".

Unfortunately sounds like this is happening here.

Unless the road is very wide, I ride in a position that forces the traffic to overtake on the other side of the road(generally the left had tyre tracks). This then makes them feel vulnerable as it puts them in danger and the vast majority over take safely and without fuss.

It take a bit of confidence to do this and you need to be travelling at a reasonable speed but it has helped my feeling of safety

Yes,

I can't remember the survey, but it has been reported that motorists tend to give a cyclist about as much space when passing as the distance of the cyclist from the kerb.

It seems to work,

And you miss all the crud, and can move out smoothly and predictably to pass parked cars. (On a bit of my commute, this week a couple of drain gratings have been removed - I noticed whilst passing a good distance out, but would have been in trouble if not, I also didn't need to swerve, which is dangerous).

Yes I have reported these...

I'll see how long it takes fro them to be replaced.

Anonymous · August 2010

pastryboy wrote:

Some people are just knobends

Case in point, the other day a bloke was sitting on my wall in front of my house chatting on the phone. I knocked on the window and gestured him to move away. He ignored me so I opened the window and told him to move off my wall.

He replied that I should have some courtesy as he was in the middle of his call and I shouldn't speak to him till he'd finished!!!!

When I pointed out his lack of courtesy for sitting on my wall he said 'I don't see your name on it'. :roll: He looked about 35 as well so not even some scrote.

Sorry, but this dose sound a bit Daily Mail.

There was one person sat one your wall, (I presume the wall was on a public footpath), speaking on the phone and you had a problem with this?

Now if there were a group of poeple sat on your wall messing around I think you'd have a point. Or maybe if he was a serial offender and spent quite a lot of time sat on your wall, then again you'd have reason for complaint.

But one man, who by your own admission was "not even some scrote", talking on the phone. Come on, ask yourself, is it really that much of a big deal?

I've had a car deliberately swerve at me before - it was coming the opposite way up a narrow side road so there was no reason for it other than 'amusement' as the driver obviously thought it would be funny if I fell off (I didn't).

No jokes here, that is out of order. So you are right some people are just knobends.

whyamihere · August 2010

I'm a 6' man, well under 30, and thin (though no 6 pack). I still get abuse, though obviously the opposite is said (skinny b'stard) etc. The problem isn't you, it's that the people throwing out these insults barely have the intelligence to breathe, let alone live in a civilised society.

supersonic · August 2010

I often shout at cars and vans.

pastryboy · August 2010

Yes it does bother me since it's plain rude and I had no idea who he was or what he was doing - I wouldn't do it to someone elses's property.

lost_in_thought · August 2010

UndercoverElephant wrote:

RichardSwt wrote:

I don't seem to get half as much abuse as other cyclists.

I'm starting to get a complex. What's wrong with me? :oops:

Me neither. I very rarely get even inconsiderate motorists, let alone rude ones.

+1

People are nice.

andy83 · August 2010

I have chips thrown at me and kids play chicked if i have to commute home late on a friday or saturday, not nice

thelawnet · August 2010

pastryboy wrote:

Some people are just knobends

Case in point, the other day a bloke was sitting on my wall in front of my house chatting on the phone. I knocked on the window and gestured him to move away. He ignored me so I opened the window and told him to move off my wall.

He replied that I should have some courtesy as he was in the middle of his call and I shouldn't speak to him till he'd finished!!!!

Which seems fair enough to me. I'm sure your wall isn't any the worse for him having sat on it, and that there was room for you to sit there too.

Blue Meanie · August 2010

I like to give a friendly wave or a 'thumbs-up' to indignant drivers, it really confuses them.

The most repeated slur I (we) hear is 'read the highway code!' from drivers, or more normally their passenger when we're 'two-up'. I'm guessing they're alerting me to the section that states "don't ride more than two abreast", which we're not.
If I feel pressured in to not being 'two-up' I drop back, but don't move closer to the kerb, meaning they now have to pass a longer and just as wide 'obstacle'.

I understand my actions are inflammatory, I simply find it hard to consider the inconsiderate road user's problem.

Having commuted by bicycle for over 15yrs and told all the stories and rants about buses and cars and taxis ad nauseam, I now enjoy recounting the good instances on the road with my roadie GF and friends. The stories aren't as frequent, but leave a better taste in your mouth.

Check out
http://www.ragingbike.co.uk/

jeremyrundle · August 2010

I understand the chap wanting the phone talker off the wall.

I assume it was his house, and therefore HIS wall.

If the wall belongs to the homeowner then realistically whilst there is no harm done it is HIS wall.

My elderly father has a 3' wall ouside his home he owns the home (no mortgauge therefore he not the bank owns it), the wall has white wood fencing, just two 5" planks painted along the top between 1' pillars above the wall, there is 6" of space in front of the wood.

This has been broken countless times by morons "sitting" on his wall and leaning back using it as a bench.

If your car were in a car park and someone used the bonnet as a seat you would complain.

rjsterry · August 2010

jeremyrundle wrote:

Is it me

No, it is definitely them. They're a bit like buses - nothing for ages, then a whole week of it.

To restore your faith a little, have a read of the Anti-rants thread.

jeremyrundle · August 2010

Ok thanks will do now, thanks for the info

NGale · August 2010

lets face it they are a bit mad in Tavistock.

I have found motorists in Exeter surprisingly polite. We are quite lucky with having good cycle paths so motorist and cyclists contact is minimal.

Dartmouth is just nuts all the time (Going into town at the moment is not an option due to Regatta) but the drivers are on the whole ok

shouldbeinbed · August 2010

Coopster the 1st wrote:

jeremyrundle wrote:

You are both right, but I ride in because I don't want to cause inconvenience.

There is a cycling saying "Ride in the gutter, get treated like rubbish".

Unfortunately sounds like this is happening here.

Unless the road is very wide, I ride in a position that forces the traffic to overtake on the other side of the road(generally the left had tyre tracks). This then makes them feel vulnerable as it puts them in danger and the vast majority over take safely and without fuss.

It take a bit of confidence to do this and you need to be travelling at a reasonable speed but it has helped my feeling of safety

+1 I ride a calm but assertive and away from the kerb style. If I'm in and about Peds I'm always polite and let them know where I am and where I'm intending to go past them plenty in advance.

It seems to work to make people not take liberties.

jimmypippa · August 2010

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Coopster the 1st wrote:

jeremyrundle wrote:

You are both right, but I ride in because I don't want to cause inconvenience.

There is a cycling saying "Ride in the gutter, get treated like rubbish".

Unfortunately sounds like this is happening here.

Unless the road is very wide, I ride in a position that forces the traffic to overtake on the other side of the road(generally the left had tyre tracks). This then makes them feel vulnerable as it puts them in danger and the vast majority over take safely and without fuss.

It take a bit of confidence to do this and you need to be travelling at a reasonable speed but it has helped my feeling of safety

+1 I ride a calm but assertive and away from the kerb style. If I'm in and about Peds I'm always polite and let them know where I am and where I'm intending to go past them plenty in advance.

It seems to work to make people not take liberties.

Further to what I said, I try to consider how I see cyclists when driving. I want to easily notice them, and for them to be predictable, i.e. no swerves.

If I ride an appropriate distance out, I can edge out to overtake parked cars without swerving, and without stopping to wait for a gap in traffic.

marksteven · August 2010

i seem to have an anti karma thing when im commuting the other day i stopped & grabbed a stray dog , called the owner , waited for him to come & get him , then had a terrible ride home loads of really close drivers , abuse, general grief, & i got hit by a car overtaking on a blind bend , he didnt stop & no specs on so no reg no

jeremyrundle · August 2010

Again, is it me, riding home today on a cycle/pedestrian 15' wide path, I saw a don on a long lead, and said L O U D LY it had better not run in front of me, a surprised "woman" looked up to see her (*&^%^*& dog almost get hit as it headed for my front wheel.

HELLO dog owners, it isn't the dog that is stupid. What if I had been an elderly rider in my seventies, 3' to my left was Tavistock Canal, little water and a 7' drop all the way onto rocks.

s1lko · August 2010

jeremyrundle wrote:

Again, is it me, riding home today on a cycle/pedestrian 15' wide path, I saw a don on a long lead, and said L O U D LY it had better not run in front of me, a surprised "woman" looked up to see her (*&^%^*& dog almost get hit as it headed for my front wheel.

HELLO dog owners, it isn't the dog that is stupid. What if I had been an elderly rider in my seventies, 3' to my left was Tavistock Canal, little water and a 7' drop all the way onto rocks.

Had a similar experience today, using a 1.5ft wide off-road section of the NCN1. A woman walking ten (yes 10!) dogs was totally oblivious to me because she was so engrossed in her phone call. Luckily only three of them made a bee-line for my front wheel.

gtvlusso · August 2010

SimonAH wrote:

I've had to come to the horrible soul destroying conclusion that 80% of the population are just, let's be honest, ignorant, unintelligent, boorish, self centred, sucking on the teat a-holes and as a result one has to assume that they will behave as such.
!

I will raise you to 90% of the population - hence the domination of *cheap* tv: X Factor, Big Brother etc etc etc
mindless sh1t for the plebs.

[rant]
What annoys me most if the society seems to have lost it's manners, just the simple things: opening doors for people, walking down the street without shouldering people out of the way or taking up the whole pavement - making space for prams and expectant mothers, just helping out when you see someone struggling
[/rant]

jeremyrundle · August 2010

In a way I agree with you, I am probably older than you though.

Moving for prams, getting up on busses and opening doors.

First women fought tooth and nail for equality many years ago so I now treat them as equals, no longer opening doors or standing for them, as a single father who raised three sons from birth no one ever helped me with a pram.

As for manners, I am now finding that it is the elderly not the young who have the worst manners, I often hold a door for a youngster, and have a "Ta" in return, yet I have lost count of the old who ignore you and don't thank, believe me it does not go un "rewarded" by me, or without "loud" comment.

As for big brother, jeremy kyle, and more oh you are SOOOOOOOO right

I am overweight so what is their problem

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