Cyclists who deserve to be disliked

[Davidc]

We hear a lot about how many road users hate cyclists. Sometimes though there are cyclists whose behaviour is bound to cause this. Unfortunately it reflects on the rest of us.

I drove the 9 miles from home to Wellington this morning, and made a note when I got there of what I'd seen. In order:

1. Cyclist rode straight off a cycle path and across a busy road. 2 cars, one each way had to do full-on emergency stops. The one going the other way to me was hit from behind by the following car (which had been far too close BTW). Cyclist just rode off down a narrow footpath which has a no cycling sign.

2. RLJ at a complex busy junction. Council truck swerved and just missed the cyclist.

3. RLJ at a pedestrian crossing by 2 cyclists 2 abreast. Woman with a child in a buggy had to jump, with the buggy, to avoid being hit.

4. Cyclist coming towards me on the wrong side of the road - in primary position! Went up the kerb side of my car and got hooted at by a bus.

5. Cyclist turned right - from a gutter crawling position - straight across traffic on both sides of the road. Not as close as No 1 but caused me to slam on the brakes, as did the car the other side.

6. I was waiting at a roundabout, cyclist went round the outside and straight onto the r'bout in front of the motorbike I was waiting for. M/C rider did manage to stay on.

The RLJs weren't just as the lights were changing, but when they'd been at red for some time.

And those were the worst. I can't recall when I last saw as many examples of lunatic cycling one after the other. The idiots on bikes outnumbered those who appeared sane.

After seeing that I'm going to find it hard to defend cyclists next time I hear the usual snipes at us.

 

[kingcobra]

Yep most cyclist are sane but there are some who want to get to where there going with out any thought for pedestrians, and road users. I guess you could say they are very blinkered in their attitude.

 

[Klaus]

I drive regularly and see a fair amount of bad cycling - I also note a lot of bad car driving ... just the other morning, busy roundabout going onto motorway, three cars going over red lights, lane changing without indicating, you have seen it all. Also, one tries to do the right thing, i.e. stick with the rules of the road, speed limits, etc. There are the few idiots who risk accidents just because they are annoyed why you don't drive faster etc.etc.etc.

 

[al-fresco]

And here was me thinking that this was going to be another thread about race replica shirts...

 

[Davidc]

I drive regularly and see a fair amount of bad cycling - I also note a lot of bad car driving ... just the other morning, busy roundabout going onto motorway, three cars going over red lights, lane changing without indicating, you have seen it all. Also, one tries to do the right thing, i.e. stick with the rules of the road, speed limits, etc. There are the few idiots who risk accidents just because they are annoyed why you don't drive faster etc.etc.etc.

No excuse for bad driving either! That doesn't get cyclists a bad name though.

And here was me thinking that this was going to be another thread about race replica shirts...

No, even this lot weren't that extreme.

 

[tyred]

As I've got older, I increasingly suspect a certain percentage of the population go around in LA-LA land completely oblivious to what is going on around them. That applies whether they are driving, cycling or working in a shop and oblivious to the queue of customers waiting for service.

 

[gaz]

I like to call them Silly Cyclists

 

[Red Light]

Lots of cyclists round your way then, especially as, with that many such near misses, you must have a massive fatality and serious injury rate locally.

 

[Dan B]

Quite. There are idiots astride/inside all forms of vehicle

 

[Davidc]

Lots of cyclists round your way then, especially as, with that many such near misses, you must have a massive fatality and serious injury rate locally.

It never seems these idiots that get killed.

We've had 2 cycling fatalities within half a mile of my house in the last 12 months. Both were caused by speeding car drivers to completely innocent cyclist victims

(There are a lot of cyclists, and I estimate the number is up by 1/2 this year over last).

 

[lulubel]

Lots of cyclists round your way then, especially as, with that many such near misses, you must have a massive fatality and serious injury rate locally.

I think you just get some days when all the idiots are out at once. I know we get days like that here.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I call them retards.....You get them on foot, in car, on bike, on the internet, everywhere in fact...... Some people just cant help themselves

 

[Red Light]

It never seems these idiots that get killed.

Perhaps they're smarter than they seem

 

[Dayvo]

A lot of the 'serious' cyclists here, on their top of the range Cervelos (thanks to Thor Hushovd, no doubt) ride in biggish groups and almost never bother stopping at red lights.

I've given up remonstrating with them - just call them something not very nice.

I even had a chat with a driver as we watched about 12 of them just sail through without even looking - they'll get their come-uppance one day, and then they'll all be on the offensive about it. Tossers!

 

[Mushroomgodmat]

In the last 8 months of commuting - and in my very unscientific opinion, only around 20% of cyclists (in Norwich) stop at red lights.