Disgusting excuse of a cyclist 🤷‍♂️

[Gunk]

Ok we have all seen cyclist jump the lights, but this guy in his late 50’s gave a real bad name to cyclists around my area in Surrey.
Sat as a passenger four cars back from this disgusting excuse of a cyclist. He jumped the lights and as he did a young lady waiting at the lights tapped her horn once, very quickly. The guy on the bike gave her the finger as he went through. The lights changed and he Rode dead centre to prevent the young lady from overtaking and started giving her the W-anchor sign. The next car he gave them the thumbs up and the next.
The guy was dressed in all the gear.
That guy was so lucky someone who would not put up with that, wasn’t driving behind him!!!

An average day in Oxford!

 

[winjim]

... except that the horn was sounded in response to the bloke jumping the lights. I won't condemn him going through on a red as sometimes it can be done with zero issue for other road users; however he's still legally in the wrong, should be ready to get some stick for it and should just have let it go.

A simple hand up to acknowledge his transgression would have been a much better way to handle it; or simply ignoring it and carrying on.

While I'm the first to abuse other road users if they behave badly, reacting by aggressively upping the ante when pulled up for doing something that's technically wrong (even if one thinks it's justifiable) isn't clever or fair; especially when it's towards someone physically smaller / weaker.

Bloke sounds like a childish idiot.

A person in a car is not physically smaller and weaker than a person on a bike though. I'm sure we've all felt intimidated at times, as vulnerable road users. And I'm not saying he was right to react as he did, but neither was she, and she can't use the defence of having the body of a weak and feeble woman when she has the car horn of a king.

I'm looking at this from the perspective of the driver and wondering what I could have done better to avoid the trouble. The answer is to stop policing other road users, pass with caution around someone I have already observed contravening road rules, and go about my business.

 

[Vantage]

I'm with wafter on this.
When I had my airhorn, I did honk at some selfish c**ts flouting the rules of the road.
To just sit there and do nothing isn't really an option for some of us. Evil prevails when good men/women do nothing etc etc.
I saw this 'we must stick with our fellow cyclists even when they're wrong' attitude in the cycling UK forum which is just plain stupid. I hope the same doesn't happen here.
I'm perfectly happy to wish someone a good hiding for retaliating when they're called out on wrongdoing. One beep of the horn is far from aggressive behaviour. Some people need to grow a backbone.

 

[Vantage]

What, did you hope for the cyclist to get run over?
Disgusting excuse of a human being imo.

Bonzothechippy didn't even suggest that pat.

 

[Binky]

I saw this 'we must stick with our fellow cyclists even when they're wrong' attitude in the cycling UK forum which is just plain stupid.

I'm slightly reluctant to comment on this thread after being rounded on for daring to suggest that yes, some cyclists are a menace to other road users/pedestrians etc in other threads.
There does seem to be a herd mentality for some that cyclists can do no wrong because cars are so much more dangerous and cause way more deaths(which of course is very true).

However, people are people. Be that on a bike or in a vehicle. So you'll get idiots in both cases.

I think need to judge the action of the individual not the form of transport they use.

As for horn use, sometimes I'll be given a gentle toot by a passing car on a backroad after I've moved over to allow them to pass. Technically illegal use of horn but it's fine by me and appreciated.

 

[winjim]

I'm with wafter on this.
When I had my airhorn, I did honk at some selfish c**ts flouting the rules of the road.
To just sit there and do nothing isn't really an option for some of us. Evil prevails when good men/women do nothing etc etc.
I saw this 'we must stick with our fellow cyclists even when they're wrong' attitude in the cycling UK forum which is just plain stupid. I hope the same doesn't happen here.
I'm perfectly happy to wish someone a good hiding for retaliating when they're called out on wrongdoing. One beep of the horn is far from aggressive behaviour. Some people need to grow a backbone.

But again, what do you expect to happen? What do you hope to achieve? You're only doing it to make yourself feel better. Do you really think that the rider in the op has seen the error of his ways and is never going to jump a red light again? Do you think the driver feels good about the encounter?

People are going to make honest mistakes, but also people are going to act like idiots on the road and there's nothing you can do to stop them. You're in charge of your own driving / riding and nobody else's.

 

[Binky]

People are going to make honest mistakes, but also people are going to act like idiots on the road and there's nothing you can do to stop them. You're in charge of your own driving / riding and nobody else's.

This is true, we cannot control what others do.

However, what I do is record my rides so if I am dangerously close passed etc I send in a report to Operation Snap and let the police deal with it.
And they have many times, resulting in big fines and points for offending drivers.
Hopefully then in time motorists will get the message that endangering vunerable road users has consequences.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Mod Note:
Still, I'm sorry but you are advocating violence here (hopefully only verbal), even possibly road rage.
We must be mindful of the Online Safety Act (Google for full explanation if you like)
As a forum mod I must point out this to the membership, least we want to end up Cycle Chat refugees in some other forum.
Thanks for reading.

Pat, I fell foul of this the other evening with a post. (Not going to debate it in any way - not my forum, not my rules)

Can I suggest that CC provides some sort of policy statement so its approach & interpretation of the new legislation can be readily understood by posters.

 

[matticus]

... except that the horn was sounded in response to the bloke jumping the lights. I won't condemn him going through on a red as sometimes it can be done with zero issue for other road users; however he's still legally in the wrong, should be ready to get some stick for it and should just have let it go.

So retaliation is sometimes OK? is that what you're saying?