Giving way to cars

[Hip Priest]

I have let people push in front of me in the line at Tesco's when they have a small number of items and I have a trolley full.

An old lady did that to me in M&S last week as I only had a sandwich. Of course I replied 'No! It is your right to go before me. Read the supermarket code! Look yourself up on Youtube!'

 

[vernon]

Wow, what an attitude to have. Yes it is courtesy to let another car out of the side road, in this instance the person who pulled out was not coreous to the cyclists because they should have seen them and waited until it was safe to pull out, that was just bad driving. But the person who was kind enough to pause to let them out was a good citizen.

I have let people push in front of me in the line at Tesco's when they have a small number of items and I have a trolley full.

Treat others how you expect to be treated.

Some people have low expectations.......

 

[martint235]

Yep in the OP legally the cyclist has priority (as stated flashing of lights means nothing and even if it did, it's not the car's priority to give away). However it all depends on how I'm feeling, if it's been a good day, I'll signal to the car that I'm also happy for them to move across me. If it's not been a good day, I'll go around his bonnet and give glares to the driver pulling out and the driver who flashed.

It is courtesy but how courteous I am depends on my day. If it is a bad day, my justification will be how many cars would stop to allow a cyclist to perform the same manouevre.

 

[PK99]

The Tesco analogy is misleading. Letting someone jump a queue is not equivalent to letting someone join a line of traffic from another direction. I agree with the post above - our traffic system would grind to a half if nobody let anybody out of junctions.

In a slow traffic queue i regularly let cyclists join from a side road

 

[benb]

I don't think anyone is suggesting that no-one should let traffic join from a side road. But the car joining needs to check that it's safe, regardless of whether they have been flashed or not. It may well be the case that the cyclist will allow them out, but they shouldn't assume it, and (again in an ideal world) the cyclist should be able to rely on the car not to come out until it is safe to do so.

In the real world, we should all anticipate that a car will come out if they have been flashed, but that doesn't make it right.

 

[Hip Priest]

I don't think anyone is suggesting that no-one should let traffic join from a side road.

Err...Little Yellow Brompton seemed to be suggesting exactly that.

 

[Markymark]

The reason I asked this is becuase, as a cyclist, I rarely see other cyclsists let anyone out. The car trying to join the main road will be stuck there unless someone is courteous enough to let them out. The scenario I was trying to give, but maybe not completely clear, was that the cyclists were far enough away that them just slowing down would be enough to let the car out.

It would appear that some of the posters here would not allow this and would keep cycing at current speed as is their right...although maybe I gave the scenario to be understood as the cyclsists would have to quickly stop.

 

[snailracer]

HC Rule 151:
In slow-moving traffic. You should...

• allow access into and from side roads, as blocking these will add to congestion
• be aware of cyclists and motorcyclists who may be passing on either side

PS To me, "allow access" means not blocking the side road, it doesn't mean cyclists should give way.

 

[freecyclist]

courtesy to who? The cyclsits in the traffic around him, the traffic waiting behind him, the one vehicle who will now not get through the next light change?

If you think it's courtesy, I suggest you try it the next time you are in a line at the till in Tesco's , see what the people behind you think about your courtesy.

Idiotic Nonsense.

 

[benb]

Err...Little Yellow Brompton seemed to be suggesting exactly that.

Where?

 

[benb]

The reason I asked this is becuase, as a cyclist, I rarely see other cyclsists let anyone out. The car trying to join the main road will be stuck there unless someone is courteous enough to let them out. The scenario I was trying to give, but maybe not completely clear, was that the cyclists were far enough away that them just slowing down would be enough to let the car out.

It would appear that some of the posters here would not allow this and would keep cycing at current speed as is their right...although maybe I gave the scenario to be understood as the cyclsists would have to quickly stop.

I would happily let a car join, as long as there is room for them to get all the way out and not block my route. What I object to is them assuming we're going to let them out, or simply forcing their way out with no consideration for us.

 

[Hip Priest]

Where?

Err...the post where he claims that letting people out is discourteous and akin to allowing someone to jump a supermarket queue.

 

[akb]

Ive been in this position before, but in my car. Was night time, traffic was chocka and a car was indicating to turn across the lane, so I flashed to let him in. Being a cyclist I always check mirrors before doing this to make sure that there is no one filtering on my left (which IMHO is a no-no anyway, but people still do it) and it proved clear.
Just as the other driver was about to complete his maneuver, Ninja cyclist appears at my wing mirror. Luckily the mrs had her window open so I managed to shout stop to him, which he fortunately did.
Then questioned the lack of lights and his filtering position; he was oblivious to breaking the law without any lights on as I had just proven and didnt seem to understand my concern at his safety.

So my point is this: I am sure, that if you drive, there will be times when you flash someone without checking for cyclists. Ive only been cycling for a year now, and in the above situation, before cycling I dare say that I wouldn't have checked my mirrors for cyclists.

My 2p worth.

 

[gaz]

The reason I asked this is becuase, as a cyclist, I rarely see other cyclsists let anyone out. The car trying to join the main road will be stuck there unless someone is courteous enough to let them out. The scenario I was trying to give, but maybe not completely clear, was that the cyclists were far enough away that them just slowing down would be enough to let the car out.

It would appear that some of the posters here would not allow this and would keep cycing at current speed as is their right...although maybe I gave the scenario to be understood as the cyclsists would have to quickly stop.

It's a little harder for a cyclist to let someone out.
For starters we don't have brake lights so we first have to warn drivers behind us we are stopping or slowing.
Then we have to indicate to other road users that we are letting them out.
Flashing your lights is common in a car but not do easy on a bike. Any sort of flash from a bike is just percieved as being your light.

 

[akb]

Any sort of flash from a bike

You flash a lot then Gaz?