Hello Everyone!

[dantheman]

welcome to the forum pip. i think as with most things, a lot of the comments here need to be taken "with a pinch of salt", as most have said, its not motorists we dislike, just idiotic/ignorant motorists that dont think cyclists should be allowed at all, let alone on "their" roads..
anyway, as this is such an issue, and because its been mentioned we dont always talk of good commutes, im gonna start a thread in commuting saying about mine this morning!- take a look if you wish!

 

[swee'pea99]

Hi Pip

I think some people just like to be angry and indignant. Self-righteousness also hangs around hereabouts. Like other posters, I have no problem with drivers per se - on the contrary, I probably say 'thank you' to drivers about five times a day and '**** you' about once a month. It's not so bad here anyway. If you want to experience *real* vitriol, visit uk.rec.cycling and suggest to someone that they really ought to wear a helmet.

 

[Night Train]

Welcome Pip.

As has been said it is more an anti idiot then anti motor vehicles. You may have missed two recent threads in the cafe, The Classic Cars Thread and the Dream Cars Thread and both show that a lot of us have a passion for the tin box.

Personally I am a truck fanatic having played with and owned classic trucks, restored classic MG from the 50's to the 70's and built my own off road, 4x4 and 6x6 trials, competition and show vehicles.

I only cycle a hand full of miles a week but I drive over 20,000 miles a year and I am designing an electric car for my commute and designing and building a recumbent trike. I am also an 'environmentalist greenie' who is into improving transport technology.

 

[Danny]

Welcome Pip.

I think there are actually two issues around "motor vehicles":

1. The first is that a small minority of drivers are mindless idiots, and an even smaller minority deliberately drive dangerously when they see a cyclist. As I say this only applies to a minority of drivers, but most cyclists encounter both groups at some time or another.

2. The other issue for some of us is that Britain is totally over-dependent on the car, and most transport spending still goes on supporting car use, rather than improving public transport or cycling facilities. This is totally unsustainable for a whole range of reasons - the most of important of which is that 25% of Britain's carbon emissions come from car use.

I drive and own a car so am not "anti-car" per se, but strongly believe that we all need to drastically reduce our dependency on the car.

You will no doubt find that there are a few petrolheads on the forum whol totally disagree with the above - hence some of the lively debates you see on the forum.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Pip, i dont have a problem with the whole group of motorists. Its the aggressive, head up their arse full of their own self importance ones that i dont like. Also the nervouse ones when i'm on a busy dual-carrigeway, why go over half way and not just take the other lane to go past?
I am agaisnt the people that will pass close, honk horns to get me to move or to scare me or do anything to get me off the road.

Quite. I love cars and I drive an artic (which I also enjoy) for work, but I don't like being passed too close by inconsiderate idiots whatever mode of transport I'm using.
Welcome along Pip, by the way.

 

[asterix]

Bienvenue, Pip. I spend time in the UK and France, and it's amazing the difference in motorists attitudes to cyclists between the two countries. If drivers in the UK were as considerate as they are here I think they would receive far less critiscism. Yesterday I was out on my bike and was passed by an 'auto-ecole' vehicle. It was very impressive how the learner driver gave me plenty of space and had carefully signalled to show they were passing a cyclist.

Of course I am also a driver in both countries.

 

[Sprocket Dog]

I understand the need to vent, indeed I have done myself on a number of occasions.IMO, however, it is competely wrong to ever get aggressive or cause damage to another vehicle. The second you hit the other vehicle (and/or the driver) you losw the argument and any potential witnesses will speak against youo. Remember, they might not seen the original incident leading to the confrontation, but you can bet they'll be watching as you drop the other driver.Getting angry solves nothing, politley speaking to the other party, IME, has a much more beneficial effect.Hard to do, but worth it.

 

[swee'pea99]

It can also have a gratifyingly disproportionate effect on the miscreant. I wryly suggested to one fat twat 'Well, you've got the Maserati - all you need now is a life'. I thought the bugger was going to have a coronary on the spot.

 

[Arch]

Bienvenue, Pip. I spend time in the UK and France, and it's amazing the difference in motorists attitudes to cyclists between the two countries. If drivers in the UK were as considerate as they are here I think they would receive far less critiscism. Yesterday I was out on my bike and was passed by an 'auto-ecole' vehicle. It was very impressive how the learner driver gave me plenty of space and had carefully signalled to show they were passing a cyclist.

Of course I am also a driver in both countries.

Seconded. I'm just back from 2 weeks in France and the immaculate behaviour of French drivers took a bit of getting used to! In the whole time, and 800 miles, we (a convoy of 9 recumbent riders) had one incident of fist waving and shouting from a white van (the shouting identified them as Spanish, not French) and one close pass - a British car.

Not only that, but cafe owners, passers -by, everyone, greeted us cheerily, and with respect for our trip. Tell an average English person you're heading for Dieppe, 400 miles away by the end of the week and they say "You nutter!" - the French say "Bon Courage!" and "Chapeau!" (Hats Off to you!) It's just a totally different mindset. So lovely. If they could just learn to make tea, it would be heaven...

 

[CJ87]

Haha I actually laughed out loud when I read that earlier being in a cafe sat on my own! Superb!

 

[Scoosh]

If they could just learn to make tea, it would be heaven...

...ah, yes but they can do cafe ... and croissants .... and vin rouge ... and ...

(pauses to book holiday in France....)

 

[Pip]

Hi all, thank you for all the welcomes and the thoughts!

All very fair points, I think I'm just fairly non-confrontational really and wouldn't really choose the 'retaliatory' approach to inconsiderate road use (I ride mainly in and around Reading, and heaven knows you see some...!).
But each to their own! And I agree, far better vented in here than actually out on the roads!

Happy cycling all :-)