With all the friction we have with motorists maybe we should consider some kind of outreach. Say if cyclists were an aid to motorists in some way then motorists would see us as allies. Obviously we can forget those people who shout insults or make threatening moves with their cars etc. Those people aren't anyone's friends and should be taken off the road anyway. But, your average motorist is as rational as anyone else my guess is if some kind of symbiosis were worked out or just evolved things would smooth out.
Outreach to motorists
- Thread starter John482
- Start date
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snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
I'm unaware of all this friction, but if it exists, why would we "forget" about those causing it?
Are they not the ones we need to befriend?
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
same here
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
The bulk of us are also motorisits, so we'd merely be aiding ourselves. I like that.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
As above I aid my fellow motorists by only driving when the task can’t be completed on foot or by bike. Most local stuff can be completed on a bike. If only more of my fellow motorists thought this way and only used the car where walking or cycling can‘t be used to complete some local errand. Eliminating all car journeys under 5 miles would be a start.
roadrash
cycle chatterer
- Location
- sitting on the edge of wigan pier
sorry , i lost interest at ..."outreach"
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
Sadly, due to the fact that in the UK so few people especially motorists see cycling as a valid form of transport and regularly cycle themselves, compared with other countries, you won't be able to shake the image of cyclists as being different and looked down on.
Therefore it's vital to keep younger people cycling.
Therefore it's vital to keep younger people cycling.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Motorists often tell me to go help myself. At least, I think that's what they're saying. It's so hard to hear anything over their noisy engines.
More seriously, what does the opening poster think should be done in practice?
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I would suggest that the moment any normal motorist gets behind the wheel their psychology takes over and they become possessive, aggressive and completely irrational.
I think it's more like they become scared. Car crashes, being mutilated, dying all that plays on their mind at least at a sub conscious level and that makes them edgy. Not sure what value someone on a bike has to people in traffic other than what's been stated we cut down on the number of cars on the road. That helps but you still get the risk of bikes being hard to see, silent and very small. One bump from a car can be deadly if you're on a bike. Bike lanes or where ever possible bike routs separate from traffic would be ideal.
glasgowcyclist
Charming but somewhat feckless
- Location
- Scotland
Cars are remarkably good nowadays at protecting their occupants. It's the poor buggers outside that shell that drivers need to worry about.
Indeed. Sitting in snarled up traffic jams every day seeing cyclists make good progress.
Luckily here in Londonshire, car drivers seem to be more bike aware due to the sheer number of cyclists on the road.
We are also very lucky to have plenty of bus lanes, with many are now 24hr bus, black cab & cycle only.
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
There's a lot of cyclists to be converted too!
