WRX Baker

A few days ago on my way to work i over took a cyclist as i passed her giving her plenty of room and changed up a gear my dump valve whooshed, when i stopped at the next set of lights the cyclist came up and started moaning and shouting that i had scared the life out of her, not being a morning person i said SO, then she started saying that she had as much right to be on the road as me, i then asked her how much road tax she payed before she could answer i said none so **** off. Does anyone think that was out of order or are cyclists getting too big for thier boots?

[Edited by WRX Baker - 8/29/2002 2:15:31 PM]

davyboy

If these new laws come in, she could have rode in to your car, and claimed off your insurance.

jasonwrxowner

F*ck em.
There's cycle lanes for the beggers.
Tight fisted tree huggers.
Hate 'em I do.

Nimbus

So much hate, for one so young....

TomM

Same reaction she would have got from me. I had a similar ruck with two gay racing bike idiots recently, they were riding side by side on a busy B road, and were causing chaos in rush our through deeoest darkest Berkshire!, tooted the horn as I couldnt get past and they looked round as if yo say "do you mind, we are talking here", so a quick drop into first and a purposeful near miss made me feel better, bad driving yes but cyclists think they are always right - silly people, they should know that we are!!

Cyclist hate car drivers, car drivers hate truck drivers and everyone hates tractors, according to Honda.

In short - no you were not out of order!

south-star

As an ex-cyclist no,we dont hate car drivers,i am one now.All we ask is a bit of respect.Even though we dont pay road tax we have every right to use the road as well.

Having said all this i did used to be one of thoses that ignored every traffic light,one way sign and the highway code in general...so maybe some of us deserve some abuse now and then

jasonwrxowner

If car drivers do something wrong like run a red light they get points.

What do cyclists get...their cycle clips removed?

MarkO

I'd say you were out of order. Okay, so maybe she was a bit silly to complain like she did, but is there any reason to be so abusive? Are you always like this whenever people complain?

Riding a bike on the road is bloody dangerous and a bit scary. Why not have a little consideration and just say "Sorry - I hope you're okay now". I'm sure she'd have given you a smile and a wave, and everyone would have been much happier for the rest of the day.

It's this kind of gobby attitude which really pisses me off about people these days. There's no need for it, and it just makes everyone's life a bloody misery. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

The fact that you've posted this thread shows that now the red mist's cleared, you've realised your reaction was OTT, and you feel a bit guilty. So I think you know the answer yourself anyway.

Oh, and whether or not cyclists pay road tax is by the by. If you want to argue that point, do it with your MP, not the poor buggers riding to work. If it'd been a pedestrian on the pavement who you'd scared, would you have been so mouthy about the lack of road tax?

555-Shaggy

Actually, yes. You were out of order.

Coming from someone who has alomst been killed on their bike by a tw@t in a car. Cyclists may not pay road tax but, according to the highway code, they have as much right to use the road as every other driver. Road Tax is supposed to pay to keep them up to standard, how much damage does a cycle do to both the roads and the environemt? erm? any ideas?

Yes I do own a scooby, and drive it daily, so none of that 'you don't own a car.. what do you know...' This is just my two cents worth.

TomM - as far as I remember, cyclists can legally ride two abreast.. so your point is...?

Jason, ride a bike do you? So you know how cycle paths there are then, do you?

Rant over...

jamin

I was the same, only since I have been driving have I realised what a total tw*t I was on a push bike (ignored most road rules...well I was a teenager) can't believe I'm still alive today. I'd brick it if I had to make a long journey on one now...not to mention I'd be nackered!

[Edited by jamin - 8/29/2002 2:32:54 PM]

ProperCharlie

I used to cycle the 7 mile journey to my old place of work in north london. i gave up after a year as it was a total nightmare, nearly getting killed several times a day by @rsehole drivers. Let's face it, if I hold you up for 2 seconds is that really such a big problem? the thing that made me laugh is that drivers would be trying to get passed me, giving me f all room, to race 50 yards to the next traffic jam, where i would overtake them again anyway. Cycling was overall the quickest way for me to get to work, but in the end i decided i'd rather be fat and alive than fit and under some to$$ers car. What many drivers don't seem to appreciate is that a minor collision for them means a trip to the body shop (or for many another dent to add to the collection on their heap of junk), for the cyclist it means hospitalisation or death.

Just my 2 pence.

Charlie.

Scooby Snacks

Yes you were out of order - for not getting out and smacking her in the mouth!!

Only joking, tricky one that. Needing to be respectful to the older generation, curteous to other road users etc etc. No, bollox, you should have smacked her.

rr_ww

Proper Charlie

Are you me?!?!? Thats almost exactly the same thoughts that I had after nearly being knocked off daily. Some **** in a Range Rover tried to have me off. Caught up with him at some lights and (very politely, seriously i didn't swear or anything) tried to make him aware or how close it was. His reply?

"Get a life" FFS nearly lost mine cos if you. So of your reading this MATE, with your fat ugly face and dark blue dick extension. I hope you die a horrible painful slow death. OK

Richard

p.s. To get back to the post, yes you were out of order especially as you were in thge wrong. As someone said would have been 100 times better just to say sorry. Then everyone goes away happy!

Claudius

No, they're not allowed to do that.

A lot of people get scared for no reason (a BOV sound, an exhaust note, the colour of your car, you honking at someone else who almost hit you, etc.)

While there's no point in telling a person on a bicycle to **** off, neither is there one to moan at people who you find "scared" you. Shut up and pedal your damn thing. Bicycling is a sport, not a means of transportation. Get real.

south-star

Bicycling is a sport, not a means of transportation

ProperCharlie

Richard,

i tried to make people understand that they were endagering my life. the reactions ranged from bemused, ie was paying no attention and hadn't even seen me, to so what? or F off. some people are helpful though. one time when some tw@t in a BM had me off by opening his door, a bus driver stopped and called ambulance and police.(i was unconscious so couldn't do much) he also turned up as a witness in court when the police had the tw@t for causing a danger to oncoming traffic. he denied it and lost.

Charlie.

Grottbags

I personally like to give cyclists as much space as possible when passing them, as I don't particularly want them wobbling and scratching my paintwork.

TomM

For 555-Shaggy

Cyclist may well be within the law when riding two abreast, my point is this.

These guys were riding two abreast on a very busy road at 5:45 in the evening, I slowed down and was wondering what the delay was, when I finally got to the bikes about 10 mins later I was pissed off and rightly so in my book. Iam not disputing that they were in or outside the law, Iam disputing that these two ******* idiots were casuing major grief to hindreds of motorists, its called common sense!, they knew that they were holding up shed loads of traffic.

I cant see how anyone can argue in thier favour here, I understand everyones points raised but these two dicks were being inconsiderate road users, rush hour journey home is bad enough without tools like that making it worse!

fast bloke

Tom - you are supposed to pull right onto the other side of the road when passing a cyclist. What you are telling us is that you were pissed off cos they didn't give you a chance to ignore the common sense aspect of driving a car, and that you don't mind putting cyclists lives at risk as long as you get home in good time.....

Esoteric Beast

I might as well have my two pennies worth here
I live on the outskirts of Hertfordshire for the reason of it having some very nice countryside that I and friends of mine go Horse Riding and it really PI55ES me off when you get some numb nuts flying around having no regard for other road users wether they are on a Horse,Bike,Pony,Camel,Badger,or very large Dog...even walking.

I have great respect for horses and have seen the damage that can be done by one

Ok two pennies run out

went a bit off thread there............Never Mind

[Edited by Esoteric Beast - 8/29/2002 3:28:39 PM]

Hanslow

Interesting one that Here (http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/hc/03.shtml) it says that you should not ride MORE than two abreast. That would imply that you can ride two abreast but does not specifically say so.

As far as the woman is concerned, I think it's a hard one to judge. Yes your dump valve may have scared the crap out of her and she overly moaned....but then could you have driven past at low revs without causing the dump valve to go off?

I tend to find that cyclists who drive are a lot more considerate of cyclists than those that don't. I try and be as courteous to people whether I am on my bike or in the car. I think I am in the minority though in that I tend to obey the highway code on my bike (apart from having just read I'm sposed to wear a cycling helmet!).

What I find most irritating, both whilst cycling and in the car, are the people that fly off the kerb into the road without a second thought of what might be approaching from behind. I've nearly been knocked off my bike a number of times by kids that haven't looked to see if anything is approaching.

And for all those that moan about bikes cutting them up on the inside at lights, how many of you stop behind the bike instead of next to it, giving them as much room as if they undercut you?

I think if people were more courteous and considerate and obeyed the rules more, we would have less of the aggro and irresponsibility seen on the roads (not that I think this was particularly the case for the DV woman )

That's my rant over


[Edited by Hanslow - 8/29/2002 3:31:15 PM]

TomM

Oh right, yeah sorry - we all go right over to the other side of the road when we over take a bike - stop it, you may but most dont.

If they had been riding single file then cars could get past with traffic coming the other way. On the road the size of this there was no excuse for it end of story.

Iam right - end of story!!

imlach

I have ridden a bike in urban conditions for 20+ years (tens of thousands of miles), and driven a car for 15 years.

I have to say that riding a bike in urban conditions BEFORE I took up driving was the best education anyone can have.

It makes you MUCH more aware as a car driver.

To those people on here that moan about bikes etc, then PLEASE go out and experience it for yourself. You'll soon see our point of view.

What I detest however, is cyclists who don't obey the highway code. No excuse for it. I obey it at all times whether on bike or in car, and I see some pitiful driving from cars, and pitiful cycling from bikers.

Some cyclists are asking to be killed. They also need to drive a car to see what danger they are putting themselves into.

But car drivers - think think think. Leave room, and DO NOT overtake dangerously just cos the cyclist has held you up for all of 10 seconds (and will pass you at next junction anyway!).

The number of times cars accelerate HARD past me to prove a point is untrue....I pass them 10 seconds later anyway.

In urban traffic, I can do 25+ mph easily too, which is why
I sometimes ride in middle of lane and not at side - much safer.
If I'm holding someone up however, I get out of the way.

COMMON SENSE is what we need from everyone, and no selfishness.



[Edited by imlach - 8/29/2002 4:27:36 PM]

imlach

I also have a 120dB+ airhorn which scares the life out of any car drivers who "abuse" my road position.

I've never physically hit anyone, but have come close.

Worst are those car drivers who cut you up, know they've done it, and sit with their window UP at next junction trying to avoid you. They get a thump on the roof and whatever else....if only people could learn to say sorry - but people can't in their tin boxes.

rr_ww

Tom

The whole point of riding 2 abreast (like horses riding next to each other) is that any drivers will have to make a serious effort to pass them. In so doing will reduce the chances of passing too bloody close. It only takes a slight wobble for the driver to be up for MANSLAUGHTER of the cyclist. Please for ****** sake give us a little chance.

Richard

Shaolin

The best one is when they all of a sudden swerve out to avoid a drain or something, or when they have headphones on......accidents waiting to happen.......

imlach

The swerving thing to avoid drains.....

That's the main reason I ride quite far out....car drivers need to understands this too!!

If I see an obstruction ahead, I pull out into middle of road early.

Please have some common sense on this subject.

jasonwrxowner

If you thumped my roof I would be inclined to stick your bike up your ar*e......


No offense intended.

[Edited by jasonwrxowner - 8/29/2002 5:01:35 PM]

TomM

I regret ever saying anything now, I also use the roads as a cyclist, ok, its rare but I used to ride to college on some hairy roads so Iam not completely uneducated when it comes to bikes and roads.

All Iam saying is that two people riding side by side in heavy traffic is nuts, its going to make the drivers behind more impatient and try silly overtaking manouvers, if they were single file then people would pass alot safer IMHO.

Iam not making any other point, I didnt mean to offend the Scoobynet Cycle community!. 2 a breast is fine when the roads are clear but I just thought it selfish that these two guys were completely aware of what they were doing and still carried on doing it chatting away - not very clever cycling in my eyes.

How many times do you see 2 cyclist's 2 abreast on a busy road compared to 2 cyclists single file on a busy road? - my point exactly. I can see what your saying about it being safer but in this case it was madness!

imlach

jasonwrxowner - you wouldn't once you'd got out of your car and saw me :-)
No offence intended. :-)

I only thump cars if the incident was endangering my life and they won't talk to me about it......