Do people shout at you when you are cycling?

[anonymous-user]

Something I find very odd ... whenever I am cycling, almost without fail, at least one person will shout something abusive at me. I have no idea why.

Some recent examples...

Riding on a fairly main street a few days ago, two blokes walking towards me shout "make sure you don't get hit by a bus" then laugh.

Riding along the tow-path yesterday evening, two kids (12-13) walking side by side away from me move out of my way and yell "go on, ride faster you tt". I stopped, and they legged it.

Today on my way home from work a van driver purposely slows along side me and shouts "Out of the way you fat prick" - I hadn't held him up (heard him approach), and there was more than enough room to just happily overtake me.

I asked people at work, and they said they never have people say anything to them - so I'm not sure what it is about me that people love to hurl abuse. I'm not fully clad in Lycra, I'm not hugely overweight (though I am slightly, hence out riding my bike), and I ride very considerately. I don;t live in a bad area either.

Anyone else have this happen to them, or am I in a minority of 1?

[Manicminer]

I've had it all on my commute, from random shouting (never can hear what they say so pointless) to deliberate crowding and even once case where someone leant out of a van and slapped me on the arse (most strange). The last one another motorist stopped and gave me some details and I did go to the local cop shop where they were great.

The shouting thing I don't understand, I've seen people walking on the pavement shouting stuff at passing bike quite a few times and I've no idea why - the cyclist generally can't hear what they're saying anyway.

I got berated once by an escort van driver for not wearing a crash helmet (we were at the lights). When he set off I could clearly see two blokes sat amongst the tools and rubble in the back - hypocrite

[SuperNiceBig]

Has happened, and they usually get a drinks bottle through there window.

[lost in espace]

I got abuse from 2 cyclists the other day when out running, "get your knees up". I was outraged.

[amirzed]

Only had it the other way round from a holier than thou cyclist, how dare anyone slow him down!

[P-Jay]

Yeah all the time, well perhaps not shout, 'cheer' is perhaps accurate.


(in my mind anyway).

[FleshMechanic]

I shouted at a cyclist the other day......called him a fking idiot. Well, he was coming straight at me.... One of us was on the wrong side of the road and it wasn't me. :-)

Not had anyone shout at me, it wouldn't surprise me....nothing surpises me as most times I go out on the bike something happens that hasn't happened before.

[Cookie172]

I've had the odd eejit in a chavved up stbox shout some abuse. Quick squirt of a water bottle through their window does the trick

[fulham911club]

There are too many cyclists in the London commute that feel the need to ride at a constant speed regardless of traffic conditions. I shout at these people a lot.

[Zaxxon]

Cookie172 said:

I've had the odd eejit in a chavved up stbox shout some abuse. Quick squirt of a water bottle through their window does the trick

Surprised the moron doesn't then ram you, too many idiots out there without a care for other peoples safety.

[Jimbo.]

Once. In a good way. Suffering like a dog on a climb, a bunch of random Essex guys suddenly turn Dutch and start screaming words of encouragement

[crisisjez]

SuperNiceBig said:

Has happened, and they usually get a drinks bottle through there window.

Careful thats ABH
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorse...

[crazy about cars]

If you don't pay road tax then stop using the main roads. Hate it when I see cyclists on a main road blocking up traffic and then gets angry when a car tried to pass.

[Manicminer]

crazy about cars said:

If you don't pay road tax then stop using the main roads. Hate it when I see cyclists on a main road blocking up traffic and then gets angry when a car tried to pass.

Superb, the Road Tax came out at last!!

This place is so predictable

[crisisjez]

crazy about cars said:

If you don't pay road tax then stop using the main roads. Hate it when I see cyclists on a main road blocking up traffic and then gets angry when a car tried to pass.

We all pay road tax via our salary deductions. Vehicle Excise Duty is not spent on maintaining the roads, therefore as a UK taxpayer I have paid for and exercise the right to ride my cycle on any road I am legally able to do so. I can also ride my Horse on them and walk my dog.
I am of course very careful and mindful of the needs of other road users when doing so I hasten to add.













I may have lied about the Horse and Dog bit as I don't actually have either

[Vipers]

crazy about cars said:

If you don't pay road tax then stop using the main roads. Hate it when I see cyclists on a main road blocking up traffic and then gets angry when a car tried to pass.

Dear oh dear, Mr Angry. So if cyclists paid road tax, you wouldnt mind cyclists blocking up traffic on main roads?

[Cookie172]

Zaxxon said:

Surprised the moron doesn't then ram you, too many idiots out there without a care for other peoples safety.

Had a man in a Volvo open his door out where I was cycling earlier, must have been doing 20mph at the time, had to swerve round him.

People are st :/

[crazy about cars]

Vipers said:

Dear oh dear, Mr Angry. So if cyclists paid road tax, you wouldnt mind cyclists blocking up traffic on main roads?

If cyclists pay Road Tax then they have equal rights on the road. So until you display a Road Tax on your push bike just stop moaning. Why can't you cycle on pavements and designated cycle lanes?

[crazy about cars]

crisisjez said:

We all pay road tax via our salary deductions.

No you don't. Road tax are for motor vehicle and in this case a push bike isn't classed as a motor vehicle and thus exempt from taxation. This doesn't mean cyclists can treat the road as their own private playground though.

Edited by crazy about cars on Wednesday 30th May 22:31

[crisisjez]

crazy about cars said:

If cyclists pay Road Tax then they have equal rights on the road. So until you display a Road Tax on your push bike just stop moaning. Why can't you cycle on pavements and designated cycle lanes?

Cyclist do pay Road Tax.