Discussion
I just need to vent a little as this week as been infuriating.
Has the daylight suddenly turned all drivers in to complete dicks? Because this week has been the worst I've seen since being wiped out in October.
Earlier in the week when the sun came out the roads were full of people who absolutely had to pass far too close when at decent speeds (mid-high 20's), mostly large vehicles but was finished off with some real asshole who was obviously upset that I'd just passed all the stationary traffic and moved in front of him while he was stopped over the line. When the lights changed he really wanted to try and touch my bars with his wing mirror when there was absolutely no need for it. He didn't have the b
ks to do anything more than drive off quickly and cut up the car in front to get away.
Then today, heading down a fast road section I want to KOM I get stuck behind a lorry. This thing is carrying a broken down coach on the back and moving about 20mph (My avg for the section is 32). I know this guy is going to have to turn left as there is a bus station on the left, there is also a low bridge he won't get under. So, I want to over take and move to the right of the road to look for an opportunity knowing this guy will have to turn off. One doesn't arise and I end up slowing up behind him as he turns in to the coach station. Queue the car behind beeping at me multiple times and when I finally look around there are the driver and passenger pointing to the left of the road. WTF do they really expect? even if I wasn't there they would be stuck behind the lorry!? and clearly a lorry with a coach hanging off the back is going to swing the load out into the road a long way!
Anyway, they never bothered to pass me after the lorry was clear and I was back up at 30ish, although I fully expected a dick pass.
Anyone else suffered a lot this week?
Not really expecting sympathy, just needed to get it off my chest.
Has the daylight suddenly turned all drivers in to complete dicks? Because this week has been the worst I've seen since being wiped out in October.
Earlier in the week when the sun came out the roads were full of people who absolutely had to pass far too close when at decent speeds (mid-high 20's), mostly large vehicles but was finished off with some real asshole who was obviously upset that I'd just passed all the stationary traffic and moved in front of him while he was stopped over the line. When the lights changed he really wanted to try and touch my bars with his wing mirror when there was absolutely no need for it. He didn't have the b
ks to do anything more than drive off quickly and cut up the car in front to get away.Then today, heading down a fast road section I want to KOM I get stuck behind a lorry. This thing is carrying a broken down coach on the back and moving about 20mph (My avg for the section is 32). I know this guy is going to have to turn left as there is a bus station on the left, there is also a low bridge he won't get under. So, I want to over take and move to the right of the road to look for an opportunity knowing this guy will have to turn off. One doesn't arise and I end up slowing up behind him as he turns in to the coach station. Queue the car behind beeping at me multiple times and when I finally look around there are the driver and passenger pointing to the left of the road. WTF do they really expect? even if I wasn't there they would be stuck behind the lorry!? and clearly a lorry with a coach hanging off the back is going to swing the load out into the road a long way!
Anyway, they never bothered to pass me after the lorry was clear and I was back up at 30ish, although I fully expected a dick pass.
Anyone else suffered a lot this week?
Not really expecting sympathy, just needed to get it off my chest.
There is lots of dicks on the road generally. I have a 4 mile ride to the station I have just started. I can garentee several overtakes on blind bends, for no reason as it's not a busy road with a couple of good overtakeing stretches. About two cars a week try and undertake me at the staggered junction when we cross the main road and at least one car ends up having to do an emergency stop when a car is coming the other way when they try and pass. Many drivers are fine, but a large minority try dumb things.
Take a look at all the anti cyclists crap in GG. Unfortunately I feel like many drivers feel we don't deserve to be on the road.
Take a look at all the anti cyclists crap in GG. Unfortunately I feel like many drivers feel we don't deserve to be on the road.
Johnnytheboy said:
If you antagonise that many people in a short period, has it occurred to you that you may be the common factor?
Nice victim blaming there!Fair enough if the OP had been doing something contentious but neither manoeuvre involved breaking any laws etc. and if we don't stick together how do we expect to successfully change the attitudes of car drivers?!
I rarely ride on the road myself these days, but it's scary to see some of the stuff that goes on.
I saw a truck pass far too close this week and last weekend, when I'd slowed to a crawl to let a cyclist pass the junction to the Tesco I wanted to turn left into, a car turning right almost t-boned him as he's obviously decided I'd slowed to let him in. How on earth do you not see a cyclist coming towards you in broad daylight on a marked cycle lane?
I saw a truck pass far too close this week and last weekend, when I'd slowed to a crawl to let a cyclist pass the junction to the Tesco I wanted to turn left into, a car turning right almost t-boned him as he's obviously decided I'd slowed to let him in. How on earth do you not see a cyclist coming towards you in broad daylight on a marked cycle lane?
PistonBroker said:
...How on earth do you not see a cyclist coming towards you in broad daylight on a marked cycle lane?
It's not that car drivers don't see cyclists, or pedestrians for that matter, it's just that they don't see why they should have to give way to them!The sad truth is that for the last 50 years UK car drivers have been placed at the top of the road user hierarchy, it will take another 50 years to put that right!
I lose count of the number of prats on the road. Descending a hill yesterday and I signalling to turn left into a fairly narrow road - a car comes past me about 5m before the turn and turns left infront of me - now I know I was signalling to turn, but why couldn't he wait literally ten seconds and turn after me. He squeezed me into the curb to make his turn, at which I yelled "Oi". He looked in his mirror and flicked the obligatory "V". A lot of drivers know they are in the wrong, but really don't like being told off.
For me recently it's been non-white Transit Vans.
Before anyone cries "racist" I mean the vans, not the drivers. One shiny black van, one shiny blue one, with alloys (WTF? On a workaday van, FFS?).
First one on the horn and shaking the beans at me, pointing to the left after a narrow hump-back bridge. In 'rush' (again,
at 'rush hour') hour of all things. And no, I cant pass through the bridge structure, nor am I willing to throw myself to the railway line below.
Second one, the following day, in Bracknell. I was following road signs, on the road, as all the direction signs on the many cycle paths were for local destinations that meant nothing to me. I was waiting at a red light on a roundabout (novel idea that, a cyclist stopped at a red light!), having been 'first to arrive' so I hadn't overtaken him or filtered to the front. Perfectly reasonably I was central in the lane, because there was a whole second lane to my right for anyone in a hurry. But no, Mr "Full sleeve of tats, manly beard, wife beater vest" decides he needs to get alongside me to give me a damned good talking to. Being deaf in my right ear, and him being outgunned by the wind noise, I just gave him a blank look and an "I can't hear you" shrug. Which prompted an attempt by him to run me off the road. As my lane ran out due to being coned off he stayed alongside. I got ahead briefly, through the cones, but traffic sped up and he was alongside again. He even scuffed his tyres on the central reservation, and nearly hit the central pedestrian railings. Obviously my fault, and the situation was building to one that was only going to end one way if I didn't extract myself. I saw a chance at the next temporary lights, as the queue was long and I could filter on the 'wrong' side of the cones to get onto an adjacent cycle path for a while to make some space. He actually drove INTO the cones in an attempt to knock me off the bike.
I'm glad I got out of there. My wife and therapist would have been proud of me, I reckon. Staying "within range" of him would likely have ended up getting physical, and could conceivably have ended up with me either getting beaten to a pulp or the driver being introduced to the concept of 'a bicycle pump as a suppository'.
The saddest part was that before 'my' lane narrowed, he had all the opportunity any normal person would need to just pass in the second lane and get on with it. I presume his frothy-mouthed rant was something to do with bicycle lanes and me choosing not to use them. Well I would, if they weren't full of tree branches, bricks, and broken glass, and if there was some concession to "out-of-towners" who have no idea if 'X' or 'Y' estate is the right route to follow if you want to get to Twyford.
So for me, owner-operated 'posh' Transit vans are the ones to avoid, if possible. Foaming at the mouth, ranting, knuckle-dragging drivers with an irrational hatred of cyclists...
...and with that, I'm about to log off and go out for a bike ride to calm myself down.
As for...
k off back to the bicycle-hating circle jerk in GG. No-one has been "antagonised". The OP just met a number of inept drivers who couldn't cope with the staggeringly simple concept of overtaking another road user properly. Far too many out there too.
Before anyone cries "racist" I mean the vans, not the drivers. One shiny black van, one shiny blue one, with alloys (WTF? On a workaday van, FFS?).
First one on the horn and shaking the beans at me, pointing to the left after a narrow hump-back bridge. In 'rush' (again,
at 'rush hour') hour of all things. And no, I cant pass through the bridge structure, nor am I willing to throw myself to the railway line below.Second one, the following day, in Bracknell. I was following road signs, on the road, as all the direction signs on the many cycle paths were for local destinations that meant nothing to me. I was waiting at a red light on a roundabout (novel idea that, a cyclist stopped at a red light!), having been 'first to arrive' so I hadn't overtaken him or filtered to the front. Perfectly reasonably I was central in the lane, because there was a whole second lane to my right for anyone in a hurry. But no, Mr "Full sleeve of tats, manly beard, wife beater vest" decides he needs to get alongside me to give me a damned good talking to. Being deaf in my right ear, and him being outgunned by the wind noise, I just gave him a blank look and an "I can't hear you" shrug. Which prompted an attempt by him to run me off the road. As my lane ran out due to being coned off he stayed alongside. I got ahead briefly, through the cones, but traffic sped up and he was alongside again. He even scuffed his tyres on the central reservation, and nearly hit the central pedestrian railings. Obviously my fault, and the situation was building to one that was only going to end one way if I didn't extract myself. I saw a chance at the next temporary lights, as the queue was long and I could filter on the 'wrong' side of the cones to get onto an adjacent cycle path for a while to make some space. He actually drove INTO the cones in an attempt to knock me off the bike.
I'm glad I got out of there. My wife and therapist would have been proud of me, I reckon. Staying "within range" of him would likely have ended up getting physical, and could conceivably have ended up with me either getting beaten to a pulp or the driver being introduced to the concept of 'a bicycle pump as a suppository'.
The saddest part was that before 'my' lane narrowed, he had all the opportunity any normal person would need to just pass in the second lane and get on with it. I presume his frothy-mouthed rant was something to do with bicycle lanes and me choosing not to use them. Well I would, if they weren't full of tree branches, bricks, and broken glass, and if there was some concession to "out-of-towners" who have no idea if 'X' or 'Y' estate is the right route to follow if you want to get to Twyford.
So for me, owner-operated 'posh' Transit vans are the ones to avoid, if possible. Foaming at the mouth, ranting, knuckle-dragging drivers with an irrational hatred of cyclists...
...and with that, I'm about to log off and go out for a bike ride to calm myself down.
As for...
Johnnytheboy said:
If you antagonise that many people in a short period, has it occurred to you that you may be the common factor?
...do us all a favour, my good man? Fk off back to the bicycle-hating circle jerk in GG. No-one has been "antagonised". The OP just met a number of inept drivers who couldn't cope with the staggeringly simple concept of overtaking another road user properly. Far too many out there too.yellowjack said:
...do us all a favour, my good man? Fk off back to the bicycle-hating circle jerk in GG. No-one has been "antagonised". The OP just met a number of inept drivers who couldn't cope with the staggeringly simple concept of overtaking another road user properly. Far too many out there too.
If I had posted in gg that as a driver I had been antagonised by a number of cyclists in the space of a week, what would your reaction be?k off back to the bicycle-hating circle jerk in GG. No-one has been "antagonised". The OP just met a number of inept drivers who couldn't cope with the staggeringly simple concept of overtaking another road user properly. Far too many out there too.Based on anything else about cyclists in there, any reaction from a cyclist would be 200 pages about how cyclists should not be on the road and various threats against cyclists interspersed with YouTube videos of cyclists running red lights. Add to that it being very difficult for a bicycle to bully a car or put a driver at risk makes the situation very different.
I had one the other week - a taxi was really close off behind me (maybe 1m), so I turned and said 'you're a bit close mate'. That's what I actually said - I'm usually quite shouty and sweary but on this occasion I wasn't.
He went mental. Pulling alongside me and giving me a load of mouth, before pulling ahead, parking and getting out of his cab... I assume to try and 'get me' (I assume, because I simply pedalled around him). Stupid fk.
I think there might be a market for a bike pump made out of iron. And solid.
He went mental. Pulling alongside me and giving me a load of mouth, before pulling ahead, parking and getting out of his cab... I assume to try and 'get me' (I assume, because I simply pedalled around him). Stupid f
k.I think there might be a market for a bike pump made out of iron. And solid.
In typical fasion, after singing the praises of Peterborough drivers at the weekend I had a rare encounter with an ignoramus on the way home tonight! (He was probably from out of town... )
I was south on Thorp Road coming away from Sue Ryder home, approaching the round about heading to the rowing lakes. Driver pulls to the right of me and squeezes me towards the kerb because he can't possibly wait for me to cross the round about while he takes the first exit left to the city centre!
I stand my ground, shout 'WOAH' rather loudly which got his attention... he brakes and pulls in behind, waiting to turn left before getting on the horn and giving ME the 'V's?! Lols, I have to admit to lowering myself to his level by giving him the coffee beans but seeing his wheel and wing come within a couple of inches of my leg annoyed me a bit!
I had to pull up off the round about and chill the fk out, I did think about giving chase but chose to vent it on the turbo trainer instead...
Having said that, one swallow doesn't make a summer so I'm confident that normal service will be resumed tomorrow!
)I was south on Thorp Road coming away from Sue Ryder home, approaching the round about heading to the rowing lakes. Driver pulls to the right of me and squeezes me towards the kerb because he can't possibly wait for me to cross the round about while he takes the first exit left to the city centre!
I stand my ground, shout 'WOAH' rather loudly which got his attention... he brakes and pulls in behind, waiting to turn left before getting on the horn and giving ME the 'V's?! Lols, I have to admit to lowering myself to his level by giving him the coffee beans but seeing his wheel and wing come within a couple of inches of my leg annoyed me a bit!
I had to pull up off the round about and chill the f
k out, I did think about giving chase but chose to vent it on the turbo trainer instead...Having said that, one swallow doesn't make a summer so I'm confident that normal service will be resumed tomorrow!
PorkRind said:
MOre road users in general means more likely to have such incidents. Just the way of the world isn't it.
The majority of the time its drivers being lazy. Too lazy to change down a few gears and accelerate past briskly or just too lazy to turn the steering wheel a few degrees.frisbee said:
PorkRind said:
MOre road users in general means more likely to have such incidents. Just the way of the world isn't it.
The majority of the time its drivers being lazy. Too lazy to change down a few gears and accelerate past briskly or just too lazy to turn the steering wheel a few degrees.The vast majority of incidents I've seen and been involved in have been as a result of people simply not paying attention, to anything... The fact that they are operating a heavy, fast moving object is totally immaterial!
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