^
What a heart-warming story Fuzzmeister, and one that appears to be replicated elsewhere. I don't mean the precise scenario you describe, but rather the
attitude we
pleasant cyclists witness with other so-called cyclists. I say
so-called, because they are not of our ilk – those, and I'm sure you and I are of a similar age Fuzzy (around 40
-ish) who have grown up from tiny tots to manhood riding bikes, and not straddling a cross-bar for the first time because in their mid-twenties: it's 'cool', or in battle against the car.
Lack of patience.
Last Sunday. Coming out of the top of Stanmer Park and approaching
Old Boat Corner (those that know it will know what I mean) the road is quite narrow approaching the T-junction. Disappointingly, there are perhaps, 10 cars ahead of me (I may have said "Bollocks" if memory serves) but there is no point, and more importantly, no room to comfortably manoeuvre down the wrong side of the road. Unseen vehicles can and do come into the road (which takes you to Ditchling Beacon –
you might have heard of that one), so it's folly to think about passing the cars. Apparently, other roadies didn't think so, and while I waited for the queue of cars to diminish, there were a number who cycled past, only to try and squeeze themselves back into gaps that drivers obligingly made.
One lady who came into the gap where I sat, was about to carry on. I said: "I wouldn't, there's a double-decker bus just coming up" (it was an open-top one if you want to know), but did she hang back? Nope. Of course she didn't, and the bus had to stop, while she then shoe-horned herself between two cars, which was one ahead of me.
Maybe these same people drive like they cycle – I dunno? You can understand the drivers thinking: "Knobs."
I'm also adding:
Lack of Anticipation.