Letting off steam

[αdαmsκι]

So there I was, cycling along to work this morning.  I came up to a line of traffic that was stationary because the traffic lights were on red, so after checking over my shoulder, I moved to the right to filter past the traffic.  However, I had to slow down a tiny bit because there was a solitude vehicle coming towards me and there was no point going head to head with this vehicle.  Once that vehicle had gone past I continued to filter past the traffic, only to discover that another cyclist had decided that it was acceptable to filter past me at the same moment, leaving me very limited room between the line of stationary cars and his bike.  From my perspective I had very little space and an instinctive "watch it" escaped my lips.  Nob cyclists took offence to this and I was asked what the problem was.  I tried to careful explain that his maneuver had felt like it had left me very little space on the road.  I was told "You're over reacting" and after further discussion I was then told, in an very aggressive manor "to watch my mouth". 

It's no wonder that cars and pedestrians get annoyed at cyclists considering the lack of standards that some people on bikes seem to display.  This guy could clearly see what I was doing, but was too impatient to wait the one second as I slowed down to allow the oncoming can to pass me.  And as the traffic lights were on red we both ended up at the front of the queue of traffic, so he hadn't even saved any time by his overtaking. 

After this I was cycling along a one way street that is wide enough for one vechile and about 100 m long.  I was in the middle of the lane, but that didn't stop white van man trying to force his way past me. And 30 m front of us was a car dropping off passengers, so even if WVM had gotten past me I would have overtaken him again    It was pointless and aggressive driving and after the previous incident annoyed me more than it would normally have done

And breathe.

[Snugsy]

It's the sheer pointlessness of this sort of behaviour that takes my breath away.

[Adam]

Frankly, I'm surprised he stopped at red, as he sounds like the sort of idiot who wouldn't.

Levitate back into the Zen Zone ^{TM Nutty}

Get Nienke to give you a head & foot massage when you get home. 

[αdαmsκι]

Yes, I was actually surprised that he stopped at the red, although it's a nasty junction and the traffic lights are more useful than most.

Are you trying to restore message karma?!

[her_welshness]

Some cyclists (not all) are such twunts. In a way I do look forward to the winter because mostly they rapidly disappear and use the gym instead.

I got tutted at by another cyclist - I had braked because two lads (with their accompanying cans of quality cider) had just stepped out into the road.

I said 'don't you dare tut at me'

She said 'you should have looked over your shoulder to check if someone was behind you'!!!

I said 'shut the f*** up, you stupid f***** bitch!'

She pulled in and said 'how dare you swear at me'

I said 'I can f***** well swear at you if I f***** well like'

She pulled away and then went straight through a red light.

Yes I am not proud at swearing, but its darn infuriating to be tutted at.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Some cyclists (not all) are such twunts.

Yep, London is full of them and the Fulham Road seems to be particularly well populated. They have no interest in cycling as such or in other cyclists welfare. Red lights are universally ignored. I was tutted at and muttered at the other day fro having the temerity to stop at a red light, thereby preventing a twat from sailing on through. It's just part of a widespread arrogance; "I'm more important, everyone else should automatically get out of my way".

I said 'shut the f*** up, you stupid f***** bitch!'

Fair enough IMO.

I was then told, in an very aggressive manor "to watch my mouth"

I think that would have got me riled most severely. 

[Wendy]

I like to play a game with other road users when there is a confrontation like this.  Swearing, getting upset, etc. means you lose the game.  Telling them about their mistake and how it affected you is really satisfying, and the best win is when they admit their mistake.  A poor win is when they swear at you, but at least it's still a win.

I had the best sort of win yesterday when a man in a company van apologised when I told him he'd cut back in on me when overtaking, and before he'd actually finished passing me.  If he hadn't, I'd have sent the video and a complaint to his company, which would still have been a win for me!

[αdαmsκι]

I was then told, in an very aggressive manor "to watch my mouth"

I think that would have got me riled most severely. 

It annoyed me a hell of a lot as well, but at that point I gave up and took up the Zen approach.  

[Gattopardo]

This makes me feel better that its not just me that feels this way.

[Adam]

Yes, I was actually surprised that he stopped at the red, although it's a nasty junction and the traffic lights are more useful than most.

Are you trying to restore message karma?!

The Yin & the Yang will equalise when the full moon is in the quadrant of Aquarius, and when there's an "R" in the month.


Anyway, must dash.  Just off to York, to then cycle back home. 

[Mrs Pingu]

I got tutted at by another cyclist - I had braked because two lads (with their accompanying cans of quality cider) had just stepped out into the road.

What were you supposed to do, run into the cider lovers just because she was behind you? 

[her_welshness]

Yes, apparently I had to check over my shoulder before braking. Tutting people is worse than swearing in my book, although I should not have sworn.
, although recounting it to my friends makes them smile because I can be an aggressive little rottweiler!

[Wendy]

Stupid cyclist obviously hadn't heard of the 2 second following distance, or of looking ahead and planning.

[Tiger]

I reckon the problem is that loads of people are now on bikes who would under 'normal' circumstances be motorised. They have thus formed the 'motoristys' view of cycling - that it is about arogance, rudeness, law-breajoing and disregard for other people. Once on a bike they put it into practice.
I thought it would be good when the streets were ful of cyclists but actually I think I preferred it when the cyclists were fewer in number but less twitty.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I reckon the problem is that loads of people are now on bikes who would under 'normal' circumstances be motorised.

Agreed. These are the same people who will drive over the top of you once installed in their motors.

[jezhiggins]

I like to play a game with other road users when there is a confrontation like this.  Swearing, getting upset, etc. means you lose the game.  Telling them about their mistake and how it affected you is really satisfying, and the best win is when they admit their mistake.  A poor win is when they swear at you, but at least it's still a win.

I try to do that too.  Yesterday though, I swore first.  It wasn't quite voluntarily due to a very close and fast pass by a burk in an Audi, and I did take a moment to apologise to two old ladies on the pavement.  Despite his obvious hurry, the driver was generously able to find time to stop and enquire if I had said something to him.  I didn't stop, so he passed me again and pulled across me to make me stop (which I had anticipated and was already slowing).  In the exchange that followed  - you shouldn't have been in the middle of the road, etc - he actually offered me out for a fight.  Since he subsequently failed to get out of car, does that mean I win in spite of the swearing?

[Basil]

Yes, apparently I had to check over my shoulder before braking.

I'm struggling to understand how this would help the following cyclist.

[Julian]

I reckon the problem is that loads of people are now on bikes who would under 'normal' circumstances be motorised.

Agreed. These are the same people who will drive over the top of you once installed in their motors.

And they're trying to look cool.

Anybody else noticed this?  It's not just the "serious" cyclists in lycra and road-bikes who draft each other up the Uxbridge Road now, everyone's getting in on the act.  It's quite sweet when it's teenagers on dilapidated MTBs holding their bars in the middle, one hand either side of the stem, trying (and failing) to look like uber-cool urban fixers.  It's less cool when there's fifteen stone of sweaty commuter on a bike where you just know his brakes don't work, trying to draft you through heavy traffic, half an inch from your back wheel (which happened to me this morning). 

I was tempted to turn round and tell him he wasn't in fact Chris Hoy, but I just pulled over and let him go past instead.  He went and clung on to someone else's wheel, lurching all over the road.  I was quite pleased he wasn't behind me any more. 

[αdαmsκι]

^^^^ Quite.  Rainy days are great because the roads are empty of cyclists twits.

[mattc]

... - he actually offered me out for a fight.  Since he subsequently failed to get out of car, does that mean I win in spite of the swearing?

Yes, but you were lucky - you handed him the advantage and he chose to throw it away.

Don't expect this kind of luck every time, next time be merciless.

[Che]

If they all got out of there cars and onto bikes, I think it'd be an advantage, though. Seriously, the more the better, and to that end there is value in guarding against taking a "you're not a proper cyclist" attitude. I'm inclined to take the obvious road of citing the Netherlands, where, while there are indeed cyclists in the sense of those who are passionate about it and do it for its own sake, far more than that there are simply people - indeed everyone, pretty much - on bikes. The matter of who is or isn't a proper cyclist because they do it in all weathers, etc., would seem very odd there, I'm certain.

But, having said that, the Dutchies tend to know enough to not be dangerous.

[Tiger]

If they all got out of there cars and onto bikes, I think it'd be an advantage, though. Seriously, the more the better, and to that end there is value in guarding against taking a "you're not a proper cyclist" attitude. I'm inclined to take the obvious road of citing the Netherlands, where, while there are indeed cyclists in the sense of those who are passionate about it and do it for its own sake, far more than that there are simply people - indeed everyone, pretty much - on bikes. The matter of who is or isn't a proper cyclist because they do it in all weathers, etc., would seem very odd there, I'm certain.

But, having said that, the Dutchies tend to know enough to not be dangerous.

Yebbut - in Holland they are all riding around on comfortable situpand beg town bikes. Here they are all on gofast MTBs, or roadbikes etc and convinced they are 'Chris Hoy' or 'Uber cool' etc. It is quite different to POB's. It is like cycling as an alternative to racing a hot hatch with a beancan exhaust. Roll on winter!

[dkahn400]

Despite his obvious hurry, the driver was generously able to find time to stop and enquire if I had said something to him.  I didn't stop, so he passed me again and pulled across me to make me stop (which I had anticipated and was already slowing).  In the exchange that followed  -

There shouldn't have been an exchange. In this situation either repass them or stop and wait behind. If they force you into the kerb or get out of the car, mount the pavement and ride back the way you came. You have a legal excuse which is a genuine fear of an assault.

[jezhiggins]

Despite his obvious hurry, the driver was generously able to find time to stop and enquire if I had said something to him.  I didn't stop, so he passed me again and pulled across me to make me stop (which I had anticipated and was already slowing).  In the exchange that followed  -

There shouldn't have been an exchange. In this situation either repass them or stop and wait behind. If they force you into the kerb or get out of the car, mount the pavement and ride back the way you came. You have a legal excuse which is a genuine fear of an assault.

You're right, there shouldn't have been, I didn't seek one, until it actually happened I didn't realise there was going to be one, and if I hadn't got angry I could have avoided it entirely.

I didn't swear initially to antagonise him, but out of genuine alarm, and he didn't stop so quickly as make me think he was up for an argument.  I actually thought he was just pulling in to the kerb, so carried on past.  It was only when he shouted at me out his window that I realised he'd stop to argue. 

After I'd ridden past him there's a pinch point and roundabout, so when I heard him moving off again, I slowed to let him pass before we got there because I didn't want him sitting behind me gunning his engine and being a twerp.  I didn't think he was going stop again, until he angled across me.  He wasn't very close, but his intent to stop me was clear.

I'm not entirely sure what he said as I was a bit back on passenger side and I couldn't see him, but there was something in there about if I didn't like it I shouldn't have been in the middle of the road, and how dare I disrespect him.  I didn't say anything, neither did his two passengers (one of whom stared ahead, the other just goggled at me out of the window), until he said something about how he should get and give me a good hiding.  I'd had enough of his ridiculous posturing and asked him to have a go, which in retrospect was a bit silly but I wasn't being entirely rational at the time.  He drove off.  I'd like to think it was my manly presence, but it was more likely because he was blocking a junction and someone was waiting to turn into it.  Can't hold up traffic now, can we?

[Gattopardo]

If they all got out of there cars and onto bikes, I think it'd be an advantage, though. Seriously, the more the better, and to that end there is value in guarding against taking a "you're not a proper cyclist" attitude. I'm inclined to take the obvious road of citing the Netherlands, where, while there are indeed cyclists in the sense of those who are passionate about it and do it for its own sake, far more than that there are simply people - indeed everyone, pretty much - on bikes. The matter of who is or isn't a proper cyclist because they do it in all weathers, etc., would seem very odd there, I'm certain.

But, having said that, the Dutchies tend to know enough to not be dangerous.

When I mean a proper cyclist I mean one with manners.  Doesn't jump red lights and almost run over pedestrians and force other vehicles to avoid them.  I know minor red light jumping IMO is OK  but do it with some curtouesy such as apologising if you made a mistake.

Arrogant cyclists really anooy me, you know the one all the sports gear and new bikes and looking down at me as I comute on an old ridgeback Java hybrid, and wear shorts over my cycling shorts and a bib top.