What the hell is wrong with cyclists nowadays?

[Rajagra]

Speaking as a cyclist myself - why do so many of today's cyclists think that everything is about them, and that everyone else should bow to their needs?

The other day I was pootling along in slow traffic leaving plenty of room for 2-wheelers to pass on either side (and moving over even more whenever I saw them coming.) When suddenly I hear the bitching and moaning of a cyclist complaining that I hadn't left enough room for him. (Sadly not picked up by the camera.)

Seriously, what is wrong with these people? Is there some weird psychiatric disorder that is triggered by mounting up?

Serious question - do you see me doing anything wrong??? (Yes, I beeped my horn at him AFTER he had a go at me for no reason.)

 

[Nigel]

If he wants to overtake then he should overtake ... on the right!

Since the traffic is not stationary, I think what he was doing was illegal, it's certainly dangerous.

 

[SawMaster]

Maybe all that spandex is cutting off blood circulation to their brains. Or perhaps it's those small, hard seats. Or maybe they cannot understand why everyone else doesn't spend 3-5K on a bicycle instead of a warmer (or cooler), dryer, more comfortable, and much safer car instead. They are creating enemies and the time will come when they are banned from the road and restricted to only bike paths for their own good and for the good of the majority of the people.

And yes I used to ride, but I had and still have a lot better sense than the ones I see out there now do.

Phil

 

[Sabe]

Don't worry, he's universal breed, i see he's mental brothers everyday.
There is definitely correlation between spandex and stupidity level.

 

[dashy]

Not much in it mate, you didn't leave him enough gap and he showed some frustration. If only I had cameras to show the disgraceful things that motorists did to me when I used to cycle.

 

[Tom Butler]

If he wants to overtake then he should overtake ... on the right!

Since the traffic is not stationary, I think what he was doing was illegal, it's certainly dangerous.

It's much safer for him to overtake on the inside rather than on the right on that single lane with oncoming speeding traffic coming in the opposite direction. Nothing illegal with that manoeuvre. Cyclists filtering slow moving or stationary traffic in a common site these days.

Not sure the plod would approve of the unnecessary use of the horn.

Common sense on the part of cyclists and car drivers is required and I'm sure we'll get along just fine.

http://www.cyclelaw.co.uk/overtaking-and-filtering-whilst-cycling

"Many drivers in the UK, particularly those living in busy cities, will have at some point felt a pang of jealousy towards the cyclists on the road who are able to ride though the traffic to their destination. However, whilst the ability to ride past stationary traffic is one of the many benefits of choosing to cycle, many road users are unsure of whether or not it is technically legal or, for that matter, safe.

In the context of cycling, ‘filtering’ means moving past slow or stationary traffic, either on the left or the right of the traffic ahead. Whilst neither the law, nor the Highway Code definitively state whether or not filtering by cyclists is legal, it can be inferred from the text of the Highway Code that it is acceptable practice, for example:

Rule 160 states that road users should ‘be aware of other road users, especially cycles and motorcycles who may be filtering through the traffic’ and Rule 88, in relation to manoeuvring, states that road users should take care and keep speed low ‘…when filtering in slow-moving traffic’. Furthermore, rule 211 says that ‘it is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are filtering through traffic’.

Although Rule 211 states that drivers should ‘look out for cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic’ which could be taken to mean that drivers have responsibility for looking for riders before performing a manoeuvre, it is important for cyclists to anticipate the actions of other road users and avoid risks at all times. There is no specific guidance in the Highway Code about when it is or is not safe to filter through traffic, however there are some basic pieces of safety advice that cyclists should have in mind when on the roads."

 

[Rajagra]

Not sure the plod would approve of the unnecessary use of the horn.

I was warning him of my presence. He seemed confused about whether my van was a road vehicle that had a right to be on the road. He needed a wake up call.

He verbally attacked me for no reason. You can't hear it, but it was aggressive. I'm only human. He made me angry. I responded (in a safe way.) It's to be expected. This is human nature. You have to understand human nature if you want to be safe on the roads. This is another thing that too many cyclists won't take responsibility for.

Not sure the plod would approve of unnecessary verbal assault, initiating an argument that can distract a driver and lead to an accident. I've seen this happen in one YT video, and of course the cyclist was in complete denial of being the instigator of an accident that involved a completely innocent third party.

"Many drivers in the UK, particularly those living in busy cities, will have at some point felt a pang of jealousy towards the cyclists on the road who are able to ride though the traffic to their destination.

Firstly, that's biased, condescending wording that presumes motorists have a bad attitude and feeds the smug, superior, entitled attitudes of some cyclists.
Secondly, most motorists have no problem with cyclists who overtake carefully with adequate clearance. It's the idiots who appear from nowhere at high speed and brush by with NO margin for error who create stress and trigger responses.

But none of that is relevant here. I had no problem with the others overtaking me on either side. In this video you can actually see where I've spotted some in the mirror and moved over for them.
My problem is with the moron who gave me an earful when I was traveling slap bang in the middle of my lane, at a slow, steady speed with masses of clearance in front of me.

"it can be inferred from the text of the Highway Code that it is acceptable practice"

No it can't. This is another thing that is often claimed, but it's 100% wrong. The Highway Code does nothing but mention the risks of filtering and the need to mitigate those risks. That is not condoning the practice, it is accepting the fact that it happens and advising how to deal with it.

Now don't get me wrong. I've been "filtering" on bikes and motorbikes since before it was even given a name. Safely. But as with many things, as soon as you name something and popularise it some people get the idea in their head that they are entitled to do it under all circumstances, and that anyone who doesn't actively make it easy for them to do it must be at fault somehow.

 

[MiiHere]

He's all geared up, decked out and set for the road. He's certainly a seasoned bicyclist. There seemed to be plenty of room on either side, the only thing I can think is that you have larger mirrors; which you can't do anything about. If he's well seasoned then he's been in tougher situations than that. Think he was just being a jack-hole.

 

[DT MI]

...however there are some basic pieces of safety advice that cyclists should have in mind when on the roads."

This is true but unfortunately all too often doesn't happen.

It's easy to say that the majority of cyclists are 'bad cyclists' because they are the ones that stand out and become noticed - same is true for 'bad bikers' and 'bad drivers'. The good ones that cycle/ride/drive as they should just blend into the background and become an 'invisible' part of the environment, the bad ones catch our attention and make for good dash cam material.

 

[Tom Butler]

Ray, you sounded your horn after the event and as you admitted above you were angry. I'm just saying if a copper wanted to be pedantic he could have issued you with a fixed penalty notice for improper use of the horn. Have I ever sounded my horn out of annoyance at idiots on the road? Probably hundreds or thousands of times. It's something that most drivers instinctively do.

Looking at it from the cyclists POV he's coming up behind you and sees the gap between the kerb and your van narrow. I understand you moved over to the left to give enough room for the motorbike and moped to overtake you. Perhaps the cyclist was expecting the same courtesy and for you to move over a touch to the right so he could pass safely on the inside.

 

[SawMaster]

I think the attitude is the big issue here. People do stupid things on the road, and yes it irritates us as it should. But unless you want to lower yourself to their level you should simply let it go and focus on your own safe operation instead. Here in the US, truckers are taught the "FIDO' rule: Forget It, Drive On. When you are focused on something other than your own situation you may miss something you would have otherwise seen.

Your angry words or your horn aren't going to educate this kind- they will have to suffer from their own stupidity to learn and on a bicycle that may be a fatal lesson. If they want to play superman or believe they are above the law then let them because doing so will likely get them off the roads more quickly- the proper ending to this story.

Phil

 

[kamkar]

Here we are told to keep close to the kerb to block them off, not least if you are going to turn right up ahead.
But that just trigger them overtaking on the left as if they where a motorcycle ( dangerous ) or they go onto the sidewalk which is allso illigal.
Thank god we have bicycle paths most places, and in there i dont give a hoot about what they do, and they allso do a lot of wierd stuff in there.
And often they disregard the bicycle path all together, and i assume they just do that to piss motorists off, at least thats the only viable reason i can see.

I will venture to claim there is more bad bicyclist than motorists, for the simple reason that here you learn to drive a bicycle in the 4-5 grade or so, and thats just a 1 or 2 day class teached by a single cop and the teachers.
And so if there is no other thing going on after that stage, i will argue ther skills can only decline with time ( just like motorists skills for the most allso decline after they taken ther licence )

Okay i have allso seen some wierd bicycle management in other countries thats totally insane in my eyes, here my eyes turn to out American friends that will put a bicycle path in the mittle of a road.
And it allso seem like some places a bicyclist have same rights as a motorcycle weaving in and out of traffic, and thats just asking for problems even in slow NYC traffic.

 

[Rajagra]

I will venture to claim there is more bad bicyclist than motorists

Percentage-wise, I agree. Every day I see cyclists moving sideways to pass parked or moving cars without looking at all to check it is safe to do so. So full of entitlement that they won't take the most basic measures to look after their own safety. It sickens me.

And cycling groups are still promoting the idea that when a cyclist undertakes a turning vehicle on the approach to a junction it is the motorist's fault if one of those horrible accidents happens. The latest idea in the UK is to limit the number of left turns lorries are allowed to make in any given journey. HELLO! Why not deal with the CAUSE of these accidents instead of artificially shifting blame?

So many cyclist deaths this year. Again. And every time they keep quiet about the circumstances for fear of accusations of blaming the 'victim'. So the deaths keep happening. It's absurd.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

I think the attitude is the big issue here. People do stupid things on the road, and yes it irritates us as it should. But unless you want to lower yourself to their level you should simply let it go and focus on your own safe operation instead.

Phil

+1

 

[throrope]

I just started cycling for excercise state side and choose only lightly traveled local roads. In my teens my bike was my ride. Before I saw your clip, I thought you passed him. I had to read the whole thread to understand "filtering". Even as a teen, I knew that nonsense was risky.

Looks to me you reacted to some one who habitually expects others to accomodate his risky and disrespectful habits.

A couple years ago my son and I in the city saw a driver cut off and near run off a cyclist. At the next stop light the cyclist adorned his windshield. I remarked to my son the driver may now think twice if even for the wrong reason.

Maybe next time he'll show more respect for his own skin and spare a driver life long regret.

 

[Rajagra]

Hey, it looks like he had a camera too...
(warning: he swears a lot)

 

[dash riposki]

That video isn't really much of an exaggeration.

 

[flank]

That video is funny as hell

 

[kamkar]

hehe i wouldent midn driving a "sweeper" like that, but the highlight of the day have to be the ned when you unload your catch in a giant meat grinder.

Problem detected - problem stopped - problem gone.