Cyclist made me cross yesterday

[Disgruntled Goat]

I was in my car going down the A65 at just below the NSL. Came around a bend to see two cyclists attemptig to enter my lane from a road on my right. They had gone over one lane and were hovering in the middle of the road attempting to cross over and proceed in my direction. They were clipped in and moving, albeit slowly.

I'm a cautious driver, moreso when cyclists are around, so I put the anchors on as their intentions were not clear. I catered for the possiblility of them continuing across the road and into my path. As I was going at some speed it was a slightly dramatic stoppage, but stop I did and they continued into my lane.

I did not have a problem with that as I'd rather err on the side of caution. What bothered me though was that as the cyclist took up position he shook his head which I interpreted as 'You idiot'.

I pulled up alongside him and asked him not to shake his head at me. He claimed that he was letting me go. I wasn't getting into a debate so I left it there.

Should I have been cross, I dunno? I thought it was impolite.

 

[Landslide]

Sounds like an odd reaction on the cyclist's part. I guess had I been in his place, I'd have expected you to carry on, but having been let in, I'd have given a friendly acknowledgement. Ho-hum...

 

[LLB]

I interpret his response as being of one who is ignorant of the rules of the road.

What was he doing being clipped in on a situation where he is out in the road and may have to come to a full stop

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

If you had the right of way then he was jus tbeing a prick. However that said it is always good to see a car slow down before it stops.

 

[John the Monkey]

What was he doing being clipped in on a situation where he is out in the road and may have to come to a full stop

YMMV Linf, but you don't need much time to clip out - it is possible to do so right as you stop (again, only imho).

Agree that there's no need for the guy to be rude though.

 

[LLB]

I ride clipless myself. I think you have to have a good degree of anticipation when moving slowly whilst clipped in as it is so easy to lose balance at crawling speed.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

What was he doing being clipped in on a situation where he is out in the road and may have to come to a full stop

He was creeping in the middle of the road, waiting for me to pass. Apparently. But like I said, his intention wasn't clear. If my wife had been driving (and I conceed, many others) she would have gone straight on. I was over cautious but I don't like being made to feel a prat for being so. Ho hum.

 

[betty swollocks]

Would you have done the same if you were not a cyclist? Possibly, but probably not.
By creeping into the middle of the road clipped in, he was lessening the time it takes for him to execute his right turn: in his mind he was quite safe and would have been safer had you simply carried on. He knew you had priority and was possibly confused/exasperated, because you did not proceed as though you had.
In his mind, you made his manoeuvre at that junction more dangerous.
Everyone is safer if they simply obey the rules.
Just trying to see it from his point of view.

 

[yello]

Sounds like a simple misunderstanding to me; he thought he'd let you go, you thought the opposite. Wouldn't worry about it, nor his reaction. Life's too short.

 

[domtyler]

It sounds as if you need to calm things down a bit DG. Climbing behind the wheel of a car is not a license to launch road rage attacks on innocent cyclists.

 

[sheddy]

Non event. Please move on.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

Would you have done the same if you were not a cyclist? Possibly, but probably not.
By creeping into the middle of the road clipped in, he was lessening the time it takes for him to execute his right turn: in his mind he was quite safe and would have been safer had you simply carried on. He knew you had priority and was possibly confused/exasperated, because you did not proceed as though you had.
In his mind, you made his manoeuvre at that junction more dangerous.
Everyone is safer if they simply obey the rules.
Just trying to see it from his point of view.

Absolutely, but it's the 'shaking head' business that got me.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

It sounds as if you need to calm things down a bit DG. Climbing behind the wheel of a car is not a license to launch road rage attacks on innocent cyclists.

And where did I express rage? I was cross, because his headshaking made me feel a prat for being over cautious.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

Non event. Please move on.

So much of a non event, you were compelled to post?

 

[domtyler]

And where did I express rage? I was cross, because his headshaking made me feel a prat for being over cautious.

Your whole tone and manner exudes a barely concealed, latent rage for the cycling fraternity. Are you sure you wouldn't feel more at home on Pistonheads?