Cut up and driven at...

[BentMikey]

Something I might have added is to comment to the driver about your video camera, because that almost always prevents further misbehaviour.

 

[HF2300]

...and however inadvisable the cyclists road position was, there’s no excuse in my book for that...

Absolutely TC, I hadn't meant to suggest otherwise; I didn't comment on the video per se because I couldn't make head or tail of it, I was just following up on Bollo's more general comment.

The second swerve, as described, has to rank alongside Scratch's bus driver incident referred to elsewhere.

 

[Bollo]

After posting something that User3143 agreed with, I had to go into retreat and examine the darkest recesses of my soul. I am born anew.

Just to nail it, I imagine Paddy Hopkirk in the maxed Clio/Corsa/Sh1theap never fails to do his fellow road users a bad turn, whether its tailgating, cutting up, doing 55 through a 30 or buzzing cyclists. He's the sort of person that feeds my wife's worrying enthusiasm for eugenics. He probably didn't need the cyclist to go up the inside to p1ss him off, rather it was an opportunity to behave like the bullying moron he clearly is.

Away from that, there's not many on here that would call that a clever bit of riding. Its not the worst, but he put himself in a bit more danger than was necessary, even if the car he was undertaking was driven by a meditating nun on prozac.

Its certainly not deserving of the reaction it got from our after-market loving friend.

This debate has been done before, but here's a spin on it. We b1tch about the driving mentality that says a cyclist must be overtaken, but there are times when there's a cycling mentality that says we must get past a stationary vehicle under any circumstances. Both attitudes can lead to trouble, and that's usually trouble for the cyclist.

 

[hackbike 6]

+2

 

[Neilwoo123]

+3

 

[Andy 71]

It seems to be getting worse.The attitude towards cyclists seems to be changing for the worse.

Agreed Hack. Attitudes are worsening. I was filling the car with diesel yesterday and the pump had one of those ads in the handle - the one that says 'Stop means Stop' in respect to school crossing patrols.

Of course, any consideration or sympathy we as cyclists might cultivate is completely sabotaged by twunts who insist on RLJ'ing and riding without lights.

Back to your point though - why do some motorists think that paying an annual tax of £110 a year and £1.10 a litre for your fuel, gives them the god-given right to lord it over other road users, and if needs be, bargeing into anyone who happens to be in their path?

I'll tell you - some motorists have become like spoilt brats in recent years. Why?

a) Traffic laws which are rarely properly enforced and easily evaded.

Successive governments who don't have the political balls to tell people that we can't keep on building roads and that we may need to restrict when and where the mushrooming amount of vehicles on our roads can be used;

c) Successive governments who whince at putting a farthing on the price of fuel (because they don't want to upset the children);

d) The spreading belief that to own and drive a motor car is some kind of ancient, sacred human right and that trangressions committed while doing so should be forgiven, were probably someone else's fault anyway (they shouldn't have been in your way and should have been looking out for you) and are not to be mentioned again.


Where I come from, the cure to a spoilt child is a good slap around the chops. And as my mum used to say 'I want doesn't always get'. In fact, the words 'I want' would usually result in the former.

 

[HF2300]

This debate has been done before, but here's a spin on it. We b1tch about the driving mentality that says a cyclist must be overtaken, but there are times when there's a cycling mentality that says we must get past a stationary vehicle under any circumstances. Both attitudes can lead to trouble, and that's usually trouble for the cyclist.

+ another.

... twunts who insist on RLJ'ing and riding without lights.

...why do some motorists think [they have] the god-given right to lord it over other road users, and if needs be, bargeing into anyone who happens to be in their path?

Is there a difference between these two groups?

 

[Andy 71]

+ another.




Is there a difference between these two groups?

I think there is a subtle difference.

RLJers/Ninja Cyclists are just petulant t@ssers who think they can do what they want, when they want to, and no-one has the right to pull them up.

Some motorists, on the other hand, take things a stage further - they justify their actions by effectively claiming 'ownership' of the road network due to having paid 'road tax'. So, anyone on the roads who does not pay 'road tax', is trespassing on 'their' property. This includes cyclists and pedestrians alike.

The fact that 'Road Tax' (or Vehicle Excise Duty to use its proper name) is duty just like any other seems to pass them by. To suggest that a motorist 'owns' the road due to paying VED, would be as absurd as me suggesting that because I pay duty on my Vodka & Tonic, teetotalers should not be allowed into the pub.

The consequence of this attitude is that most motorists set higher standards of behaviour for other road users than they are prepared to show themselves simply because they feel they are 'subsidising' everyone else - which of course is absolute b*llsh*t. In fact, the reverse is true when you examine the true environmental cost of motoring.

 

[hackbike 6]

Back to your point though - why do some motorists think that paying an annual tax of £110 a year and £1.10 a litre for your fuel, gives them the god-given right to lord it over other road users, and if needs be, bargeing into anyone who happens to be in their path?

Yeah must admit I get this attitude from one particular person at work...supported by other motorists.