cycling on the wrong side of the road

[wafflycat]

Out doing various errands this morning. Driving (so shoot me...) today as large mileage to do in short space of time. I'm driving along one of the lanes near me, on the way to doc's to get Mr Wafflycat's prescriptions & the dispensary closes early today.

Up in front, two teenage girls on bikes, heading in the same direction as me - but cycling on the wrong side of the road.

*AAARRGGH!*

So I slowed down as I approached them, wound window down & called out "Girls, you are cycling on the wrong side of the road and that is highly dangerous" as I passed them. Cue girls stopping, getting off bikes & standing in grass at verge.. and a bloody good job they did, as just then a large HGV came round the right-hand bend just in front If they hadn't have been off their bikes and on the verge at that point, but had been cycling where they had been seconds before, siad oncoming HGV may not have been able so see them until too late.. and it wouldn't have been the driver's fault.

After picking up other half's prescription, I retraced my journey, as I was hoping to see the girls again as I hoped to take the opportunity to stop and politely tell them *why* what they were doing was dangerous, and offer something positive such as how to get a hold of Cyclecraft and where to find out about cycle training. But no sign of them.

 

[Landslide]

Eek!

I think it's that mindset that cyclists should act like pedestrians, e.g. when out walking on country lanes with no pavement you should walk so you're facing oncoming traffic.

 

[Alves]

I have seen older Americans do this in the states. It's along the lines of Pedestrians doing the same thing because they can see what's coming better. Quite amazing behaviour for a pedaller.

 

[Keith Oates]

It's just possible that they may have been foreigners and with a quiet road went on the 'wrong' side (for the UK) by mistake. I know I've done that a couple of times when going to or from the UK and overseas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Riding in Circles]

I see it all the time, I am often riding along in traffic only to find a POB coming the other way on my side of the road, they are idiots, the ones that really get me though are the ones that do it at night with no lights or reflectors.

 

[Renard]

It's just possible that they may have been foreigners and with a quiet road went on the 'wrong' side (for the UK) by mistake. I know I've done that a couple of times when going to or from the UK and overseas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've done the same after driving abroad

 

[Domestique]

I was shocked a couple of weeks ago to see someone on a mountain bike cycling around a roundabout the wrong direction on the inside lane!!
I dont think he was from a faraway land.

 

[beanzontoast]

Catrike - I see it loads around Derby too. I've come to the conclusion that essentially, they don't give a fig!

 

[byegad]

I was shocked a couple of weeks ago to see someone on a mountain bike cycling around a roundabout the wrong direction on the inside lane!!
I dont think he was from a faraway land.

I once met a teenage girl coming round a roundabout the wrong way. She was close to the roundabout and it had lots of bushes on it so I first saw her 5 yards from my front right tyre.
I don't know if it scared her but I had to stop for five minutes before I could drive on.

 

[Blonde]

I have nearly collided with people coming the other way (the wrong way) on bikes several times on my commute as well as at weekends. It's quite common now to see younger riders using a cycle lane as if it were a totally seperate and two way path rather than part of the road. I have seen it on roads that do not have cycle lanes as well, but I wonder if it is less common on those? I think the introduction of contra-flow cycle lanes has not helped with this. I will never use them myself as I think they are terribly dangerous but there are a few roads with contr-flow cycle lanes in Manchester now and I am convinced that they will only lead to greater numbers of people using other non contra flow lanes and even roads which do not have a cycle lane at all, as if they are all contra-flow cycle lanes. It is quite worrying when you are in a car, but on the bike you tend to be either in the cycle lane that they are using to cycle the wrong way towards you in, or just nearer to the kerb, and therefore more likely to run into them than you are in a car. Really Quite Scary.

 

[GrahamG]

Just think of it as natural selection - we need to give the muppets enough opportunity to improve the gene pool to the benefit of everyone

 

[Blue]

, I retraced my journey, as I was hoping to see the girls again ..... But no sign of them.

I saw the strangest thing today, two cyclists stuck to the grill of a passing HGV - it's a small world, eh!!

 

[elvisparsley]

The scrotes round our way ride on the wrong side to try to intimidate you and make you avoid them, no question. No hands, leaning back, chatting rubbish into their phone. I might get some bull bars fitted to my bike

 

[Dayvo]

The scrotes round our way ride on the wrong side to try to intimidate you and make you avoid them, no question. No hands, leaning back, chatting rubbish into their phone. I might get some bull bars fitted to my bike

A heat-seeking missile/bazooka should do the trick!