Cyclist swore and shouted

[Alien8]

Another gem from the Cambridge News.

Surely it must be a spoof?

Cyclist swore and shouted

From C Baxter

ONE Friday morning I was travelling by car into Cambridge and at the sharp bend at Newnham I overtook a cyclist. I looked in my mirror and saw him pointing his finger to his forehead and shouting to me.

I drove slowly and opened my passenger's window and told him he should use the cycle lane.

He said it was up to him to choose the road instead of the bicycle lane.

He then started swearing and shouting at me and I told him I was going to report him to the police but he wanted to use the road while the cycle lane was empty, does not pay any road tax, is not insured and misbehaved like a complete lunatic.

He then drove in front of my car and started braking, about four times, while he still swore and shouted at me.

I could have easily knocked him over but I was too polite to do so.

I travel daily into Cambridge and I have seen a lot of dangerous situations with bicycles. It is not only the young students but the over-40s think they own the road on a bike.

Address withheld

 

[semislickstick]

Another gem from the Cambridge News.

Surely it must be a spoof?

Oooo-er.

 

[ttcycle]

from what I gathered..sounds like the guy overtook unsafely but has failed to recognise this.

Not sure what he means about the cyclist braking infront of him four times -why would he put his life at risk like that unless of course said motorist was referring to wind.

So polite of him not to run him over -complete knob to suggest that..is that supposed to garner sympathy?

 

[Tinuts]

Funny, the only people who've pulled the overtake-and-then-brake-abruptly-several-times move on me have been motorists. I'd love to be able to reciprocate but then I think I'd prefer to go on living a bit longer....

 

[Joe]

Address witheld

Shame!

 

[swee'pea99]

"I could have easily knocked him over but I was too polite to do so."
My that is polite.

 

[joolsybools]

What a knob

 

[nigelb]

I would think that junction is dangerous, regardless of whether you're on the shared pavement/cycleway, or the road.

When I drive, I am sometimes irritated by cyclists who ignore a perfectly good cycle lane, and block the road. However, I understand completely when they ignore most of the cycle lanes in Cambridge, as they're not safe, the surface is generally rubbish, and you have to keep stopping as each side road joins.

One (Madingley Rd, between the IoA and the Park and Ride) excels, its lower than the road, overhanging trees and brambles, and brings oncoming headlights to eye level!

Further on, over the M11, there are ruts and steps, certainly wide enough for a road bike tyre to drop into (I've been there, now use a mountain bike, more appropriate for the average surface of our cycle lanes).

Head up Milton Rd, and its stop start all the way, road junction by road junction, each with almost no visibility before you actually get to the junction itself, so you have to slow down regardless.

Sorry, will stop ranting, go and calm down, but I think part of the problem round here is that drivers and cyclists alike are frustrated by the very poorly designed "cycle lanes".

Nige

 

[Bollo]

I would think that junction is dangerous, regardless of whether you're on the shared pavement/cycleway, or the road.

When I drive, I am sometimes irritated by cyclists who ignore a perfectly good cycle lane, and block the road.
......

This popcorn is lovely!

 

[BentMikey]

When I drive, I am sometimes irritated by cyclists who ignore a perfectly good cycle lane, and block the road.

Then I suggest you surrender your driving licence at the nearest police station and stop driving.

 

[Cab]

Head up Milton Rd, and its stop start all the way, road junction by road junction, each with almost no visibility before you actually get to the junction itself, so you have to slow down regardless.

Ahh, yes, the classic 'put a sign on the pavement and its a cycle path' ploy. Dreadful cycle path, unusable by anyone not accompanying a toddler on a scooter.

Anyway, the letter in the local bog-roll, I'm willing to bet that the cyclist stop-starting was actually just in the traffic. If this is coming in from Newnham at commuting time, the motorist ought to be thankful if the traffic is moving at all.

 

[ianrauk]

So why the irritation, when you know the cycle lanes are shyte?

When I drive, I am sometimes irritated by cyclists who ignore a perfectly good cycle lane, and block the road. However, I understand completely when they ignore most of the cycle lanes in Cambridge, as they're not safe, the surface is generally rubbish, and you have to keep stopping as each side road joins.

 

[downfader]

Sounds like C Baxter should be investigated for WDCAAttention.

ONE Friday morning I was travelling by car into Cambridge and at the sharp bend at Newnham I overtook a cyclist

Sounds like either a close overtake or a silly one into a blind corner.

I looked in my mirror and saw him pointing his finger to his forehead and shouting to me

Possibly the 20th idiot he's encountered in the space of a mile. I know that a point to the forehead means "are you crazy??!!" around here. I too would have shouted had my safety been threatened.

I drove slowly and opened my passenger's window and told him he should use the cycle lane

Not the drivers right to tell another road user what to do. I bet it was more like matey who pulled up to me once in Woolston near here and shouted "GET OFF THE ****ING ROAD!!!"

He said it was up to him to choose the road instead of the bicycle lane

He's right, Baxter should have driven away long before that.

He then started swearing and shouting at me

Possibly because he was intimidated by an inconsiderate motorist

does not pay any road tax, is not insured

And their point is...?

He then drove in front of my car and started braking

Technically rode. Proving Baxter doesnt know what they're talking about. How do they know it was braking.. no brake lights, they could have just been coasting slowly.

I could have easily knocked him over but I was too polite to do so

...as others have said here this makes Baxter an ****hole for even mentioning this. How big of them to be so polite.

but the over-40s think they own the road on a bike.

..and by what logic do they deduce this? Did he say "I OWN THE ROAD!!" Perhaps he planted a little flag?

 

[semislickstick]

I looked in my mirror and saw him pointing his finger to his forehead and shouting to me.

Helmet cam?? Footage of the overtake on the sharp bend?

 

[Cab]

Another gem from the Cambridge News.

Surely it must be a spoof?

To paraphrase said motorist:

Dear BBC,

Why, oh why, oh, why are the cyclists in my way?

I overtook one while going around a busy corner at commuting time; I know, there isn't space to do that properly there so I had to pass jolly close. All his fault, of course, using the road like a proper tax payer, the nerve!

Anyway, I wound down my window (obviously while slowing down!) to give him the verbal thrashing he so richly deserves. For some reason he was doing a 'Gareth Hunt' with his hand at head level, I can't imagine why. I had no sooner berated the gentleman for his road positioning than he swept past me (aren't his power assisted brakes up to it? For heavens sake, I'd just gone past, pulled in, and slowed, whats wrong with that?) and started swearing.

And to cap it all off, he kept braking in front of me. Bounder! I could have caught up with the car immediately in front of him had he not done that.

Obviously, being the damned good chap I am, I didn't give him the thrashing he deserved. I nearly drove over him, but I'm such a good egg that I didn't do so.

So there! It never would have happened under the Tories.

Yours,

Brigadier Sir Richard Smythe-Woody-Woodpecker. (Miss).