Cyclists that put a slur on our good name

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Aaahh, the self righteousness of the (probably) non-driving cyclists here is staggering. When driving or motorbiking, I too am fed up with cyclists who you attempt to overtake considerately only for them to NOT look over their shoulder, NOT indicate, just move dangerously into the middle of the road right in front of you with no warning. You have attempted to pass carefully, given them plenty of room and they still try to cycle under your front wheel(s). In these circumstances what is wrong with using the horn(as well as performing an emergency stop) in order to save their pathetic worthless lives?

It's outrageous, isn't it... I mean, when they are approaching a parked car, and then move out to overtake it without looking back, how in the world could you be expected to anticipate that sort of stupidity???

For the ones who turn right with no signalling and/or checking over their shoulder, well, yes they are clearly idiots and will no doubt be taken out of the gene pool in the not too distant future.

 

[crumpetman]

You guys aren't serious, right? You don't seriously think that pulling out into the center of the lane without looking behind you is perfectly acceptable do you? If someone had done that on video you'd be all over them, Lee (unless they were a courier of course).

Is this about getting at the truth or just having an argument between 'us' and 'them' and having to win?

In the interests of full disclosure, I should mention the closest I've got to car ownership is getting a form for a provisional license, then forgetting about it.

Pulling into the centre of the lane without looking behind you is not acceptable.

But, if you are behind a cyclist (and in a car or on a bike or any vehicle which is moving faster than the cyclist in front) then you should be paying attention to obstacles in front of you and anticipating what the person in front is going to do. This goes for whatever vehicle happens to be in front of you. It could be a milk float, a tractor, a learner. If you can see some parked cars, roadworks or any other such obstacle that the person in front will need to go around then you should take that into account if you are planning an overtake.

 

[BentMikey]

You guys aren't serious, right? You don't seriously think that pulling out into the center of the lane without looking behind you is perfectly acceptable do you? If someone had done that on video you'd be all over them, Lee (unless they were a courier of course).

Is this about getting at the truth or just having an argument between 'us' and 'them' and having to win?

In the interests of full disclosure, I should mention the closest I've got to car ownership is getting a form for a provisional license, then forgetting about it.

Why would you assume I was saying anything about the cyclist's quality of riding, or did you just miss the bolded bit below?

It looks like your driving could be considerably better, despite whatever the cyclist was doing. You're clearly not leaving enough room, reading the road ahead, or anticipating what other road users might do.

 

[BSRU]

As a car driver you have to accept that a cyclist may make sudden moves without any warning, whether for legitimate reasons or just bad bicycle control. It is alot better if they do give some sort of indication but as the user of a large metal box the onus is on me to take extra care.

 

[dondare]

It's outrageous, isn't it... I mean, when they are approaching a parked car, and then move out to overtake it without looking back, how in the world could you be expected to anticipate that sort of stupidity???

For the ones who turn right with no signalling and/or checking over their shoulder, well, yes they are clearly idiots and will no doubt be taken out of the gene pool in the not too distant future.

The roads are not part of the natural selection process. They're how idiots get around.

 

[DrSquirrel]

It's outrageous, isn't it... I mean, when they are approaching a parked car, and then move out to overtake it without looking back, how in the world could you be expected to anticipate that sort of stupidity???

For the ones who turn right with no signalling and/or checking over their shoulder, well, yes they are clearly idiots and will no doubt be taken out of the gene pool in the not too distant future.

You're being sarcastic right?

If a cyclist is approaching a parked car in the gutter it is VERY EASY to anticipate they are going to go around it - regardless of if they look/indicate/dance with maraccas.

 

[Clive Atton]

'It looks like your driving could be considerably better, despite whatever the cyclist was doing. You're clearly not leaving enough room, reading the road ahead, or anticipating what other road users might do. '


How do you leave enough room if the plonker in question, without looking, swerves right across your lane (infact, the entire road) just because they want to go in the newsagents on the other side. Under those circumstances all you could do is never overtake any cyclist, which indicates to me that you have never driven.

 

[dondare]

You're being sarcastic right?

If a cyclist is approaching a parked car in the gutter it is VERY EASY to anticipate they are going to go around it - regardless of if they look/indicate/dance with maraccas.

But is he being sarcastic for the second point, too?

 

[gaz]

Aaahh, the self righteousness of the (probably) non-driving cyclists here is staggering. When driving or motorbiking, I too am fed up with cyclists who you attempt to overtake considerately only for them to NOT look over their shoulder, NOT indicate, just move dangerously into the middle of the road right in front of you with no warning. You have attempted to pass carefully, given them plenty of room and they still try to cycle under your front wheel(s). In these circumstances what is wrong with using the horn(as well as performing an emergency stop) in order to save their pathetic worthless lives?

Cycling out of Southsea yesterday morning an idiot rides off the pavement on the other side of the road, doesn't look in any direction other than the one he's heading in. He's wobbling all over the place, I slow down to try and avoid him but still end up being forced into the kerb so I call out 'look out' and was quite surprised when it turned out I was the 'fc*king cn*t' and he could have me any time. Some contributors to this forum need to realise that there are plenty of idiots on bicycles who make life for other road (and pavement) users just about bloody impossible. I will add that conversely that there are plenty of good cyclists as well but obviously one doesn't notice them.

No, I am not trolling.

Replace cyclists with motorists and this still applies.

Some contributors to this thread need to look at there own driving and perhaps open there eyes whilst in control of a vehicle.

 

[dondare]

'It looks like your driving could be considerably better, despite whatever the cyclist was doing. You're clearly not leaving enough room, reading the road ahead, or anticipating what other road users might do. '


How do you leave enough room if the plonker in question, without looking, swerves right across your lane (infact, the entire road) just because they want to go in the newsagents on the other side. Under those circumstances all you could do is never overtake any cyclist, which indicates to me that you have never driven.

I cycle and drive. Somehow I can usually tell what's going to happen next, I think that my subconcious has learnt to read the road. But the main point here is not what happened, but how you reacted to it.

 

[DrSquirrel]

But is he being sarcastic for the second point, too?

No idea - im not talking about that - I should have really scrubbed that part out of the quotes to stop the pedants


Edited for clarity.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

It's outrageous, isn't it... I mean, when they are approaching a parked car, and then move out to overtake it without looking back, how in the world could you be expected to anticipate that sort of stupidity???

Strange isn't it how there are so many drivers who think that someone on a bike is just going to magically drive through a parked vehicle and then reappear on the other side.

 

[Spinney]

Perhaps the OP hooting at the cyclist would have made the cyclist aware that he had swerved into the path of a car and had therefore put himself in danger? i.e. using the horn may have made the cyclist aware that he should take more care in future?

(Unlikely to happen in this particular case...)

Without knowing the exact circumstances, I don't see how people here can say that the OPs driving was at fault. It sounds to me as if the cyclist went past his car, and then swerved in front of him. How are you supposed to anticipate that? Short of pulling over any time a cyclist is anywhere near your car?

All the stuff about drivers being able to anticipate cyclists overtaking parked cars is irrelevant to the OP.

 

[Clive Atton]

I cycle and drive. Somehow I can usually tell what's going to happen next, I think that my subconcious has learnt to read the road. But the main point here is not what happened, but how you reacted to it.

Blimey, the CIA would probably be interested in your abilities. Did I see you in that programme 'Heroes'?

 

[BentMikey]

Why would you assume I'm not a driver? Perhaps the difference is that I'd like to think I'm much more aware of the danger I bring to others piloting a tonne and a half of metal around the public highway.

For that matter, why would you assume most people on here aren't drivers? Some aren't sure, but I'd guess they are in the minority.