Cyclists - worst behaved and most hated of all road users

[GrumpyGregry]

C'mon. As a pedestrian it's easy to deal with pavament cyclists. Don't flinch but be poised to grab their front brake lever or to brace your shoulder into their sternum. And if they give you any lip kick the sh!t out of their back wheel whilst screaming like a banshee.

Works for me anyway....

Glad to know I'm not the only one who does this. I've scored three in that landan so far this year.

 

[DrLex]

C'mon. As a pedestrian it's easy to deal with pavament cyclists. Don't flinch but be poised to grab their front brake lever or to brace your shoulder into their sternum. And if they give you any lip kick the sh!t out of their back wheel whilst screaming like a banshee.

Works for me anyway....

I favour the outstretched arm at face height and then heel to the rear mech.

 

[Hip Priest]

Pavement cyclists? Just ask 'Will mummy not let you ride on the road?'

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

C'mon. As a pedestrian it's easy to deal with pavament cyclists. Don't flinch but be poised to grab their front brake lever or to brace your shoulder into their sternum. And if they give you any lip kick the sh!t out of their back wheel whilst screaming like a banshee.

Works for me anyway....

A note of caution: last week in the Greenwich foot tunnel, walking my bike along the left hand lane, a cyclist cycled out of the other lane to overtake pedestrians and in doing so hit the woman in front of me. As he registered nothing but irritation at the woman he'd just hit, I braced my shoulder and waited till he hit me. It was a decent contact but I was disappointed that I hadn't knocked him into the wall....until, to my horror, I saw that behind his bulky body there was a young child on the back. That child could have got hurt. Of course, I wouldn't have been to blame - but I would have hated to have played a part in getting the child injured.

 

[PK99]

I agree - as a pedestrian in SW19 cars very rarely cause me a problem. Cycles frequently do - on pavements, wrong way on one way streets, weaving through pedestrian on crossings

Since I posted the above earlier this pm, i walked into Wimbledon and back to post a package 3/4 mile each way: Had to avoid 3 adult pavement cyclists and one guy who rode up the inside of a line of cars at a crossing, through the red light and across three pedestrian crossings (incl the new "diagonal" crossing) - there were pedestrians on each crossing.That is pretty much par for the course in the middle of the afternoon - it will be much worse later.

 

[gambatte]

Last week, 5 of us running on the pavement alongside a busy main road. 7:30pm, so it's dark. Section of pavement we're on is narrow, due to it being bordered by unkempt hedges.
I'm at the back
All of a sudden I heard a call of "Beep Beep!"
TBH my 1st & only thought was "Four cough! There's nowhere I can really go, you can be patient"
About ten seconds later I saw the first of 2 of them. Bunny hop (drop) off the pavement onto the road at my side and ride ahead. 2 lads about 8-10 year old. Dark clothes. BMX type bikes. No lights, no brakes.
You have to wonder. If one of my lads bikes was in that condition, he wouldn't be out on it and if I saw him riding like that.........

 

[Crankarm]

Well I drive as well and motorists as a group are far better behaved. Not saying drivers are WITHOUT fault, there are dangerous loons out there who do all the things we know they do and pose a real danger, but as a whole drivers behave better than cyclists. Perhaps it is because they have more to lose either damage to vehicle or severity of damage or injuries caused to other road users and an insurance claim with loss of NCD and increased premium? There are considerate prudent cyclists but the proportion of them within their peer group of cyclists is much lower IMHO than the much larger proportion of drivers that are considerate and careful within the peer group of drivers. As I say it might be the time of year as the clocks go back and any old monkey thinks they can jump on a bike without lights, take to a pavement, wearing black, riding through crossings and across junctions against red lights and across traffic and pedestrians.

 

[defy-one]

Cycling has no mandatory test such as motorcyles or motor vehicles. Might explain the lack of road sense exhibited by cyclists.

 

[coffeejo]

Cycling has no mandatory test such as motorcyles or motor vehicles. Might explain the lack of road sense exhibited by cyclists.

Doesn't explain why the driver ahead of me in the centre of Taunton this afternoon drove through the red light at a pedestrian crossing - with people already on it!!!

 

[Crankarm]

Cycling has no mandatory test such as motorcyles or motor vehicles. Might explain the lack of road sense exhibited by cyclists.

Possibly. Although many cyclists I suspect have a driving license which says a lot ............ Perhaps it's time for a mandatory bicycle test before people can get on a bike and a small fee say £10 to administer insurance cover for 3rd party claims?

 

[defy-one]

Possibly. Although many cyclists I suspect have a driving license which says a lot ............ Perhaps it's time for a mandatory bicycle test before people can get on a bike and a small fee say £10 to administer insurance cover for 3rd party claims?

And then sonething similar for pedestrians if they jay walk?
Most people are able to make rational decisions on safety without big flashing signs telling us it's safe to walk talk or move.
Exhibition road has been demarked as an experiment. I have used it as a pedestrian,cyclist and motorists without any issues. Nor have i heard of any accidents. Just shows that if yoh leave people to get on with it .... It usually works

 

[dodd82]

I think there's also the consideration that - whether right or not - some cyclists don't deem themselves to be in control of a vehicle that can cause particular damage, where as people driving a car are perhaps more aware.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

We need more police and police out there nicking people, car drivers, cyclists anyone who breaks the rules of the road.
Nail them, fine em, crush bikes or cars for doing the wrong thing.
We need zero tolerance NOW!

 

[mickle]

Well I drive as well and motorists as a group are far better behaved. Not saying drivers are WITHOUT fault, there are dangerous loons out there who do all the things we know they do and pose a real danger, but as a whole drivers behave better than cyclists. Perhaps it is because they have more to lose either damage to vehicle or severity of damage or injuries caused to other road users and an insurance claim with loss of NCD and increased premium? There are considerate prudent cyclists but the proportion of them within their peer group of cyclists is much lower IMHO than the much larger proportion of drivers that are considerate and careful within the peer group of drivers. As I say it might be the time of year as the clocks go back and any old monkey thinks they can jump on a bike without lights, take to a pavement, wearing black, riding through crossings and across junctions against red lights and across traffic and pedestrians.

I dont agree - I see very many more drivers bending and breaking the law thann cyclists. I guess it depends on where you live.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

These comedy rants by longstanding Cyclechat members are entertaining and harmless.

Sorry Crankarm: was it not you that recently got pushed into a nettle bush by a car? Also you that does not ride the roads anymore because of inconsiderate car drivers?
A la "Boris Bajic" here: "I might be wrong, but ..."