Dealing with anti cyclists

[wafter]

Being hyper-sensitive to criticism with a strong sense of morality and a short fuse it's rare that I don't react strongly to being attacked by bigoted dickheads.

I wish I could be more stoic but it really winds me up since as others have suggested their aggression is often only a symptom of their underlying basal twattery and prejudice, rather than a genuine grievance (which I'll always try to reason with / accommodate / apologise for if I'm in the wrong).

Most of the time their arguments are laugably illegitimate and hypocritical which makes me even more keen to set them straight, but again they're not interested in what's actually right and proper; only their own power trip to denigrate those they see as an easy target to appease their own fragile ego.

Short of becoming a zen master I prefer the Drago approach - get big and / or handy to try to deter them in the first place or be able to handle myself if it escalates. Sadly I'm neither of those things currently..

 

[briantrumpet]

I’ve no idea to be honest but there were no signs. I wonder what priorite the driver on the main road thought she had when she over took me then pulled a Uie to turn round blocking the whole road and causing me nearly to lock the wheels. 😱

If you can remember where it was, I'll look it up. I suspect it was PaD if there weren't obvious signs, which is why she came straight out in front of you.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I nearly got taken out by an old biddy today in France. She shot out of a side road on her bike across the main road which had a zebra on the far side of the junction. When I shouted at her she just pointed at the zebra which was a least 2 metres away from where she crossed. However given my lack of French I couldn’t tell her to get to specsavers.

This was a case of age before beauty

 

[grldtnr]

Hi I have cycled for many many years in Bristol. I love it but when I get an angry comment like I just received whilst crossing on a pedestrian crossing on a bike rather than being in the flow of traffic “bloody cyclists you should be on the road” it just gets me down and I take it very personally. You can’t win I feel in the way on the road and unwelcome on a pedestrian crossing. How do people deal with the negativity?

I prefer to use ironic sarcasm, or politely advise them where they are wrong , then to ask if I was a child would they do the same.
Or I might say I don't wish to insult their intelligence, ....
Then fump them......with 'eckythoomp!
Being Drago size helps .

 

[LAS22]

I had that a few months ago

I had rung my bell - which is quite loud but a friendly ding-a-ling - not a Ping type bell
then slowed right down and rung it again
Then said "excuse me"
Then he reached a wider part of teh tow path so I just rode around him

only to get "Haven;t you got a bell" shouted at me

I honestly cannot believe he didn;t hear me - but it was a possibility

except that I saw him again a week or so later and he heard the bell just fine that time

people are weird - but we do have to allow for the fact that some people are deaf

I have tinnitus - usually I can hear a bell but not always, like on a bad ear-buzz day.

 

[Vantage]

I've always been a short arse but I've never once let anyone talk down to me or in a disrespectful manner.
Doesn't matter how big they are, if they carry on I'll inform them if they don't shut up, I'll ram my bike down their gob.
Stupidity over bravery but it's never failed me. Best done when the bike is between me and them.

 

[Drago]

I've always been a short arse but I've never once let anyone talk down to me or in a disrespectful manner.
Doesn't matter how big they are, if they carry on I'll inform them if they don't shut up, I'll ram my bike down their gob.
Stupidity over bravery but it's never failed me. Best done when the bike is between me and them.

One should threaten to insert ones bicycle up their bottom and parade them up and down the road like a big lollipop.

 

[derrick]

Normally give the self-gratification artist sign.

 

[Dadam]

Normally give the self-gratification artist sign.

Ah you mean the Gold Blend "3 types of the finest coffee beans" sign?

 

[Pblakeney]

Smile sweetly, blow them a kiss, wish them a lovely day.

Either ignore them or follow the above. Entering into debate is a waste of time and negativity just feeds their prejudices.
I can confirm that the above really winds them up and confuses them in equal measure.

 

[ianrauk]

Ah you mean the Gold Blend "3 types of the finest coffee beans" sign?

AKA a Gareth

 

[Ian H]

If you can remember where it was, I'll look it up. I suspect it was PaD if there weren't obvious signs, which is why she came straight out in front of you.

The yellow diamond with a line through it indicates priorité a droite until you see the sign without a line.
https://www.drive-france.com/faqs/get-your-priorities-right/

 

[briantrumpet]

The yellow diamond with a line through it indicates priorité a droite until you see the sign without a line.
https://www.drive-france.com/faqs/get-your-priorities-right/

Indeed it does, but the safest default assumption in towns is PaD if you've not seen any signs.

 

[ktmbiker58]

Either ignore them or follow the above. Entering into debate is a waste of time and negativity just feeds their prejudices.
I can confirm that the above really winds them up and confuses them in equal measure.

Smile and wave boys - never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and win by experience

 

[BigSid]

Woman I used to work with was always moaning about cyclists holding up traffic when she was coming into work. Then if it was raining she moaned about all the fair weather cyclists that were now in their cars causing congestion. Can't win with some people.