Do people like me give cyclists a bad name? If so, sorry

[Schooner]

After a mild run in with a motorist this morning I feel the need to share and perhaps apologise. Climbing a steepish hill past stationary traffic a man in a largish Merc 4x4 travelling down the road on the other side felt the need to stop and have a go at me about there not being enough room. This was despite him having a good couple of feet on his passenger side to the pavement and me remaining on my side of the road. I pointed this out to him and he then turned his big tough wheels towards me, perhaps in an attempt to belittle me (despite the fact I was about twice his size). Maybe it was this aggressive stance or the fact it was -3 but I said I didnt want to argue and cycled off (past his stationary car without coming close to either it or the cars on my left).
Anyway, I guess I will have seen this event through rose tinted riding glasses and perhaps the driver had had a bad morning and so had a crtain right to point out my lack of roadsens. So if either the driver in question or any other cyclists who may taste his wrath based on his perception of my actions read this I would like to apologise. Despite feeling that I did no wrong I will in future take extra care to ensure I promote cyclists as courteous and polite users of the highway.

 

[kishan]

you did nout wrong mate think he was just being a billy big balls in his big 4x4 ignore him and enjoy cycling mate.

 

[400bhp]

Is this a wind up?

From what you have described, you did nothing wrong apart from daring to use a (small) part of the opposite side of the road (which is what I think you are saying).

 

[Schooner]

Cheers guys, as I said though, I just the wee guy doesnt lose his wrag with someone more vulnerable than me based on his high blood pressure this morning.

 

[Nearly there]

You did nowt wrong

 

[Peteaud]

Well its simple.

Mr merc 4x4 (m class?) in his big manly 4 wheel drive has spied you cycling along in your lycra with your tallywacker swinging about and felt inferior. Its not his fault he has a small penis and has to try and compensate by buying a behemoth tank of the rich.

Feel sorry for him, and perhaps give him a free t shirt.

 

[Bicycle]

By Golly and by Gumption! That does sound a little rum, but these things happen.

You've asked for comment, so I'll provide some. Thoughtds as follows:

1. I think you have nothing to apologise for.

2. It may be that either you crept a teensie bit onto the opposite carriageway, or it was his perception that you had.

3. If you did, it seems perfectly appropriate for him to have a polite word with you. it doesn't sound as if he was polite.

4. Turning his steering would only have been done to intimidate (or worse) and was indefensible. I can see no other reason to do it and no justification for doing so.

Going back to point two, I recall as a motorcycle courier that I'd tell myself I was always on 'my side of the road' when filtering on the right. Things were not always as I perceived them. There are lots of roads where a filtering cyclist will inevitably cross the broken line.

In the unlikely event that you did cross the line, you would be requiring drivers coming the other way to submit you to a close pass. In a Douglas Adams book, that would put a cyclist in one of those loops of moral and physical impossibility. You'd be cycling in a way that required oncoming drivers to pass you more closely than was safely possible or you'd be requiring them to wait for you because you considered your own needs more pressing than theirs....

Which you didn't. because you stayed on your own side of the road. So the guy had some sort of aggression issue and you did well to avoid conflict.

 

[Schooner]

hahahaha, got to get me one of those for the morning commute

 

[kishan]

Well its simple.

Mr merc 4x4 (m class?) in his big manly 4 wheel drive has spied you cycling along in your lycra with your tallywacker swinging about and felt inferior. Its not his fault he has a small penis and has to try and compensate by buying a behemoth tank of the rich.

Feel sorry for him, and perhaps give him a free t shirt.

phahahahahahaha that made me giggle

 

[lukesdad]

The OP did nothing wrong ? You lot crack me up!

 

[400bhp]

Look.

This thread is WRONG.

We need DISAGREEMENTS.

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

After a mild run in with a motorist this morning I feel the need to share and perhaps apologise. Climbing a steepish hill past stationary traffic a man in a largish Merc 4x4 travelling down the road on the other side felt the need to stop and have a go at me about there not being enough room. This was despite him having a good couple of feet on his passenger side to the pavement and me remaining on my side of the road. I pointed this out to him and he then turned his big tough wheels towards me, perhaps in an attempt to belittle me (despite the fact I was about twice his size). Maybe it was this aggressive stance or the fact it was -3 but I said I didnt want to argue and cycled off (past his stationary car without coming close to either it or the cars on my left).
Anyway, I guess I will have seen this event through rose tinted riding glasses and perhaps the driver had had a bad morning and so had a crtain right to point out my lack of roadsens. So if either the driver in question or any other cyclists who may taste his wrath based on his perception of my actions read this I would like to apologise. Despite feeling that I did no wrong I will in future take extra care to ensure I promote cyclists as courteous and polite users of the highway.

You were overtaking stationary traffic and failed to give way to the oncoming vehicle?

The Highway Code
Overtaking (162-169)
163

• give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road

What do you think?

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Look.

This thread is WRONG.

We need DISAGREEMENTS.

Remedied!

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

Hve to sayyou did nothing wrong - and even if you did stray ever so slighly on his side, considering the v-low speed you were at and he should be anticipating it, then HE was fully in the wong.

A colleague and I were commuting home ast week, approached a v-busy r-bout in the clear RH lane then slowed to a near stop on approach.
The front 3 vehicles in the LH lane were stationery with the 3rd (Big f-off white Audi) was abt 5 feet from the car in front fully stationery so my colleague slowly moves between the two to get over to te left - Audi driver starts to lean on his horn and starts gesticulating (frightened the cr*p out of me by his front wing).
My colleague stops and just stares at the driver as I moved through the gap before moving fwd - at which point the cowed driver just stares down at his knees!
Why oh why do they do it???
Tony

 

[kishan]

bring gobby drivers down a peg or two i say who do they think they are king of the road?