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

[BentMikey]

Sounds like he is a bit territorial about filtering cyclists and/or can't stand what he feels are queue jumpers. He's entirely in the wrong of course, from your description you didn't do anything wrong.

 

[HovR]

A 4x4 driver telling a cyclist there isn't enough room? Ironic.

Without actually having seen exactly what happened and each parties road positioning, it isn't possible to give a definite verdict, however if you stayed on your side of the road the chances are he was just being a cockwomble.

The same thing happened to me once, except with a van driver - And instead of stopping, he decided to swerve his van towards me at 20mph!

 

[G-Zero]

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.

Depending on the width of the road and without local knowledge, assuming both lanes are of equal widths, a few scenarios spring to mind ;-

1) If the parked vehicles on your side of the road left enough room for you to safely pass without crossing in to the opposing carriageway, then no probs, all over to the 4x4 driver.

2) If the length of the parked vehicles and layout of the road, left you committed to the opposing carriageway, before the 4x4 driver came in to your view, then no probs, over to the 4x4 driver to give way to you.

3) If the layout of the road also gave the 4x4 driver no view of you as you started to pass the parked vehicles, then shared responsibility.

4) If you were both in full view of each other as you approached the parked vehicles and the width of the road around them left you with no choice other than to cross the centre line markings in to the opposing carriageway, then my initial thought is that unless the vehicles in your lane are all very wide, there is probably not enough room for you to both share the opposing carriageway and the responsibility comes back to you to give way.

 

[addictfreak]

I would have carried on cycling up the hill, having first told him to f*** off!

 

[Bicycle]

I would have carried on cycling up the hill, having first told him to f*** off!

I find this attitude distressing and unhelpful. It is the sort of approach that just ramps up tensions and is likely to cause violence.

If someone spoke to me with the language you suggest, I'd be straight out of my car and I'd deck them. Once they were down, I might kick them once or twice.

There is simply no place on our highways either for violence or the sort of language that escalates tension and might cause aggressive behaviour. I abhor violence of any sort, which is why I would respond quickly and with kinetic rigour to prevent any mindless violence taking place.

We should all be lovely to one another. Anyone who is horrid deserves completely the beating I hand out to them.









This is not an entirely serious post, but I can't bring myself to add a smiley.

 

[mickle]

I'd have reached in his window, plucked his still beating heart from his ribca ..... let the moment pass.

 

[Mugshot]

If someone spoke to me with the language you suggest, I'd be straight out of my car and I'd deck them. Once they were down, I might kick them once or twice.

I abhor violence of any sort

Anyone who is horrid deserves completely the beating I hand out to them.

This is not an entirely serious post, but I can't bring myself to add a smiley.

Which bit isn't serious, I'm confused

 

[growingvegetables]

Do people like me give cyclists a bad name?

Nope - a largish "man in a largish Merc 4x4 (FTFY) travelling down the road" did a brilliant job of reinforcing the stereotype of ignorant, arrogant ****heads. We all know them - the guys who think the roads are their personal playing field, on which they can display all the testosterone they FAILED to show on the primary school playground.

 

[Ian H]

Assertive but not aggressive is the way to go.

 

[ufkacbln]

In the US there are a number of cycling forums that address important cycling issues

Tese have included:

The best handgun for cyclists
How do you carry your handgun when on the bike



Puts the UK problems into some perspective

 

[BentMikey]

Having a highly visible handgun on your hip whilst out cycling would do a world of good to cager behaviour.

 

[Bicycle]

Having a highly visible handgun on your hip whilst out cycling would do a world of good to cager behaviour.

Do cyclists or motorcyclists who are also motorists refer to other motorists as cagers?

The term seems too negative in tone to be used on oneself. Even when used in jest, as above, it seems to betray a slightly sour aftertaste in the mouth of the user.

So, here's the question: Is there a motorist out there who also cycles and refers to other motorists generically as cagers?

 

[dawesome]

Maybe the cager was secretly ashamed, both of his choice of vehicle and his behaviour, so in an act of transferral he externalised his self-loathing and became passive-aggressive.


Or he's just a knob.

 

[Linford]

Do cyclists or motorcyclists who are also motorists refer to other motorists as cagers?

The term seems too negative in tone to be used on oneself. Even when used in jest, as above, it seems to betray a slightly sour aftertaste in the mouth of the user.

So, here's the question: Is there a motorist out there who also cycles and refers to other motorists generically as cagers?

I don't like the use of the term 'Cadger', and am of all three groups. It is akin to a cyclist being called a 'pushie'.

If you have to cross to the other carriageway to pass an obstruction on your side forcing oncoming road users to take evasive action, then I think they have a right to feel a bit miffed - and this goes for any vehicle be them other cyclists, or 4x4 users. Nobody likes driving into the gutter to get out of the way of others when they legally have right of way. I'm not really clear if this was or not the case from the OP.

 

[siadwell]

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?

Admittedly it's badly written, but the meaning is clear: give way to oncoming vehicles if passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road would necessitate you moving onto the other side of the road.

To interpret it in the way you imply is ridiculous.