Feeling road rage

[summerdays]

Not mine, others towards me as a cyclist.
Tonight, 3 colleagues ganged up on me, 2 drivers, one pedestrian. The usual, red light jumping, road tax, not using the cycle lane.
Reason? We were working at a concert, I casually observed that if the manager did not close our bar soon I would be stuck between drunken concert goers on the cycle path or mad taxi drivers doing the venue to town run on the road.
All hell broke loose: I'm not supposed to use the road if there's a path available, all cyclist jump red lights, they hold traffic up, why do they go in front of buses, road tax, cycling license ... the usual s***e
Now, I'm very conscious of being slow, so I use mostly paths when available, especially if I'm riding the heavy single speed, but tonight I felt like taking up a full lane at 5mph!
I didn't, of course, managed to leave before the concert finished, used the path like a good girl
Then the women's cycle forum on FB shares how not to die on a bike in London ... even me here in the sticks know this is pure rubbish, so I feel more peeved!
Thank heaven for cycle chat, a wee rant, I'm already in a better mood

I saw that one on Facebook and didn't like it all, it just looked for all the negative points they could find.

I don't have issues with work colleagues about cycling as a fair number in the office cycle and so you know that if you started something like that you would have loads supporting your side and the other person would be outnumbered, that doesn't mean we all agree about everything to do with cycling. However I have been on courses when I get the cyclists in my way arguments, and my friends mostly support it with a few disagreeing on the helmet front but they know not to raise that point!

Just try not to let them affect you, and state your case, but know that they are unlikely to change their mind! But maybe they might realise it wasn't as simple as all cyclists should be on the path/ not on the path!

 

[summerdays]

Buy I really do hate it why people feel the need to come up and tell me about someone else's bad behaviour, this week I've had a lecture on cyclists on the path and cyclists op without lights, I pointed out I had mine switched on and I was walking on the path so that was why they were able to harangue me! I am not responsible for everyone else's bad behaviour!

 

[Turbo Rider]

Ha, ha, I get this all the time. Anytime someone rocks up to me and asks me if I'm still cycling around, I know what's coming...a rant about an experience they had with a cyclist and from the way they put it across, the cyclist always appears to be in the wrong. Funny thing is, that if you take the Socratic route and stop to disect their experience, following up by pointing out why you might have done the same in the same situation, they soon back down. Unfortunately, this gets very very tiresome after a while.

People just like to moan, I think, and there's also the fact that a lot of people have cr*p to deal with, so they transfer their frustrations onto other people, invariably picking out folks who they think that they can get one over with, just so they can feel proud of the 'fact' that they're not the lowest forms of life. I like to let these folks follow their delusions and have a smug chuckle to myself about it, or as The Libertines wrote...."I get along just singing my song, people tell me I'm wrong.....f*ck em"

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I've spent years pondering a response scenario for such a situation. When someone comes out with drivel like that to me I respond, "f*** off."

Years of listening to uninformed, but intelligent and highly-educated, nobbers mouthing off in work at me about "You bluddy cyclists" means I have evloved two responses, chosen, depending on mood.

If I've had a nice ride to work that day I simply stay silent and refuse to respond other than repeating, very softly, "Oh, is that right?"
If someone tried to murder me on my ride to work that day, then a la Drago, two word response rhyming with cough. This did get me up before the beak once for "use of unprofessional language", so I told the beak to do one too.

 

[Sara_H]

One of my colleagues started a rant about cyclists riding two abreast yesterday (its illegal apparently).
When I started a lengthy explanation of why cyclists do it, and why it doesn't hold her up any more than a single rider, (including a diagram with cut out cars and bikes), she lost interest!

Bad luck @Pat "5mph" . I agree its awful to be surrounded by bigoted mortards. I used to think it was pointless trying to engage with them, but recently someone told me that listening to me had changed their views on cycling, so maybe having a calm, sensible and rational answer can have some impact over time.

 

[Ganymede]

I used to think it was pointless trying to engage with them, but recently someone told me that listening to me had changed their views on cycling, so maybe having a calm, sensible and rational answer can have some impact over time.

I really think this is true (though probably not with absolutely everyone!). It is an utter pain having to keep explaining yourself but people often do take it on board.

Bad luck Pat! Sympathies! BTW I bet even though some of them don't ride they have a bike stashed in their garage, and I bet if you asked them why they don't ride, the answer would be that it's too dangerous....

 

[Fubar]

Take the playground approach @Pat "5mph" - "yup yup, I agree" "you're so right" "yes I jump red lights all the time" "all cyclist are a total disgrace" "absolutely, you couldn't be more in the right" etc etc...

...then pootle off on Boris and smile to yourself thinking how long they will be sitting in the car getting out the car park and how angry they will be getting whilst you're at home in bed.

 

[classic33]

I my god I'm so sick of the road tax brigade. Can we please just buy a gun.

 

[vickster]

I was talking to a colleague the other day who seemed very surprised that I own a car given that I cycle...erm, the two aren't mutually exclusive and I'm not going to cycle to Gatwick when travelling for a business meeting on an early flight! Bizarre

I had someone recently who started to go on about cyclists ruining the Surrey Hills and getting in the way...I politely said that we would likely never agree and not to start! She was an avid skier, I would have thought skiing ruins hills (ok, mountains) for people who don't wish to ski!!

 

[classic33]

I was talking to a colleague the other day who seemed very surprised that I own a car given that I cycle...erm, the two aren't mutually exclusive and I'm not going to cycle to Gatwick when travelling for a business meeting on an early flight! Bizarre

I had someone recently who started to go on about cyclists ruining the Surrey Hills and getting in the way...I politely said that we would likely never agree and not to start! She was an avid skier, I would have thought skiing ruins hills (ok, mountains) for people who don't wish to ski!!

Why?

 

[vickster]

With a suitcase, business attire, laptop etc...yes of course!

And I'm now too scared to cycle in the dark on roads I don't know

 

[solan]

Not mine, others towards me as a cyclist.
Tonight, 3 colleagues ganged up on me, 2 drivers, one pedestrian. The usual, red light jumping, road tax, not using the cycle lane.
Reason? We were working at a concert, I casually observed that if the manager did not close our bar soon I would be stuck between drunken concert goers on the cycle path or mad taxi drivers doing the venue to town run on the road.
All hell broke loose: I'm not supposed to use the road if there's a path available, all cyclist jump red lights, they hold traffic up, why do they go in front of buses, road tax, cycling license ... the usual s***e
Now, I'm very conscious of being slow, so I use mostly paths when available, especially if I'm riding the heavy single speed, but tonight I felt like taking up a full lane at 5mph!
I didn't, of course, managed to leave before the concert finished, used the path like a good girl
Then the women's cycle forum on FB shares how not to die on a bike in London ... even me here in the sticks know this is pure rubbish, so I feel more peeved!
Thank heaven for cycle chat, a wee rant, I'm already in a better mood

I cycle in Fulham and I find it difficult only started this week 
but riding in London I'm finding hard but rewarding. I think by the sounds off it your doing great.

 

[solan]

Me too!
Appetite for destruction was a great album, and still is.

Yes it was! His come back album was horrendous. Did we wait 20 years for it

 

[Glow worm]

I was at a work meeting the other day about countryside access, rights of way and the like. Most of the dozen or so folks there were keen walkers, horse riders etc. One if them starts banging on about 'packs' of road cyclists slowing him down and how the country's 'just not ready for it' (whatever that means).

His comments were met with broad agreement and another fellow then started on about pavement cyclists.

All rather depressing really as this is a group I would have hoped would know a lot better. Sometimes it seems there really is no hope.

 

[Col5632]

Sick of explaining to people why we ride two abreast and why I'm cycling in the middle of the road, you will always get the people who start comparing you to the other bad cyclists that jump lights and don't wear a helmet etc

Depending on mood I may try to educate said people but sometimes its pointless even trying.