Giving a bad name...

[Brandane]

Whenever I get in my car I am so ashamed to be associated with the person who killed Princess Diana

I wouldn't like to be associated with Prince Charlie either.

 

[vickster]

I wouldn't like to be associated with Prince Charlie either.

Or James Hewitt

 

[Drago]

I am a coach driver... I drive through both Cambridge and Oxford daily.. I see the worse and best of cyclists and drivers and have seen some shocking maneuvers from both.
I have been cut up by fully kitted out cyclists numerous times already this week. (By that I mean expensive bike, full Lyra etc...)
I also see some car/bus drivers have absolutely no regard for pedestrians and cyclists.
I am very new to cycling and it winds me up seeing cyclists give a bad name to the 99% of them who are safe and carefully.
And also the other way round bus drivers getting a bad name because a small few of them not respecting cyclists.
Rant over...
I'm sure this has come up plenty of times on here but just wanted to give my view as a cyclists (new but still a cyclist) and bus/coach driver.

At last, another Cyclechatter has twigged the inescapable fact that people are born as chumps, and their preferred mode of transport in later life has no bearing on it.

 

[Aravis]

Oh did I miss out red light jumpers whilst the motorist behind is happily playing with his/her phone.

Judging from what I see around here, a significant proportion of motorists have completely conceded any moral high ground they may once have held on this one.

 

[Markymark]

At last, another Cyclechatter has twigged the inescapable fact that people are born as chumps, and their preferred mode of transport in later life has no bearing on it.

But their preferred matter of transport affects how much of a threat they are and how much responsibility they should take.

 

[ufkacbln]

Trouble is I get this all the time in the messroom at work and it's got so bad im now ignoring the brain dead ones who take some pleasure of ganging up on a lone cyclist and going through the same old bullshit again.

I wont discuss or defend as we are just going round in circles again and again.Road Tax/Insurance/Helmets/Too dangerous and all the other bullshit...well done.Halfwits.

Oh did I miss out red light jumpers whilst the motorist behind is happily playing with his/her phone.

I used to have a similar issue

But then came the helmet cam.....

"Petrolhead" spouts off about how I had held him up on the way into the Hospital

As we are in the staff room I was polite

So I pointed out it was called "primary" and supposed to stop stupid overtakes

Then went over to the staff toom PC and played the video


The one where he had overtaken too closely, driven in the cycle lane and then jumped the red light

Then in front of a dozen people asked how they justified their appalling driving

For some reason I have never been challenged again

 

[jonny jeez]

It certainly has, unfortunately. No one gives anyone else a bad name. Some people do bad things and give themselves a bad name.

Unless they drive an Audi, a range rover or god forbid a BMW.

 

[Drago]

But their preferred matter of transport affects how much of a threat they are and how much responsibility they should take.

Oh, absolutely, but as an indicator if their inate d***headedness it makes zero difference.

 

[Markymark]

Oh, absolutely, but as an indicator if their inate d***headedness it makes zero difference.

But how much of this website should be devoted to d***s who are harmless as opposed to d***s who are lethal? And shoukd we point out posts that say they're as bad as each as stupid?

 

[martint235]

Whether or not drivers behaving like d**ks are more dangerous is not the question here. The question is quite simple:

Ask a hundred people if they believe drivers are dangerous and then ask the same people if they think cyclists are dangerous, the second figure will be higher than the first. If we are to be taken seriously as road users there needs to be parity in the figures which means stopping the t**ts on bikes

 

[Markymark]

Whether or not drivers behaving like d**ks are more dangerous is not the question here. The question is quite simple:

Ask a hundred people if they believe drivers are dangerous and then ask the same people if they think cyclists are dangerous, the second figure will be higher than the first. If we are to be taken seriously as road users there needs to be parity in the figures which means stopping the t**ts on bikes

And how much resources should be spent on stopping harmless tits on bikes to make the 100 understand as opposed to stopping tits in cars who kill and injure?

In my mind stopping injury is better than cycling pr.

 

[benb]

Whether or not drivers behaving like d**ks are more dangerous is not the question here. The question is quite simple:

Ask a hundred people if they believe drivers are dangerous and then ask the same people if they think cyclists are dangerous, the second figure will be higher than the first. If we are to be taken seriously as road users there needs to be parity in the figures which means stopping the t**ts on bikes

What utter tripe

 

[martint235]

What utter tripe

Thanks for your valued opinion. Oh no sorry I didn't mean valued, I meant stupid.

 

[benb]

Thanks for your valued opinion. Oh no sorry I didn't mean valued, I meant stupid.

OK, allow me to expand.

I don't accept your premise that out of 100 people, a majority would consider cyclists more dangerous than drivers
Even if you are correct, that has absolutely nothing to do with whether we "are to be taken seriously as road users"
The people who have an irrational dislike for cyclists would continue to do so even if every cyclist behaved impeccably.
Any resource expended on tackling bad cycling is a complete waste of time, if the desired outcome is improved road safety.

 

[martint235]

OK, allow me to expand.

I don't accept your premise that out of 100 people, a majority would consider cyclists more dangerous than drivers
Even if you are correct, that has absolutely nothing to do with whether we "are to be taken seriously as road users"
The people who have an irrational dislike for cyclists would continue to do so even if every cyclist behaved impeccably.
Any resource expended on tackling bad cycling is a complete waste of time, if the desired outcome is improved road safety.

For as long as the common perception is "all cyclists jump red lights, ride on pavements" etc persists we will not be taken seriously. We can harp on on here about how this perception is incorrect (which it is) but it still stands. If all cyclists behaved impeccably, what would they beat us with? (although I accept we're never going to get to 100% impeccability)

As for resources, there's the self help option: Oi t**t you're giving me a bad name, stop being a daffodil (which is the approach I tend to use). If we want to put proper resources in then we self fund them by applying a zero tolerance to all traffic offences in an area. Fine the mobile phone users, fine the RLJers. Move around so that they never know when you're going to strike. Do it plain clothes (as I see they are doing with lorries at the moment to catch mobile phone use). Eventually I would hope you'd reach a situation where this no longer pays for itself and then you slowly wind it down a bit.