Grief At Work

[Jezston]

Posted an email to the 'spam' email list (opt in email list at work where people ask general questions and try to sell things) to see if anyone was on the bus that, once again, deliberately tried to put the frighteners up me by pulling in besides me then pulling out again as he passed - was trying to establish if it was the same driver as before.

Didn't get any replies to my question, but did get the following responses:
(remember this is colleagues from work, not random strangers off the internet)

I gave him £100 this time and he STILL missed you?

He said he’d do it for a fiver Kieran! You got done mate.... coulda saved yourself 95 squids!

Jez, you really need to NOT ride a bike to work!! Take your driving test and get a car before you get squashed!

[FONT=&quot].. ie. Stay on the pavements..[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]No Jez ride on the path down ashbourne road seriously that road is deadly for bikers [/FONT]

Bikers, you really need to NOT ride a bike to work!! Take your driving tests and get a car before you get squashed!

That’s more like it

Someone died, that’s why I rode on the path when I was cycling

You’re going to have to give that bus driver £200 to stray on to the payment next time kieron

MY REPLY:
Good grief.

Cycling on pavements is ILLEGAL.

Just because there are a small percentage of bullying, pushy and ignorant people in motor vehicles on the road shouldn’t be a reason to encourage people not to cycle. If more people cycled on our roads people would probably behave themselves more, and there’d certainly be less congestion. So please stop trying to put people off.

Interesting I’ve had all this and no one’s actually answered my original question.

[FONT=&quot]LOL DIE then?[/FONT]

Exactly, I’d rather do something illegal than die

I don’t think the police are going to arrest you for cycling on a pavement, they have better things to do (like fine you for cycling on a pavement ).

There is always a risk with cycling, and most deaths are as a result of not seeing the cyclist, as opposed to “bullying/pushy/ignorant” people. Add onto that the crowd you mentioned and it would seem more reasonable to go on the pavement regardless, unless you think it’s worth your life?

I cycled in on Ashbourne road on the pavement for months and never got fined, just feels so much safer on pavement and there’s not so many pedestrians…

Get an engine fitted to it….problem solved

I will refrain from slapping cyclists on the back of the head when I go passed on my motorbike.
My contribution to stop bullying cyclists

I don't know what to make of all this, but I already felt like shoot this morning, now I feel worse.

 

[ttcycle]

Jez, just childishness. Not worth your time or giving them anymore. Some people are just a bit dim about cycling matters due to the percieved lack of safety.

Move on and don't let it effect you.

 

[fossyant]

Just post - "you lot are more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke, than I of getting squashed - weigh that one up ! FACT ! PS you'll have to up the wager to £300 - he's not going to catch me next time"

 

[661-Pete]

That little lot should be forwarded straight to your HR department, just as is. Don't your employers have any code of conduct?

 

[BentMikey]

*roll eyes*

Really, that's an ignorant bunch of comments. What a bunch of muppets.

 

[gavintc]

That little lot should be forwarded straight to your HR department, just as is. Don't your employers have any code of conduct?

That was my view as well - seems completely inappropriate. IT will be able to track the e-mails. You could claim harassment here.

 

[Jezston]

Just out of interest, had one comment from a girl in my department who says I should be wearing a jacket more high-vis, as she often passes me and says she can't see me til the last minute despite flashing reds on my seatpost and backpack.

Currently wear one of these: https://www.bunneysbikes.com/product_images/c/altura_night_vision_jacket_graphite__30005.jpg - fair comment? Should I get something proper hi-vis?

 

[ttcycle]

what's the circumstances of that - is she in her car? Is she looking in the right place or are you cycling too far to the left?

High viz is debated but could be better to have something brighter on your top half but mind you I have a dark top at times and it can be better to cycle in a part of the road where people can see you better in certain sections (not wanting to ignite the road positioning debate)

But where do you ride the bike out of interest?

 

[ianrauk]

I can't believe some of those comments. Bleeding imbeciles the lot of them.

 

[BentMikey]

Just out of interest, had one comment from a girl in my department who says I should be wearing a jacket more high-vis, as she often passes me and says she can't see me til the last minute despite flashing reds on my seatpost and backpack.

Currently wear one of these: https://www.bunneysbikes.com/product_images/c/altura_night_vision_jacket_graphite__30005.jpg - fair comment? Should I get something proper hi-vis?

I think that's called searching for an alibi in advance or something.

 

[joebingo]

It wouldn't hurt to get a hi-vis Jez, though you should tell her to get her eyes tested urgently as she's clearly unsafe on the roads if she can't see your 2 flashing rear lights.

 

[lazyfatgit]

By backpack do you mean a rucksack? Might be worth getting a hi viz cover for that, as it will cover a fair amount of the reflectives on your jacket.

Have a think about your road positioning and make sure your making yourself seen.

On the bus issue, do you have the route number? the bus company will know who was driving it. Its unlikely youd get any help from the people on the bus unless it swereved violently as they are unlikely to be paying any attention out of filthy windows.

 

[ttcycle]

Also on the other side of things - make sure the batteries on both lights are topped up and fresh.

It may be the case that you need at certain points to be further to the right to be seen.

High viz may not help really as you could be wearing it and still not be seen if you were too leftwards

 

[J4CKO]

People looking to get a rise out of you, fostered by relative anonymity, cluelessness and their discomfort at you cycling as it makes them look and feel lazy.

Man up and ignore it.

 

[Alien8]

says she can't see me til the last minute

So she has 60 seconds to avoid hitting you - is that not long enough?