Had words with a cyclist yesterday

[Stu9]

Waiting at lights and leaned against the car roof, I know it's only his hand but it's the principle, I wound the pass window and told him to fk off, he said "it's only my hand we'll be moving in a minute"....cheeky pr*ck!....I thought yes you will move. So while he was leaning, I moved forward and nearly fell, the lights then changed. Just who the fk do these people think they are, it's the first that's ever happened

 

[Hip Priest]

We've had a discussion about this before. Personally it wouldn't bother me if a cyclist leant on my car, but I wouldn't do it myself.

 

[Beebo]

You can look at it two ways:

1 - yes it's rude and he shouldnt touch your car.
2 - so what, it's only a car, what harm can it do.

I dont think I would ever put my hand on someones car, but equally I wouldnt get too bothered if some did it to me.

 

[Andy_R]

You can look at it two ways:

1 - yes it's rude and he shouldnt touch your car.
2 - so what, it's only a car, what harm can it do.

I dont think I would ever put my hand on someones car, but equally I wouldnt get too bothered if some did it to me.

Lets look at it the other way round...what if a passenger in a car was to lean out of the window and hold onto your bike....don't do it, have respect for other people's property.

 

[benb]

Let me understand this - you rolled forwards and nearly made him fall off? You deliberately endangered someone just to make a point?

Yes, he shouldn't have leant on your car, but that's no excuse for rolling forwards like that.

 

[Boris Bajic]

It's never happened to me, but one does see it. I think it shows poor manners on the part of the cyclist, but I'm not sure it's a hanging offence.

I can quite see how it would anger a motorist, but I'm not sure that "Fugk Off!" is the most effective way to persuade someone to change.

There are Internet shouty folk on these pages who see a profound political polemic every time this subject comes up. I'm not sure there is one. It has more to do with manners than with what J-P Satre thought about on the lavatory.

Some motorists will not give a fig who leans on their car, but in deference to those who do I think it best for pedestrians and cyclists to find something else to lean on. It is not hard to unclip, although straps can be a pain. That being so, why do them up in town?

In my youth, the door pole of a Routemaster was the top solution, as it meant a free ride to 10 mph and no need to change down (before gearchanges were made idiot-proof in the '90s). Conductors often reacted similarly to the OP in this thread, but in my youth I saw buses as public property.

Manners maketh the person, or similar. It is poor form to lean on cars.

 

[sidevalve]

OOER ! You'l be in trouble for that. It seems pure lazyness to me "oh I can't be bothered unclipping / putting my foot down so I'll just lean on this car" . After all, it's just someone else's property, perhaps his pride and joy but it's not a bike so it doesn't matter. I suspect that had YOU leaned out of the car and rested your arm on his bike it might have been a different story.
The other thing is IMHO it's a dangerous thing to do anyway, after all it only takes a moment of inattention and you're on your arse in the middle of the road, Still I suppose that would be the drivers fault too.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Let me understand this - you rolled forwards and nearly made him fall off? You deliberately endangered someone just to make a point?

Yes, he shouldn't have leant on your car, but that's no excuse for rolling forwards like that.

I agree with you on many points, but not this.

I see the point, but it is deeply foolish to lean on a vehicle that has stopped only for a moment.

It is also deeply foolish to keep doing so when the driver has suggested sex and travel.

I agree with you that in absolute terms it is wrong, but I imagine many motorists would do the same. To expect otherwise would be naive.

Is there not a TV advertisement in which a driver does something similar?

 

[gaz]

I do it to buses, only once had a problem when the bus driver didn't want to move with me still resting my weight on the bus. So I just went.
I wouldn't do it to someones personal car, you never know how people will react.

 

[benb]

I agree with you on many points, but not this.

I see the point, but it is deeply foolish to lean on a vehicle that has stopped only for a moment.

It is also deeply foolish to keep doing so when the driver has suggested sex and travel.

I agree with you that in absolute terms it is wrong, but I imagine many motorists would do the same. To expect otherwise would be naive.

Is there not a TV advertisement in which a driver does something similar?

I didn't say the cyclist was in the right - he clearly wasn't. But I simply can't fathom the mentality of someone who would deliberately do something that might injure someone just to make a point.

 

[jonny jeez]

Buses and trucks but not cars and vans.

dont know why, I just dont.

Cars are too personal perhaps

 

[Globalti]

A car really shouldn't matter but cars have massive emotional and territorial significance to some drivers, which is why people get so upset when you cut in ahead of them or otherwise threaten their road territory or their car territory. Bearing in mind that most drivers view their cars as an extension of their penises, it isn't really a very good idea to make contact with them. Probably the worst car would be a chavved up economy hatch or any BMW.

 

[ufkacbln]

Fiat Palio advert a couple of years ago...

 

[Demonclimber]

Apart from THE RULES (which of course every cyclist should strive to follow), I reckon there are 2 rules if you're out on y'bike; be seen (lights, bright, bright, bright flouro clothing, lights) which is sensible and never, ever, ever touch a car; stay out their way, don't touch, avoid etc etc, which is just good manners. Stop at lights, have a chat with car fellow/lady driver next to you, comment on their nice motor but don't touch. Ah ah ah, no touching now.

 

[Demonclimber]

Fiat Palio advert a couple of years ago...

Love it.