Holding cars up...

[John the Monkey]

....but I do take a fairly mellow line about traffic transgressions that seem to upset some riders. Sometimes (only sometimes) I have a sense of latent car-bashing in some posts and I try to give the balancing view.

Upset? No. Mystify? Yes.

Virtually any incident posted here seems to have a post from you somewhere in the thread exculpating the driver, whilst suggesting (with varying degreess of insistence) that the cyclist involved has been the author of their own misfortune.

Whether this is due to the cycling history you've outlined in other posts, and as a result, a degree of acclimitisation to bad behaviour that is somewhat uncanny, or a deliberate desire to provoke, I have no idea, and would not venture to say.

 

[lukesdad]

If that's how you tell a good day, I don't think I've ever seen him post on a bad day

 

[Bicycle]

Virtually any incident posted here seems to have a post from you somewhere in the thread exculpating the driver, whilst suggesting (with varying degreess of insistence) that the cyclist involved has been the author of their own misfortune.

I'm not sure that's the case. I'm happy to be wrong on this, but I'd be surprised if I were.

Five examples (you hint at many more) would satisfy me that you're on the money.

I was critical of a cyclist who assumed primary because a car was parked in the opposite carriageway some distance ahead, but I think many road users would have found that slightly eccentric.

Five examples will have me eating humble pie (with chutney, of course).

 

[Leaway2]

Excellent!

 

[John the Monkey]

I'm not sure that's the case. I'm happy to be wrong on this, but I'd be surprised if I were.

Actually, that's a fair criticism, and I revise what I said to limit it to the incident threads in which we've both posted, rather than "any" incident thread - I'm sorry.

 

[mr_hippo]

Finally, I think your problem with helmetcammery, is that you take it far too seriously and you're in denial (hence your inability to ignore Youtube fanatics such as Magnaton and Mr_Hippo).

Sorry, how does just over 20 videos in 4 years on youtube qualify me as a fanatic?

 

[400bhp]

This thread is a very good example of people (3 in particular) able to disagree but debate, rather than the usual argument & name slanging.

Good stuff.

 

[Origamist]

Sorry, how does just over 20 videos in 4 years on youtube qualify me as a fanatic?

I'll retract "fanatic" and replace it with "zealot" - happy now, Mr_H?

You helmet cam users are all the same - defensive and blinkered!

 

[Matthew_T]

I can easily manage 20 videos in 4 days with no problem. (some are pretty minor though)

 

[snorri]

I can easily manage 20 videos in 4 days with no problem. (some are pretty minor though)

No one cares about how many videos you make, just as long as you don't go public with them.

 

[gaz]

I'll retract "fanatic" and replace it with "zealot" - happy now, Mr_H?

You helmet cam users are all the same - defensive and blinkered!

you stem cam users are all the same as well!

I can easily manage 20 videos in 4 days with no problem. (some are pretty minor though)

I could manage 20 videos a day. But what is the point? Most of it is fairly minor and not worth uploading. I just learn from it and move on.

 

[Origamist]

No one cares about how many videos you make, just as long as you don't go public with them.

Does Matthew upload videos? Well I never!

@Gaz stem-cam users want nothing to do with helmet camera wearers. We are a totally different breed: far more refined, better looking and with a great sense of humour. I can just about tolerate bar mounted cammers, but once they start strapping these HD gizmos to their helmets they instantly become borg-like loons.

Is that knee-jerk and tribal enough for Doog and the like?

 

[gaz]

Does Matthew upload videos? Well I never!

@Gaz stem-cam users want nothing to do with helmet camera wearers. We are a totally different breed: far more refined, better looking and with a great sense of humour. I can just about tolerate bar mounted cammers, but once they start strapping these HD gizmos to their helmets they instantly become borg-like loons.

Is that knee-jerk and tribal enough for Doog and the like?

One of us, one of us!

 

[Origamist]

[QUOTE 1611414"]
LOL! A pissing contest between helmet cam wearers - brillant.
[/quote]

I thought this thread was truly amazing and unique in the CycleChat cosmos as Lee, Spinners and Cranky were all in agreement (for only a short time, admittedly). In recognition of this stupendously unlikely alignment of views, I have asked Admin (aka Nostradamus) to make sure this thread is either a) properly backed up on pedal powered servers in the North East, or b) nuked off the face of the web in case it bodes ill...

 

[Bicycle]

It breaks my heart to say it, but some HelmetCammery is good, entertaining or even helpful. Silly Cyclists is often all three. If quoted, I will deny having said that.

However... I thought I'd broaden my mind by watching some Magnatom, the cause of this thread.

I was left slightly startled and a little unnerved. One of them is called 'Out of my way!'. Take a peep, but sit down before viewing.

Certainly the woman driving the Freelander shows poor manners, but Magnatom has filtered past her and then stayed put as the lights changed.

I was a motorcycle courier in London in the 80s and still commute there sometimes on a bicycle. Elbows are (partly) for keeping door mirrors and wide loads away from your vital organs. Filtering between vehicles requires the filtering party to take some responsibility and show some manners.

Having been mildly brushed by the Freelander he'd just filtered past and then blocked, Magnatom inexplicably catches up and unleashes a mouthful of expletives. By the yelling and squawking you'd think a weapon had been drawn.

Magnatom, it is not polite to pass a vehilcle in traffic and then remain stationary when that vehicle has only your presence preventing it from moving forward. Whether the road offers 20m, 200m or 20km of space for the driver to occupy, good manners require that you don't move in front of someone and then block their progress. I am amused that you think that a reasonable position...

The tirade of abusive language (both for the driver's ears and just yelled into the traffic) is indicative of quite an angry soul. It was also rather horrid to be personally abusive to the driver. Martial arts can be helpful if you have anger issues.

Yes, she passed you more closely than I find appropriate later in the tape. There is no excuse for that.

But there is plenty of mitigation.

Why do people feel the need to post online clips that I'd delete out of embarrassment in the unlikely event that I'd filmed them?

Magnatom, you're not the Lone Ranger, it's not the Wild West and if you are horrid to other road users they might be horrid back. It doesn't excuse their behaviour, but it can explain it a little.

The Freelander driver was bad, naughty and not good in the final close pass.

You, on the other hand....