I am sick and tired of motons

[BentMikey]

Dom, you just need a bigger airzound bottle. Try the 2 litre one on my 'bent? LOLOL! Actually, it's waaay too big for me, the only real advantage is that the few beeps I do on a particular journey can now all be at high pressure rather than on a half-empty reservoir.

JRG is right, the traffic where he is is almost certainly nastier than in London. Faster, less tolerant, and almost completely ignorant of cyclists. London is a much nicer place to ride.

 

[Arch]

I think emigration is the answer. See these, sent to me by a friend in the Netherlands. Look for the car turning left about 23 seconds in.

or this. Again, note the car at about 22 seconds in, giving way...

That second impressess me particularly. That car is slowing to give way at the cycle lane from some way back, and is obviously on the look out. In this country, if he gave way at all (IE, he HAD to by law, instead of 'us' having to giveway on the cyclepath), it would be a last minute screech to a halt.

How is it that countries like the Netherlands (and from what I've heard, Scandinavia, Germany etc) manage to have respect on the roads and we don't? Too crowded on our little island? Or just too bloody rude?

 

[Crackle]

How is it that countries like the Netherlands (and from what I've heard, Scandinavia, Germany etc) manage to have respect on the roads and we don't? Too crowded on our little island? Or just too bloody rude?

I don't know about the other two but in Germany you have to give way when turning right and you are taught this as part of the driving test. Get it wrong, you fail. In fact it caught me out the first time I was over there, many years ago. I stopped on the cyclepath at the junction, on my girlfriends borrowed bike. All the cars turning off the main road stopped to wait for me to cross. Trouble was I didn't realize because I was looking the wrong way Not until another cyclist came past uttering a few words (oaths) of German did I cotton on.

 

[Arch]

I don't know about the other two but in Germany you have to give way when turning right and you are taught this as part of the driving test. Get it wrong, you fail. In fact it caught me out the first time I was over there, many years ago. I stopped on the cyclepath at the junction, on my girlfriends borrowed bike. All the cars turning off the main road stopped to wait for me to cross. Trouble was I didn't realize because I was looking the wrong way Not until another cyclist came past uttering a few words (oaths) of German did I cotton on.

Yes, I believe it's the same rule in Holland and Denmark at least. Thing is, even if it was a rule here, would anyone do it after they passed their test? I mean you're supposed to give way to pedestrians crossing a side road, but how often to you see people just barge on through? Seems in other countries, they continue to abide by rules, when over here, so many just revert to doing whatever they feel like....

 

[HLaB]

JRG is right, the traffic where he is is almost certainly nastier than in London. Faster, less tolerant, and almost completely ignorant of cyclists. London is a much nicer place to ride.

I've never cycled in London but my experience of Dublin where traffic is gridlocked, slower and there is a larger critical mass of cyclists to that in Scotland where traffic is less congested and therfore faster and where people are ignorant of cyclists is similar.

 

[Tynan]

In my recent golden spell of respect and tolerance from other road users I've had some surprising respect from other drivers, people hanging back, letting me in/out

I'm almost getting used to it

 

[Crackle]

.....so many just revert to doing whatever they feel like....

An Britishman's car is his castle eh! Yes it's the same mentality that keeps them in the outside lane on motorways or stops them pulling in to let others past when they are dawdling along and yet curiously they all willingly join queues - I long for a more continental driving style to hit the UK but I fear it will not happen.

 

[tdr1nka]

I wondered about this. Correct me if I am wrong (and I am pretty sure I am wrong here) but isn't the M8 in central Scotland......

LOL...sorry guys, just got back to this.

M8 = 'Mate'

Mees trys ta bee a bit, like, Yoof, innit? Wiv ma texin' an dat, djah gemmie?

I don't know what you're on about? The ride from Scotland to Guildford is a nightmare!!

T x

 

[bonj2]

I think emigration is the answer. See these, sent to me by a friend in the Netherlands. Look for the car turning left about 23 seconds in.

or this. Again, note the car at about 22 seconds in, giving way...

That second impressess me particularly. That car is slowing to give way at the cycle lane from some way back, and is obviously on the look out. In this country, if he gave way at all (IE, he HAD to by law, instead of 'us' having to giveway on the cyclepath), it would be a last minute screech to a halt.

How is it that countries like the Netherlands (and from what I've heard, Scandinavia, Germany etc) manage to have respect on the roads and we don't? Too crowded on our little island? Or just too bloody rude?

well it was just that for that girl on that road rage program that got knocked off in manchester then came back to win a track race but emigrated to belgium 'cos it's kinder to cyclists.

 

[BentMikey]

Hahahaha, tdrinka, here's the joke goggles for you to borrow.

 

[tdr1nka]

Thanks Bentmikey,

Now I've got the complete set!

Tx