Look where I was told to cycle!!!

[Holdsworth]

Not sure if this should be in commuting as I wasn't going to work, just riding through Shrewsbury after a night at my Gran's house on the way to the station, but this board seems to be the place where altercations are reported.

As I said just riding through Shrewsbury alongside the river on Smithfield road past the bus station heading north approaching a set of lights. A convertible (MX5?) overtakes and cuts as the lights ahead are red so I have to brake sharper than I would've otherwise done. Not happy so I let an "OOIIIII!!!" to express my displeasure and get a response from the guy driving saying that I should've been in the cycle lane. I at first saw no sign of such a lane, nout on my side of the road anyway, the man then points out a cycle path roundel affixed to the lamppost above the pavement on the OPPOSITE side of the road. I immediately ask whether or not he would like me to ride on a path that has pedestrians on it, I get no response and he drives off and we part ways a little further on as I rode on to the station.


Not really a big thing but incidents like these get my goat

wish I had time to have a full on proper chat with him to explain why I cycle on the road and the passenger should she have decided to interject.

Below is the SV link to the path where I was told I should be riding, nothing in the picture to indicate a cycle path but there is now a small roundel on the post in the centre.

Streetview


I was heading the opposite way and stopped in the left lane at the lights to go straight on.

 

[gaz]

Next time tell them to drive on the motorway!

 

[Holdsworth]

[QUOTE 1369603"]
The tension in some people when they are out on the road - labelling someone a **** (or maybe that's cock, I don't really know) just because they tell you to ride on the path?
[/quote]


Sorry but it is what I thought he was after talking to me with his attitude, might seem harsh but tis true, anyway I've cleaned up the post stop anyone else being offended or suchlike.

BTW it was the latter

 

[JonnyBlade]

[QUOTE 1369603"]
The tension in some people when they are out on the road - labelling someone a **** (or maybe that's cock, I don't really know) just because they tell you to ride on the path?
[/quote]

??????????

 

[ufkacbln]

Had a prat do this to me, I was in Primary to go straight ahead and he drew up behind me and shouted that I should be on the cycle track opposite. So I remained where I was and signaled right..... at no point were the three lanes clear so we were there for the entire change of lights. Then asked if he was sure he wouldn't rather I carried on as I was because the chance of crossing four lanes of traffic to cycle for a hundred yards and recross back was not good.

 

[downfader]

The official advice from Annex D:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2004/ltnwc/annexdcodeofconductnoticefor1688

Ride at a sensible speed for the situation and ensure you can stop in time. As a general rule, if you want to cycle quickly, say in excess of 18 mph/30 kph, then you should be riding on the road.

Many off road cyclepaths (through parks, promenades or shopping precincts) have a 6-10mph speed limit. This is between a brisk walk and a jogging speed.

 

[Davidc]

Next time tell them to drive on the motorway!

+1

 

[Holdsworth]

Next time tell them to drive on the motorway!

Funnily enough I thought of that, but only after I had got on my train, Doh!!!

Oh and to be clear, I did not swear or use any offensive language (err I think!) during the incident, just got a bit hot headed looking back on it and writing it up

 

[Phixion]

Hey, I live in Telford... not far from your gran

 

[400bhp]

[QUOTE 1369603"]
The tension in some people when they are out on the road - labelling someone a **** (or maybe that's cock, I don't really know) just because they tell you to ride on the path?
[/quote]

As opposed to someone prepared to (at the very least) teach a cyclist a lesson by:

A convertible (MX5?) overtakes and cuts as the lights ahead are red so I have to brake sharper than I would've otherwise done. Not happy so I let an "OOIIIII!!!"

 

[recumbentpanda]

For the general benefit of those regretting inability to think of appropriate responses to advice given by motorists:

A down and dirty trick from the school playground, which I often thank my kids for teaching me (though it used to drive me wild when they used it on me!)

Example:

Motorist: "Pay yer Road Tax!"

Response: "YOU pay it!"

Example:

Motorist: "Ride on the cyclepath!"

Response: "YOU ride on it!"

And so on ad infinitum. Very silly, childish and reprehensible. Also quick and easy to remember in moments of stress. The choice is yours.

 

[JonnyBlade]

There will always be peanuts and not all of them are in cars. All I know is that I feel more relaxed when out on my bike than when I'm in the car. They can say what they want to me and I'll continue to chunter back, it doesn't spoil my enjoyment and can be very amusing

 

[Jezston]

This is why I'm not so keen on the current trend of councils assigning more and more pavement as 'shared use', furthering the idea that bicycles belong OFF the road, not on it, and creating justification for douchbags the OP encountered who like teaching cyclists a lesson when they don't use them.

Isn't it about time we had some public information broadcasts telling drivers to f-ing behave around cyclists?

 

[downfader]

This is why I'm not so keen on the current trend of councils assigning more and more pavement as 'shared use', furthering the idea that bicycles belong OFF the road, not on it, and creating justification for douchbags the OP encountered who like teaching cyclists a lesson when they don't use them.

Isn't it about time we had some public information broadcasts telling drivers to f-ing behave around cyclists?

Were you on here when we did the Real (Joke) Highway Code? I'm guessing they've been reading that.

 

[Ste T.]

Just take out your baseball bat and beat him around the head until he is unconscious.......

Oh no wait.. That's GTA4. I'll have to put that dam game away for a while.