Myth: You don't pay road tax
Rebuttal: F off lard arse
Im going to use these lolRight, I'm going for the 'same-level' rebuttal that is not confrontational and might appease the average Sun reader:
Cyclists don't pay road tax - "Don't worry mate - I still get fisted by Brown on everything else, believe me"
Cyclists should use cycle lanes - "You know the council can't do a f**king thing right - those lanes included"
Get out the middle of the road - "F**king council don't sweep the roads enough to be riding in the guttter - it's a disgrace I tell you"
Get out the middle of the road - "Could you smell my fart? I was trying to share it with you!"
Hahahaha takes allsorts I suppose. My own put down is " I'll say this very slowly so you can understand ......."If you can keep your cool in a situation and get into an argument with a driver the best thing to do is tell ask them, "Are you a bit thick" or "You're not very bright, are you".
I went past a stopped van at the lights once and he had his window down. He shouted at me, "You shouldn't be f%*kin' overtakin' me here". I just said, "woah, have you brushed your teeth this morning; you're breath smells like do sh!t"
The look on his face was a picture, I thought he was going to explode with rage.
The one caveat for all of the above is make sure you end up going a different way to the driver as they do get very angry.
It's not just cyclist who get abuse though. I used to ride a scooter. It was a 125cc, so was capable of going around 65mph and easily cruised around the streets at 30-35mph. An old man once overtook me, cut me up and forced me across to the pavement. I caught up with him at the lights, pulled alongside and knocked on the window. I realised it was an old man and thought I'd just tell him to be careful as he nearly knocked me off.
Before I had chance, he wound down the window, gave me a load of abuse and told me I shouldn't be riding in the middle of the lane. I should be riding by the pavement.
Moped riders going into ASLs while traffic stopped at red...at dangerous junctions...'we're allowed to be here' - no, you aren't.
Funny enough, rarely (if ever) motorcyclists, just moped riders.
Mine are German B&M so probably better than BS and EU legal, yeah have those too. What else?Well yes, but people in glass houses really ought to make sure their lights are BS marked. And fit their pedal reflectors.
How about....don't rise to it?
Does seem to me as a "newbie" that there is a strong element in cycling of "wanting to be pissed off at drivers". It's a shame because as a "car driver" I had heard that cyclists hate motorists and loved any exscuse to scream and argue with them but didn't really believe it. From what I have seen though, cyclists hate motorists far more than the other way round.
I say live and let live, if someone insults you, grow up and stop memorising certain portions of the highway code for goodness sake...
The only way cyclists/motorists/horses/pedestrians will be able to use the roads in harmony is by not being aggressive, either in the start, or in rebuttal.
Believe me, there's no element of wanting to be pissed off at drivers. There is sadly though a gap in understanding. As a driver myself, who I must confess, before I got back into cycling, I was almost certainly inconsiderate towards cyclists. I would have passed too close, and too fast. I think a lot of drivers think 'well I can hardly stop behind every cyclist I encounter and wait for space to overtake. I can squeeze past and so long as I don't hit them what's the problem'.
Maybe not quite that bad, but that was much more my mentality, and I think it's extremely common. Drivers tend to see the road as being theirs, and really do resent being held up by those using the roads for recreation (or even commuting by bike).
Then there are some drivers who are just idiots, who thinks it's funny to assault cyclists, either verbally, or physically, whether by throwing things, or using fists out of their window. It's not just cyclists either. A mate of mine got beaten up whilst out running, by a bunch of lads, for no reason other than the fact that he was out running (this is in South Oxfordshire, so hardly a rough area).
So, I'm afraid I disagree with your post beany_bot. I believe that once enough motorists realise that they cannot get away with dangerous driving, or abuse of cyclists, the incidences will start to plummet. Whether it's because their car doors get dented at traffic lights, they get a visit from the Police as a result of reports of dangerous driving, they get named and shamed, or they just get a facefull of righteous rage and anger on the road, whatever it takes to make them realise that we will not be passive victims, not be bullied or abused, that is what we should do.
Each of us can find our own way to deal with each incident. But I don't believe in tolerance of abuse, or people putting my life (or those of my children), in danger.
Technically you pay VED.Myth: You don't pay road tax
Rebuttal: Yes I do, on those two cars in the driveway of that house. I also pay council tax on that property, which funds this road.