Polite cretin

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Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
Wandering through town at lunchtime, came across a cyclist going the wrong way down a one way street. Was going to ignore it (as usual), when he swerved suddently to avoid someone walking in the middle of the road and hit me. I was on the pavement, he didn't mount it but he overhung it where I was; didn't hit me hard, didn't harm me.

Now, this is in Cambridge City Centres 'Pedestrian Zone'. You can cycle there, it isn't pedestrianised as such, the signs say "drivers and cyclists look out for pedestrians". I always snigger at that, it rather implies that they're considered fair game everywhere else in Cambridge.

I told him he was going the wrong way on a one way street. He'd had to put both feet down on the road at that point, he had no way through, and that gave me a moment to tell him. He said sorry, he hadn't known. I told him to get off his bike, he was a danger to himself and others and a bad, bad example to other cyclists. He thanked me and cycled off, still the wrong way on a one way street, into a cloud of pedestrians.

I dunno, perhaps I should have kicked him off his bike or stood in front of him and used the moral authority of having just been hit by him to demand better behaviour, but theres so much bad cycling in this town that it feels like p1$$ing in the wind.
 

col

Legendary Member
Cab said:
Wandering through town at lunchtime, came across a cyclist going the wrong way down a one way street. Was going to ignore it (as usual), when he swerved suddently to avoid someone walking in the middle of the road and hit me. I was on the pavement, he didn't mount it but he overhung it where I was; didn't hit me hard, didn't harm me.

Now, this is in Cambridge City Centres 'Pedestrian Zone'. You can cycle there, it isn't pedestrianised as such, the signs say "drivers and cyclists look out for pedestrians". I always snigger at that, it rather implies that they're considered fair game everywhere else in Cambridge.

I told him he was going the wrong way on a one way street. He'd had to put both feet down on the road at that point, he had no way through, and that gave me a moment to tell him. He said sorry, he hadn't known. I told him to get off his bike, he was a danger to himself and others and a bad, bad example to other cyclists. He thanked me and cycled off, still the wrong way on a one way street, into a cloud of pedestrians.

I dunno, perhaps I should have kicked him off his bike or stood in front of him and used the moral authority of having just been hit by him to demand better behaviour, but theres so much bad cycling in this town that it feels like p1$$ing in the wind.


Like you said,at least he was polite about it,could have very easily have been £$%^ off!:biggrin:
 

Maz

Guru
I looked at the title of this thread and thought it was some reference to me in my hi-viz vest!

Gotta keep you're eyes peeled in Cambridge, Cab!

I had to run a last-minute errand down to the mega-Tescos on N'mkt Rd a few weeks back. Only option was to borrow a bike from one of my relatives, but it was a girly bike with a basket on the front. I looked a right twunt!

Riverside fully opened up yet?
 
U

User482

Guest
I was cycling through town today, and there's a bit where a shared path runs into a pavement, so I needed to get off, push across the pavement & road and then ride on the other side. As I was waiting for a gap in the traffic, I saw a cyclist coming towards me on the pavement. I decided to not move out of his way. As he squeezed past he said "thank you for moving out of my way" to which I replied "I didn't because you should be on the road". He carried on cycling along the pavement. So another polite idiot it seems.
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
Maz said:
...but it was a girly bike with a basket on the front. I looked a right twunt!
One of my favourite bikes in Manchester is a large, butch MTB (huge tyres, meaty frame, jet black paint job) with a "Barbie" basket on the bars. I've not seen it in a while, but it's sometimes chained up just past the Eye Hospital, on Oxford Road.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
John, I'll look out for it when I pass the Eye Hospital - usually pass there once a week...one the bus - I ain't mixing it down there with the stupid student cyclists.........
 
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