Proud of my dad

[LabRatt]

If only more drivers were like him. I just wanted to share this because, as I say, he's made me proud.

This started with a little Twitter exchange relating to the Bristol bus driver incident. His original message has been deleted but was commenting that the reports had explained what happened, but didn't include the incidents leading up to the attack. "What started it?" he asked. I replied saying "for the record, the bus driver by getting too close, but it doesn't matter: the cyclist can have done nothing to justify that."

His reply - "That finished it - 10 years a responsible driver -something made him flip, that's what started it." As he seemed to be repeating the classic "the cyclist must have done something to deserve it" line I gave him a call at this point - 140 characters is nowhere near enough for this kind of conversation. As it turned out he was just lamenting the fact that the reports didn't go into the factors in the driver's own day that might have led to him acting so extremely. He wasn't blaming the cyclist, he was criticising sloppy journalism.

Anyway, I followed up the conversation with an email just linking to a few videos - Gaz's helmet cam and taxi driver compilations, Benborp's news item (the one that is ironically indirectly responsible for me riding again now), the assault in Bexley, Martin Porter's conviction update and Magnatom's first "Contempt" video. Trying to show things from the cyclist's viewpoint and showing why a cyclist might be justified in getting angry at a bus driver cutting him up.

It's his subsequent tweets that make me proud:

bike v car, I've seen the videos: ignorant or thoughtless? They have added theory, why not add a cycling proficiency qual to the driving test

(in response to a reply to the first) It's not about blame. I saw drivers treating cyclists as I never would when driving, the difference must be that I cycled.

I think thoughtlessness causes complaint, they see it as criticsm, you mustn't do that, you're safer telling them their penis is too small

No. With a certain element to criticise their driving is like telling them their penis is too small.

I've just had another chat with him, and as he sees it the confrontations (usually) happen because because the cyclist reacts to a driver doing something stupid. His answer: stop the drivers doing stupid things. He doesn't know how, but making sure future drivers know what it's like on a bike is a good start.

Now, this is the man that taught me to be the man I am so I shouldn't be surprised, but I'm proud to call this man my Dad.

 

[fossyant]

Moved it. Now't to do with Commuting ! Seems a common sense response from your dad.

 

[LabRatt]

Moved it. Now't to do with Commuting !

Of course it's not. Note to self: be in the right forum before clicking the new thread link.

Seems a common sense response from your dad.

Yup. Unfortunately the trouble with common sense is that it seems to be a rare commodity.

 

[benborp]

LabRatt, how was the news item involved in getting you back on the bike? I was very glad when I saw that you were riding again on Youtube. A couple of years ago I was getting to the point where I was struggling to keep going. Living on Croydon Road made cycling unpleasant, plus myself and other family members recovering from RTAs played on my mind all the time. It feels good to see someone who knows the same roads finding a way back to cycling.
It's also great when you realise those closest to you understand something important through your experiences and values. Well done your Dad.

 

[LabRatt]

LabRatt, how was the news item involved in getting you back on the bike?

I said it was ironic. Actually, you only get credit for driving me to Youtube - if your video had been the only data there's no way I'd ever have gone near a road again. I didn't find your videos for a while but I quickly picked up Gaz, Mark, Mikey and Magnatom, and from them others. Besides the horror of the few bad drivers, a lot of videos showed the simple pleasure of riding, it reminded me of the freedom I had when I was a kid or a student and without the constraints of fuel cost or (to an extent) heavy traffic. I'm also a (reasonably) intelligent and rational person, and I reasoned that the incidents I'm seeing on youtube can't be all that common - I've never seen an accident involving a cyclist when I've been out driving, but I've seen plenty of cyclists not getting hit by cars. As I watched the videos, identifying more and more with the cyclists, the desire grew to become one of them again.
I'm approaching the age now where regular exercise is a necessity rather than a desirable, and I hate the idea of going to the gym to run or "spin" and go exactly nowhere. I have some cycling friends and it feels great to just pootle along with them - the miles just slip by without making themselves felt. Cycling can be a social activity and I need to expand my (RL) social group.

Oops, rambled there. In short, I saw people riding roads I know and enjoying it, and wanted to join in. I have the desire, I have the means, the trick now is just doing it.