wiggydiggy
Legendary Member
Individual people in a car won't put me off, volume of traffic and poor quality infrastructure does - I don't just mean cycling facilities either, the absolute state of the roads is a disgrace.
Self preservation, are car drivers putting you off?
- Thread starter Bonzothechippy
- Start date
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Badger_Boom
Veteran
- Location
- York
The week before last it was a bit chilly so I decided to walk along the disused rail track into town. I came out of the Post Office and walked along the pavement...... next thing a car came along with its tyres scraping the kerb. I thought 'crikey, that's a bit odd'. I then found out I'd nearly been run over! A guy on a scaffold on the building opposite shouted to his colleague "ere, did you see that car was on the pavement and just turned and missed the guy walking along!"
A couple of weeks ago I found myself in a slanging match with the passenger of a car that drove onto the pavement to park right next to me and the dog. When I politely but grumpily asked the driver if they though it was safe or acceptable, their buddy gave me both barrels including an offer to 'put [me] on on [my] a*se'. The irony was that they were dropping their children off outside a primary school.
wiggydiggy
Legendary Member
I read that somewhere else when you posted it. You could report it to the school and the council, around here school parking issues have been making the local news headlines as people are taking the mickey.
Badger_Boom
Veteran
- Location
- York
I reported it to the school and got a reply saying that they would remind parents not to park on the pavement or abuse members of the public. It worries me that anyone should need reminding of the latter.
Electric_Andy
Heavy Metal Fan
- Location
- Plymouth
Yes. I drove tractors for 8 years and went to many farms. The fact that they are exempt from VED tends to make many think that all aspects of maintenance and safety can go out the window. There was one farming family who were famous for it - they'd drive round in a 30 year old tractor with the battery hanging on with a bit of bailing twine. My uncle also used to shove mud up under his landy to cover up the rotting chassis, knowing that the MOT man wouldn't scoop it out to inspect because he didn't want to make his garage floor dirty
Tail End Charlie
Well, write it down boy ......
- Location
- In green and pleasant hills.
Like many have said I find the vast majority of drivers extremely good, with the very odd one poor. But they are so rare I don't bother with it.
That said I only cycle for pleasure and not in big cities.
That said I only cycle for pleasure and not in big cities.
Electric_Andy
Heavy Metal Fan
- Location
- Plymouth
Yes, this is why I gave up cycle commuting. I was nearly wiped out about once a month; had it not been for my experience I may have joined the dozens of others that have sadly died in the last decade. Of course not all near misses might have been serious, but it was also for my mental health - I could not let some of the dangerous driving go unsaid and I was often arriving at work or at home angry and stressed. It was only a matter of time until I battered someone, or tried to and got battered myself
Fastpedaller
Über Member
- Location
- Norfolk
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
It's not cycling either and has few of the benefits, like scenery, getting to places, and fresh air and vitamin D.
What a wonderful example they give to their children.
When it comes to angry car drivers, they could have had the Queen or Mother Theresa in the passenger seat and it still wouldn't have stopped some of them mouthing off.
Once I had a mouth full of of foul verbal and spit aimed at me from a woman with a child in the car.
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
One of the things that distinguishes the British road user from others I've encountered is the level of suppressed rage barely below the surface.
Other countries (Italy comes to mind) can be far more chaotic, and probably every bit as dangerous in reality, but it's generally good natured chaos, without the aggression and frankly violence which seems to have become an inherent part of the British road experience.
I've no idea why.
We were on holiday in Sorrento last year and although the driving was mad chaos, especially the scooters zipping and weaving in and out on all sides, and frequent horn blowing, people seemed to just accept it and go with the flow. I didn't see any road rage.
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
Had the same experience cycling through Genoa last year. Genoa traffic is notorious even in Italy!
Fastpedaller
Über Member
- Location
- Norfolk
We were in Sorrento 26 years ago, and I couldn't handle the zebra crossings. The 'accepted' way (it seems) was for the pedestrian to just walk across and the cars would avoid you! My Wife would do this, but I was more wary. It seemed the drivers had more awareness of their surroundings than Uk drivers. On returning to UK I crossed on a zebra and was (as usual) waiting for a vehicle to stop, or allowing more than sufficient distance for them to do so. Despite allowing a good 150m for a van to stop, when I got halfway across he was still going far in excess of the 30 limit and if I hadn't leapt quickly I'd have been squashed - he was obviously totally unaware of my presence, and maybe even the crossing
Give me Sorrento compared to a UK town any time. We noticed how the UK seemed very quiet without the Buzz - Buzz of the little mopeds, they were somewhat reassuring in a strange way.
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
Reminds me of a time my wife and I, accompanied by a very sprightly and very tiny 90 year old lady were trying in vain to cross the road in Naples. Eventually my wife just marched out into the road, stopped the traffic, made that "I've got my eye on you" gesture at the leading driver while indicating me, with the lady on my arm as as we crossed. The driver looked a bit stunned, and certainly not about to start raging.
