I'm genuinely sorry you feel that way.
I've been commuting the mean streets of SE London for the past 20 years and yes have had many poor interactions with motorists, even a couple of bad collisions, one of which has had ongoing problems 13 years later. But even including those in the amount of daily cycling commutes, it equates to very little.
But, as they say, everyone is different. One person's close pass may not necessarily be one of mine.
if it was only the one Id be a lot happier with it
its just the sheer constancy of it that bugs me most.
I suspect in London now, cyclists, whilst you may still get poor interactions still, are alot more accepted as part of everyday traffic on the roads. Whereas out here in the sticks, it feels like we're still fighting to be recognised as legitimate or valid road users, most of my poor interactions arent necessarily of drivers not seeing me, pulling out on me or stuff like that, its their already in perma road rage mode before they encounter me, and then the way they pass me is almost like punishment passes most of the time for daring to be in the way for a few seconds.
had one tonight and this one is quite a common occurence, Im approaching a roundabout in a cycle lane, which of course disappears and merges into traffic just as you get to the roundabout
theres a car ahead of me slowing,with traffic on the roundabout, which Im aiming to merge behind and then sit in prime through the roundabout as Im going straight on, obviously we're all going to have to stop, and yet I look to my right as Im merging and Ive got a car trying to overtake me, their front wing is getting quite close and personal with my panniers, clearly so they can sit behind that car in front instead and is obviously trying to squeeze me back on to the kerb out of their why
Why for what gain ? theyve got to stop, they clearly can see me, lit up like a christmas tree, I havent just appeared, and I cant suddenly vanish, and all they had to do was ease off the accelerator read the road ahead and we're all good right, why the need not to give me the space there.
I hold my ground refuse to back off and make it into the gap behind the car who was infront to begin with who had now stopped, and we get through the roundabout as the traffic clears after 10secs
but Im already expecting the next bit to come, that driver who I dared refuse to concede road space too is annoyed by the little woman cyclist arent they, so we all know Im getting a close pass back as payback for that, and lo and behold as the cycle lane comes back on the road again and we get into a left curve, they come steaming past with a fairly close pass, but then chop across in front of me, just so I get the message.
and I get treated like that by drivers nearly every day.
