To the lady driving the black Audi...

[Bollo]

I've honestly never seen much of a correlation between the make of car and driving attitudes. If I had to pick on warning signs, drivers of battered old nails seem to be the least considerate.

 

[Arch]

Chances are she was still drunk from the previous evening's piss up, and thought she saw a threatening looking middle-aged bloke on a rusty old ladies bike.

I don't know whether I'm more insulted on my behalf or my bike's....



On the glancing back subject, I generally find that frequent looks back are often a good way to get a driver to hang back. But then York is quite full of cyclists, so perhaps drivers have learned how to react...

 

[jimboalee]

When I was a London commuter back in the eighties, poking the car's nose out was the done thing. If you are trying to get out of a sideroad and just sit there and wait, you'll be stuck there all day. All other motorists know the predicament, so if the car's nose is jutting out, an oncomming car will usually slow and flash to let you out.
It was bloody annoying being a cyclist with cars stopping two feet out. But on the other hand, turning right out of a sideroad, you just edged your bike out and they flashed you across like you was a car.

You just have to be confident and show some determination.

I haven't ridden in West London for twenty years. The traffic has doubled in that time. Is it better or worse for cyclists?
I will have to bring my bike in the back of the car to Hillingdon tube and ride in on the Western Avenue to Acton like I used to.

 

[simongrant]

Thank you, that was very thoughtful.

Me approching a junction with traffic lights which were red, in a painted bike lane, said lady in Audi pulled out of her driveway, and edged the bonnet into the road across the bike lane to join the queued traffic once it moved off. I was already slowing for the lights and she was only about 2 cars back from the front of the queue anyway, so not stopping me from making too much progress.

But she looked up and saw me approaching, waved an apology, and then (having noticed and waited for the pedestrians now walking behind her car) reversed back into her drive to clear the bike lane for me to filter past.

Some might say she shouldn't have edged out anyway, but I suspect it's a tricky drive to get out of, being close to the corner, on a road that always has queueing traffic at peak times. Anyway, smiles and waves all round, and I went on my way happy. There are decent folk out there.

Arch,
You fill me with hope, i cant remember a good experience with any audi driver,when i look behind and see those four circles on the front vent i usually pray because if there is a speeding car,not giving room,no patience,on the mobile etc etc they are almost always in audi's.
It seems audi's are the new BMW.
Like i said glad you had a pleasant thoughtful audi driver

Simon

 

[Arch]

Arch,
You fill me with hope, i cant remember a good experience with any audi driver,when i look behind and see those four circles on the front vent i usually pray because if there is a speeding car,not giving room,no patience,on the mobile etc etc they are almost always in audi's.
It seems audi's are the new BMW.
Like i said glad you had a pleasant thoughtful audi driver

Simon

I think Top Gear came to the same conclusion a couple of series back...

I've almost stopped generalising about makes though. There seem to be bad and good people driving everything!

 

[Jezston]

I've not had any bad experiences with audi drivers, and a few with BMWs and mercs. I think BMWs are still BMWs!

Also I am biased because my mum drives an audi and you'll nary find a more considerate driver than she. She didn't even know some people have such a problem with cyclists until I told her some of my stories.

 

[As Easy As Riding A Bike]

VW Golfs and Minis (new version) seem to be particularly badly driven around me.

Maybe that could just be me.

 

[slugonabike]

I was out with a group of less confident cyclists (of whom I am one!) a while ago. We were cycling down a side road with cars parked on one side and not enough room for cars and the bikes to safely share the remaining space. The one person who sat, waited patiently and smiled when we said 'thank you' as we went past was driving a Porche - not at all what the stereotypes would lead one to expect!

A Ferrari driver let me across in front of him last week too, although I was in the car, not on my bike.

 

[jay clock]

All drivers of black Audis are lovely people. Good looking and charming..........

 

[Norm]

VW Golfs and Minis (new version) seem to be particularly badly driven around me.

Definitely on the Minis. I did the Richmond to Windsor a few weeks ago, over 3,000 cyclists on the road on a Sunday morning, so you'd think people would show some consideration.

I only heard two impatient twunts beeping in the 3 hours I was on the road, both were Minis.

It seems that, when BMW bought Mini, Mini drivers bought into the BMW mindset.

All drivers of black Audis are lovely people. Good looking and charming..........

Anyone want to hazard a guess what sort of car and what colour Jay drives?

 

[Jezston]

All drivers of black Audis are lovely people. Good looking and charming..........

Shame you drive a white BMW then isn't it!

 

[byegad]

If it was an Audi it obviously wasn't her car.