Today has left me utterly depressed....

[glasgowcyclist]

It's all left me feeling quite down in the dumps.

I know it isn't always easy but try to rise above it. Don't get into a shouting match, there's rarely any good comes of it. Instead, smile at them with sympathy for they are having a really crap day and are taking it out on someone else. Carrying the incident(s) around with you all day will only bring you down too.

Have some cake now...

GC

 

[Twelve Spokes]

I think a lot of them are bullies or just very insecure.I'm more confident in myself now with some of the idiots.Generally Im calmer now and try not to lose it as much but I remember going into one with a bus at Elephant and Castle which cut in on me and bike almost wiped us out about a year ago.I think the whole street heard.

 

[buggi]

Just be you

I had someone at work who was the same,and just used to smile until he came in ranting one morning about how I had held them up and "forced" them yo overtake

I then asked them if they would like yo discuss the problem after watching video

I the. Showed a few minutes of helmet cam footage of that morning,including them overtaking and a very close left hook through a red light now. witnessed (and condemned as stupid) by half of the office staff

Then asked how my stopping at a ref light was obstructing them, and how I had forced them to jump a red light

I have never had a comment made since

that is brilliant

 

[buggi]

The other on I pulled a few years ago was on a single lane bridge at Haslar

Narrow and light controlled it wasn't safe so used to ride in primary

Had a muppet blasting his horn on te rise, so as suggested above, assumed something was wrong with the bike and dutifully checked my panniers etc

By which time the lights changed and three or four vehicles came over the rise
to face on the single track

Me I walked down the pavement while he had to reverse a hundred yards bing sworn at and beeped by the drivers he had upset

again, brilliant

 

[Twelve Spokes]

Sara,work colleagues can be a waste of time.I must have had the same old conversation about a billion times and im fed up with wasting my breath as I know it's going to get nowhere especially when they start spouting the same old crap about road tax and how bad cyclists are and I just let them get on with it.I think they just do it as a wind up.

Hopefully you will feel better soon.I think my worst feeling is after some particularly close pass of which I have suffered quite a few this year but the roads round here don't really intimidate me anymore like they used to.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Is there something in the air this week?

My route is well established and I generally have little trouble but...

Tuesday, I've negotiated the melee in Melton St around the RCGP building and the Euston taxis before properly signalled turn into Euston's side entrance. Woman in Audi continues to creep up behind and positions herself to overtake - WTF!!. A shout brought her to her senses.

Last night it's a coach, proceeding I'd guess under directions of satnav, tries to go ahead of me up east side of Bloomsbury Sq Gardens. Just about squeezed through but created a traffic jam. Taxi behind tries to squeeze alongside me to be directly behind coach - for what!!! there's no way hell get past and it's likely headed for Russell Sq so soon be out of way.

Maybe his fare was nagging him.

 

[Dismount]

I think my favourite journey to work was the day I was shouted at by the oversized passenger in a white van, because I clearly had the audacity to by cycling on his road and not on the badly surfaced unswept cycle lane on the pavement. Imagine his face when at the level crossing with the barriers down, I caught up with him and knocked on the window for a little chat. I am a very polite person, never swear and smile a lot. However this was still enough to make him go very red and apparently forget how to speak. Kept me amused for the rest of the day. Seriously just ignore the idiots, they are no worth getting bothered by, just keep smiling and keep cycling!

Curious - can you script the conversation for my entertainment?

 

[snorri]

just snot into your fingers and then flick it... Way more accurate.

buggi, please.
Some of us read CycleChat while enjoying our evening meal.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I think part of my problem is that I've spent most of my working life commuting at unsocial hours, but now I work office hours I'm exposed to rush hour commuting.
I usually get a hand full of close passes every day, but today was just outstanding with the horn blowing and punishment passes.

I'm the same. Rarely my commute is during rush hour, but when it is I plan the most contorted routes to avoid grief from drivers.
Mind, got shouted at by a black taxi at silly am on a Sunday morning, nobody else on the 2 lane road but the two of us

 

[lukesdad]

You lot have too far too much time on your hands, don't thinksomuchabouit, A to B and dont get killed ! Thats what its about always has been and always will be, anybody who thinks otherwise is in cloud cuckoo

 

[Pat "5mph"]

You lot have too far too much time on your hands, don't thinksomuchabouit, A to B and dont get killed ! Thats what its about always has been and always will be, anybody who thinks otherwise is in cloud cuckoo

We hope this will change for the future generations of cyclists.

 

[lukesdad]

We hope this will change for the future generations of cyclists.

well you live in hope ! meanwhile the rest of us will just get on with it ...... if thats ok with you ?

 

[Sara_H]

Today was a much nicer ride to and from work, even had a few occasions to give a thank you wave to the odd motorist here and there.

Todays conversation with colleague was trying to get her to understand why filtering past stationary traffic on a bike is not "exactly the same" as passing a cyclist too close at 40mph. I failed. I think I may have to resolve not to talk to my colleague about cycling.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

well you live in hope ! meanwhile the rest of us will just get on with it ...... if thats ok with you ?

I am getting on with it

 

[lukesdad]

I am getting on with it

Obviously not coz you spend far too much time on here spouting off about it !