Today has left me utterly depressed....

[ayceejay]

I was on a small motorcycle with girl friend and camping gear on the back, we couldn't go very fast so horn honking was a daily treat. One day, somewhere in Normandy it was worse than usual with every car that passed tooting and gesticulating "'ucking French" I thought, then my girlfriend tapped me on the shoulder so I stopped and strewn along the road for about half a mile was our tent, sleeping bags, pots and pans etc.

 

[Jon George]

However hard I try to keep calm in the face of about one zombie incident per hour, I'm not used to taking s**t from anyone - but I'm getting better. I just do more cycling - the bump in endorphins and serotonin compensates. I have also started moderating my language - an Adams Hills' retort has its charm

 

[400bhp]

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.

Ask her a question.

Scenario 1. Cyclist filtering past traffic at 20 mph. Cyclist hits car.

Scenario 2. Car ploughs into cyclist at 20 mph.

Give her Newton's 2nd law

F = MA

A is decellaration - assume the same for cycle and car.

Which has the greater force? a 10kg bike or a 2000kg car?

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I understand how attitudes like that can get you depressed, @Sara_H . I'm generally affected a lot by some people's anti-cyclist attitudes, too, even though I try not to be. Feel free to discuss it as long as you want on this thread, because many of us can relate to your experience. Hopefully, you'll meet a few pro-cyclist people to balance it out.

 

[davefb]

wrt work colleagues..

one recently (two weeks ago) has had a "could be worse" car accident, turns corner, bad sun, notices a flat bed truck very late, wrote car off, him and parents checked over in hospital... now tbh my attitude was "could be worse" coz really, it could have been...
*especially* since I thought "you could have killed someone, why the flip hadn't you slowed down??"

today he's moaned on facebook that a cyclist did a daft thing... i mean , from what he said, 'sounds' like they did, coz they pulled across or something..

I just thought ,, on my 25 mile each way motorway commute, if no driver does anything STUPID , it'd be a miracle and we're driving at 70 for a lot of it..

when I used to commute by bike, it'd be a miracle if I'd have nobody "try" to knock me off, or more normal, I just have to be aware that they're about to walk out in front of me..

but I'm aware of it... because i'm not an idiot..

but I "bit my tongue" on the facebook it really wasn't worth it..

But again its, *why* are cyclists singled out ??

 

[Crankarm]

Does anyone know what happened to the Hove cyclist who hit a driver of a Jag that cut him up nearly knocking him off? I think the cyclist was charged with GBH or the lesser ABH despite the driver trying to kill him in his car?

 

[glenn forger]

I doubt it crankarm, I think the driver lost a wing mirror if it's the one I'm thinking of?

 

[Sara_H]

Ask her a question.

Scenario 1. Cyclist filtering past traffic at 20 mph. Cyclist hits car.

Scenario 2. Car ploughs into cyclist at 20 mph.

Give her Newton's 2nd law

F = MA

A is decellaration - assume the same for cycle and car.

Which has the greater force? a 10kg bike or a 2000kg car?

She wouldn't get it, I tried, she just could't understand. That's what's depressing me most, how completely ignorant ordinary people are of the risk they pose v what should be only very slight irritation of being held up for a few seconds.

Hohum. At least the actual ourney was better today.

 

[400bhp]

She wouldn't get it, I tried, she just could't understand. That's what's depressing me most, how completely ignorant ordinary people are of the risk they pose v what should be only very slight irritation of being held up for a few seconds.

Hohum. At least the actual ourney was better today.

Tell her to post on here with her theories.

We will learn her.

 

[Glow worm]

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.

Glad you had a better ride today. Hang in there- I find that sometimes I get home thinking it's just not worth it after yet another 'adventure' on Britain's shitty roads- but most of the time, the pleasure from cycling more than outweigh's the tosspot driver induced stress. Your colleague sounds like a typical bone headed moton- and probably secretly jealous that you are braver, fitter and brighter than she will ever be

 

[mickle]

Kill them. Kill them all.

 

[400bhp]

Kill them. Kill them all.

Oi, you're still on the naughty step.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Driving has become a deeply irrational normality and the more it becomes normal, the more irrational the behaviour of the drivers. You'd think that with all the time spent in queues they'd have figured it out but, no, the solution to congested roads is more and more 4x4s and people carriers apparently. And, further evidence of that irrationality is the fact that many drivers have to blame the smallest road users for the lack of space on the most crowded and congested roads.

The reason for punishment passes and impatience is nearly always road delays, which are caused by too many people thinking they can all squeeze big objects into small spaces. The squeeze past that they can't do is primarily not because of the cyclist but because of the oncoming vehicles. The overtake they can't do on a dual carriageway is because of the sheer volume of cars in the outside lane. But, hey, pick on a push bike!

(For the record, I've been stuck in a car on London's south circular [Imagine something circular and then make it circuitous] for much of today. I've lost count of the number of times I saw drivers cutting up bikes, partly because of inferior observation skills, ignorance or IDGAF driving attitudes. Mostly because they were in a jam.)

 

[ayceejay]

One of the reasons for a motorists disconnect with reality is the way motor cars are advertized. Giving those who drive a car or ride a bike for sport a pass for the sake of my argument a car driver and a cyclists aims are the same. The aim is to transport yourself from where you are to where you want to be. Automobiles are not advertized as a means of comfortably but expensively taking you from home to work and back but as a way of doing this sexily and transporting you via a cloud and a route through Monte Carlo.
So imagine that instead of this heated seat 100 mph quadrophonic experience you get stuck behind a big arsed cyclist who do you blame?

 

[Sara_H]

I think this sums it up nicely. Motorist having a go at cyclist for selfishly holding him up when theres a five mile long traffic jam in front of them.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEzBcTrjt2s#t=311