Too much solidarity?

[Dommo]

I'm wondering what other people's attitude is toward bad behaviour from fellow cyclists? I find myself in semi-regular "discussions" with taxi drivers, bus drivers etc about them doing stupid stuff yet when I see a cyclist do something similar I rarely say anything. Shake my head, and mutter something under my breath maybe... For example, on my commute a few days ago I stopped at a zebra crossing where there were a few people crossing to a school and from behind me a cyclist came launching through with no intention of stopping and took a very small gap between the people at some serious speed - close enough to brush the bag of one. I didn't bother commenting by the time I caught the guy up but it made me think that had a driver done something so stupid I would have been telling them. In reality, on the few occasions I have pointed out reckless behaviour by other cyclists I get the same answer as from taxi drivers (the one starting with F.)

So should I just stick to my silent head-shaking and get on with own ride? I suppose I get so hacked off because I feel somehow their behaviour reflects badly on all of us in a lot of people's eyes. We all know and deal with the "all cyclists RLJ" comments...

 

[martint235]

Depends how bothered I can be. A few years ago when I used to commute down the Old Kent Road there was a cyclist who always used to RLJ the same junction every time I saw him. One day I was at the junction and glanced behind and saw him pelting along. A surreptitious yawn with very widely stretched arms resulted in much squealing of brakes and gnashing of teeth. It was funny though.

Most the time I can't be bothered. Occasionally I'll chase down an RLJer just for the hell of it then just cycle in front of them slowly for a bit. Unfortunately "a bit" is until I get bored and I get bored easily.

 

[Cyclist33]

I'm wondering what other people's attitude is toward bad behaviour from fellow cyclists? I find myself in semi-regular "discussions" with taxi drivers, bus drivers etc about them doing stupid stuff yet when I see a cyclist do something similar I rarely say anything. Shake my head, and mutter something under my breath maybe... For example, on my commute a few days ago I stopped at a zebra crossing where there were a few people crossing to a school and from behind me a cyclist came launching through with no intention of stopping and took a very small gap between the people at some serious speed - close enough to brush the bag of one. I didn't bother commenting by the time I caught the guy up but it made me think that had a driver done something so stupid I would have been telling them. In reality, on the few occasions I have pointed out reckless behaviour by other cyclists I get the same answer as from taxi drivers (the one starting with F.)

So should I just stick to my silent head-shaking and get on with own ride? I suppose I get so hacked off because I feel somehow their behaviour reflects badly on all of us in a lot of people's eyes. We all know and deal with the "all cyclists RLJ" comments...

There are certainly some very arrogant cyclists around who d*ck about with my and other road users' safety. I guess if behind the wheel of their car they behave in much the same way.

I only ride, don't drive, so my arrogance on the road is confined to two wheels!

 

[Markymark]

Ive driven in central London durubg the week and cyclists can be a nightmare.

I've indicated to turn left ( no cycle lane) and bikes undertaking me as I turn. And no these weren't ones I'd just overtaken.

 

[mickle]

Why do we (as a society) care so much about what cyclists do? They(we)'re scarcely a threat to anyone. Comparing the misdemeanors of drivers vs cyclists is like comparing the relative danger posed a sawn off shotgun versus a kid's wooden sword. Yes you could probably kill someone with a toy sword if you tried hard enough - but FFS lets try and maintain some sense of proportion.

 

[Dommo]

Why do we (as a society) care so much about what cyclists do? They(we)'re scarcely a threat to anyone. Comparing the misdemeanors of drivers vs cyclists is like comparing the relative danger posed a sawn off shotgun versus a kid's wooden sword. Yes you could probably kill someone with a toy sword if you tried hard enough - but FFS lets try and maintain some sense of proportion.

Umm, you're kind of missing my point (deliberately, I guess) in that I find myself saying nothing to cyclists who do dumb stuff and I don't apply the same rule to vehicles... As for why "we" care, it's as I said before. Joe Public sees bad behaviour by a few cyclists and attributes it to all of us. I guess that's a failing of Joe Public rather than us as cyclists but it's there nevertheless.

I suppose fundamentally it doesn't really matter anyway since as mentioned before, pointing out bad behaviour usually just leads to a stream of abuse anyway... Hey ho. Back to my silent head-shaking it is...

 

[MiK1138]

I think Cyclists are just the "Women D

Why do we (as a society) care so much about what cyclists do? They(we)'re scarcely a threat to anyone. Comparing the misdemeanors of drivers vs cyclists is like comparing the relative danger posed a sawn off shotgun versus a kid's wooden sword. Yes you could probably kill someone with a toy sword if you tried hard enough - but FFS lets try and maintain some sense of proportion.

I think Cyclists are just the "Women Drivers " of today, back in the 70's it was all Women Drivers this and Women drivers that.. Cant park, cant reverse...Blah Blah Blah, now there are just as many women on the roads as men so the fustrated Motoriods need a new target target. Thats my tuppence worth

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Society has got to have an outgroup and we seem to be it right now. There's also brain dead pricks in every strata of daily life, including on bicycles. I wish there weren't because as an outgroup, their misdemeanours are magnified and reflected back at us all. I think the 'cyclist can do no wrong' apologists for them do us no favours as an outgroup either.

However neither the knobs on bikes nor those who seek to excuse them are me nor me them. That is what I tell people and if it gets more in depth I've been known to ask when they last ran over and killed someone because some drivers have done that and when did they last rob, rape, mug or burgle anyone because some people do those things too.

 

[jonny jeez]

Umm, you're kind of missing my point (deliberately, I guess) in that I find myself saying nothing to cyclists who do dumb stuff and I don't apply the same rule to vehicles... As for why "we" care, it's as I said before. Joe Public sees bad behaviour by a few cyclists and attributes it to all of us. I guess that's a failing of Joe Public rather than us as cyclists but it's there nevertheless.

I suppose fundamentally it doesn't really matter anyway since as mentioned before, pointing out bad behaviour usually just leads to a stream of abuse anyway... Hey ho. Back to my silent head-shaking it is...

But if you extend that logic...do you pull pedestrians up when they do daft stuff...or maybe men, or perhaps women. These are all sections if society...yet people only feel inclined to criticise cyclists.

I accept the rotten apple argument but why pull up one section of society...or even two...but not all

The point is, why do we (you) feel the need to put a cyclist or a driver, right at all.

If you follow that path you'll be the droid in no time

 

[Dommo]

But if you extend that logic...do you pull pedestrians up when they do daft stuff...or maybe men, or perhaps women. These are all sections if society...yet people only feel inclined to criticise cyclists.

I've had a few "discussions" with peds on Moorgate and around there...

The point is, why do we (you) feel the need to put a cyclist or a driver, right at all.

Like I say, I suppose it's down to frustration that so many people do stuff that's easily avoidable that puts others at risk, sometimes seemingly unaware of the danger they're causing. That goes for peds, cyclists and drivers...

 

[Rooster1]

Last year, on a charity ride, a rider sailed through a red light, others stopped. I caught up with him and gave him an earful - he could not give a ***t!
Today, a chap overtook me on a pavement, to avoid having to stop at the lights, I did not shout, but I did say to myself, "you tw@t".

I try and let it go.

 

[Drago]

I agree wholeheartedly Dommo. In on sense it matters not to me if chumps ride on the path, RLJ, or spend a grand on a bike but nothing on lights, but it marks me immeasurably because it reflects badly on all of us. We'll never make serious headway with getting drivers to show us more respect and consideration while such a visible minority of our own brotherhood behave so stupidly.

 

[glenn forger]

I don't apply the same rule to vehicles

Well, the next time you engage in conversation with a cabbie or bus driver say "How can you expect cyclists to obey all the rules when the majority of drivers admit speeding?"

 

[Sara_H]

Why do we (as a society) care so much about what cyclists do? They(we)'re scarcely a threat to anyone. Comparing the misdemeanors of drivers vs cyclists is like comparing the relative danger posed a sawn off shotgun versus a kid's wooden sword. Yes you could probably kill someone with a toy sword if you tried hard enough - but FFS lets try and maintain some sense of proportion.

Good analogy.

 

[Dan B]

We'll never make serious headway with getting drivers to show us more respect and consideration while such a visible minority of our own brotherhood behave so stupidly.

I doubt very much that the drivers you are concerned about would be any less anti-cyclist even if everyone on two wheels rode like saints