Unthinking workmen, stupid driver, discouraged cyclist

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

There are roadworks closing one lane of a road in town, traffic lights have been set up to control the traffic though this section. The generator for the traffic lights has been positioned on the pavement on the opposite side of the road to the lights, so a cable must be trailled over the lane.

The cable that lies on the road is protected by a tough plastic triangle-shaped cable run, that is about 4cm high and 10cm wide. This has been layed at 45degrees to the direction of travel!

In the lovely wet and greasy conditions of this morning I came across this at about 35km/h, luckily I was the first vehicle through the traffic lights so could clearly spot the hazard. It didn't stop me getting beeped for slowing down and turning so that I hit it as close to 90degrees as possible.

At the normal traffic lights a little further down the road the driver behind me leant out of their car and shouted "Whatch what you're doing idiot. The road isn't a playground" When I explained what I had done, he simply shouted "Well you should have thought about that before getting on a poncy little bike then shouldn't you."

ARGH!! I've copped so much low level abuse like this recently I'm coming to my whit's end. What is it that causes people to feel they need to make this kind of commentary? It is really starting to discourage me.

Maybe I'm just having a bad couple of weeks, I love cycling as a sport, a hobby and a means of transport, I feel guilty that I shy away from going out on my roadbike because I don't want more people screaming at me from cars. It doesn't happen if I'm on my commuter - an old workhorse, dressed in civvies. If I'm in lycra on my roadbike it is guarenteed, or even in baggies on my mtb it sparks up

 

[LordoftheTeapot]

Don't let them get you down... Have a cuppa...

 

[Twenty Inch]

"Go fudge yourself!" is my usual response to any attempt to abuse me on the bike (verbally I hasten to add).

Kind of ends the "conversation", which I don't mind as they are usually unlikely to be productive or meaningful.

 

[Membrane]

At the normal traffic lights a little further down the road the driver behind me leant out of their car and shouted "Whatch what you're doing idiot. The road isn't a playground" When I explained what I had done, he simply shouted "Well you should have thought about that before getting on a poncy little bike then shouldn't you."

There's a fair few people out there who feel that the size or price of their vehicle means that they have more rights than us. There's little point in arguing with these people, no matter how measured you put the case to them.

Ignoring them means that you stil get abused, perhaps an option for those for who don't give a monkey, although that is a quality I don't envy.

Another option is to acknowledge the reality that these people and their warped perceptions exists, know what sets them off and avoid doing that. This is not an option for pedantic "I'm in the primary position because I'm a vehicle too" types who believe that plonkers can be reformed and/or should be chastised, but avoiding conflict sure does make cycling less stressful. Isn't that what cycling should be about? Leave the plonkers to simmer in their anger I say, and enjoy cycling as it is meant to be: stress relieving rather than stress inducing.

I haven't been shouted at for a long time. Some here on this forum berate me for my attitude, even to the point where they accuse people like me of being a danger to other cyclists for not adopting their "I'm in the middle of the lane because I'm a vehicle too" pedantry, but I sure am enjoying my cycling. When I'm out I don't feel that everyone is out to get me.

 

[domtyler]

They're just People Riding I Cars, w@nkers.

 

[bonj2]

You don't get it on your old workhorse commuter, but you do get it on your other (presumably flashier) bikes. I think you've answered your own question as to why these idiots have got a problem.
Obviously prevention is better than cure, but it also goes without saying that if you did come off due to it, you'd have a legitimate grievance and possibly claim for compensation off the contractor that has laid the cable and also the council for allowing it. As it is, I think you should still possibly complain to them.

 

[Peyote]

Another option is to acknowledge the reality that these people and their warped perceptions exists, know what sets them off and avoid doing that. This is not an option for pedantic "I'm in the primary position because I'm a vehicle too" types who believe that plonkers can be reformed and/or should be chastised, but avoiding conflict sure does make cycling less stressful. Isn't that what cycling should be about? Leave the plonkers to simmer in their anger I say, and enjoy cycling as it is meant to be: stress relieving rather than stress inducing.

I haven't been shouted at for a long time. Some here on this forum berate me for my attitude, even to the point where they accuse people like me of being a danger to other cyclists for not adopting their "I'm in the middle of the lane because I'm a vehicle too" pedantry, but I sure am enjoying my cycling. When I'm out I don't feel that everyone is out to get me.

This is exactly the way I cycled, and the approach I took to cycling for the past seven years. In that seven year period I probably had about four or five verbal altercations with motorists, with no incidents involving other vehicles that wasn't my fault.

Last weekend I went on a National Standards training course run by the CTC (shortly to be replaced by Bikeability), and found out that my cycling was far below the national standard, despite my obvious success at utilising this form of transport. My positioning was poor and my looking around skills were terrible, apparently I was too submissive and only encouraged poor overtaking and the mistaken belief that "roads are for cars". I could see my instructors point.

Since the course I have been trying to critically analyse my cycling and adjust it accordingly and to my surprise I haven't encountered as much abuse as I suspected I would. I've managed to ride safely and relatively considerately without the pedantry mentioned above, and I've also noticed that the additional communication I engage in with other road users has been incredibly beneficial when I have been riding more 'assertively'.

Anyway, just thought I'd offer up my experience to those who may take an interest!

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Usually a "mind your own f*cking business" works!!

BTW I do know what you mean about those plastic/rubber cable cover, nightmare!!

This morning I'm cycling along quite happily, approaching a roundabout, concentrating on the traffic, rather than the actual road surface, out of the corner of my eye, I see a sign marked "ramp". There was no "ramp" just a drop of about 4cm where they had scraped the road surface off, I hate that!! you don't even notice in a car, but on a road bike it's a nightmare, especially with all the drain covers sticking out!!

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

<snip>
Another option is to acknowledge the reality that these people and their warped perceptions exists, know what sets them off and avoid doing that. This is not an option for pedantic "I'm in the primary position because I'm a vehicle too" types who believe that plonkers can be reformed and/or should be chastised, but avoiding conflict sure does make cycling less stressful. Isn't that what cycling should be about? Leave the plonkers to simmer in their anger I say, and enjoy cycling as it is meant to be: stress relieving rather than stress inducing.
</snip>

I very rarely get shouted at for how I cycle, the very occasional beep through a particular section that has loads of parked cars and a central reservation where I actively prevent cars overtaking me, but even then for the driver to get upset with me is still very rare indeed.

I mean I am sick of the twunts in cars and on the pavement who feel the need to shout abuse at me just because I am there.

I stopped to talk to the guy who shouted at me earlier because I wasn't cavorting around in the middle of the road, I had to slow down and change my direction to safely go over a stupidly laid cable in the road. I was annoyed that he had no idea what the problem was, and just assumed I was being an idiot. If I had been on my motorbike and done it the w@nker wouldn't have shouted at me, and if he had he would have cowered in his car and locked the door when I turned to him.

 

[frog]

Wave, smile, call 'Have a nice day' and just carry on. It drives them flamin' bonkers

This is turning into my standard response and I swear I can see the back window of the car mist up with the steam coming out of their ears

 

[col]

Again it shows how ignorant drivers are,or they may have just been a tw@t.

 

[Maz]

Next time, just tell the driver to 'feck off, eat shoot and die'.



(Hopefully, my fractured jawbone should be healed in about 4 months...)

Take it easy, Jacomus. Don't let it get to you.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Wave, smile, call 'Have a nice day' and just carry on. It drives them flamin' bonkers

This is turning into my standard response and I swear I can see the back window of the car mist up with the steam coming out of their ears

Frog - I'll aspire to this. "Go....Have a nice day...."

 

[domtyler]

I want to find a way to deposit a dollop of gloss paint onto these peoples windscreens, maybe a small glass vial or a syringe. Just imagine seeing them turn their windscreen wipers on to get rid of it!

 

[bonj2]

I want to find a way to deposit a dollop of gloss paint onto these peoples windscreens, maybe a small glass vial or a syringe. Just imagine seeing them turn their windscreen wipers on to get rid of it!

maybe KitsuneAndy might be able to help