Twenty Inch
Guru
- Location
- Behind a desk
Just thought I'd ruffle a few feathers over on Mumsnet. A high proportion of very entitled people over there, and when I searched "cyclists" on the forum, I got a load of tripe back. So I posted in their "Am I Being Unreasonable?" forum with the following title and message:
AIBU to expect motorists to concentrate on driving properly, instead of correcting cyclists' behaviour?
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2724/497223
"Motorists kill 2,500 people a year on UK roads, and injure another 20,000 a year. Cyclists don't.
Cycle facilities are laughably bad, stopping and starting without warning, poorly designed, badly built.
Helmets only help people AFTER an collision has happened, they don't make cycling any safer, they just alleviate some of the consequences of a crash.
Some cyclists cycle on pavements and jump red lights. Many more motorists talk on mobiles, deliberately intimidate other road users, fiddle with cigarettes/radio/papers/laptop.
Cyclists are reducing congestion, the load on the NHS, air pollution and global warming. Motorists aren't.
If a cyclist makes a mistake, they'll probably hurt themselves. If a motorist makes a mistake, they'll probably hurt someone else.
Some cyclists cycle without lights and reflective gear. They'll learn. Many motorists drive with defective brakes, defective lights, no insurance, no licence. They couldn't give a stuff.
Most cyclists are also drivers and so they know about how cars, pedestrians and bikes mix. Most motorists are not cyclists, so they haven't a clue how scary it is when oh-so-important school-run-mum whips past at 6 inches away at 40mph in her 4x4.
Cyclists (and horseriders, skateboarders, joggers and so on) have an automatic right to use the road. Motorists are permitted to use the road so long as A) they have a driving licence, which can be withdrawn if they behave badly
their car is safe, as shown by the MoT, and C) they pay vehicle excise duty, a charge based on the amount of pollution their car produces.
Cyclists contribute to the upkeep of the roads through general and council tax. However they don't cause anything like the damage to roads and buildings that motorists do.
You can kill someone in your car, and get away with a fine and a suspended licence.
And yet despite all the above, a majority of people see cyclists as aggressive, irresponsible, reprehensible road users. Why? It baffles me."
Feel free to get stuck in.
AIBU to expect motorists to concentrate on driving properly, instead of correcting cyclists' behaviour?
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2724/497223
"Motorists kill 2,500 people a year on UK roads, and injure another 20,000 a year. Cyclists don't.
Cycle facilities are laughably bad, stopping and starting without warning, poorly designed, badly built.
Helmets only help people AFTER an collision has happened, they don't make cycling any safer, they just alleviate some of the consequences of a crash.
Some cyclists cycle on pavements and jump red lights. Many more motorists talk on mobiles, deliberately intimidate other road users, fiddle with cigarettes/radio/papers/laptop.
Cyclists are reducing congestion, the load on the NHS, air pollution and global warming. Motorists aren't.
If a cyclist makes a mistake, they'll probably hurt themselves. If a motorist makes a mistake, they'll probably hurt someone else.
Some cyclists cycle without lights and reflective gear. They'll learn. Many motorists drive with defective brakes, defective lights, no insurance, no licence. They couldn't give a stuff.
Most cyclists are also drivers and so they know about how cars, pedestrians and bikes mix. Most motorists are not cyclists, so they haven't a clue how scary it is when oh-so-important school-run-mum whips past at 6 inches away at 40mph in her 4x4.
Cyclists (and horseriders, skateboarders, joggers and so on) have an automatic right to use the road. Motorists are permitted to use the road so long as A) they have a driving licence, which can be withdrawn if they behave badly
their car is safe, as shown by the MoT, and C) they pay vehicle excise duty, a charge based on the amount of pollution their car produces.Cyclists contribute to the upkeep of the roads through general and council tax. However they don't cause anything like the damage to roads and buildings that motorists do.
You can kill someone in your car, and get away with a fine and a suspended licence.
And yet despite all the above, a majority of people see cyclists as aggressive, irresponsible, reprehensible road users. Why? It baffles me."
Feel free to get stuck in.
