Leodis
Veteran
- Location
- Moortown, Leeds
Its time for all peds to have insurance, wear a reg number and be head to toe in hiviz 
Wake up!!
- Thread starter Trevrev
- Start date
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Simontm
Veteran
Absolutely agree. plus there should be some "pedestrian ability" scheme and helmets of course. After all, who do they think they are? They don't pay road tax to use the road, cross over whenever they want, walk their dogs on cycle paths that just happen to be the same side as the grass in parks...Its time for all peds to have insurance, wear a reg number and be head to toe in hiviz
downfader
extimus uero philosophus
- Location
- 'ampsheeeer
Has the same through Southampton too recently. Started just before Christmas and I actually said "you know what, I'm going to put the bike away for a bit!" Got back on the bike proper last week and its not improved.
I am like you, you simply cannot miss me. I have an Exposure Strada on the front, bike is covered in reflective tape, two bright rear lights. I too am covered in reflective material, the rain coat I wear is an Endura Luminite thing too. They know we are there.
Yesterday morning it was a Council van overtaking me closely and trying to force me into the parked cars on my left. I was already doing 20mph in a 20 zone, driver was NOT happy and was verbal about it. This morning a guy came tearing up behind me at speed hand on the horn, threats of aggression. I asked why he'd ignored the no entry signs, he claimed he'd driven down from a nearby house and that it wasnt a one-way. "Fair enough" I said "but why are you being so aggressive?"
He was stuck in a traffic jam 2 minutes later. I got into work 20 minutes later, he probably got from Porchester Road to the Itchen Bridge in the same amount of time.
I tweeted at Hants Police this morning suggesting they need to do more. I was told "phone 101". I replied I have in the past and have gone into the help desk only to be told "no crime" or "no evidence". Other local riders then also levied similar complaints to the Hants Officer on the twitter feed.
Then coming home today I saw a woman nearly drive into a Lollypop lady! I shouted out "get off the phone!" when I realised why.
Simontm
Veteran
I was going to write a sarky note that women drivers tend not to notice their surroundings while men do notice just don't give a sh1t... but I actually think - with of course a thousand caveats - that the malaise is more general than that and it is one of selfishness and bullying.
Rather than being polite and civic-minded, there are a huge group of people who think that they can do whatever they want and it is for everyone else to adapt.
Think about it.
How many times do you see pedestrians walking along the street staring at the phone, or not moving out of the way of someone on a walking stick or crutches, or just being polite and moving out of the way? Or going single file when with mates so as not to inconvenience people or mothers with pushchairs walking in a scrimmage line, etc? Or walking out into the road and expecting other road users to adapt so as not to kill them?
Now think of a certain group of cyclists. It is sometimes polite and for the convenience of others to go single file but sometimes on roads you can see hold-ups purely because it's someone else's problems. How many times do you see cyclists on paths forcing other users off the path because they want to talk to each other and hang anyone else - they can move. No lights? Other people's problem. Blinding someone? Not my problem mate, I can be seen.
Now put that behaviour in the car or van... Same selfish or bullying behaviour but with two tons of steel.
Rather than being polite and civic-minded, there are a huge group of people who think that they can do whatever they want and it is for everyone else to adapt.
Think about it.
How many times do you see pedestrians walking along the street staring at the phone, or not moving out of the way of someone on a walking stick or crutches, or just being polite and moving out of the way? Or going single file when with mates so as not to inconvenience people or mothers with pushchairs walking in a scrimmage line, etc? Or walking out into the road and expecting other road users to adapt so as not to kill them?
Now think of a certain group of cyclists. It is sometimes polite and for the convenience of others to go single file but sometimes on roads you can see hold-ups purely because it's someone else's problems. How many times do you see cyclists on paths forcing other users off the path because they want to talk to each other and hang anyone else - they can move. No lights? Other people's problem. Blinding someone? Not my problem mate, I can be seen.
Now put that behaviour in the car or van... Same selfish or bullying behaviour but with two tons of steel.
Shut Up Legs
Down Under Member
Ninja... circus clown... it makes no difference. If a motorist or pedestrian wants to complain about a cyclist, then they'll find any excuse to complain. I just try to ignore them when they do. If someone puts me at risk on a road or path, then I'll tell them in pretty blunt terms what I think of it, because pretending it never occurred will just confirm to them that they did nothing wrong.And so many motorists talk about how many ninja cyclists they SEE...