Why do cyclists get so much abuse?

[Lanzecki]

Sometime I think the locomotive act shouldn't have been repealed.

Well, except for me, because I'm a perfect driver This is half the problem, you learn to pass the test then actually learn to drive on your own. You never need a re-test or any evaluation from 17 to 70.

People sit in isolation in their air conditioned, multi speakered boxes aware of little else then getting to their destination as soon as poss.

There was a TV program a few years ago where road ragers were looked at. They raged at every little insult/infraction they percieved and couldn't see the other road users point of view. When taken out of the car and made to walk around a busy shopping centre they were often as nice as pie because they could see people, not obstructions.

 

[PK99]

Perhaps because, just as a subset of motorists are arrogant, thoughtless twots, so to are a subset of cyclists. And, just as some cyclists tar all motorists with the same brush, so do some motorists so tar all cyclists.

On on ride last week, I'm on a narrowish cycle path that is a good shortcut, I'm overtaken on the right at speed and very close without any warning. I say in a polite and non aggressive way: "Give a shout when you are passing, mate" - he slows, turns round and gives me a look of utter contempt and mouths something I cannot hear.

Later on the same ride, in Richmond Park, I'm in secondary position and am undertaken very closely by another cyclist. I say "Not on the inside please" He replies "F**k off c**t".

Now, I know that those two cyclists are in the minority, but it would not take many such interactions with cyclists for a motorist to begin to get p*ssed off with all cyclists. Just as some cyclists are p*ssed off with all motorists because of a few close passes.

Another example from yesterday's ride, I'm on the road bike doing 20/22 mph along the top of Box Hill when an MTB'er pops out of the woods and onto the road at 90 degrees to me, forcing me into a sharp brake to avoid t-boning him. Thoughtless inconsiderate twot, who seemed to have checked for cars but not for cyclists.

Another example from a couple of weeks ago, on the Tamsin Trail in Richmond park heading down the hill to Kingston Gate. I've moved to the right of the path as there are walkers coming up hill. As I pass them i am overtaken at speed (?20mph plus?) without any warning by an mtb'er who goes just off the path as he passes and immediately back on very nearly taking out my front wheel in the process. An arrogant, inconsiderate twot prepared to put others in danger rather than slow on a shared path.

 

[Rob3rt]

Assuming "so much" in the tread titled could be swapped out for "a lot of" (which is what I think you mean) then the answer is simple, they don't.

 

[Stu9]

Since I have learnt to drive, there is a real sense of 'separation' when you are in a car. You are enclosed in a little space with barriers all around you. I guess the abuse is just the drivers way of saying "I want to speak to you because I am bored sitting in this car on my own".

However, during my lessons I have encountered a few cyclists. Whenever I have overtaken them, I have waited behind patiently and then given them a very wide berth when passing them.

I'm the same when passing them, and must be one of the few BM drivers that have eyes AND indicators....I know what you mean about being "separated" in the car, that's the problem most of them, they've no idea what it's like on bikes, motor or push (which is scarier)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I know what you mean about being "separated" in the car, that's the problem most of them, they've no idea what it's like on bikes, motor or push (which is scarier)

Could be part of the problem, years ago people would often start with a bike move on to a motorbike and then to a car, these days most people seem to go straight into a car, but how much of a problem is it? nearly all my rides are uneventful, are some areas worse than others? Does the way people ride affect how much abuse a rider gets?

 

[I like Skol]

It feels cyclists are seen to be passive softies, when some of them will be nut jobs themselves it's not going to end well.

IMO some people are just natural victims who expect to get, and receive, abuse and unfairness.

I don't get abuse when cycling (before anyone suggests it, I am not a bullying moron!).

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I don't feel separated in the car. Maybe because I got rid of the motorway muncher and got a cute little economic car. For the first time in years there isn't 3 feet of metal between me and the passing insanity, and I have to say it's a hell of a lot more fun!

 

[ufkacbln]

I nearly got wiped out this afternoon! A boy racer in his souped up d*ckhead mobile(Vauxhall Nova)cut right across my path at speed,to turn right he must've missed me by a foot! This town is full of these boy racer knobs on a Sunday afternoon, and not a copper in sight. I'm sat here getting ideas in my head about doing something to his car as he only lives a few houses away.

Had a muppet on my commute did something similar on two occasions turning into cul de sac, so stuck a DVD of his driving under his windscreen wiper


Hasn't done it since.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It's simply about the size of their knob ego and the size of your...












...vehicle.

 

[Chris S]

Cyclists are lucky - BMW drivers have to abuse themselves.

 

[Grizzly]

I dont think you can have a bad (insert whatever vehicle you want here) driver. If you are crap on the road you will be crap no matter what vehicle you use to transport yourself. bad motorist will make a bad cyclist and vice versa, the fact that we label these people by their vehicle is misleading. Lets call it like it is, these people are just sh1t on tarmac.

 

[Milzy]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...ital-after-being-knocked-off-bike-by-van.html

Remember that. The female van driver must have been thick as pig $h1t. No space awareness.

 

[User16625]

Motorists absolutely despised being held up, even for a few seconds. Being held up when driving seems to make many people irrationally irate. People who are down to earth decent folk often become bloodthirsty vicious Martians when on the road. Its a bizarre phenomenon possibly related to what Lanzecki said about seeing obstructions rather than people. Cyclists are typically much slower than cars, plus they are much more exposed and therefore more vulnerable the effects of volatile drivers.

 

[Chris Norton]

I do like the "you don't pay road tax" debate.

Last time I got that I asked the driver how much he paid for his cars road tax? £35 quid. I replied £195. How many miles last year? about 15k says he. 4k says I.

So my argument went along the lines that I pay way more road tax per mile than he did and as such I'm paying for his usage. Couldn't argue with logic.

BUT he was a gentleman rather than a frothing maniac. To which I would not have tried to follow the argument.

 

[PK99]

Motorists absolutely despised being held up, even for a few seconds. Being held up seems to make many people irrational.

(note my editing of the original...)


Why limit your venom to motorists who despise being held up even for a few seconds?

What about the red light jumping cyclist?
What about the cyclist passing on the inside of a bus or hgv at a junction?
What about the cyclist filtering at speed in the door zone?