Why do drivers hate cyclists?

[soulful dog]

I hate cyclists who cycle through red lights. Get off the road if you aren't going to follow the rules of the road.

What makes it even worse is that I know fine well that there will be plenty of people sitting in their cars watching them sail through red lights thinking "I bloody hate cyclists", and they then view it as a general dislike of cyclists so that will possibly impact me when I'm on my bike.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Surely that should be "Why do British drivers hate cyclists?". Go to France and it's an entirely different attitude.

Anyone know what other parts of Europe are like?

 

[HLaB]

Surely that should be "Why do British drivers hate cyclists?". Go to France and it's an entirely different attitude.

+1Go to just about any European country, France, Italy, Spain or Holland etc and its a completely different attitude, is it because they emphasise with cyclist more, as they are more likely to know somebody who cycles or cycle themself. Contrast that to the the not so good ol USA the hatred seems worse the UK, Portland exempted.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I hate cyclists who cycle through red lights. Get off the road if you aren't going to follow the rules of the road.

What makes it even worse is that I know fine well that there will be plenty of people sitting in their cars watching them sail through red lights thinking "I bloody hate cyclists", and they then view it as a general dislike of cyclists so that will possibly impact me when I'm on my bike.

I tried making this point but was shot down in flames as "it is safe and the law is stupid"!

 

[400bhp]

Isn't the question why would we care?

 

[HLaB]

Isn't the question why would we care?

Unfortunately a few folk have been the victims of such rage, thats maybe why

 

[abo]

Jealousy and the queuing mentality. Imagine the driver sat in a long traffic queue creeping forward every now and then. Every time a bike sails past filtering the driver

a) is jealous because the driver would *love* to be able to bypass the traffic in his/her car and not have to wait
b) is infuriated, because they have, in the driver's mind 'jumped the queue' which in Britain is a big no-no and
c) see cyclists RLJ and ride on the pavement and get away with it, while (again, in their mind) they are persecuted with speed cameras, parking tickets etc.

I know a and b are almost contradictory but who said like makes sense

Then, they read in the papers, internet, hear from mates and colleagues and bloke down the pub the rest of the crap: don't pay road tax, lycra louts etc. and it just all melds together into something to rage against

 

[d87heaven]

Society just seems to have a lack of respect in general.

My biggest change to the way I drive around cyclists was to become one myself. Perhaps everyone needs to be made to cycle one day a week or do a yearly cycling course.

 

[GrasB]

I think one of the biggest reasons is that people don't leave enough time for journeys. It's not just cyclist who get the 'hate', there's a whole list of things that people say they hate - mopeds on NSL roads, people who are cautious pulling out of side roads onto a main road, slow moving vehicles, etc.

 

[pepecat]

Jealousy and the queuing mentality. Imagine the driver sat in a long traffic queue creeping forward every now and then. Every time a bike sails past filtering the driver

a) is jealous because the driver would *love* to be able to bypass the traffic in his/her car and not have to wait
b) is infuriated, because they have, in the driver's mind 'jumped the queue' which in Britain is a big no-no and
c) see cyclists RLJ and ride on the pavement and get away with it, while (again, in their mind) they are persecuted with speed cameras, parking tickets etc.

a & b are fair enough for a driver to get wound up about - i do myself sometimes when i'm sat in the car (well, a anyway - I've never thought of it in terms of queue jumping)
When I'm cycling, I will pass the line of traffic and 'queue jump' but what I will NOT do is jump the red light. If i'm on the road, i obey the road rules. Generally, once the traffic gets moving all those drivers who've been wound up by me passing them in the queue will now be passing me, so I don't really see what they have to get wound up about.....

 

[Andrew_P]

Cycling Scum

 

[ClichéGuevara]

An advantage other countries, like France, have over us is space.

We're a cramped little Island with a very well used infrastructure that's creaking under the strain. Cyclists often appear after a number of other delays, that will have built up irritation levels. Bollards and seemingly unworked road maintenance sites irritate, but as there's nobody there, there's nobody to target it at.

 

[BSRU]

I get the impressions sometimes that some drivers drive badly out of ignorance/lack of empathy.

Swindon is not a great road cycling town so drivers, especially learners, have little experience of how to drive near cyclists on the road.

 

[abo]

Generally, once the traffic gets moving all those drivers who've been wound up by me passing them in the queue will now be passing me, so I don't really see what they have to get wound up about.....

Not in London

Like I said, it doesn't necessarily have to make sense

 

[Jetstream]

cyclist aren't the only one who get it in the neck, i drive a traction engine and we get so much abuse