Why do motorists put themselves through this?

[Davidc]

I have a car Mainly use it when working, or carrying awkward loads, or when there's no public transport and a journey isn't suitable for the bike.

I've never liked driving (been doing it since my employer paid for lessons and test in 1974 though) but will keep the car whle I have to. If I'm going somewhere and I'm not walking or cycling I'd rather have someone else doing the driving while I sit in their train/ coach/ taxi reading or listening to music.

Most other peope just think I'm strange. They seem to be wedded to their cars and live under the (advertising fuelled) illusion that their cars give them great freedom. Sitting, as described in the OP, in a traffic jam doesn't accord with my idea of freedom, more of enslavement to an expensive metal box with wheels and an engine.

I lived in Southampton before and while the Itchen bridge was being built, in the days of the floating bridge (chain ferry). 3 days a week I used to ride past the queues of cars and onto that. The drivers used to get uptight about the bikes going on first and then them having to wait for the bikes to get clear of the ramp before they were allowed off. The queues when only one of the ferries was working were amazing, and if you're now having blocking and other silly moves by car drivers it just shows that absolutely nothing has changed in the last 40 years!

Only drawback with the chain ferry was getting seawater on the bike's rims. It corroded both steel and alloy ones - would probably do the same to carbon or ceramic!

 

[HLaB]

Some people are just caught in a rut, they've always driven and don't know about the alternatives.

 

[donnydave]

Over the last few months I've noticed an increase in the number of people who try to overtake me when we are in a queue of crawling (i.e. walking pace) traffic approaching traffic lights. On this particular stretch on my commute I wont filter (on the right of course, I refuse to filter on the left) as its against oncoming traffic and its quite narrow so I just sit in primary and coast along at the same speed as everyone else (in primary) but still they try it. Its now becoming a 2 or 3 times a week thing and a few times I've noticed its the same people doing it.

 

[I like Skol]

Over the last few months I've noticed an increase in the number of people who try to overtake me when we are in a queue of crawling (i.e. walking pace) traffic approaching traffic lights. On this particular stretch on my commute I wont filter (on the right of course, I refuse to filter on the left) as its against oncoming traffic and its quite narrow so I just sit in primary and coast along at the same speed as everyone else (in primary) but still they try it. Its now becoming a 2 or 3 times a week thing and a few times I've noticed its the same people doing it.

MGIF. I hope you stand your ground! If you are matching the traffic then you are entitled to, and should take, your place on the road. I have experienced this more in recent months. I wasn't sure if it is just me as I have had a long time of little or no problems but it seems motorists are just increasingly refusing to acknowledge the presence of cyclists or even going out of their way to make things difficult.

 

[donnydave]

MGIF. I hope you stand your ground! If you are matching the traffic then you are entitled to, and should take, your place on the road. I have experienced this more in recent months. I wasn't sure if it is just me as I have had a long time of little or no problems but it seems motorists are just increasingly refusing to acknowledge the presence of cyclists or even going out of their way to make things difficult.

One particular chap got along side and was waving at me to move over into the gutter so I stayed in primary and left him out to dry. He ended up blocking the oncoming traffic and got serious abuse from the other drivers. Bit naughty of me but I've seen him several times since and he hasn't tried it again. Sadly no video so can't prove this tale of awesomeness but I can offer the extra advice that its even more fun if you turn to look at them and grin like a maniac.

As per the rules of this forum someone is now going to add "it wont be much fun when they turn out to be an axe wielding murder and your stuck in traffic with no escape route" and to that I say I've been pushed into the gutter enough times over the years, occasionaly you've got to take a calculated risk and stand up for yourself

 

[snailracer]

My folding bike lives in the boot of my car. I have observation and bail-out points where I can park the car and take to the bike if the traffic jam over Walton bridge looks solid.

 

[I like Skol]

One particular chap got along side and was waving at me to move over into the gutter so I stayed in primary and left him out to dry. He ended up blocking the oncoming traffic and got serious abuse from the other drivers. Bit naughty of me but I've seen him several times since and he hasn't tried it again. Sadly no video so can't prove this tale of awesomeness but I can offer the extra advice that its even more fun if you turn to look at them and grin like a maniac.

As per the rules of this forum someone is now going to add "it wont be much fun when they turn out to be an axe wielding murder and your stuck in traffic with no escape route" and to that I say I've been pushed into the gutter enough times over the years, occasionaly you've got to take a calculated risk and stand up for yourself

Grin like a maniac and rush in to battle! Never concede a millimetre. If they know you are serious then in 999 out of 1000 cases they will concede. I may feel differently if it ever happens but my mindset is that I would rather take a trip across somebodies bonnet than give in to being bullied out of the way by a kn*bhead who is just trying it on. The secret is knowing which are the bullies and which are just blind and incompetent? I haven't got it wrong.......... yet

 

[donnydave]

Grin like a maniac and rush in to battle! Never concede a millimetre. If they know you are serious then in 999 out of 1000 cases they will concede. I may feel differently if it ever happens but my mindset is that I would rather take a trip across somebodies bonnet than give in to being bullied out of the way by a kn*bhead who is just trying it on. The secret is knowing which are the bullies and which are just blind and incompetent? I haven't got it wrong.......... yet

Were you involved in the design of these beauties?

 

[I like Skol]

Is it just me or do other forum'ers look at car bonnets to see what hand holds might be available if ever you were to slide across one unexpectedly?

I always think I would rather stay on the bonnet than slip off the front into the path of the still moving vehicle or off the side into other traffic.

 

[donnydave]

Now that you mention it there's a wide variety out there, you've got to take note of single centre wiper or dual wipers too, that could make a difference in a bonnet-grab situation. Or ones like on a seat leon (I think?) that park upright to the side rather than flat across the bottom of the windscreen. You want to look for something with some nice vents or other openings on the front, Focus RS for example, better still an Impreza with the opening for the intercooler would be a safe bet to give a good grabbing point.

 

[I like Skol]

See, in the old days the top edge of the bonnet at the scuttle panel would provide a good hand hold but many modern cars seem to filling this gap with plastic for the sake of appearance and aerodynamics so you have to start considering wipers and vents

 

[Frood42]

In towns and cities I want more traffic jams, I want light phases that are in favour of pedestrians, I want lanes removed from the road and given back to people, the longer people in cars have to sit in queues during rush hour the better.

I am aware there are people who are reliant on their cars, but there are too many single occupant vehicles going on short journeys that need to be gotten off the road, we need to get people out of their cars and methods such as making journeys as inconvenient as possible is one way to do it.

I drove a car for 13 years, this year I have driven 0 miles, cycled 7000+ miles, walked and use the Underground to get everywhere, I just don't need a car in London.

The only thing that would get me back in the car is if I need to travel a long distance across the UK, and thats only because the trains seem to be so unfriendly towards bikes.
.

 

[donnydave]

I remember once suggesting to a few workmates having a similar discussion that petrol isn't anywhere near as expensive as it should be in order to make people really think about whether they need to use the car for a particular journey. That got me blank stares and avoided at tea breaks for a few weeks.

 

[raised by puffins]

This is still my favourite vandalism:

Although, I've a couple of T-shirts bearing the same logo which I suppose makes me a cross-cultural lemming: the worst kind.

 

[Stephen C]

I've found that on the increase recently. Some drivers make an effort to let you pass by moving over to the left, occasionally others deliberately move out to block the gap.

The one I like is the number of cars that nudge forward as I approach, even if it is a few inches, do they really see me as that much as a threat?