Cyclists against the world!

[Helsbells]

I am very cross and upset today, as I was comming up to traffic lights at a cross roads, the car at the front of the que had parked in the cycle bit, so I moved my bike so I was infront of him, then when the lights went green, I quite rightly cycled in the middle of the road (because if I cycle to the left of a car, and the car wantes to turn left I could get knocked off) and the car behind me beeped, then undertook!! Yeah thats right, undertook me as I got to the other side of the cross road. Fortunately I hadnt started to move to the left of the road or I would have been knocked off. Was he really in such a rush that he couldnt wait for me to pull over?!?
I am so sick of the way I am treated as a cyclist in this countrt. Just a few weeks ago I was stopped by the police who said I hannt indicated properly at a roundabout, and told me to cycle on the pavement...which is against the law?!?!?!?!?

[Annpan]

Don't get me started on impatient bloody drivers... When crossing the road in Glasgow - at pedestrian crossing - pushing a pram (indicating very young baby therein) I was frequently beeped at, engines revved at me and once a bus driver that just started towards me... I was only 4ft infront of it and I knew that he saw me... So I just stopped. and stood there for a few seconds glowering at him, before moving on.

Grrrrr... get cars off the road, thats what I say

[Thomzo]

I have just started cycling and the traffic terrifies me. I must say that so far, most drivers in Swindon have actually been very considerate.

What really annoys me are the speed humps. They are bad enough in a car but ten times worse on a bike. The ones that go right the way across the road are bad enough but the ones that are just patches in the road are worse as you have to try to weave in between them avoiding the cars that are doing the same thing.

I will get more confident as I get more practice and there are a lot of cycle tracks in Swindon for me to practice on.

Zoe

[Helsbells]

Good luck Zoe, hope you keep at it, cycling off road is great!

[Wombat]

Not much better here. Years ago I was cycling to work and a bloke pulled out on me from stop signs, I had to brake very hard and wound up on my head in the gutter. I gave it up as a bad joke and walked to work from then on.

Nev

[Thurston Garden]

I used to cycle in Edinburgh all the time when at university. You really did have to keep your wits about you! I frequently had to slam my hand on a side or rear window when a car nearly knocked me off - the driver almost always jumped out of their skin when I did....confirmation that they had absolutely no idea I was there.

I was a bad boy and frequently hitched a lift from the back of a lorry....not something I am advocating but I was young and daft then. Fortunately I only came off my velocipede once (cracking my ribs ). Ironically that was when mountain biking in the Pentland Hills!

I was not as foolhardy as these fruitcakes tho! (apologies if this vid has been on here before - I cannot remember where I found out about it )

[Stonehead]

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[Helsbells]

Thanks for your comments everyone, I feel quite distressed whenever there is an incident (these happen virtually every time I go ou) I feel really angry if I get beeped or shouted at when I have done nothing wrong, and I just wish I could get them to stop and I would say "now look here, you were in the wrong then, not me. You need to learn about the rules of the raod when it comes to cyclists"
But there is never a chance to say or do anything, they just drive of, swearing at you out of their window, off to terrorise some more cyclists. Really very upsetting.

[Stonehead]

..........

[Shirley]

The more people who take a zero tolerance attitude to bad driving, the less of there will be. In the absence of traffic police, we all have to do the policing ourselves.

Totally agree - I have reported bad drivers that I've encountered too. I don't cycle, but always give the cyclist or pedestrian enough time and room. They, and not the car, are the kings of the road.

[baldowrie]

don't think anyone is the 'king of the road', cyclist and car/van/lorry, should all following the Highway Code, i.e if it is not safe to overtake a cyclist then I wait until it is rather than 'cut up' the cyclist. However I expect the same respect in return.

[Helsbells]

Stonehead, I have tried reporting bad drivers to the police, and they said there was nothing they could do unless I got another witness to phone in and report them! Also, I am always so shocked and shaked up, I can hardly manage to remember how to ride a bike, let alone remember their number plate, and they drive off so quick, I am just not clever enough to remember

[ina]

Stonehead, I have tried reporting bad drivers to the police, and they said there was nothing they could do unless I got another witness to phone in and report them!

That is absolutely ridiculous! A crime is only a crime if witnessed by somebody else, not just the victim?

Something similar was mentioned on radio the other day - a blind lady who'd been attacked several times by local youths. The police told her not to waste their time reporting it, as she couldn't identify the attackers anyway...

[circlecross]

I was almost knocked over by a cyclist the other day, and it really annoys me when cyclists go thru red lights or generally disobey the rules of the road, as there is enough mistreating of them by drivers. I was waiting at a crossing and I was in a bit of a dream, waiting for the green man (didn't have the bairns with me, but I have become a creature of habit!) and so when I heard the beeps I set off, only to jump back as some eejit, not wearing a helmet sailed thru. He was in his 30s or 40s aswell, not some whippersnapper. I was really annoyed with myself then as I felt that I should have just stepped out and knocked him off! Instead I yelled "Red Light" in the approximation of his ear as he cycled past.

[the.fee.fairy]

Ooh i hate bad cycling too.

They give all cyclists a bad name.

Its the same with motorcyclists. I hate bad motorcyclists too.