Motorists - What annoys you most about cyclists

Norman_Castle

Out on my bike on Sunday. Cycling downhill at 20 mph. Cars ahead 30 feet away traveling at 20 mph. Parked cars with spaces between, I could have moved accross but chose not to as I was moving at the same speed as the other traffic and did not want to get trapped by the following cars. The car behind was 6 feet from my rear wheel, clearly dangerous to me. Despite the end of the road being in view 100 feet away with a visible traffic queue, the following car overtook me while I was alongside a parked car. Within 5 seconds I passed her on the inside of the two lanes at the T junction while she joined the end of the queue. Dangerous driving with a pointless overtake. The driver was about 40 years old, no reason to believe she hadn't passed her test, just oblivious to the risk she had put me to.
Passing a driving test means very little. You have reached a basic standard of driving. Nothing more. Without an interest in others safely you are a danger to other road users. I have had two serious car crashes. In both I was uninjured. While driving I feel completely safe. An accident is an inconvenience. While cycling an accident will be painful and possibly life threatening. This is what some drivers fail to understand.

steve-L

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Out on my bike on Sunday. The driver was about 40 years old, no reason to believe she hadn't passed her test, just oblivious to the risk she had put me to.
Passing a driving test means very little. You have reached a basic standard of driving. Nothing more. Without an interest in others safely you are a danger to other road users. I have had two serious car crashes. In both I was uninjured. While driving I feel completely safe. An accident is an inconvenience. While cycling an accident will be painful and possibly life threatening. This is what some drivers fail to understand.

She probably hasn't rode a bike since she was 11.......

The problem here is the same as skiers and snowboarders .....
Both endanger the other because they don't understand the constraints on stopping, steering etc.

Its a shame you can't have every cyclist drive a car through Central London and be subjected to cyclists cutting them up and scaring them silly about hurting/killing one.

Then have every driver ride round Wandsworth roundabout on a bike with cars cutting across them.....

Those who do both understand but those who simply see the other party as a trespasser on their road on both sides are the problem.

You can't really understand UNLESS you have done both.

Marco_Panettone

steve-L wrote: »

She probably hasn't rode a bike since she was 11.......

The problem here is the same as skiers and snowboarders .....
Both endanger the other because they don't understand the constraints on stopping, steering etc.

Its a shame you can't have every cyclist drive a car through Central London and be subjected to cyclists cutting them up and scaring them silly about hurting/killing one.

Then have every driver ride round Wandsworth roundabout on a bike with cars cutting across them.....

Those who do both understand but those who simply see the other party as a trespasser on their road on both sides are the problem.

You can't really understand UNLESS you have done both.

I'd love to see cycling incorparated into the driving test. Make EVERYONE spend a week riding on the roads to understand the needs of cyclists. Also, make EVERY driver retake the test every 10 years - the HC changes on a fairly regular basis and there is currently no requirement to touch it again once you have your licence.

I'd like a nationwide cycling test to be taken in schools as part of a compulsory scheme (maybe they could call it bikeability, or something...). A 'road tax' sticker could be produced for every bike and charged for under the current rules. This would be paid for via general taxation, as that's where the money would go.

A more general point in the 'what annoys you about...' situation is that EVERYONE - driver, cyclist, pedestrian - gets annoyed by other people. Life would be easier if there was nobody else at all on the road, and it was all just mine.

The_Black_Sheep

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

I'd love to see cycling incorparated into the driving test. Make EVERYONE spend a week riding on the roads to understand the needs of cyclists.

I love crazy people...

Hanky_Panky

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

Make EVERYONE spend a week riding on the roads to understand the needs of cyclists.

I'd love to see something like this - however unlikely it is !! As a former motorcyclist we used to say the same thing. Interestingly riding a motor bike in France is an entirely more pleasurable experience and I do wonder if that's because over there, where they all seem to ride mopeds at 14, they have a much better understanding of what it's like to be on two wheels.

Spent a fantastic few weeks riding over there a few years ago - only got cut up 5 times in total.........each time by a car with a British numberplate on - really says it all.

Flyboy152

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Pavement cycling can lead to a £500 fine or a £30/60 fixed penalty ticket, however guidance says these should only be issued if the cyclist is causing problems for pedestrians. The cyclists is sticking to the Highway Code.

Although I can't say I know the highway code inside out, but I was pretty sure that the highway code discourages riding a bicycle on the pavement.

Flyboy152

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

I'd love to see cycling incorparated into the driving test. Make EVERYONE spend a week riding on the roads to understand the needs of cyclists. Also, make EVERY driver retake the test every 10 years - the HC changes on a fairly regular basis and there is currently no requirement to touch it again once you have your licence.

I'd like a nationwide cycling test to be taken in schools as part of a compulsory scheme (maybe they could call it bikeability, or something...). A 'road tax' sticker could be produced for every bike and charged for under the current rules. This would be paid for via general taxation, as that's where the money would go.

A more general point in the 'what annoys you about...' situation is that EVERYONE - driver, cyclist, pedestrian - gets annoyed by other people. Life would be easier if there was nobody else at all on the road, and it was all just mine.

Even those who are unable to ride a bicycle?

It is the responsibility of every road user to regularly familiarise them leave with the highway code.

derrick

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Pavement cycling can lead to a £500 fine or a £30/60 fixed penalty ticket, however guidance says these should only be issued if the cyclist is causing problems for pedestrians. The cyclists is sticking to the Highway Code.

No they are not.

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Although I can't say I know the highway code inside out, but I was pretty sure that the highway code discourages riding a bicycle on the pavement.

Doesn't discourage it, it is an offence:-

64
You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement.
Laws HA 1835 sect 72 & R(S)A 1984, sect 129




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ever

Cyclists around here like to ignore the lollipop man in the mornings and afternoons and speed right past while children are trying to cross the street. Very annoying and dangerous.

Tilt

ever wrote: »

Cyclists around here like to ignore the lollipop man in the mornings and afternoons and speed right past while children are trying to cross the street. Very annoying and dangerous.

Yes, this has happened outside my son's school as well. So now I am always vigilant when i'm crossing the road with him where the crossing patrol is so I can lynch the culprit off his bike if it happens to us.