Road Rage

[securespark]

I have to agree with Watkins in the cylists thread.

He was talking about cycling according to the HC.

I don't take any liberties either, not least because I value my life!

I am cycling a lot at the moment as I can't drive.

The other day, I was cycling down the street at right angles to mine. There is a bit at the bottom where cars are parked on both sides. There is not room for a car and bike to pass side by side.

So I was approaching this bit when I heard a car come up very close behind me, revving aggressively. Then he proceeded to pass me!

Now, no kidding, there's a midges between me and the parked cars, me and him & him and the parked cars on his offside. Not content with trying to force his way past, he winds down the window & starts yelling, "Hey mate!". I did not look in his direction (mainly because I was concentrating so hard on not colliding with anything), so he started with, "Oi! W*nker! D*ckhead!"

As soon as he was clear, he roared off, only to come to a complete stop shortly. I slowed down, and he took off. At the junction, I wanted to turn left. He was indicating right. As I approached the junction, I was just about to pass him ready to turn left when he suddenly decided he wanted to turn left....f'in good job my brakes are sh*t hot...

C'mon. You may tar every cyclist with the same brush, that's bad enough, but to hate them so much you want to knock them off?

People like that are very dangerous and I'm sure people have witnessed similar behaviour towards drivers too.

 

[joinerjohn]

You should have noted his registration number and reported him.
I know I have already said I don't particularly like cyclists, but there's no excuse for this cretins behaviour.

PS why can't you drive ???

 

[conny]

Was stopped by the police once for riding on the outer edge of a wide pavement which was further segregated from a very busy dual carriageway by a grass verge. Policeman parks his car in the inside lane of 3 lane dual carriageway and stops me to ask why I am riding on the footpath. (Must add that I was travelling at slightly more than walking pace).
Just as he began asking me a car came roaring up from behind his patrol car. Noticing the police car ahead with his blues flashing he tried to go round it but only succeeded in scraping noisily down the side of the patrol car and smashing its wing mirror off.

"Thats why I ride on the pavement." said I as he spun round to see what was happening.

"I see your point, take care mate." he replied as he ran back to his car and gave chase. As I turned into our road about 1/2 mile further on I could see he had caught him at the next set of traffic lights!

 

[matt1e]

Policeman parks his car in the inside lane of 3 lane dual carriageway:

3 lane duel carriageway?....interesting concept

Slip road?

 

[conny]

Nope. 3 lanes on each carriageway. Its the East Lancs Road, running from Liverpool to Manchester.

 

[securespark]

See number 138...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070308

 

[Micilin]

Policeman parks his car in the inside lane of 3 lane dual carriageway:

3 lane duel carriageway?....interesting concept

Slip road?

A dual carriageway can have one, two, three, or more lanes on each side. The 'dual' meanns there are two carriageways seperated by a divider of some sort eg metal barrier. IIn this case dual does not mean two lanes but this is a common misconception.

All explained clearly on speed awareness courses! !

 

[AndrewSchofield]

Totally agree with you secures - i've recently started cycling to work, and fortunately I don't have to cycle on too many busy roads, and i'm mostly completely off-road, but when I am on the road, I do everything I can to make sure I don't get in the way of car drivers. There's one simple reason - it doesn't take a genius to work out that if I get hit by a car, the car might end up with a few scratches on the paintwork, but my arms, legs and possibly by head are highly likely to come out far worse than that, and my bike will probably be unrideable.

I admit that there are some cyclists out there who ride agressively, and dangerously and risk causing danger to other road users, but we're not all like that, and on the other hand, there's a hell of a lot of bad car drivers out there that also risk peoples lives every day by the way they drive.

Its all too easy to say that every cyclist is a nuisance and shouldn't be on the road, but maybe if you can't drive on the roads and interact with cyclists, maybe you're not that good a driver...?

 

[securespark]

PS why can't you drive ???

Waiting for DVLA to assess fitness to drive after illness.

 

[joinerjohn]

Waiting for DVLA to assess fitness to drive after illness.

Ahh, best of luck SS. A lad I know had one epileptic fit, (even his doctor doesn't know what caused it) and he couldn't drive until a year without a fit had passed.

 

[Inky Pete]

You should have noted his registration number and reported him.
I know I have already said I don't particularly like cyclists, but there's no excuse for this cretins behaviour.

Perhaps if cyclists had to display a registration number - maybe printed or velcro'd onto a high viz vest - then the fact that they could be identified after they've scratched cars, shot through red lights and jumped on and of the pavement would mean that fewer of them would behave like cretins too!

 

[EddieM]

There are inconsiderate drivers and there are inconsiderate cyclists. difference being as a cyclist there is no point taking the moral high ground after a tangle with a car.

 

[sooey]

There is if you survive it, jump straight onto the compo bandwagon.

 

[securespark]

Perhaps if cyclists had to display a registration number...then the fact that they could be identified...would mean that fewer of them would behave like cretins too!

I'm in full agreement with you and Eddie.

It's easy to say, all cyclists are nutters, all car drivers are inconsiderate, but that's not true.

Many cyclists follow the law and many car drivers (whether cyclists or not) are mindful of cyclists.

 

[matt1e]

Policeman parks his car in the inside lane of 3 lane dual carriageway:

3 lane duel carriageway?....interesting concept

Slip road?

A dual carriageway can have one, two, three, or more lanes on each side. The 'dual' meanns there are two carriageways seperated by a divider of some sort eg metal barrier. IIn this case dual does not mean two lanes but this is a common misconception.

All explained clearly on speed awareness courses! !

Ah thanks for that and yes Misconception on my part too
You learn something everyday!!!