Do you 'engage' with cyclists?
Discussion
Mave said:
Johnnytheboy said:
So basically, it's not a good idea for a motorist to interact with a cyclist, because they'll probably swear at you, even in front of their own children... ok I think we can wind this thread up now...
Whereas when a cyclist interacts with a motorist they get driven off the road. Yep, that about covers it.
But the evidence...
thelawnet said:
Johnnytheboy said:
So basically, it's not a good idea for a motorist to interact with a cyclist, because they'll probably swear at you, even in front of their own children... ok I think we can wind this thread up now...
Yes, pretty much that was my point. I am on my bike, sweaty, elevated heart rate, etc., it's not a place from which to be having a chat with passing motorists.heebeegeetee said:
Are you talking about cyclists? You'd 'start' by addressing the mode of transport that causes no problems, and not the mode of transport that grinds the country to halt and kills and injures hundreds of thousands of people a year? Where's the sense in that?
I disagree with your comments about the low standard of cyclists. Well, when I say disagree, it's actually quite hard for me to comment, because (like hgvs tbh), they don't really feature on my 'radar' when i'm driving. They're a bit like lamposts, in that they're just part of the street furniture and they're just something that I pass by and rarely notice. Occasionally I might have to engage a couple of brain cells when encountering one in traffic, but it's rare and not difficult.
Car drivers on the other hand... I often think the UK car driver is a complete conundrum in many ways. On one hand they have an excellent safety record compared to drivers elsewhere in the world, but on the other hand I can't help think that, f
k me they're useless.
They can't seem to do anything right. They can't work indicators, a simple stalk that requires one finger to operate without taking hands off the steering wheel, they can almost never use their lights correctly, and will have fog lights on in clear visibility and no lights on in fog. They can't overtake anything, no matter how slow the vehicle in front might be going. They can almost never use the correct lane, which has resulted in ever wider roads being built, just so they can drive in the 'more wrong' lane for longer and further.
They crash when it rains. They crash when it gets cold. They crash when it gets hot. If the sun is shining they'll run cyclists over and say they couldn't help it 'cos they couldn't see. If there's a bend in the road they'll crash. If they drive in the countryside they'll crash and then blame the farmer. We have the most benign weather and the most benign terrain yet the roads are full of 4x4s. Every other Saturday in the Honest John column in the Telegraph there are letters that say "I am moving to the country and might encounter some grit and puddles. What 4x4 would you recommend?"
Then I'll find myself in someplace like the Ardeche in France, in proper snow and winter weather, and everyone's just driving around in their normal cars but possibly on tyres actually fit for purpose.
The average uk car driver can't cope with *any* challenge, which possibly explains why a car forum like PH, where supposedly more enthusiastic and thus 'better' car drivers will gather, has pages and pages and pages and threads and threads and threads, never a week passing by without at least a couple on the go, about cyclists or bloody hgvs, and I for one just can not understand what on earth is everyone finding so difficult. I just pass them by, without hitting them. What else is there to do?
So, I'm surprised at your comment re cyclists, and I certainly wouldn't agree with *anything* being done about a complete non-problem. Maybe when we can finally get drives to understand how a light switch works or an indicator stalk, or get them to understand what F-O-G is and how those lights work, or that you have to slow down just a bit in inclement weather - when we've sorted all that out, then maybe we'll take a look at bloody cyclists.
Well said. I disagree with your comments about the low standard of cyclists. Well, when I say disagree, it's actually quite hard for me to comment, because (like hgvs tbh), they don't really feature on my 'radar' when i'm driving. They're a bit like lamposts, in that they're just part of the street furniture and they're just something that I pass by and rarely notice. Occasionally I might have to engage a couple of brain cells when encountering one in traffic, but it's rare and not difficult.
Car drivers on the other hand... I often think the UK car driver is a complete conundrum in many ways. On one hand they have an excellent safety record compared to drivers elsewhere in the world, but on the other hand I can't help think that, f
k me they're useless.They can't seem to do anything right. They can't work indicators, a simple stalk that requires one finger to operate without taking hands off the steering wheel, they can almost never use their lights correctly, and will have fog lights on in clear visibility and no lights on in fog. They can't overtake anything, no matter how slow the vehicle in front might be going. They can almost never use the correct lane, which has resulted in ever wider roads being built, just so they can drive in the 'more wrong' lane for longer and further.
They crash when it rains. They crash when it gets cold. They crash when it gets hot. If the sun is shining they'll run cyclists over and say they couldn't help it 'cos they couldn't see. If there's a bend in the road they'll crash. If they drive in the countryside they'll crash and then blame the farmer. We have the most benign weather and the most benign terrain yet the roads are full of 4x4s. Every other Saturday in the Honest John column in the Telegraph there are letters that say "I am moving to the country and might encounter some grit and puddles. What 4x4 would you recommend?"
Then I'll find myself in someplace like the Ardeche in France, in proper snow and winter weather, and everyone's just driving around in their normal cars but possibly on tyres actually fit for purpose.
The average uk car driver can't cope with *any* challenge, which possibly explains why a car forum like PH, where supposedly more enthusiastic and thus 'better' car drivers will gather, has pages and pages and pages and threads and threads and threads, never a week passing by without at least a couple on the go, about cyclists or bloody hgvs, and I for one just can not understand what on earth is everyone finding so difficult. I just pass them by, without hitting them. What else is there to do?
So, I'm surprised at your comment re cyclists, and I certainly wouldn't agree with *anything* being done about a complete non-problem. Maybe when we can finally get drives to understand how a light switch works or an indicator stalk, or get them to understand what F-O-G is and how those lights work, or that you have to slow down just a bit in inclement weather - when we've sorted all that out, then maybe we'll take a look at bloody cyclists.
Hoofy said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
Hoofy said:
Your challenge for next week: combine a religion and cycling thread.
What about also adding in horse riders with polite vests? Will we head for a internet forum version of 3 mile island?Hol said:
We were trying to think of another walk of life where a minority group of people insists that everybody everybody revolve around their needs, so that they can behave like spoilt children and insult everyone.
We couldn't come up with anything else in this century.
Really? I suspect every single minority group of people that you can think of behaves in that way if you challenge them over their behaviour, whether that challenge is warranted or not.We couldn't come up with anything else in this century.
heebeegeetee said:
Are you talking about cyclists? You'd 'start' by addressing the mode of transport that causes no problems, and not the mode of transport that grinds the country to halt and kills and injures hundreds of thousands of people a year? Where's the sense in that?
I disagree with your comments about the low standard of cyclists. Well, when I say disagree, it's actually quite hard for me to comment, because (like hgvs tbh), they don't really feature on my 'radar' when i'm driving. They're a bit like lamposts, in that they're just part of the street furniture and they're just something that I pass by and rarely notice. Occasionally I might have to engage a couple of brain cells when encountering one in traffic, but it's rare and not difficult.
Car drivers on the other hand... I often think the UK car driver is a complete conundrum in many ways. On one hand they have an excellent safety record compared to drivers elsewhere in the world, but on the other hand I can't help think that, fk me they're useless.
They can't seem to do anything right. They can't work indicators, a simple stalk that requires one finger to operate without taking hands off the steering wheel, they can almost never use their lights correctly, and will have fog lights on in clear visibility and no lights on in fog. They can't overtake anything, no matter how slow the vehicle in front might be going. They can almost never use the correct lane, which has resulted in ever wider roads being built, just so they can drive in the 'more wrong' lane for longer and further.
They crash when it rains. They crash when it gets cold. They crash when it gets hot. If the sun is shining they'll run cyclists over and say they couldn't help it 'cos they couldn't see. If there's a bend in the road they'll crash. If they drive in the countryside they'll crash and then blame the farmer. We have the most benign weather and the most benign terrain yet the roads are full of 4x4s. Every other Saturday in the Honest John column in the Telegraph there are letters that say "I am moving to the country and might encounter some grit and puddles. What 4x4 would you recommend?"
Then I'll find myself in someplace like the Ardeche in France, in proper snow and winter weather, and everyone's just driving around in their normal cars but possibly on tyres actually fit for purpose.
The average uk car driver can't cope with *any* challenge, which possibly explains why a car forum like PH, where supposedly more enthusiastic and thus 'better' car drivers will gather, has pages and pages and pages and threads and threads and threads, never a week passing by without at least a couple on the go, about cyclists or bloody hgvs, and I for one just can not understand what on earth is everyone finding so difficult. I just pass them by, without hitting them. What else is there to do?
So, I'm surprised at your comment re cyclists, and I certainly wouldn't agree with *anything* being done about a complete non-problem. Maybe when we can finally get drives to understand how a light switch works or an indicator stalk, or get them to understand what F-O-G is and how those lights work, or that you have to slow down just a bit in inclement weather - when we've sorted all that out, then maybe we'll take a look at bloody cyclists.
Well said.I disagree with your comments about the low standard of cyclists. Well, when I say disagree, it's actually quite hard for me to comment, because (like hgvs tbh), they don't really feature on my 'radar' when i'm driving. They're a bit like lamposts, in that they're just part of the street furniture and they're just something that I pass by and rarely notice. Occasionally I might have to engage a couple of brain cells when encountering one in traffic, but it's rare and not difficult.
Car drivers on the other hand... I often think the UK car driver is a complete conundrum in many ways. On one hand they have an excellent safety record compared to drivers elsewhere in the world, but on the other hand I can't help think that, f
k me they're useless.They can't seem to do anything right. They can't work indicators, a simple stalk that requires one finger to operate without taking hands off the steering wheel, they can almost never use their lights correctly, and will have fog lights on in clear visibility and no lights on in fog. They can't overtake anything, no matter how slow the vehicle in front might be going. They can almost never use the correct lane, which has resulted in ever wider roads being built, just so they can drive in the 'more wrong' lane for longer and further.
They crash when it rains. They crash when it gets cold. They crash when it gets hot. If the sun is shining they'll run cyclists over and say they couldn't help it 'cos they couldn't see. If there's a bend in the road they'll crash. If they drive in the countryside they'll crash and then blame the farmer. We have the most benign weather and the most benign terrain yet the roads are full of 4x4s. Every other Saturday in the Honest John column in the Telegraph there are letters that say "I am moving to the country and might encounter some grit and puddles. What 4x4 would you recommend?"
Then I'll find myself in someplace like the Ardeche in France, in proper snow and winter weather, and everyone's just driving around in their normal cars but possibly on tyres actually fit for purpose.
The average uk car driver can't cope with *any* challenge, which possibly explains why a car forum like PH, where supposedly more enthusiastic and thus 'better' car drivers will gather, has pages and pages and pages and threads and threads and threads, never a week passing by without at least a couple on the go, about cyclists or bloody hgvs, and I for one just can not understand what on earth is everyone finding so difficult. I just pass them by, without hitting them. What else is there to do?
So, I'm surprised at your comment re cyclists, and I certainly wouldn't agree with *anything* being done about a complete non-problem. Maybe when we can finally get drives to understand how a light switch works or an indicator stalk, or get them to understand what F-O-G is and how those lights work, or that you have to slow down just a bit in inclement weather - when we've sorted all that out, then maybe we'll take a look at bloody cyclists.
Hol said:
We were trying to think of another walk of life where a minority group of people insists that everybody everybody revolve around their needs, so that they can behave like spoilt children and insult everyone.
We couldn't come up with anything else in this century.
Keep on topic, the Islamic threads are in N, P and E.We couldn't come up with anything else in this century.
carlove said:
Why would you not get your daughter a helmet? It's like having your daughter in the car and saying "you don't need a seatbelt", probably with more swearing in your case though.
It's actually not the same at all. I choose to wear one but that is still what it is, a choice not mandatory. I take it you have never ridden a bike at any point in your life, you don't seem to have the slightest clue about the subject. It's not rocket science.Motorrad said:
I follow the rules that apply to me unlike the majority of other road users I encounter. I'm an asshole all right but not for the most part when using a vehicle. 
I guess my concern with other bike users is their lack of competence or empathy with their fellow cyclists.
The funny thing is that on the most part cyclists around where I live tend to be pretty cool with one another. What are you expecting, early morning meetings with a hug I guess my concern with other bike users is their lack of competence or empathy with their fellow cyclists.
yonex said:
Johnnytheboy said:
Just think if Islamic extremists went round on bikes two abreast.
PH would explode.
Just think if the average PH poster in every cycling thread could spend 10 seconds being less of an asshole on the roads. Imagine...'cos it'll never happen PH would explode.
Johnnytheboy said:
You can always try I suppose...
Yes drove in today, passed a couple of cyclists along the way, slowed a little gave them room...it didn't seem very difficult and they didn't seem to notice me. I wonder what the fuss is all about?Do your customers know you are an anti cycling bigot btw
yonex said:
Johnnytheboy said:
You can always try I suppose...
Yes drove in today, passed a couple of cyclists along the way, slowed a little gave them room...it didn't seem very difficult and they didn't seem to notice me. I wonder what the fuss is all about?Do your customers know you are an anti cycling bigot btw
By the way, looking for ammo on someone's profile is always classy.
Johnnytheboy said:
Where have I been anti-cycling? I'm anti-anti-motorist, but that's not the same thing.
By the way, looking for ammo on someone's profile is always classy.
Is that why you put the link there, so that it is not read. Hmmm, too clever by half By the way, looking for ammo on someone's profile is always classy.
Johnnytheboy said:
I see no reason for "continues disagreement" if cyclists stop treating other road users as The Enemy.
Johnnytheboy said:
But every PH cycling thread ends up making me think there is a loud minority of mental cyclists who hate other road users.
If you are really wanting understand the problem with cyclists and motorists then perhaps have a little reflection upon what you have written. As has been said (a shedload of times) before a cyclist will pay with his bones for a simple error of judgement....on either side. It is an English disease that we are seeing, one which covers all things from parking in disabled spots for no good reason to harassing other road users, self absorbed, too busy, self centered...that is the modern way unfortunately. Oh and BTW, what would you recommend for a cool medium light entrance hall. Our yukka collection is looking a bit sad.
heebeegeetee said:
said some good stuff
I agree with most of your comments re: car drivers. However I was replying to the thread title in my comments- I engage with cyclists regularly because 95% of my road time is spent as one myself and the proportion of idiots on bicycles I see with a flagrant disregard for any rules of the road is much higher than the proportion I see driving.
It's common sense really- most cyclists have no training let alone having to have passed a test, they have no registration to identify them and their mode of transport isn't subject to any sort of inspection.
I've also noticed that a lot of the vociferous cycling types tend to be blinkered bigots who feel free to insult others (as we've seen on this thread) and unable to look rationally at the subject.
Motorrad said:
The proportion of idiots on bicycles I see with a flagrant disregard for any rules of the road is much higher than the proportion I see driving.
There are plenty of idiots on bikes for sure and RLJing is rampant.However, I have literally never in my life done a journey that didn't involve well over 50% of the drivers I encounter speeding.
It's just that as ever, drivers seem to give themselves a pass on speeding yet require cyclists to stick to the letter of the law for some bizarre reason.
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