Witnessed a Road Rage incident - argument was interesting...

Witnessed a Road Rage incident - argument was interesting...

Author
Discussion

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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Wacky Racer said:
I can never understand why cyclists think they can ignore red traffic lights at will.

Of course if a car it them going through the other way at 90 degrees it would be the driver's fault for not seeing him....rolleyes

As a (part time) cyclist I would never dream of running a red light....nuts!
+1

If you want to be treated as a road user, then you need to obey the same rules everyone else does.

Riding on the footpath - when it suits - is another one that bugs me, and then invariably glaring at pedestrians when they havent heard you coming.

FakeConcern

336 posts

136 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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I once had a pedestrian ranting at me about cyclists going through red lights while I was actually sitting waiting at a red (pedestrian crossing)light on my bike!

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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FakeConcern said:
I once had a pedestrian ranting at me about cyclists going through red lights while I was actually sitting waiting at a red (pedestrian crossing)light on my bike!
That would have been the perfect time to roll off and watch their heads explode hehe

popeyewhite

19,622 posts

119 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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V8RX7 said:
Hungrymc said:
The problem is that some cyclist will put themselves in very dangerous situations but then expect other road users to somehow accomadate their bizarre behaviour
^^^This is what I tend to see with the majority of city (commuting / courier etc) cyclists
Absolutely true. In my case on a motorbike as well as pushbike. When the inevitable happens as you're filtering it's always the car driver to blame, never the fact you're only about a foot wide and shielded by other vehicles travelling too fast for the conditions. Had car doors opened on me so many times, but that's to be expected filtering through stationary traffic at 30 mph on a summer's day. Never my fault. Oh no. smile

deadslow

7,962 posts

222 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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xRIEx said:
esuuv said:
Why does everyone expect the cycles to remain in their place in the queue when its OK for the cars to overtake when moving? Cars take their opportunity to pass the slower vehicle when they can - bikes filtering through stationary / very slow traffic are surely just doing the same thing?
With that, an overtaking car you would expect (not always, granted; there are plenty of numpties about) to continue at a greater pace than the overtakee and so they do not inconvenience them in any way; a cyclist on the other hand goes to the front of the stationary traffic and proceeds to inconvenience everyone they've passed.
I guess its human nature to constantly maximise your progress, but ultimately its rather moronic of cyclists to make them selves obstacles to the same drivers on numerous ocassions.

Debaser

5,665 posts

260 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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Fonzey said:
on a few occasions needing to stick a hand out for support on a stationary car.
That would piss me off.

irocfan

40,153 posts

189 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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Debaser said:
Fonzey said:
on a few occasions needing to stick a hand out for support on a stationary car.
That would piss me off.
it was an advert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFSCFYF5aPM

still I'd be happy oto do the same

Edited by irocfan on Saturday 28th May 12:16

CS Garth

2,860 posts

104 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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My experience is that there is a lot of discourteous idiots out there - car, push bike, whatever. Most cyclists will also drive so we are just talking about the particular mode of transport for said bell ends rather than saying all of one or other are bell ends as a group

405dogvan

Original Poster:

5,326 posts

264 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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RobM77 said:
Surely the two situations are entirely different? If a car cuts a cyclist close and forces the cyclist through a pot hole that would cause them to crash, or clips them etc, the cyclist could be seriously injured or killed. If, on the other hand, a car is stationary or crawling and a cyclist gets a bit close filtering, the outcome isn't reversed - ie there's no way the car driver can get injured, in fact it'd again by the cyclist who gets injured. I'm not justifying cyclists riding like tits (or car drivers, or any road user), but the argument of 'one rule for you, one rule for me' is completely invalid because of the gross imbalance of risk.
Not entirely that simple, is it.

Cyclists on an open road know that the driver only has them to worry about

Cyclists in traffic need to remember that every driver is looking for roadsigns, lane markings, traffic lights, upto 8 vehicles around them and MAYBE that cyclist who's weaving through that lot.

I've lost count of the times in traffic I've noticed a cyclist and then lost them and thought "where's the fker gone?". Could be in a blind spot, could be they're in another lane, could have baled to the pavement or COULD have their head under my rear wheel - hmmmmmm

Someone mentioned courtesy and that's the key here - everyone should use their brain a bit. Don't overtake someone who'll just have to overtake you back 10 seconds later (imagine if cars did that) - give people space and expect space to be given.

Oh - and if you NEED to use a car to stay upright, you've put your bike somewhere there wasn't enough space for it and you're a berk.

Mave

8,208 posts

214 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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405dogvan said:
Someone mentioned courtesy and that's the key here - everyone should use their brain a bit. Don't overtake someone who'll just have to overtake you back 10 seconds later (imagine if cars did that)
I agree with the sentiment about courtesy, but not the implication that it's only cyclists that lack it.

Imagine cars overtaking only to be overtaken 10 seconds later? It happens every day! If the average speed of the traffic is less than 15 mph then it's the cars holding up the bikes, not the other way round. You don't have to overtake someone just because you can, especially if there's a red traffic light or queue ahead, or if you're about to turn left...

SteveSteveson

3,209 posts

162 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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There is st cyclists and st drivers. The only difference seems to be that people lump all cyclists as the same. Strangely people make comments about "cyclists do x y and z!" But never "car drivers all do a, b and c! They should stop". Treat them as individuals.

Both sides need education.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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SteveSteveson said:
There is st cyclists and st drivers. The only difference seems to be that people lump all cyclists as the same. Strangely people make comments about "cyclists do x y and z!" But never "car drivers all do a, b and c! They should stop". Treat them as individuals.

Both sides need education.
Do you genuinely believe that bit about people not generalising about cars and drivers?

SteveSteveson

3,209 posts

162 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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They do, but nothing like to the same extent.

EnglishTony

2,552 posts

98 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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[quote=SteveSteveson]They do, but nothing like to the same extent.[/quote

Have you tried looking at a cyclists' forum?




ITR1

193 posts

100 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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SteveSteveson said:
There is st cyclists and st drivers. The only difference seems to be that people lump all cyclists as the same. Strangely people make comments about "cyclists do x y and z!" But never "car drivers all do a, b and c! They should stop". Treat them as individuals.

Both sides need education.
This ^^^^^^^^^

I drove around 8,500 miles last year and cycled 7,000. Does that make me a driver or a cyclist?

krarkol

109 posts

109 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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Mr Tidy said:
I stop at red lights, whether I am walking, riding a bike, on a motorbike or driving a car - they surely aren't optional according to your chosen method of transportation? Why am I regularly seeing a green traffic light and unable to proceed because pedestrians think the red light at the pedestrian crossing doesn't apply to them? Get off the road - after all they wouldn't be too happy if I drove on the pavement!
Because the system is biased.

As a driver of a vehicle, fingers are automatically pointed at you. Doesn't matter what the pedestrian/cyclist did, usually the blame gets pointed at the person who actually paid the money to be trained.

While I agree that someone with a vehicle licence SHOULD be the better user of the road, I disagree that this absolves a pedestrian/cyclist of any wrong doing when they have just as much responsibility to look out for themselves.

As an example, If I stepped out onto a straight main road with good visibility but just didn't bother to turn my head for a moment and a car was doing 10mph over the speed limit, you can argue the driver was speeding so therefore they were at fault. But from a logical point of view, wouldn't I be the idiot for not checking my path was clear before proceeding?

The thing is, people know the driver is usually held at fault, so why should they bothered? They just see "a fat compo claim" and just don't care.

If the system didn't allow it, people would start thinking a bit more. Or they'd just succumb to nature taking its course.

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
quotequote all
405dogvan said:
RobM77 said:
Surely the two situations are entirely different? If a car cuts a cyclist close and forces the cyclist through a pot hole that would cause them to crash, or clips them etc, the cyclist could be seriously injured or killed. If, on the other hand, a car is stationary or crawling and a cyclist gets a bit close filtering, the outcome isn't reversed - ie there's no way the car driver can get injured, in fact it'd again by the cyclist who gets injured. I'm not justifying cyclists riding like tits (or car drivers, or any road user), but the argument of 'one rule for you, one rule for me' is completely invalid because of the gross imbalance of risk.
Not entirely that simple, is it.

Cyclists on an open road know that the driver only has them to worry about

Cyclists in traffic need to remember that every driver is looking for roadsigns, lane markings, traffic lights, upto 8 vehicles around them and MAYBE that cyclist who's weaving through that lot.

I've lost count of the times in traffic I've noticed a cyclist and then lost them and thought "where's the fker gone?". Could be in a blind spot, could be they're in another lane, could have baled to the pavement or COULD have their head under my rear wheel - hmmmmmm

Someone mentioned courtesy and that's the key here - everyone should use their brain a bit. Don't overtake someone who'll just have to overtake you back 10 seconds later (imagine if cars did that) - give people space and expect space to be given.

Oh - and if you NEED to use a car to stay upright, you've put your bike somewhere there wasn't enough space for it and you're a berk.
Sorry, it is that simple! Everything you've written above are answers to different issues (upon which we both agree).

popeyewhite

19,622 posts

119 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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Mave said:
You don't have to overtake someone just because you can, especially if there's a red traffic light or queue ahead, or if you're about to turn left...
Presumably this applies to pushbikes as well.

Mave

8,208 posts

214 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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popeyewhite said:
Mave said:
You don't have to overtake someone just because you can, especially if there's a red traffic light or queue ahead, or if you're about to turn left...
Presumably this applies to pushbikes as well.
I only overtake if I'm generally making faster progress than the overtakee, whatever my, or their mode of transport.

popeyewhite

19,622 posts

119 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Mave said:
popeyewhite said:
Mave said:
You don't have to overtake someone just because you can, especially if there's a red traffic light or queue ahead, or if you're about to turn left...
Presumably this applies to pushbikes as well.
I only overtake if I'm generally making faster progress than the overtakee, whatever my, or their mode of transport.
I'm sure most use the same subjective approach.