Why are cyclists so rude to pedestrians?
Discussion
They usually shout abuse at cyclists from a car but mummy hasn't let them use her Corsa so they've had to dust of their sister's bike, the last time they shouted at a MAMIL they were chased down in 30 seconds and subjected to a sweaty lycra teabagging, so now they stick to pedestrians but then only if they look slow and fat?
Had abuse in the past on a shared (no delineating line) cycle/pedestrian public footpath. Out in the country, walking to the dog - Mr Cyclist on his racing bike, with streamlined lycra and helmet came screaming up the path.
I'd already called the dog back - but this bloke was coming at such a pace that he panicked and ran out in front of him. This meant he had to apply brakes. Out came abuse.
No problem with bikes on the path - but it's shared space. Could equally have been a young child. If he wants to race at speed that will injure he should stick to somewhere appropriate
I'd already called the dog back - but this bloke was coming at such a pace that he panicked and ran out in front of him. This meant he had to apply brakes. Out came abuse.
No problem with bikes on the path - but it's shared space. Could equally have been a young child. If he wants to race at speed that will injure he should stick to somewhere appropriate
surveyor said:
Had abuse in the past on a shared (no delineating line) cycle/pedestrian public footpath. Out in the country, walking to the dog - Mr Cyclist on his racing bike, with streamlined lycra and helmet came screaming up the path.
I'd already called the dog back - but this bloke was coming at such a pace that he panicked and ran out in front of him. This meant he had to apply brakes. Out came abuse.
No problem with bikes on the path - but it's shared space. Could equally have been a young child. If he wants to race at speed that will injure he should stick to somewhere appropriate
Did you tell the cyclist that you considered his speed to be inappropriate for a shared path?I'd already called the dog back - but this bloke was coming at such a pace that he panicked and ran out in front of him. This meant he had to apply brakes. Out came abuse.
No problem with bikes on the path - but it's shared space. Could equally have been a young child. If he wants to race at speed that will injure he should stick to somewhere appropriate
The Mad Monk said:
surveyor said:
Had abuse in the past on a shared (no delineating line) cycle/pedestrian public footpath. Out in the country, walking to the dog - Mr Cyclist on his racing bike, with streamlined lycra and helmet came screaming up the path.
I'd already called the dog back - but this bloke was coming at such a pace that he panicked and ran out in front of him. This meant he had to apply brakes. Out came abuse.
No problem with bikes on the path - but it's shared space. Could equally have been a young child. If he wants to race at speed that will injure he should stick to somewhere appropriate
Did you tell the cyclist that you considered his speed to be inappropriate for a shared path?I'd already called the dog back - but this bloke was coming at such a pace that he panicked and ran out in front of him. This meant he had to apply brakes. Out came abuse.
No problem with bikes on the path - but it's shared space. Could equally have been a young child. If he wants to race at speed that will injure he should stick to somewhere appropriate
I wouldn't have posted a thread for this but as I saw this I'd add "the traffic lights don't apply to me because I'm on a bike so I'm special" to the list.
Had two today on different occasions at different sets of lights where I come up to a junction on red, the cyclist either filters by or was ahead of me and filters past the other vehicles and just moseys on through the red light and turns left and cycles off.
This wasn't in London or any kind of city.
Had two today on different occasions at different sets of lights where I come up to a junction on red, the cyclist either filters by or was ahead of me and filters past the other vehicles and just moseys on through the red light and turns left and cycles off.
This wasn't in London or any kind of city.
surveyor said:
Had abuse in the past on a shared (no delineating line) cycle/pedestrian public footpath. Out in the country, walking to the dog - Mr Cyclist on his racing bike, with streamlined lycra and helmet came screaming up the path.
I'd already called the dog back - but this bloke was coming at such a pace that he panicked and ran out in front of him. This meant he had to apply brakes. Out came abuse.
No problem with bikes on the path - but it's shared space. Could equally have been a young child. If he wants to race at speed that will injure he should stick to somewhere appropriate
And that, there, folks, is the nub of the problem.I'd already called the dog back - but this bloke was coming at such a pace that he panicked and ran out in front of him. This meant he had to apply brakes. Out came abuse.
No problem with bikes on the path - but it's shared space. Could equally have been a young child. If he wants to race at speed that will injure he should stick to somewhere appropriate
There's a number of 'Shared Use Paths' local to me. I tend not to use them on a bike, because I follow government/RoSPA guidlines that suggest I'm likely to be cycling too fast for it to be safe. So I use the road alongside. It's safe, legal, and entirely reasonable in my view.
Sadly, it's not a view shared by many drivers. One of whom has named a Strava segment "congratulations on not being a
" (despite the fact that it comes up on a Strava feed whether you use the road or the path - I think he's just plain thick). I've been shouted at, had the path pointed out to me, and even had drivers deliberately try to take me off the road. Frequently these paths are rammed with schoolkids, literally hundreds of them, not paying attention to where they are walking, pushing and shoving each other, and generally leaving no clear space for a bike to safely pass. Again, regardless of my speed, at certain times of the day I wouldn't even consider using the "shared use path". Not safe for either me, or the pedestrians.Same happened in Windsor. Shared use path behind continuous railings, so I couldn't get onto it even if I wanted to. I didn't want to because I wanted to ride fast, and the path was stuffed with yummy mummy types, most dragging along a toddler, many pushing a buggy, some double buggies. Then some knuckle-dragger in a SEAT Leon decides to hurl abuse, pull into a side road to try to engage me in a fight, the works. And still I beat him past the queue to clear the next roundabout well ahead of him.
So you see, i don't think cyclists are "rude to pedestrians". No more than I think ALL pedestrians are ignorant buggers who ignore bicycle bells, or that ALL dog walkers take absolute delight in holding up mountain bikers on Bridleways.
Personally, I believe there are plenty of idiots on foot, on bicycles, and in cars. Rude, aggressive oafs who look down upon anyone belonging to the next group up or down the (perceived by some) "pecking order".
Me? Unless the cycle paths and shared use spaces are dead quiet, and kept in good condition, I shall continue to mainly use the carriageway in line with the Highway Act 1835.
I could equally ask "Why are drivers so rude to cyclists?" Because just this week some Yoof in a blue Peugeot stopped to ask me "are you some kind of
?" simply because I dared to turn right ahead of him. The car in front of him (but behind me when I signaled and positioned for my right turn) rudely, and IMHO dangerously overtook me while I was beginning my turn. What driver would even consider overtaking a right turning motor vehicle ahead of them?Or "why are drivers so rude to pedestrians?" because very few drivers seem to be aware of the rule that says you must give way to pedestrians already crossing a side road when you want to turn into it. Nope, they just tear around corners, screech to a halt, beep their horns and hurl abuse.
So you see it's just rude aggressive people being rude and aggressive to other people who may or may not be rude and aggressive themselves.
Furthermore, "modern life is rubbish". Get used to it, get over it, because it ain't gonna change in a hurry I'm afraid...
bhstewie said:
hstewie said: I wouldn't have posted a thread for this but as I saw this I'd add "the traffic lights don't apply to me because I'm on a bike so I'm special" to the list.
Had two today on different occasions at different sets of lights where I come up to a junction on red, the cyclist either filters by or was ahead of me and filters past the other vehicles and just moseys on through the red light and turns left and cycles off.
This wasn't in London or any kind of city.
Personally I wouldn't do it myself on a bike, but it's not particularly dangerous. In the USA they operate a "right on red" system where CARS!!! Had two today on different occasions at different sets of lights where I come up to a junction on red, the cyclist either filters by or was ahead of me and filters past the other vehicles and just moseys on through the red light and turns left and cycles off.
This wasn't in London or any kind of city.
can turn right against a red light. Because they drive on the right, it's an exact mirror of what gets so many drivers in a froth over here. As I say, I don't do it, but not because I consider it dangerous. More because as a driver too, I understand how it antagonises terminally stupid people, and could result in a less than positive interaction between me and them when the lights go green for them.There is a set of lights in Dorking... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.240985,-0.325490... ...where it ought to be entirely safe for cyclists to continue straight ahead against a red traffic light because if they are in the cycle lane then traffic joining from their right should not be entering the cycle lane at all. So if neither one wants to use the others' space, all is fine, surely? Again, I wouldn't do it myself, but I've seen riders do it and no kittens died.
As for this belief that it's only cyclists that jump red lights? It's utter b
ks I'm afraid. Plenty is the time that I've set off with a freshly lit green light only to have some cretin come barreling across ahead of me "amber gambling" (yeah, right!) against what can ONLY have been a solid red light.It also happened while I was cycling the other day. Traffic lights for a narrow hump-back bridge. I approach at speed, I'm close to the line, the amber light comes on, I decide that I can get "all of the bike across all of the line" before the red. The the car behind me drops down a gear, accelerates, and crosses the stop line AFTER the cars from the other direction had started to move.
Overtaking on the wrong side of a 'Keep Left' sign? Seen that a lot. Ignoring signs and physical road engineering designed to prevent right turns? Yup. That too. Even at a junction where several KSI collisions were the reason why right turns were prohibited. And all to save driving about 400 metres up and back round the roundabout.
I don't say this to justify cyclists breaking the law, but seriously? Some drivers really need to take off their blinkers and get their own houses in order before cracking on with yet another frothy-mouthed attack on a group who they simply don't like because they look different. There are so many (now thankfully illegal) 'isms' that began with the same ignorant, small minded, and frankly repulsive attitudes about another group that looked, acted, or believed in something different.
My house is on a steep hill with no footpath below my entrance, and cyclists coast at great speed (>30mph - the limit there) down the hill. Because they are near-silent and people have to walk in the road, the risk that someone could walk innocently out in front of one is high. Many of them are apparently unaware that they are not evident to walkers. I love watching them struggle up the hill, refusing, for reasons of pride I assume, to get off and walk. It's some sort of compensation...
There are bad drivers, bad cyclists and bad pedestrians. However cyclists do seem the
most sweariest. Some factors at play. They are putting in the most physical effort - like
the miscreant jogger on the other thread this would
make them more prone to anger. They also stuck in the middle of vehicles and pedestrians who have well-defined areas in which to travel / this insecurity leads them to attempt to dominate or assert themselves over the other two modes of transport.
most sweariest. Some factors at play. They are putting in the most physical effort - like
the miscreant jogger on the other thread this would
make them more prone to anger. They also stuck in the middle of vehicles and pedestrians who have well-defined areas in which to travel / this insecurity leads them to attempt to dominate or assert themselves over the other two modes of transport.
OP not really giving us much to go by on why he made the topic.
When i cycle, the only time i ever shout at a pedestrian is if they walk out onto the road without looking. usually something like 'WATCH ITTT'. it seems many people will step out into the road looking to their left first and only looking to the right until they've made their step. boggles the mind. why on earth would you step out looking the opposite way to the most immediate danger to you.
When i cycle, the only time i ever shout at a pedestrian is if they walk out onto the road without looking. usually something like 'WATCH ITTT'. it seems many people will step out into the road looking to their left first and only looking to the right until they've made their step. boggles the mind. why on earth would you step out looking the opposite way to the most immediate danger to you.
Nimby said:
Some pedestrians are idiots. We had one point at this sign and shout at us "SLOW DOWN , IT'S FOUR MILES AN HOUR".
It boggles the mind to think what NCN 221, 549, or even 766 might do to their tiny brains.I rode round Dorney Rowing Lake this week. Signs clearly state "Pedestrians Give Way" "Cycle path used for sports coaching" and "Dogs must be kept on leads". But you guessed it! The only pedestrian I had a problem with was one who had a b
h at me about my 'riding too fast near her dog'. Only there was no lead to be seen, and the silly Doris was too busy on her phone to even attempt to get the dog under control.Seems you just can't legislate for idiocy. Not even on private property.
I also had one loudly announce to his wife that "The signs says No Cycling, I believe" when I was pushing my bike across the weir at Hambleden Lock over the Thames. My reply? "Lucky I'm not cycling then, eh? I'm a pedestrian pushing a bicycle right now". The silly old duffer then steadfastly refused to make eye contact as we crossed the walkway...
Edited by yellowjack on Sunday 13th August 19:31
I walk across the pedestrianised section of Bristol city centre on weekdays and although most of it is not specifically signed as shared pedestrian/cyclist space the two types of users do seem to mix quite well.
There is a minority of cyclists who use this pedestrian area at speed and expect everyone else to clear a path for them. Some of these cyclists can get quite aggressive if they are asked to slow down.
There is a minority of cyclists who use this pedestrian area at speed and expect everyone else to clear a path for them. Some of these cyclists can get quite aggressive if they are asked to slow down.
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