Arrrggggh

[Chris71]

Ok... just humour me one more time then I'll go off and enroll in a tai che class or something to chill out, but this is fking ridicuous.

I was riding back tonight along a quiet stretch of road when I saw a van waiting to turn onto the road. I covered the brake and kept an eye on him and sure enough he tried to pull out. I started to squeeze the brake gently but he hesitated and stopped so I released it and carried on. About a hundred yards down the road a woman with a child (school age, not stuck in a buggy or anything) walked stepped out in front of me. again I covered the brake and I had three or four times the distance I needed to stop, but they hesitated (as frankly they should after stepping out into oncoming traffic) so I slowed down a little and rode past. So far a typical example of the hazards of riding, but no more than that.

About 3 seconds later I'm riding along minding my own business (I was well in and hadn't changed my position recently) when there's a loud blast of a horn right next to my ear and the van floors it past within inches of my elbow. I catch up at the next T-jucntion and cycle up to the driver's side whereupon the complete pikey driving it starts mouthing off. "You don't fooking stop for no one do you you fooking ! What about those pedestrians?" I don't have a chance to get a word in before he starts babbling - and despite the PH cliche I swear I'm not making this up - about 'not paying a penny for road tax'. I point out that I've got three cars and they should happily cover the cost of running a small bicycle, but he completely ignores it and keeps ranting. I repeat it and he ignores me again before screeching off (well, as much as a battered mk3 Escort van can screech).

It's the first time I've actually had something approaching an argument with someone who's attempted to run me off the road and I now realise that they actually are complete imbecilles. They don't just drive like that, they actually are. The chavvy prick couldn't even string a sentence together, let alone formulate an argument. I now realise it's just not worth trying. seriously though - what a bunch of morons we share the road with?

[mackie1]

You're building up an impressive collection of cycling rants on here

And yes I agree, there are far too many drivers who think that bikes shouldn't be on the road and they shouldn't/don't need to give way to them. The road tax argument is comedy too, especially since it doesn't actually exist and bicycles would pay a grand total of £0.00 for VED anyway.

http://ipayroadtax.com

[JRM]

I've had plenty of similar conversations, it continues to amaze me that morons like that are allowed the vote.

Weirdly I have less these days, I'm obviously becoming more passive in old age - and in all honestly tend to avoid confrontations as much as I can, they're just not worth it.

A mate of mine actually got chased by a van, even after he moved onto the pavement to avoid getting squashed! Amusingly there was a police van at teh junction ahead that saw it all

[Chris71]

JRM said:

Weirdly I have less these days, I'm obviously becoming more passive in old age - and in all honestly tend to avoid confrontations as much as I can, they're just not worth it.

Normally I do too, it's just something about being on a bike; a combination of the risk you're at from other people's studipity and the adrenaline the exercise produces I reckon.

My resolution not to start arguments with any more van drivers lasted about 8 minutes into my commute this morning. I'll spare you the details, but it was a monumentally stupid overtake a few feet before a width restriction that nearly had me squashed. Before anyone says it, I know that's my positioning again.

So I'm going to really toughen up on the defensive road positioning. And every time someone has a problem I'm going to try and remind myself that they're probably a monosyllabic football shirted gimp who'd be incapable of providing me with a stimulating argument anyway. So far it's two out of two on that count.

If nothing else the next one might be Chuck Norris' harder brother and I most definitely am not.

Edited because I can't spell either

Edited by Chris71 on Wednesday 21st April 11:15

[Nick_F]

Chris71 said:

JRM said:

Weirdly I have less these days, I'm obviously becoming more passive in old age - and in all honestly tend to avoid confrontations as much as I can, they're just not worth it.

Normally I do too, it's just something about being on a bike; a combination of the risk you're at from other people's studipity and the adrenaline the exercise produces I reckon.

My resolution not to start arguments with any more van drivers lasted about 8 minutes into my commute this morning. I'll spare you the details, but it was a monumentally stupid overtake a few feet before a width restriction that nearly had me squashed. Before anyone says it, I know that's my positioning again.

So I'm going to really toughen up on the defensive road positioning. And every time someone has a problem I'm going to try and remind myself that they're probably a monosyllabic football shirted gimp who'd be incapable of providing me with a stimulating argument anyway. So far it's two out of two on that count.

If nothing else the next one might be Chuck Norris' harder brother and I most definitely am not.

Edited because I can't spell either

Edited by Chris71 on Wednesday 21st April 11:15

Position as if you were on a moped.

[JRM]

Nick_F said:

Chris71 said:

JRM said:

Weirdly I have less these days, I'm obviously becoming more passive in old age - and in all honestly tend to avoid confrontations as much as I can, they're just not worth it.

Normally I do too, it's just something about being on a bike; a combination of the risk you're at from other people's studipity and the adrenaline the exercise produces I reckon.

My resolution not to start arguments with any more van drivers lasted about 8 minutes into my commute this morning. I'll spare you the details, but it was a monumentally stupid overtake a few feet before a width restriction that nearly had me squashed. Before anyone says it, I know that's my positioning again.

So I'm going to really toughen up on the defensive road positioning. And every time someone has a problem I'm going to try and remind myself that they're probably a monosyllabic football shirted gimp who'd be incapable of providing me with a stimulating argument anyway. So far it's two out of two on that count.

If nothing else the next one might be Chuck Norris' harder brother and I most definitely am not.

Edited because I can't spell either

Edited by Chris71 on Wednesday 21st April 11:15

Position as if you were on a moped.

That reminds me of the shouting fit I had at a moped rider who was driving along the cycle lane on the down hill bit from Tower Bridge on Lower Thames street, they were doing about 20, so was able to keep up (at least whilst the slope lasted!) whilst shouting abuse and trying to get them to move over so that I could overtake petty I know

[mackie1]

Yup take the middle of the lane when approaching width restrictions and islands and well in advance of right turns.

I nearly got killed again yesterday by a person ignoring the mini roundabout I was turning right at. I now actually wait half way round until the oncoming vehicle has actually stopped at the line (or shot past in a trance, which seems more common).

[hondafanatic]

Chris71 said:

So I'm going to really toughen up on the defensive road positioning. And every time someone has a problem I'm going to try and remind myself that they're probably a monosyllabic football shirted gimp PH'er who'd be incapable of providing me with a stimulating argument anyway and will no doubt start a rant on bloody cyclists don't pay road tax etc etc.

EFA etc etc blah blah

[Chris71]

hondafanatic said:

Chris71 said:

So I'm going to really toughen up on the defensive road positioning. And every time someone has a problem I'm going to try and remind myself that they're probably a monosyllabic football shirted gimp PH'er who'd be incapable of providing me with a stimulating argument anyway and will no doubt start a rant on bloody cyclists don't pay road tax etc etc.

EFA etc etc blah blah

Perhaps the two don't have to be mutually exclusive? Although I'm fairly sure the guy last night wouldn't know how to turn on a computer. He seemed a couple of millennia down on the evolutionary scale from flint tools and fire, let alone communications.

Seriously, the post wasn't intended as another rant (okay, not just another rant). It was more the dawning realisation that you're right. The people who have a thing about cyclists - and hence those who'd object to overtly defensive riding - aren't normal motorists having a bad day, they really are complete cocks. I now have far fewer reservations about potentially annoying them or holding them up for a second, plus it seems - somewhat disappointingly - they really aren't capable of being argued with.

And breathe.

[fergus]

hondafanatic said:

Chris71 said:

So I'm going to really toughen up on the defensive road positioning. And every time someone has a problem I'm going to try and remind myself that they're probably a monosyllabic football shirted gimp PH'er who'd be incapable of providing me with a stimulating argument anyway and will no doubt start a rant on bloody cyclists don't pay road tax etc etc.

EFA etc etc blah blah

no, right first time. The intellect of most people who choose to wear football kit, esp England kit is well below average. Football really isn't a thinking man's game is it.....

Unless the thinking man lives on an estate, and drives a ford that is....

[mackie1]

Football is social engineering at its finest.

[Parsnip]

When I get the road tax one, I usually either ignore it or wind them up further by shouting "i'm a student and don't pay council tax either - get it up ye!"

[Chris71]

mackie1 said:

Football is social engineering at its finest.

Harsh but fair I feel.

It did amuse that he'd clearly justified it to himself on the grounds that he was standing up for 'the pedestrians', when in fact it was blatantly his anger at a mere cyclist not letting him out of the junction.

It was a completely clear road, it was unquestionably my right of way, I was positioned perfectly (for once) and I was doing a good 30mph, so of course I wasn't about to slam on the anchors. One can only assume he has extreme inadequacy issues.

ETA http://ipayroadtax.com/ is indeed a very interesting read. It turns out there's no such thing as road tax any more and we all cover the cost of roads in our general taxation. So it's actually a bit like alcohol. Yes, you do get taxed for owning a car or motorcycle, but it doesn't feed back to the roads any more than spirit duty pays for pubs.

Edited by Chris71 on Wednesday 21st April 13:31

[will_]

What can you do - there are idiots everywhere. I had a great chat with a moron van driver who told me - in no uncertain terms - that you give way to the left at roundabouts.

I'm trying not to have arguments with drivers anymore - it achieves nothing, most are far too stupid to understand what you're saying. I now do two things - (1) ride defensively and take my space and (2) have and use an airhorn, which is very satisfying.

[Chris71]

will_ said:

(2) have and use an airhorn, which is very satisfying.

Might have to invest in one of those.

[will_]

Chris71 said:

will_ said:

(2) have and use an airhorn, which is very satisfying.

Might have to invest in one of those.

Total life-saver - £30 from cycle surgery, less on-line.

[croyde]

I am a car driver and motorbike rider and as of the last year or so I have taken to using my bicycle a lot more.

When on the bicycle I do get very angry with stoopid motorists, especially vans as they are trying to kill me. Something I don't take too kindly to.

It does amaze me that these brain dead twunts are happy to risk their own lives being feked up by playing chicken with a bloke/gal on a bicycle.

When I say feked up, I mean taken to court, possibly imprisoned and a lifetime of regret (well maybe not the last bit).

[stewy68]

If he was a pikey, you should've threatned to eat his dags...

[JQ]

will_ said:

Chris71 said:

will_ said:

(2) have and use an airhorn, which is very satisfying.

Might have to invest in one of those.

Total life-saver - £30 from cycle surgery, less on-line.

Unfortunately I have to re-fill mine almost twice a day. However, it's saved my skin on more than one occasion, especially with pedestrians. It would appear I'm completely invisible to pedestrians, despite the one static and one flashing light on the front of my bike, day and night.

My favorite motorists are those who position themselves on the cycle path (2mm from the kerb) because they are turning left in 300 metres (about 4 rotations of the lights in rush hour). IT'S A SINGLE CARRIAGEWAY ROAD YOU MORON, NEITHER YOU NOR ANY CARS BEHIND YOU BENEFIT FROM THIS POSITIONING YOU JUST GET IN THE WAY OF ALL THE CYCLISTS!!

[hondafanatic]

Chris71 said:

will_ said:

(2) have and use an airhorn, which is very satisfying.

Might have to invest in one of those.

Or a Hope rear hub... they are so fking loud.