Petulant cyclist smacked my wing mirror

Housey · 18 May 2012 at 15:29

Horse'ists and cycle'ist seem to seek out confrontation too often, I came across 2 cycle nutters in all their colours waddling along my local lane only yesterday. Coming towards me I saw them a good distance off and slowed down as the woman of the 2 was in the middle of the road, wobbling around laughing and neither of them had seen or heard me approach. I came to a near stop and when I got close the look I got from simply driving down the road was astonishing. They got some imense abuse in return, I'm not proud of that but sometimes people just get up my nose and after a long week they got both barrels and I was SO CLOSE to getting out and Standing and Banging.....but they were in their 60's so might have been a bit handy.

Curio · 18 May 2012 at 15:36

I hate cyclists, sorry. They always act so "hard done by" and like everybody is out to kill them - but they think nothing of breaking all the rules of the road while they go about their merry way. We need to start taking a tougher stance with them, IMO.

As for the OP, I would have been fuming as well. Fair enough if the cyclists had yelled abuse - I would have opened the window and shouted "sorry - my bad!" But to smack your car like that......I would have chased him down and killed him in the face with my keyboard :mad:

Vonhelmet · 18 May 2012 at 18:10

Curio said:
I hate cyclists, sorry. They always act so "hard done by" and like everybody is out to kill them - but they think nothing of breaking all the rules of the road while they go about their merry way. We need to start taking a tougher stance with them, IMO.

If we're making wild generalisations, then is it unreasonable to say that all drivers are in fact out to kill cyclists?

Curio · 18 May 2012 at 18:18

Vonhelmet said:
If we're making wild generalisations, then is it unreasonable to say that all drivers are in fact out to kill cyclists?

Of course it's a generalization. You have to admit though, compared to car drivers, how often do you see cyclists go through red lights because they think it doesn't apply to them?

NathanE · 18 May 2012 at 18:28

Curio said:
Of course it's a generalization. You have to admit though, compared to car drivers, how often do you see cyclists go through red lights because they think it doesn't apply to them?

Or cycle straight over busy pedestrian crossings.

SpeedFreak · 18 May 2012 at 18:32

If he had shouted at me I would have accepted it as I was in the wrong, but the fact he also felt the need to hit my mirror was out of order. As a few have pointed out, that road at points is not great to drive on. Cyclists on your left, motorbikes passing on your right, it does deserve care when driving. I did't see the guy today and I guess in a week I'll have forgotten what he looks like.

Granted I may have bore the brunt of what was simply the totting up of several incidents for the guy but it's still no excuse. It's not something I have ever felt the need to do when on my bike.

Squink · 18 May 2012 at 18:35

Curio said:
but they think nothing of breaking all the rules of the road while they trundle slowly along the high street, smugly self-satisfied at how they're "saving the planet", whilst holding up a long line of cars who have no room to overtake, thereby causing them to use more fuel and produce more carbon dioxide

I've fixed that one up for you

Tute · 18 May 2012 at 18:59

To be fair, this kind of thing is indicative of a lack of respect on the road.

When i'm a pedestrian, do you know what I do? I watch out for cars when I go in the road. Because they're bigger than me and if they hit me, it'll hurt me a lot more than it hurts them.

Likewise, when i'm in a car, I don't muck around with trucks or tractors or things like that - because if an accident occurs, i'll be the one with a few tens of tons of HGV coming through the back of me.

Now, if only cyclists could remember this when they don't obey the rules of the road, that would be absolutely great. I'm more than happy to give them all the room they need, but at the same time, they're going to be the ones being scraped off the road with a shovel if they do something retarded.

Thanks.

Vonhelmet said:
Whee, let's bicker about "road tax" again!

His point about passing a test still absolutely stands. Especially when you also have no identifying marks - so if you cause an accident you can just disappear and let someone else pay for it all.

Vonhelmet · 18 May 2012 at 19:29

Tute said:
His point about passing a test still absolutely stands. Especially when you also have no identifying marks - so if you cause an accident you can just disappear and let someone else pay for it all.

Re: the test. If we're going to test cyclists formally then I hope we're going to test drivers much more rigorously, make people re-take the test regularly, etc. The number of accidents that occur hardly makes me believe the driving test is doing much to teach people to drive safely and make them keep driving safely.

Fair point about identifying marks.

Fuzz · 18 May 2012 at 19:47

SpeedFreak said:
As the traffic was slow moving the lights changed while I had passed them but was still in the yellow box. I know this was completely my fault. I temporarily partly blocked access to Jamaica Street and a southbound cyclist then began to turn from rest onto Jamaica street. Due to my still crawling car he had to go past my driver side and around the back to gain access to the road. On his way he decided he'd let me know I was in the wrong by smacking my wing mirror shut with his hand.

Bet you think twice before moving forward into the box junction next time though.

You know, like you're supposed to....

Fuzz · 18 May 2012 at 19:53

Jonny69 said:
No, I am the crazed cyclist. I sort of feel sorry for drivers who have run-ins with me. I don't touch cars, at all, and never have done. People make mistakes all the time and if they've messed up and endangered me then a shake of the head is all it takes to remind a driver that there are other road users about. But deliberately put me in danger in any way whatsoever and you're coming out your car through your window when I catch up with you. Which I always do, because I live in town and there are traffic lights everywhere

I want to see that put on youtube

Tute · 18 May 2012 at 20:16

Vonhelmet said:
Re: the test. If we're going to test cyclists formally then I hope we're going to test drivers much more rigorously, make people re-take the test regularly, etc. The number of accidents that occur hardly makes me believe the driving test is doing much to teach people to drive safely and make them keep driving safely.

Fair point about identifying marks.

I also think drivers should be regularly re-tested, so that point is wasted on me somewhat. But then it's easy to behave yourself for a couple of hours and then revert to absolute **** when you leave the test centre.

Vonhelmet · 18 May 2012 at 20:17

Tute said:
I also think drivers should be regularly re-tested, so that point is wasted on me somewhat. But then it's easy to behave yourself for a couple of hours and then revert to absolute **** when you leave the test centre.

It's not wasted on you if we can actually condescend to agree with each other on the intermaweb.

craarc · 18 May 2012 at 20:41

no reason for him to do that regardless of your highway code discretion.

i would have been fuming probably get banned from the forum for sayin what i would do ....

the ones that undertake or come up on the inside when there is no cycle lane annoy me
and the red lighters who just go thru cause there on a a bike

i laugh cause we have a local copper who stops them for speeding in a 20 zone makes my day

MacRS4 · 18 May 2012 at 20:44

craarc said:
no reason for him to do that regardless of your highway code discretion.

EDITed as I realised I was being as thick. I assume you mean digression.

Fuzz · 18 May 2012 at 20:46

I suggest you re-read his post Mac, that's not what he meant to say and you know it.

There's an "in" missing

craarc · 19 May 2012 at 01:35

lol yer my typing is **** when wasted.... = more often than not ..

Berger · 19 May 2012 at 05:34

craarc said:
no reason for him to do that regardless of your highway code discretion.

i would have been fuming probably get banned from the forum for sayin what i would do ....

the ones that undertake or come up on the inside when there is no cycle lane annoy me
and the red lighters who just go thru cause there on a a bike

i laugh cause we have a local copper who stops them for speeding in a 20 zone makes my day

Would you rather have the cyclists pass you on the left or the right when you are stationary?

If they pass you on the right, then that puts them on the right side when stopped at lights infront of you.

So you would then have to go slow to let them get back across to the left before you could legally pass them, or undertake like a choad while they are trying to clip in setting off, which is when a cyclist is more likely to have a wobble.

Bad cyclists do annoy me, just as many bad cyclists as there are road users though. I'll stop at traffic lights because I don't want to get hit by a car or truck. The thing which grinds my gears would be people passing far too close, or far too fast.

As a cyclist you have the choice to cycle fully in the lane forcing cars to use the other lane to overtake you properly and a small queue can build up, or cycle closer to the edge, where a poorer driver will try and take you out with their mirror and not move over at all.

Fuzz · 19 May 2012 at 08:36

Berger said:
Would you rather have the cyclists pass you on the left or the right when you are stationary?

If they pass you on the right, then that puts them on the right side when stopped at lights infront of you.

So you would then have to go slow to let them get back across to the left before you could legally pass them, or undertake like a choad while they are trying to clip in setting off, which is when a cyclist is more likely to have a wobble.

That's the whole point of an ASL (Advanced cycle lane) box in front of the car stop line at traffic lights, you are supposed to be able to make your way in front of the cars to stop that happening.
Although that all falls apart when car drivers stop in it because they are such selfish ****s.

[DOD]Asprilla · 19 May 2012 at 08:48

Berger said:
Would you rather have the cyclists pass you on the left or the right when you are stationary?

If they pass you on the right, then that puts them on the right side when stopped at lights infront of you.

So you would then have to go slow to let them get back across to the left before you could legally pass them, or undertake like a choad while they are trying to clip in setting off, which is when a cyclist is more likely to have a wobble.

Bad cyclists do annoy me, just as many bad cyclists as there are road users though. I'll stop at traffic lights because I don't want to get hit by a car or truck. The thing which grinds my gears would be people passing far too close, or far too fast.

As a cyclist you have the choice to cycle fully in the lane forcing cars to use the other lane to overtake you properly and a small queue can build up, or cycle closer to the edge, where a poorer driver will try and take you out with their mirror and not move over at all.

As a cyclist I try to filter on the right where possible. Drivers are more used to motorcycles being there and so are more likely to check their right mirror than their left.