Stupid Cyclist!

Feek said:
You were indicating left, the cyclist has got to be a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic to undertake a car that's indicating left.
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This.

In the UK, we overtake on the right. To undertake a car on the left whilst the car has got its left indicators on is just plain retarded. Natural Selection?
 
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dfarrall said:
Clearly your a cyclist and haven't got a driving license.
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Interestingly one of the things you're taught when obtaining a driving license is to check mirrors and blind spots when undertaking maneuvers, including turning left.

https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/road-junctions-170-to-183

Turning left
182
Use your mirrors and give a left-turn signal well before you turn left. Do not overtake just before you turn left and watch out for traffic coming up on your left before you make the turn, especially if driving a large vehicle. Cyclists, motorcyclists and other road users in particular may be hidden from your view.
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Cyclist is still a bit special for undertaking the car, but I do have a bit of a laugh when I read comments like this.
 
Stationary car indicating to turn left in front of you.
Why on earth would you just cycle undertaking the stationary car? It's stopped for a reason, stupid cyclist.
 
The thing people have to remember is cyclists make mistakes as well, just like other motorists - that's why we all need to be aware of whats going on around us and make sure our observations are good.

I was cycling along the other day and got over taken by a car but after it passed I was keeping up with the traffic so I kept my distance about 5 meters behind the car. About half a mile later, for what ever reason, I hadn't noticed he'd started to indicate left (anyone think indicators are getting harder to spot recently, especially the clear lensed ones?). He slowed right down and I presumed he was turning right, as I couldn't have seen his right hand indicator from where I was so I passed him on the inside. I only noticed he was going to turn left when I was almost beside him but by then it was too late for me to react. Fortunately the driver knew I was there and he didn't make his turn until after I'd passed. I'm very grateful for his observational skills and awareness and will happily admit a collision there would have been my fault.

I learnt something that day and will be more aware in that situation in the future. 17 years of driving experience and I'm still learning. If we all drove with the awareness of that chap and were in less of a rush we'd all get along much better on the roads.
 
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Cyclist / biker / driver here, I would say both at fault, but cyclist needs to learn pretty quickly not to do stuff like that. I probably would have done the same as the OP before I started cycling and biking in London, now I check blindspots like a madman.
 
Unfortunately, cyclists seem to be unable to recognise a flashing indicator.

I have numerous cyclists come up my inside at junctions - and not just when stationary either - especially in large city's, why on earth they want to chance it with an articulated truck I don't know, but, chance it they do.

However wrong, drivers should be aware of this and always check mirrors and blind spots because of it.

I've just stopped at my depot in my truck, not 20 minutes from my last post, I had a cyclist do this very thing!!!

Bloody lemmings!
 
Cyclist here and I'd say 50/50 on this one. Cyclist should have stopped if you we're stationary and indicating. You however should have checked you mirrors. Learn from it and buy a long pole to clothesline idiot cyclists!
 
Depends on the full circumstances, undertaking is bad especially if it's a bike sharing the lane with a car, also they shouldn't jump queues to the front (small queues I mean as it just makes the cars have to pass again, needless), long queues less of an issue why wait.

That said if I was planning to turn left in 20-30 metres and had to go past the cyclist first and was going to impede them I would have just stayed behind the cyclist. I certainly wouldn't have waited and let a car out, that's just causing it so you have some blame here.

Although I'll admit I rarely check my left mirror in single lane situations, if some cyclist want's to play to be silly with a 1 tonne car by undertaking and invoke Darwin's law then more fool them. But I wouldn't overtake a cyclist just before turning left, that would be me being silly and make it my fault.

Stuff shouldn't be going up your inside, so there is little need to be checking that mirror unless on a dual lane carriageway or motorway etc. Also as for blind spot checking, that's silly I'm more concerned with what is front of my than taking my eyes off the road to look behind / to the side, think it would be more dangerous to turn to check blind spots in a lot of situations. I just check my mirrors and consider speed well in advance of wanting to move so there is little need to turn to do a blind spot check (except for when reversing).
 
Scania said:
Unfortunately, cyclists seem to be unable to recognise a flashing indicator.
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Because of the cyclists height and position, indicators on some cars are very hard to spot - especially if the lenses are clear and it's very sunny.

Unfortunately a lot of indicators on car are only designed to be viewed from directly behind from a drivers eye level.

And what's with the recent trend of placing the front ones beside the grille rather than on the outside edge of the car? Peugeot's are bad for this.
 
Undertaking is bad, and the cyclist must be stupid/have had a death wish. However you've also admitted that you weren't fully aware of your surroundings, and didn't drive as you should have done.

Just be thankful no one was hurt. Cyclist and driver.
 
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Scania said:
Unfortunately, cyclists seem to be unable to recognise a flashing indicator.

I have numerous cyclists come up my inside at junctions - and not just when stationary either - especially in large city's, why on earth they want to chance it with an articulated truck I don't know, but, chance it they do.
Bloody lemmings!
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See you say this, but then I'm noticing more and more the newer cars have increasingly difficult to see indicators. No idea what the model is but I think its a new Peugot, has very thin 45 degree angled led indicators that are no doubt fashionable, but incredibly difficult to see.

Not to mention the plethora and majority of drivers that don't bother to indicate..
 
Did old cars have left wing mirrors? Is it illegal to undertake?

Stupid cyclist.

I do wonder what goes through the heads of cyclists sometimes, there's a number of roads that I drive on that I would simply never go on unless in a big metal can because I know if I did on a regular basis I would almost definitely be knocked off. Roads are too busy and cars too fast for cohabitation to exist anymore imo.
 
desires said:
Did old cars have left wing mirrors? Is it illegal to undertake?

Stupid cyclist.

I do wonder what goes through the heads of cyclists sometimes, there's a number of roads that I drive on that I would simply never go on unless in a big metal can because I know if I did on a regular basis I would almost definitely be knocked off. Roads are too busy and cars too fast for cohabitation to exist anymore imo.
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Fairly sure you don't need a passenger side wing mirror, as far as I'm aware the law is you need 2 mirrors and the compulsory one is the driver's side wing mirror. Which was lucky for me as my passenger mirror glass fell off :S, was without it for about a week till Halfords got the part in.
 
Cyclist's fault primarily, but as a general rule, that's no excuse not to check - the moment the woman pulling out of the junction didn't accept your wave off, you should be asking yourself why and if there's something about the situation you've missed.

But still the cyclists fault, quite clear you were intending to turn, so shouldn't have attempted to pass.

I'm a leisure cyclist myself - I don't commute, but I do ride on a regular basis through urban areas.
 
PooBrain said:
I hate cycling on the road, i don't feel safe so i am forced to pedal on the roads now am i? That's stupid...
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If you hated driving on the roads, and felt unsafe driving on them, would you think it acceptable to claim that all drivers should drive slowly on the path?
 
(anyone think indicators are getting harder to spot recently, especially the clear lensed ones?).
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This!

I hate the modern ones where only the bulb is coloured.

They may meet the "Legal requirements" and they are OK at night but they are barely visible in bright daylight.

Hopefully as LED arrays become more common this will become less of a problem but for now there are a fair number of vehicles out there where the intentions of drivers coming towards you are often almost impossible to ascertain even if they are indicating correctly.

(This can be of particular importance at mini-roundabouts!)
 
PooBrain said:
I hate cycling on the road, i don't feel safe so i am forced to pedal on the roads now am i? That's stupid...
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Bicycles are in law carriages (in case law due to Taylor v Goodwin [1879] QB 43 JP 653, and in legislation thanks to s85 Local Government Act 1886), and all carriages are forbidden from using the footway (s72 Highways Act 1835). This is punishable by a fixed penalty notice under s51 and Sch. 3 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, and theoretically by prosecution with a maximum £500 fine.

Quite archaic, but still relevant, and still referenced. And for what it's worth, bad cyclists annoy me more than bad drivers but aren't likely to injure me or kill me...
 
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