Yep, It's happened again! Gobby foul mouthed oik yobs in VW Passat passed me at speed, less than six inches from me and frightening the crxp outta me. This was due to an oncoming vehicle. It's a country lane with not a lot of traffic. Can't these dixkxads wait a few seconds, or pass carefully? He stopped when I gave him the bird and vented his spleen at me with a tirade of Essex oik abuse and then threatened to knock me off. All I said to him was "slow down". I thought he was going to get out and start a fight, but I dwarfed him, so he stayed where he was. What a brave little guy with his three mates to back him up? 👿
What would your reaction be? I know I shouldn't have riled him, but that's easily said when your veins aren't pumping with adrenalin. Maybe, just maybe, the hassle he got from me will make him think about what a dxxk he was being and that he might modify his behaviour in future. Probably not - too thick and ignorant!
Motorists who totally disregard cyclist safety are making this sort of event a very regular habit these days. As it's so wet offroad in winter I often use the road bike. I ride mostly quiet coutry lanes, but there are the inevitable stretches of road where you get fast moving traffic (50mph plus).
I've been passed within two feet by cars doing 70mph with no oncoming traffic. This happened twice in 15 mins I won't be using this road ever again. A straight, wide A road.
Got shouted at and abused by a young driver when I held a bus up on a bend. It delayed them no more than 15 seconds!
Then there are the cars full of drunken kxxbhxxds, late at night, who slow down and shout abuse thinking they are clever. I find a 20w head torch shone straight in their eyes usually puts them off.
The worst ocassion was when someone tried to nudge me off with their wing mirror on an empty straight A road late at night. Then they turned their lights off and drove off. Then came back passing me on the opposite side of the road. It was a Smart (those pathetic little roller skate cars distributed by Mercedes) so I called the Police (who never showed up - situation normal!). Unfortuanately as it was dark, I didn't have my head torch and he/she had their lights off, so I couldn't catch all of their registration. So they got away with it!
I frequently witness many impatient drivers acting like total dxxks (when biking, walking, or driving), so regrettably I think I am going to have to "out" the road bike and stick to getting covered in mud every time I want a spin.
Riding on the road used to be a relatively safe experience, but I feel if I carry on, it's only a matter of time before I end up in hospital, or worse still, in a wooden box!
Report it to the police, , reg number, time and description of driver etc, or dont ride on roads, easy.
....and unfortunately you've detailed precisely why (although I also got knocked off twice) I stopped riding my road bikes and sold them. The same idiots you meet in the street just walking are even bigger idiots in cars !
I'm nervous even when having to use roads linking to trails.
second what project said. Report it to plod. Most times when I've done that, they pay them a little visit and have a quite word. Usually, the more of a knob the person is, the more of a word they have.
Countrywide problem - the UK "right to drive". The number of cars will never stop increasing, neither will the number of ignorant, agressive, stupid, etc people allowed behind the wheel.
Someone on here said (something like) "a near miss is still a miss" - made me realise its not worth getting het-up over every moron who gets too close.
Large U-Lock to put windows in and deal with oik? After all they have just threatened you with a tonne plus of weapon any response with a U-Lock is proportionate and not excessive surely.
I was about 50 mtrs from the top of Hardnott pass last saturday, a nob in a car sat about 3 feet from my back wheel, i presume a bit peevish that he could not get past, I was trying my very best to keep it going as there were no more passing places, he did pass me almost pushing me off the road in the process, then on the decsent he was going so slowly the opposite situation occured. I was patient and stayed behind him until he pulled over to take in the views. Then on Wrynose bottom not 2 minutes later a big Jag came the other way did not slow, and pushed straight past with no regard for me as a road user of equal standing. Very dangerous. Complete and utter w@#kers. When I ride in town I take the a more aggresive attitude, but only for my own safety, as I believe is now advised by safety groups and the like.
Some people are tw4ts. Yesterday on my way to work a group of yoofs was walking on the pavement, I was riding on the road, than suddenly one of them decided it would be fun to try and spit at me, I was doing about 20mph so he wasn't quick enough. If it wasn't for his 15 mates with him I would probably stop and discuss this with him and make him think twice next time as he wouldn't have any teeth left.
Been shout at, and thrown some stuff (mainly plastic bottles) from car windows at me while riding my bike. Makes You wonder is there any hope for those ****s or they will just get worse with age.
Would reporting an incident like this to the Police make a difference? My experience is that the Police will do nothing.
It doesn't help when you sit and watch Philip Schofield and Fern Britain berating cyclists on national TV as agressive yobs who disrespect all other road users. They made a comment about how a cyclist abused someone when they stepped off the pavement without looking. Pedestrians who step off a kerb without looking deserve to get knocked down - it's their responsibility to look first! This happened to my mate riding in Tokyo last month. He's getting sued by the pedestrian! That's the law in Japan!?!?
I'm afraid the UK public attiude to cycling is largely stuck in the dark ages. Many people think that cyclists are just wierdo environmentalists or just social misfits who can't afford a car. Or they ingnorantly and/or selfishly regard cyclists as a bloody nuisance!
On the flip side. Some cyclists do disregard the rules and there is an significant element of clueless idiots on two wheels who are a danger to themselves as well as other road users.
We can't win! Especially when it's you and 20-30lbs of bike, versus a tonne or more of highly powered steel driven by incompetent and/or agressive idiots!
Happens all the time on my commute. What I do depends on how bad the driving was and whether I catch up with them. Someone pulled out in front of me from a parking space last week, I caught them at light and the guy said, 'whats the proble, I saw you'. eh why did you pull out causing me to brake you fanny.
Gnerally it's better to let it go.
I find my Air Zound bike horn helps with venting if people nearly hit me,and being cagey about where i cycle. I still ride on roads,but always find quiter roads after commuting though Sheffield for a few weeks and starting to feel like it was only a matter of time untill i got hit. Try and find quiet roads to ride on.
I was out on a ride a year ago with a wise zen-master friend of mine. A chap cut us up. I almost got on my high horse. He simply said "we shall not allow these small people to pollute our minds" and rode on. 🙂
[i]I was out on a ride a year ago with a wise zen-master friend of mine. A chap cut us up. I almost got on my high horse. He simply said "we shall not allow these small people to pollute our minds" and rode on.[/i]
I like that.
I've also been riding home with a couple of old ex-pro riders, who caught up with a car that was being driven badly, reached in and removed the car keys, then dropped them over a churchyard wall.
I've also been riding home with a couple of old ex-pro riders, who caught up with a car that was being driven badly, reached in and removed the car keys, then dropped them over a churchyard wall.
I've often thought about doing that kind of thing... Only I'd fling them into a hedge so that they have to wade through the used nappies and half eaten KFC to find them.
[i]I've also been riding home with a couple of old ex-pro riders, who caught up with a car that was being driven badly, reached in and removed the car keys, then dropped them over a churchyard wall.[/i]
I would never do something like that for 2 reasons - the main one being it is highly unlikely I would succeed and secondly its likely the driver would see me again - they have a car, I have a bike - I know who would come out of it worse off.
Do you wear a yellow hi-viz vest?
I always do now, I really think it focuses *MOST* drivers attention a little bit more. White van man this morning was an exception...
Thats why I dont often do anything, its very likely you will cross each others paths and I dont want to give a bad driver even more reason to be a risk to me...
That said I would love to rip their heads off and mount the head on my bars as a sign to all other drives that I am not to be messed with...
The guy who did it was also an ex-policeman!
the UK "right to drive"
Don't come to France then
If they do it regulary, stand in the usual place, armed with a camera, and take a photo of their car & face.
Name & Shame!!!!! Surely its legal, they are on public property?
Keep things in perspective. For several years now, deaths on the roads have been less than the year before. it wasn't all great in the old days! less congested maybe, but congestion slows the cars down.
Part of the reason that incidental deaths are going down is because non-motorised road users are increasingly marginalised and effectively driven off the roads.
Part of the reason that incidental deaths are going down is because non-motorised road users are increasingly marginalised and effectively driven off the roads.
proof?
According to Transport for London they reckon over 80% rise in cyclists in the last year. Although London is an exeption due to congestion charges and overcrowded commuter trains.
I also have read that generally in the rest of the country there is an increase in cycling as both a commute to work and a recreational hobby.
I've cycled and commuted by cycling since the mid 80s and in the last 2 or 3 years the deliberate aggression shown to cyclists by motorists has really increased.
How about pedestrians?
Ever read Mayer Hillman? He writes a fair bit about how motor useage stops others from using roads.
Cycling home from a ride yesterday and I had a taxi driver open his door when I was about 3 foot away. 🙁
I actually screamed "Oh no" and swerved out into the road to avoid it. All he could muster was "Sorry mate". Luckily there was no traffic coming behind me or I was a dead man.
To make matters worse, he'd overtaken me about 30 seconds earlier so he was aware I was on the road...
must confess to swearing vigorously at a little old lady in a micra yesterday, straight piece of road with a car parked on the left, I moved to the middle of the road to pass it, she then went to overtake me, noticed car coming the other way and pulled back in, unfortunately I was level with her passenger door at the time. Nearly stuck me in the back of the parked car.
In retrospect I'd have been unhappy is someone spoke to my mother like that, but hopefully she'll remember and maybe pay more attention in future.
Far too many incidents recently of people hurling abuse at me on the roads, possibly as a result of occasional commutes into Milton Keynes.
14th feb - white van man tries to barge me into roadworks in his hurry to pass me.
27th feb - driver pulls out of a side road in front of me and I come within inches of hitting him, only avoiding the impact by swerving into the other lane which, thankfully contains no oncoming traffic
5th march - driver turns into a side road from the opposite lane/direction without looking and broadsides me, spinning me onto his bonnet then into the ground. I'm left with a broken collarbone (the ends being 4cm apart, one end having been pushed under the other by the impact), a banged up knee, a ride in an ambulance, lots of bruising, an initial month off work, 2 days in hospital for surgery to rebuild the collarbone, months of rehab and 3 months off the bike.
However, the police aren't bothered and aren't taking it any further. The driver has never checked to see if I'm okay after the incident.
Only one of these drivers apologised at the time of the incident. Can you guess which one it was?
For several years now, deaths on the roads have been less than the year before.
For cyclists, yes since 2005 the number of deaths have fallen from that year's peak of 148 to 136 in 2007 - still more than 2004 though. However serious injuries of cyclists were up 6% in 2007.
Or were you referring to all road deaths, which are influenced by car safety (not much help to cyclists)?
We should all pack helmetcams. Like the glaswegian chap that does it. Mind you he did get death threats etc, but mainly because he posted his identity online as well as his commute route?!?
For two years I ploughed a lonely furrow in Aberdeen as a cycle courier. Two or three near misses a month, two serious accidents in the two year period (bike destroyed, broken bones).
Now I live in NE England and am scared sh1tless every time I have to ride on the road.
Further to BigDummy's approach, I highly recommend laying out a prayer mat in the outside lane of the roundabout on which you have just had a near miss, and thanking Allah for your deliverance (or Buddah / God / LBS / etc., etc.). Slows 'em down a bit......
coffeeking - Member
We should all pack helmetcams.
I do use mine for that and am in the process of compling a short on bad driving/near misses.
grant - Member5th march - driver turns into a side road from the opposite lane/direction without looking and broadsides me, spinning me onto his bonnet then into the ground. I'm left with a broken collarbone (the ends being 4cm apart, one end having been pushed under the other by the impact), a banged up knee, a ride in an ambulance, lots of bruising, an initial month off work, 2 days in hospital for surgery to rebuild the collarbone, months of rehab and 3 months off the bike.
Hope you get better soon and have his insurance details.
i've been knocked off my bike by someone opening the door of their parked car without looking. now i ride past parked cars with a healthy door-width margin. so now i get drivers swearing and blaring their horns cause there is no space from them to squeeze past me. The annoying thing is, i'm convinced the short-sighted drivers that have a problem with me cycling in the middle of the lane are the same short-sighted drivers that open their doors without looking.
i reckon we should get a load of stickers made up saying 'cyclist beware bad driver!'
and everytime some w@nker nearly kills you catch up and slap it on the back of his car next to his max power/ caravan club/ ramblers assosciation/ mbuk logo
I had a nice man who objected to me indicating right to turn into a side road which was about 80m away from what was at the time a red traffic light. He used quite a lot of rude words and gestures so I went back to ask what the problem was. He asked if I wanted him to get out and sort it out, so I shrugged - he then locked his car door. Then he told me to F-off then drove off at very low speed to the next traffic light about 150m further on, at which I clapped him and complimented him on his driving, then he was stuck in traffic going at less than 15mph all the way to the next traffic lights 250m up the road at which I gave him a big thumbs up, at which he put his hand on the horn button. Cheery wave and I cycled off.
if someone overtakes me on my commute with what i consider too little space, i ring my bell rather aggresively and hope they realise 😀
also, if a big truck (esp. a tipper) actually gives me some decent space (imagine!) i give them a thank you wave
the funny thing is, i see almost as many bad cyclists as car drivers - it's no wonder we get a bad rep. seeing cyclists fly along the pavement or through junctions on a green man, scaring the sxxt out of pedestrians makes me really angry.