[Closed] Stupid things you see on your commute.

had a corker yesterday

coming to the junction where i was knocked off in the winter

proceeding with caution covering the brakes doing about 20kph according to garmin and slowing - previously i had been doing 40-45kph in the cycle lane.

as usual a car doesnt use its mirrors and flashes a car out - i was ready for that and there was enough room for the car to come out - no bother.

the car behind the car thats already exited then pulls stright out from behind a wall without slowing or looking (ie TOTALLY blind) and joins the traffic at 45 degrees straddling the cycle lane- HIT the brakes skid to a hault JUST in time and slap her boot. She goes MENTAL.

comes along side window down - starts shouting about damage to her car, She got about 5 words out before i set about giving her the entire verbal abuse that i had in me at full volume about blind drivers and not ****ing looking - and then pointing out that if she wanted to take it further i have the whole ****ing thing on video pointing at my road hawk. She then proceeded to shut up. - coupled with the fact that i then accelerated off back to 40kph and she was stuck in the traffic

Yup I've had that "where's your bell?" your bell comment followed be me telling them I rang it 30 yards up the canal path prior to us meeting!

The bloody dog leads get me that allow them to range 20 yards from there bloody owner if they cannot control a dog off the lead they need to keep it on a MUCH shorter one FFS Cannot see the bloody things until it's nearly too late.
You can usually spot the Muppet's with them though as in the other hand is a phone welded to their ears 🙄

40kph

:swoons:

Topical...

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i see you have nothing constructive to add brakes..... im merely pointing out i was mitigating my risk by slowing down and was hardly zooming along or as the police like to put it - pedaling furiously !

there's a bloke who rides the same route as me back up the hill from the station who I'm amazed is still alive.
His version of the route includes; riding down the wrong side of the road to reach a junction (and swears at oncoming drivers using [u]their[/u] bit of the road)
weaving through a pedestrian crossing then immediately jumping a red light (often in the path of double decker buses)
filtering between cars queuing for traffic lights and often bumping into them or knocking wing mirrors
veering out of the cycle lane for no reason into the path of cars causing them to anchor on.
If i find myself anywhere near him i just go the long way home as he's so unstable on his bike it's really hard to overtake him

Also he's always got this annoying sh*t-eating grin on his face the whole time as well which just makes me hate him regardless of his cycling

His version of the route includes;

Cyclists who don't moderate their speed to their environment annoy me. I see some folk who travel at the same speed whether they are in traffic, cutting up over the pavement at lights or on busy shared paths where there are children, dogs and ducks on the loose. Honestly can't get my head around it.

I find the drivers who are so determined that they [i]must[/i] pass me that they are willing to take on speed bumps at over 20 mph and ground their bumpers quite incredible, but the noise their cars make as they hit the ground brings a smile to my face.

i saw an owl.
oh and a deer....
lots of new lambs and calfs...cute...
buzzard eating a mashed roadkill rabbit...

mitigating my risk

I think this is one of the key things that needs to be learned by cyclists using the roads, like what is taught to motorcyclists. throwing money at road design is less than half the battle.

what really really galls me is pedestrians who don't want to lose face by speeding up a tiny bit to get out the way of vehicles. walking across the the road is not a life-affirming activity, running will not ruin your street cred.

The stupidest thing i've ever seen on my commute was me t-boning a car on a roundabout. The guy was so kind as well, checking i was OK when it was all my fault 😳

Coventrys terrible for people walking into the road without looking. The inner ring road is buses, taxis and bikes only. I think if they cant hear a bus then its clear. The eyes NEVER check the road. I really fancy getting a great big air horn.

I find the drivers who are so determined that they must pass me that they are willing to take on speed bumps at over 20 mph and ground their bumpers quite incredible, but the noise their cars make as they hit the ground brings a smile to my face.

I quite enjoy this too.

@Donk

He never 'takes the lane' which is something i do everyday on this route and very rarely have a problem.
In the meantime this bloke literally rides down the wrong side of the road in the middle of the lane to avoid a traffic light with never anymore than three cars queuing on it

Stupid things you see on your commute

Bradford.

[i]Not really helpful - a nice word might actually get your message across and benefit the rest of us[/i]

Yeah right! Car drivers are renowned for their listening skills and admitting they were wrong. Duh.

The bloke riding a Piaggio commuter scooter who pulled out from the line of slow / stationary traffic to overtake without even so much as glancing over his shoulder. He's cut me up twice in the last week doing this. Yesterday I was expecting it, so matched my speed enough to be able to share a couple of thoughts with him as I continued past.

To be fair, this morning, he was looking, saw me, and didn't pull out until I had gone past. I gave him a cheery "good morning" on the way by.

Other than that, just the usual: revvy cars an inch off the back wheel approaching the back of a queue of stationary traffic, overtaking cars on left hand bends slicing the apex (and nearly slicing me in the process), the joy of the speedbump scrapers as described above, dozy pedestrians not looking where they're going, people stopped in the ASZ at lights, drivers who think the rules of priority at roundabouts don't apply to bikes (or are French), people flashing other people out at junctions as I ride through them (with right of way)...

Si set about giving her the entire verbal abuse that i had in me at full volume ..... it further i have the whole **** thing on video ..... She then proceeded to shut up. ..... i then accelerated off back to 40kph

You are this Gareth Williams and I claim my £5

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I see retarded behaviour from everyone, cyclists, drivers, pedestrians, the lot.

Day before yesterday I saw a young couple who were out jogging waiting to cross North Carriage Drive in Hyde Park. There are 3 cyclists in a row approaching, not enough time between them to cross. One cyclist goes past, the girl decides to jump out into the road. Cyclist 2 shouts at her and her bf pulls her back onto the pavement with millimetres to spare.

That plus cyclists squeezing down the left hand side of large heavy lorries, motorcyclists squeezing through gaps at speed, drivers changing lane without looking, drivers attempting to left hook, all that jazz.

Aaaahhhh, London...

Couple of years ago, commuting out of London at 5 a.m. , I slowed down for a pedestrian who looked a bit distressed and was flagging me down - he was French and very lost.
Turns out he had fallen asleep on a nightbus and wanted directions to Trafalgar Square.
A local wag had directed him from High Barnet bus stops towards Potters bar ( wrong direction).
He was a good 12 mile off course. (Obviously ,being a gentleman ,I sent him back towards the tube.)

who is gareth williams ? should i know him ?

or is it a local in joke i dont get as im not from royston vasey ?

There's nothing for you here.

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😀

Is that a coffin?

Gareth Williams, aka CycleGaz. He is an angry, confrontation loving cyclist who shouts a lots, reads number plates out loud and seems to be in permanent fear of his life.

[url= http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/war-on-britains-roads-cyclist-gareth-williams-gets-death-threats-8393175.html ]http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/war-on-britains-roads-cyclist-gareth-williams-gets-death-threats-8393175.html[/url]

@trackydisco

Winner!

CycleGaz is a uniquely annoying, smug, sanctimonious, self-righteous and pompous little arse!

After watching that programme, I wanted to punch him! I'm surprised he hasn't been found face down in a river! Or in a shallow grave by the side of the road. He's only young though. I suspect that's where his fate ultimately lies. fairly shortly, I'd imagine

I struggle with long sentences, but loads of people sat in their cars with 4 empty seats, all going the same way, is probably the most stupid thing i see...

hmmm

Today, Mr KM10 LFP (I contemplated reporting him) on M62, around 7:45am, J25 Westbound, flying through traffic, zipping in and out of lanes, triggering the average speed cameras no doubt.

Oh, and reading a book. I kid you not, a bloody paperback book in his right hand.

There was the bus driver who told me I was going to get squashed if I carried on like that, as I filtered past his drivers side while he was stationary at lights that I know the sequence of, I just said 'no, I won't' and carried on...

loads of people sat in their cars with 4 empty seats, all going the same way

In all fairness, they are only going the same way at that exact instant. Most of them will be diverging at some point later in the journey!

I followed two driving school cars round the estate this morning - the one in front obviously a new learner and very hesitant, the other one clearly more confident and cocky as they decided to overtake on a blind right hand bend even though the car in front was signalling to turn off left.... 🙄

If I'd been the instructor I'd have slapped their hand while it was on top of the gearstick - it really hurts, and it motivates you to pass your test the first time so you don't have to get in the car with the sadistic bitch ever again.....

Most of them will be diverging at some point later in the journey!

Most of them are just waiting to overtake

Cut up, pulled out in front off, had the brakes slammed on in front of me etc etc, Blimey, I think we all deserve a medal just getting up in the morning. The point is - I dont want to be Mr angry any more, one fine day it will end up in a punch up and I dont like prison food. A "do you mid ol chap" or even " I say" is going to suffice from now on. I am not going to waste my karma on them, cos eventually the b****tds will get what they deserve anyway.

school kid escort walker in high vis jacket teaching kids to walk safely to school. With her back to me and without looking she suddenly jumps into the road [ to overtake some kids] and i hit her - did not even touch my brakes. Lying there with her completely in the road and my wheels in the road but me half on the road and half on the kerb. Her reaction was to start swearing at me in front of the kids for hitting her and mounting the pavement. Another escort person had to get her to stop and she would not listen to me ...on the plus side i did get to say wont you think about the children

...on the plus side i did get to say wont you think about the children

😆

Gareth Williams, aka CycleGaz. He is an angry, confrontation loving cyclist who shouts a lots, reads number plates out loud and seems to be in permanent fear of his life.

Alternatively he is a pretty decent chap that uses YouTube to highlight poor driving and cycling in an attempt to improve conditions on the roads for all and maybe even save some lives.

His "Silly Cyclists" series and website is really good.

After watching that programme, I wanted to punch him!

Perhaps you shouldn't judge him from a programme that was widely slated for being sensationalist bollocks, highly misleading and basically just looking to stir up trouble.

[i]His "Silly Cyclists" series and website is really good.[/i]

I disagree. Didn't realise that was him and now agree with those who think he's a knob.
All "Silly Cyclists" is is fuel to those who hate us already. Doesn't do any good whatsoever.

Alternatively he is a pretty decent chap that uses YouTube to highlight poor driving and cycling in an attempt to improve conditions on the roads for all and maybe even save some lives.

[i]shouts out the plates of every vehicle he ever sees[/i]

Sure about that?

All "Silly Cyclists" is is fuel to those who hate us already. Doesn't do any good whatsoever.

??

You seem to be suggesting that we should never publicly criticise the road handling of our fellow cyclists, or point out common errors, because it might fuel hatred?

By that argument then this thread is just fuelling hatred of cyclists too.

I don't think we should pretend that every cyclist is a saint and completely infallible.

Personally I quite enjoy "[url= http://www.sillycyclists.co.uk/ ]Silly Cyclists[/url]" as it provides good examples of what not to do and provides that criticism from the point of view of fellow cyclists, which is much harder to dismiss than some "raging cager".

Because he basically shouts out the plates of every vehicle he ever sees I assumed he was a car spotter.

Err.. no.. the reason he (and most other helmet cammers) shout out numberplates is that the camera doesn't always catch the plate and they want to remember it, so they can then either A) report them to [url= http://www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon/ ]Road Safe[/url] or B) name and shame them in the YouTube video

Yeah, I like the silly cyclists things too.
It shows there are just good road users and bad road users. How they get around is irrelevant.

Sometimes though he's a bit harsh. The latest issue has got as far as I can tell, some chap who falls off when he slips on a grid or white line in the wet.

Sometimes there will be a group of people walking 2/3/4 abreast towards me. It's a wide open area and they all watch me approach from a couple of hundred metres away. Only when I'm right on them and having to use the brakes to slow down to avoid imminent collision does my presence seem to register with them. Then they're all surprised and jumping out of the way with an alarmed look on their face. I've even had one shout "where's your bell?" at me

For the record, I do have a bell and try to use it, but it feels utterly daft ringing a bell to notify people who are in fact looking right at you of your presence.

I dont shout out number plates..... But then my camera is of a quality where it shows reg plates clearly

I record incase somethin major happens . I rarely do anything with the footage though.