Drivers Knock down cyclist in London

[gerrykeegan]

On two seperate occasions i have chased coppers into Garda HQ in the Pheonix Park who have nearly ran me over , I was lit up like a f**king christmas tree. I asked could one of them be arrested! I drive and cycle and agree with Nifan "Some people are just selfish pricks - whether on a bike or in a car" when they are like that they shouldnt be on the road.

[AZOffaly]

Jaysus he got a right hopper there. why was he wearing a camera though? Seems odd.

Anyhow, wrt to cyclists vs motorists, I think it's fair to say most cyclists are motorists as well, so pig ignorance works both ways. I hate when those amateur Tour de France lads go 3 or 4 abreast on country roads. Lads, single f*cking file. Unless it's a proper race with marshalls and guards, there's no excuse for that.

However I have seen some really ignorant drivers just not looking for cyclists. I don't see many people deliberately putting cyclists at risk, but a huge amount of people, especially turning left, just don't check for cyclists coming up behind them. Deadly dangerous.

[ludermor]

Jaysus he got a right hopper there. why was he wearing a camera though? Seems odd.

Anyhow, wrt to cyclists vs motorists, I think it's fair to say most cyclists are motorists as well, so pig ignorance works both ways. I hate when those amateur Tour de France lads go 3 or 4 abreast on country roads. Lads, single f*cking file. Unless it's a proper race with marshalls and guards, there's no excuse for that.

However I have seen some really ignorant drivers just not looking for cyclists. I don't see many people deliberately putting cyclists at risk, but a huge amount of people, especially turning left, just don't check for cyclists coming up behind them. Deadly dangerous.

AZ they are becoming more more common, you can pick up a wee camera for 20 quid these days and you upload them by USB.

[AZOffaly]

Jaysus he got a right hopper there. why was he wearing a camera though? Seems odd.

Anyhow, wrt to cyclists vs motorists, I think it's fair to say most cyclists are motorists as well, so pig ignorance works both ways. I hate when those amateur Tour de France lads go 3 or 4 abreast on country roads. Lads, single f*cking file. Unless it's a proper race with marshalls and guards, there's no excuse for that.

However I have seen some really ignorant drivers just not looking for cyclists. I don't see many people deliberately putting cyclists at risk, but a huge amount of people, especially turning left, just don't check for cyclists coming up behind them. Deadly dangerous.

AZ they are becoming more more common, you can pick up a wee camera for 20 quid these days and you upload them by USB.

Yeah, but why? Is it to record dangerous driving or what? Or is it like a black box on a plane in case something happens to you?

[ballinaman]

Jaysus he got a right hopper there. why was he wearing a camera though? Seems odd.

Anyhow, wrt to cyclists vs motorists, I think it's fair to say most cyclists are motorists as well, so pig ignorance works both ways. I hate when those amateur Tour de France lads go 3 or 4 abreast on country roads. Lads, single f*cking file. Unless it's a proper race with marshalls and guards, there's no excuse for that.

However I have seen some really ignorant drivers just not looking for cyclists. I don't see many people deliberately putting cyclists at risk, but a huge amount of people, especially turning left, just don't check for cyclists coming up behind them. Deadly dangerous.

AZ they are becoming more more common, you can pick up a wee camera for 20 quid these days and you upload them by USB.

Yeah, but why? Is it to record dangerous driving or what? Or is it like a black box on a plane in case something happens to you?

Probably a bit of both AZ.

Check out this lad. Skip to 3.08 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=He7RsjcRiGM#!

[tyssam5]

Jaysus he got a right hopper there. why was he wearing a camera though? Seems odd.

Anyhow, wrt to cyclists vs motorists, I think it's fair to say most cyclists are motorists as well, so pig ignorance works both ways. I hate when those amateur Tour de France lads go 3 or 4 abreast on country roads. Lads, single f*cking file. Unless it's a proper race with marshalls and guards, there's no excuse for that.

However I have seen some really ignorant drivers just not looking for cyclists. I don't see many people deliberately putting cyclists at risk, but a huge amount of people, especially turning left, just don't check for cyclists coming up behind them. Deadly dangerous.

AZ they are becoming more more common, you can pick up a wee camera for 20 quid these days and you upload them by USB.

Yeah, but why? Is it to record dangerous driving or what? Or is it like a black box on a plane in case something happens to you?

Yeah good for accidents etc., plenty of commercial vehicles have them now. Also good fun, esp.for mountain biking.

[AZOffaly]

OK, now this is really puzzling. Shorts? Check. T-Shirt? Check. Buideál of water? Check. Watch? Check. Socks? Check. Runners? Check. Camera strapped to the top of my head as i go for a jog? Check.

what the Jaysus is that about?

[Ulick]

I had an ignorant p***k of cyclist mouth off to me a few weeks back because I pulled into the side of a four lane road two minutes before the clearway restrictions were due to expire. Didn't cut him up or anything, this lad just decided to put the world to rights on his own. When I told him to get lost he made a big deal over his helmet camera and how he was going to report me to the peelers. Strange thing he never came within two dozen paces but preferred to shout down the street. Spotted him mouthing off to some bewildered foreign national the other night on the same stretch of road. Arsehole needs those sweaty spandex trunks shoved down his throat.

[nifan]

Jaysus he got a right hopper there. why was he wearing a camera though? Seems odd.

Very common in london now, and there have been people getting points and fines for reckless driving on the back of them.

Id like to see some of the dodgy cyclists receiving the same justice though.

[bennydorano]

As a club member I have a cycling licence which means i'm licenced & insured (3rd party), i also  pay every other tax going, so your argument is a bit pants wobbler.  I've saw police tackling cyclists as well, so we're not exactly exempt from the law.

1. So you don't see that you're the exception here? How many cycling licences are in circulation.

2. When police "track" a cyclist, what punishment are they likely to hand out? It's not like they're going to lose the books.

3. I'm a taxed, licensed and insured car driver. But I wouldn't ride a motorbike on a public road.

There are many, many very safe, very reliable cyclists in this world. I'm not suggesting otherwise. But all too many cyclists I face on the roads every day in Belfast are anything but. Should an accident occur between me and them, I'm guilty without trial. I lose out.

It's the generalisations that cause annoyance, You cant be a club member without paying your dues, so quite a few licences in circulation, prob as many as there are vehicles on the roads without road tax or insurance. Htf are you automatically guilty if you tangle with a cyclist? Thats just balls. Cyclists can be done for wild riding.

[Eamonnca1]

Any time I see another rider running a red light I make sure and give them a bollicking.  A couple of months ago there was this one fella who sailed clean through a left turn red arrow on 4-lane expressway right in front of over a dozen motorists.  I roared at him and he gave me the middle finger, even invited me over to discuss it.  I told him to wait right there.  I waited for the green light and pulled up to him.

Me: "I don't want to make a big deal about this but..."
Him: "Well it's too late for that, you already have."
Me: "That was a very dangerous thing you just did back there."
Him: "Well I disagree, I think sometimes it's safer to run a red light or run a stop sign."
Me: "I don't see anything safe about what you did."
Him: "Well maybe that was borderline, but what is it to you anyway?  What's it gotta do with you, huh?"
Me: "It's got plenty to do with me.  I'm out on these roads every week and I depend on motorists to have respect for cyclists if I'm going to stay alive out here."
Him: "So you think it affects you?"
Me: "Yes it does. It's hard enough to earn a bit of respect out here without people like you running stop lights and running stop signs.  I could understand you maybe doing it when there's no cars around, but you did that right in front of a ton of drivers."

This went on for another few minutes and he kinda backed down a wee bit, but his ego wouldn't let him completely admit he was wrong.

BTW, if it's not safe to pass bikes riding two abreast then it's not safe to pass when they're riding single file.  In fact there's times when riding single file would be even more of an obstacle.  Example: a squad of about 20 of us were riding into Point Reyes Station on a narrow windy road and some cars had gathered up behind us.  We all got into single file (we always do on that road because it has a fair bit of traffic) but the cars still couldn't get past us.  We were stretched out for so long that it was impossible for anyone to get past in the short overtaking straights.  If we were riding in a compact bunch then we'd have been a bit wider but would have been a lot shorter and it would have been easier for drivers to get past.  But we know how much that pisses the stupid drivers off so we daren't do it.

[Puckoon]

I reckon you are definitely going to Heaven.

[Eamonnca1]

I don't.

[cadence]

i've cycled in london for years. it's best to stay as far away as possible from the busiest routes and the hairiest junctions as london drivers are amongst some of the most aggressive out there. they really don't give a flying f*ck a lot of them. my own theory on it is that it can be a very individualistic, competitive, darwinian rat race at times and the roads are a good reflection of the stress that people are under. having said that, some drivers in london are very cyclist aware due to the amount they share the roads with and are an absolute pleasure to be on the same road with. a heap aren't though. i'm in birmingham at the moment and they are not half as aggressive and are a very laid back bunch, but drivers here just don't have the level of awareness you get in london.

i'd prfer to cycle in birmingham any day. london is scary, best sticking to the back routes and through parks as much as you can and factor this into your journey time. mad place on a bike.

[Eamonnca1]

San Francisco, despite the hills, is a huge cycling city.  There's a lot of different cycling tribes though.

The racers (my group). 
Attire: club outfits, helmet and bike chosen to match club colors. 
Equipment: Latest carbon fiber frames.  Anything older than a year is considered obsolete.  Power meters ensure that the current and average wattage provides a steady stream of conversation.
Habitat: country roads outside the city in Marin
Behavior: Reasonable at obeying the rules compared to some, but no angels.  Often found riding in large packs.
Critics say: Get single file. And slow the hell down when coming back across the Golden Gate Bridge when tourists on rental bikes are wobbling their way across in the other direction.

Messengers:
Attire: T-shirt, messenger bag, jeans with drive-side leg turned up to just below the knee.
Equipment: Low budget, fixed wheel, no brakes. 
Habitat: Financial district, or any part of town where there's small businesses needing parcels moved.
Behavior: Kamakaze riders, they put the fear of God into onlookers as they hurtle around with no brakes, having near-misses with every vehicle in town, and being a general pain in the ass by running every stop sign and stop light in sight.
Critics say: Darwinian natural selection in action

Hipsters:
Attire: same as messengers, even if there's no need for a messenger bag
Equipment: Designer fixed wheels, usually brightly colored tri-spoke affairs.  Brakes optional.
Habitat: Any part of town with a decent concentration of dive bars, particularly venues that play live music.
Behavior:  Use their bikes ostensibly to get around at night, but mainly as a fashion statement.  It's not uncommon to walk past dive bars and see a load of fixies locked up outside with their laminated cards and artwork woven into the spokes.  Just as likely to be seen walking their bikes as riding them.
Critics say: Learn to ride

Critical Mass crowd:
Attire: Unwashed
Equipment: Anything on two wheels.
Habitat: Every street during the evening commute for one day of the month
Behavior:  Utterly lawless when they get into that big group and set out to alienate every motorist in town.  Previous mayors have tried unsuccessfully to crack down on it, nowadays they have a police escort and you see SFPD motorcyclists helping them out by "corking" junctions to stop the cross traffic and to clear a path for them.  The thinking seems to be that cracking down on it will make it less of an act of defiance and they might lose interest, but it doesn't seem to get any smaller.
Critics say: Ban it

Anti-car activists:
Attire: See Critical Mass
Equipment: In the absence of a whicker handlebar basket, it'll be a crate is attached to the rack over the back wheel and emblazoned with stickers saying "One less car", "No wars for oil" and other leftist slogans. 
Habitat: Any train that allows bikes to be carried during the commute
Behavior: Usually pretty slow and timid on the street.
Critics say: Stop taking up so much room on the train

Tourists:
Attire: A tank top for the girls, T shirt for the fellas, shorts, flip flops, and other woefully inadequate preparations for the howling icy cold wind that blows across the Golden Gate Bridge in the summer
Equipment: Identical hybrid bikes with a bag on the front labelled "Blazing Saddles bike hire" and a map of the local area on top of it.
Habitat: Anywhere between the Marina and Sausilito. 
Behavior: Obedient of the rules, but timid, wobbly, and clearly inexperienced.  Often seen stopped in the middle of the path on the Golden gate Bridge, or worse, trying to control a bike in one hand and a camcorder in the other while looking everywhere except where they're going while racers are bearing down on them at 35MPH coming the other way.  Prone to panicking, locking up the front wheel, and flying over the handlebars when being overtaken by faster riders.
Critics say: Look where you're going, dammit.