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Cyclists riding side-by-side is biggest gripe for rural drivers claims survey

Road rage Britain, where 13 per cent of people admit shouting at an animal

Over half of 2,000 drivers questioned by Confused.com (54 per cent) said that cyclists riding side by side along country lanes is the most annoying thing about rural driving. The survey found that this entirely legal activity narrowly edged out drivers speeding dangerously (53 per cent) as the top annoyance, followed by dangerous overtaking (48 per cent).

Flytipping (37 per cent), potholes (35 per cent), and tractors (29 per cent) also earned mentions.

The Hereford Times reports that 40 per cent of UK drivers suffer road rage when driving on rural roads. (Road rage is the threshold – the survey sadly doesn’t cover the kind of impatience that must be required to attempt a manoeuvre like this.)

Other findings were that 23 per cent of drivers express their anger by shouting, 34 per cent by beeping their horn, while 14 per cent deploy the middle finger.

Motorists don't just lose their rag with cyclists though — 13 per cent of those questioned admitted shouting at an animal.

Of those, 17 per cent shouted at a sheep, 10 per cent at a cow, and 14 per cent at a bird. Shouting at a bird? That’s an impressive/frightening level of aggression to be carrying round with you.

47 per cent said they had swerved their car to avoid an animal.

63 per cent of drivers did not know the majority of fatal crashes occur on rural roads. The latest figures from the Department of Transport indicate that 93 fatalities were recorded on motorways last year, compared to 789 on built-up roads and 910 on non built-up — rural — roads.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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176 comments

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J90 | 6 years ago
0 likes

So many cyclists have awful discipline and awareness, in the middle of the road swerving about, keep a tight double paceline FFS, you can tell the ones who don't race or even do the club chaingang. Makes me even more angry, because as a cyclist, you get tarred with the same brush.

I mean people tend to dislike everybody else anyway in general, such a sad society.

Avatar
beezus fufoon replied to J90 | 6 years ago
0 likes

J90 wrote:

So many cyclists have awful discipline and awareness, in the middle of the road swerving about, keep a tight double paceline FFS, you can tell the ones who don't race or even do the club chaingang. Makes me even more angry, because as a cyclist, you get tarred with the same brush.

I mean people tend to dislike everybody else anyway in general, such a sad society.

you sound like fun

Avatar
davel replied to J90 | 6 years ago
1 like
J90 wrote:

So many cyclists have awful discipline and awareness, in the middle of the road swerving about, keep a tight double paceline FFS, you can tell the ones who don't race or even do the club chaingang. Makes me even more angry, because as a cyclist, you get tarred with the same brush.

I mean people tend to dislike everybody else anyway in general, such a sad society.

Like you, being angered by people who don't even do the club chaingang.

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to J90 | 6 years ago
1 like

J90 wrote:

So many cyclists have awful discipline and awareness, in the middle of the road swerving about, keep a tight double paceline FFS, you can tell the ones who don't race or even do the club chaingang. Makes me even more angry, because as a cyclist, you get tarred with the same brush.

I mean people tend to dislike everybody else anyway in general, such a sad society.

Pfft! I can assure you that being perfect is bloody hard work and generally a thankless task. But hey, give it a go one day...

Avatar
Pigpen | 6 years ago
0 likes

In our club the ride leaders have been on a 'course', and as most of you well know, 4 riders 2 up is the size of a large car, 4 in a line is the length of 2 cars, resulting in the said driver being ‘out’ for less time.

There needs to be some discretion here to single out and let traffic past, also it seems that no one has told the drivers why on group rides its done, as its actually to help them most of the time.

Avatar
oldstrath replied to Pigpen | 6 years ago
1 like

i.stuart wrote:

In our club the ride leaders have been on a 'course', and as most of you well know, 4 riders 2 up is the size of a large car, 4 in a line is the length of 2 cars, resulting in the said driver being ‘out’ for less time.

There needs to be some discretion here to single out and let traffic past, also it seems that no one has told the drivers why on group rides its done, as its actually to help them most of the time.

The trouble is that what drivers and Mr Brus think is the alternative is that we'll all be so close to the edge of the road that they can squeeze past without caring whether a car is coming the other way. If a proper passing distance were actually enforced (or even taught and examined in the joke test) they might realise the benefits of two-up, but not before. Best solution this side of driverless cars  is make Bikeability 3 or equivalent a condition of holding a driving licence, and retest every 5 years.

Avatar
nbrus replied to oldstrath | 6 years ago
0 likes

oldstrath wrote:

i.stuart wrote:

In our club the ride leaders have been on a 'course', and as most of you well know, 4 riders 2 up is the size of a large car, 4 in a line is the length of 2 cars, resulting in the said driver being ‘out’ for less time.

There needs to be some discretion here to single out and let traffic past, also it seems that no one has told the drivers why on group rides its done, as its actually to help them most of the time.

The trouble is that what drivers and Mr Brus think is the alternative is that we'll all be so close to the edge of the road that they can squeeze past without caring whether a car is coming the other way. If a proper passing distance were actually enforced (or even taught and examined in the joke test) they might realise the benefits of two-up, but not before. Best solution this side of driverless cars  is make Bikeability 3 or equivalent a condition of holding a driving licence, and retest every 5 years.

If the road is wide enough for two lanes of traffic and single file cycles then why not? Otherwise as i.stuart says 2 up on narrower roads for group rides is just fine and your won't find any drivers complaining. Most riders I see do actually behave in this way, but there are always a small minorty who don't give a f*ck.

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PRSboy | 6 years ago
0 likes

Its interesting to see the stats in sharp relief at the bottom of the page- only 93 fatalities on motorways vs 910 on rural roads.

Yet, I can'remember the last time I saw a speed trap on a rural road, vs the countless cameras I see on motorway bridges etc.

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nbrus replied to PRSboy | 6 years ago
1 like

PRSboy wrote:

Its interesting to see the stats in sharp relief at the bottom of the page- only 93 fatalities on motorways vs 910 on rural roads.

Yet, I can'remember the last time I saw a speed trap on a rural road, vs the countless cameras I see on motorway bridges etc.

Its not the speed that kills on rural roads ... its the getting distracted by shouting at animals bit that usually gets you. 

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peted76 replied to nbrus | 6 years ago
2 likes

nbrus wrote:

Its not the speed that kills on rural roads ... its the getting distracted by shouting at animals bit that usually gets you. 

 

 

Well this thread has really captured people's imaginations, truly it's grown a life of it's own.

I particuarly chuckled at Davels response to Leviathan at the top of page three, bonus internet arguing points for Davel, but they are taken away later on for calling him a 'sausage' on the next page..... and I learn'ed a new internet word... 'moton'. I had to ask my Mum if that was a real word and she did tell me that it were if I wanted it to be.. Yay 'New word Monday!' 

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to PRSboy | 6 years ago
1 like
PRSboy wrote:

Its interesting to see the stats in sharp relief at the bottom of the page- only 93 fatalities on motorways vs 910 on rural roads.

Yet, I can'remember the last time I saw a speed trap on a rural road, vs the countless cameras I see on motorway bridges etc.

How many miles of motorways and how many miles of rural roads do you think? I bet the difference is far more than a factor of 10.
Only a number of fatalities per million miles travelled on each road type is meaningful.

Avatar
PRSboy replied to wycombewheeler | 6 years ago
0 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:
PRSboy wrote:

Its interesting to see the stats in sharp relief at the bottom of the page- only 93 fatalities on motorways vs 910 on rural roads.

Yet, I can'remember the last time I saw a speed trap on a rural road, vs the countless cameras I see on motorway bridges etc.

How many miles of motorways and how many miles of rural roads do you think? I bet the difference is far more than a factor of 10. Only a number of fatalities per million miles travelled on each road type is meaningful.

2016 DfT figures showed around twice as many passenger miles on A roads than M-Ways.

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jazzdude | 6 years ago
2 likes

As a motorist I find it very annoying and bad mannered of cyclists who do not move into single file to let me pass. If they are on a country road where they are probably travelling at one third of the speed limit, it is good etiquette to move over to let motor vehicles pass. This is if there are maybe two or four of them. If it's a large bunch then that's a different story. As a cyclist, if I am riding two abreast, I will always move over to let motor vehicles pass. It would be so rude not to. It's like deliberately blocking someone from passing you as a pedestrian. It's just not cricket.

 

I swore at a pheasant the other day as it bounced off of my windscreen.

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to jazzdude | 6 years ago
3 likes

jazzdude wrote:

As a motorist I find it very annoying and bad mannered of cyclists who do not move into single file to let me pass. If they are on a country road where they are probably travelling at one third of the speed limit, it is good etiquette to move over to let motor vehicles pass. This is if there are maybe two or four of them. If it's a large bunch then that's a different story. As a cyclist, if I am riding two abreast, I will always move over to let motor vehicles pass. It would be so rude not to. It's like deliberately blocking someone from passing you as a pedestrian. It's just not cricket.

 

I swore at a pheasant the other day as it bounced off of my windscreen.

What a bizarre thing to say. Will you pull over to let me through in my Ferrari Testarossa? Equally, I was drawn, as is unusual, to swear as a peasant bounced off the windescreen. No damage fortunately, to the car that is...

 

Let you pass? Who the fuck do you think you are?

 

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to jazzdude | 6 years ago
1 like
jazzdude wrote:

As a motorist I find it very annoying and bad mannered of cyclists who do not move into single file to let me pass. If they are on a country road where they are probably travelling at one third of the speed limit, it is good etiquette to move over to let motor vehicles pass. This is if there are maybe two or four of them. If it's a large bunch then that's a different story. As a cyclist, if I am riding two abreast, I will always move over to let motor vehicles pass. It would be so rude not to. It's like deliberately blocking someone from passing you as a pedestrian. It's just not cricket.

 

I swore at a pheasant the other day as it bounced off of my windscreen.

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you.

Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

Avatar
nbrus replied to wycombewheeler | 6 years ago
1 like

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to nbrus | 6 years ago
1 like

nbrus wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing people with people, I agree that it's sad that some think they have a greater right to space than others, simply because they're driving. I think it is right that slower moving vehicles (caravans, cyclists and tractors etc.) get out of my way as they are slower moving but can't get my head around the fact that a faster car might want me to get out of their way. That's not fair. I think it's great that you've convinced your mate to come cycling with you, and as a fellow cyclist, I'm cool that you want to chat with them. We need more people on bikes, not fewer. I fully appreciate that some people move slower, it's the selfish cunts that I have issues with. pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

Avatar
nbrus replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
2 likes

don simon wrote:

nbrus wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing people with people, I agree that it's sad that some think they have a greater right to space than others, simply because they're driving. I think it is right that slower moving vehicles (caravans, cyclists and tractors etc.) get out of my way as they are slower moving but can't get my head around the fact that a faster car might want me to get out of their way. That's not fair. I think it's great that you've convinced your mate to come cycling with you, and as a fellow cyclist, I'm cool that you want to chat with them. We need more people on bikes, not fewer. I fully appreciate that some people move slower, it's the selfish cunts that I have issues with. pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

My, what a clever clogs you are ... laugh

It would be nice if you had something useful to add to the discussion other than attitude.

Avatar
oldstrath replied to nbrus | 6 years ago
0 likes

nbrus wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

Do you really believe the only reason for cycling two abreast is to chat? Or perhaps you think we do it just to upset the poor dear drivers? 

Avatar
nbrus replied to oldstrath | 6 years ago
2 likes

oldstrath wrote:

Do you really believe the only reason for cycling two abreast is to chat? Or perhaps you think we do it just to upset the poor dear drivers? 

Enlighten me please ... and I'm not talking about club runs forming a shorter group as that I can understand. Talking of which I suspect club runs would be much more annoying to drivers than two people cycling two-abreast. Club runs can be near impossible to overtake.

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to nbrus | 6 years ago
2 likes
nbrus wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

Completely ignoring the fact that all they have to do to pass is cross the white line as they would for a car, tractor or horse. If they can't there is unlikely to be enough room to pass a single rider safely on the majority of rural roads which are not A roads.
You are advocating we facilitate or even encourage unsafe passing.
For your reference here is a safe overtake as demonstrated in the highway code (rule 163)
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203

Avatar
nbrus replied to wycombewheeler | 6 years ago
0 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:

Completely ignoring the fact that all they have to do to pass is cross the white line as they would for a car, tractor or horse. If they can't there is unlikely to be enough room to pass a single rider safely on the majority of rural roads which are not A roads. You are advocating we facilitate or even encourage unsafe passing. For your reference here is a safe overtake as demonstrated in the highway code (rule 163) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203

We all hate close passes and I remember one time when I was overtaken by a van on a road full of potholes and the van was less than 12 inches from my bars ... very scary, even at low speed. My mistake was leaving enough space for them to try and sneek through. Lesson learned.

If you are single file, then there will be more space between you and the overtaking vehicle. Some roads are wide enough to allow normal traffic flow without needing to move into the opposite lane to safely overtake a cyclist. On other roads it may be possible to safely overtake a cyclist while straddling the central white line (often even with oncoming traffic). This makes it a much faster manouver and much quicker to execute before oncoming traffic reaches you.

You are much more likely to encourage unsafe passes by making it more difficult for other vehicles to overtake because drivers will take more risks due to impatience.

Avatar
saladfunky replied to nbrus | 6 years ago
5 likes

nbrus wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

Well said, let others go about their business and being polite! For example, I am cycling solo up a long hill on a single laned narrow road doing less than 8 mph most likely. A car comes up behind me and I know it can't get passed, and the hill will take another 3 minutes. So I stop and put my left foot on the verge to let the car pass. The car is grateful and I haven't got an increasingly angry driver on my wheel! It is just an attitude to other road users and many cyclists are letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!  

Avatar
Helmut D. Bate replied to saladfunky | 6 years ago
1 like
saladfunky wrote:

nbrus wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

Well said, let others go about their business and being polite! For example, I am cycling solo up a long hill on a single laned narrow road doing less than 8 mph most likely. A car comes up behind me and I know it can't get passed, and the hill will take another 3 minutes. So I stop and put my left foot on the verge to let the car pass. The car is grateful and I haven't got an increasingly angry driver on my wheel! It is just an attitude to other road users and many cyclists are letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!  

I understand the point, but you seem to be suggesting to pull over in all circumstances. Sometimes it isn't practical and most of the time the car will be able to pass soon enough. Besides, what do you base your calculation of need to get ahead on? How fast the road user can go? How impatient they could get?

What if you were in a tractor and couldn't adequately pull over? What if there were 4 cyclists and one driver in the car behind? What if, like most car journeys, the lazy, impatient moton is making a pointless, polluting journey that could adequately be made in another form of transport?

You're making a load of judgements seemingly in a driver's favour just because they can go up a hill faster than you. But there are too many cars on the road causing too much death and pollution. Society needs cars off the road and meekly surrendering the road to them isn't going to help, is it?

Avatar
brooksby replied to saladfunky | 6 years ago
3 likes

saladfunky wrote:

nbrus wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

Well said, let others go about their business and being polite! For example, I am cycling solo up a long hill on a single laned narrow road doing less than 8 mph most likely. A car comes up behind me and I know it can't get passed, and the hill will take another 3 minutes. So I stop and put my left foot on the verge to let the car pass. The car is grateful and I haven't got an increasingly angry driver on my wheel! It is just an attitude to other road users and many cyclists are letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!  

You would pull over and stop halfway up a long hill to let a car pass? While that's very generous, halfway up a long hill is probably the last place I'd consider stopping, tbh. And I think you must be wearing rose tinted glasses if you think that the motorist would be *grateful*; remember, it's their right to get you the  tax dodging cyclist out of the way, just their right, nothing to be grateful for since you're just doing what you should have done. I hope you also doff your cap as they pass...?

Avatar
oldstrath replied to saladfunky | 6 years ago
1 like

saladfunky wrote:

nbrus wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

Quite frequently on busy pavements and shopping centres it's not possible to pass slower walkers. I would NEVER expect a couple or family to move into single file to let me past. I would expect to wait a few moments until no one is coming the other way and go round them. That drivers expect this demonstrates the level of entitlement endemic in society. Well done chap you have acquired the financial means to obtain a motor vehicle you are now king of the road and all others should make way for you. Remember police forces up and down the country are advising passing distances of 1.5m assume the cycles are single file 0.5m from the kerb, the far side of the car will be 3.9m from the kerb, but the typical lane width is less than that.

I'm not sure your analogy is fair. You are comparing pedestrians with pedestrians. In a shopping centre you can walk wherever you like as there aren't any desiginated lanes.

On the open road cars towing caravans, tractors and other slow moving vehicles will often pull in to a layby to let a backlog of traffic past. Normally cars don't slow down and pull in simply because a faster car is approaching from behind.

As regards drivers expectation of entitlement, that isn't true at all (ignoring the idiots) ... its more about allowing people to go about their business without getting in their way because you want to chat with your cycling chum. Its like not letting someone past you in a doorway because you haven't finished chatting with your friend, so they should be patient and wait a minute ... its just bad manners.

Well said, let others go about their business and being polite! For example, I am cycling solo up a long hill on a single laned narrow road doing less than 8 mph most likely. A car comes up behind me and I know it can't get passed, and the hill will take another 3 minutes. So I stop and put my left foot on the verge to let the car pass. The car is grateful and I haven't got an increasingly angry driver on my wheel! It is just an attitude to other road users and many cyclists are letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!  

First, why do you think it so vital to permit the driver to pass? Unless you're in the way of an emergency vehicle, a three minute wait is unlikely to male any real difference to anyone's life. You're just encouraging the eejit in his or her impatience. 

Second, if you're going to talk about arrogance and selfishness, most of that lies with the person using a tonne or so of metal and burning fossil fuel to move one body around.

Finally, what's with the nonsense about 'letting the rest down'? When did you, or anyone else, last write that motorists who speed, or text while driving, or jump red lights, are "letting the rest down"? 

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nbrus replied to saladfunky | 6 years ago
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saladfunky wrote:

Well said, let others go about their business and being polite! For example, I am cycling solo up a long hill on a single laned narrow road doing less than 8 mph most likely. A car comes up behind me and I know it can't get passed, and the hill will take another 3 minutes. So I stop and put my left foot on the verge to let the car pass. The car is grateful and I haven't got an increasingly angry driver on my wheel! It is just an attitude to other road users and many cyclists are letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!  

Given some of the responses on this thread it would appear that it is totally impossible for a cyclist to be inconsiderate as that only applies to motorists.

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hawkinspeter replied to nbrus | 6 years ago
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nbrus wrote:

saladfunky wrote:

Well said, let others go about their business and being polite! For example, I am cycling solo up a long hill on a single laned narrow road doing less than 8 mph most likely. A car comes up behind me and I know it can't get passed, and the hill will take another 3 minutes. So I stop and put my left foot on the verge to let the car pass. The car is grateful and I haven't got an increasingly angry driver on my wheel! It is just an attitude to other road users and many cyclists are letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!  

Given some of the responses on this thread it would appear that it is totally impossible for a cyclist to be inconsiderate as that only applies to motorists.

Maybe that's because riding a bicycle is inherently considerate e.g. consider the environment, consider air pollution, consider how much space you're taking up on the road etc.

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beezus fufoon replied to hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
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hawkinspeter wrote:

nbrus wrote:

saladfunky wrote:

Well said, let others go about their business and being polite! For example, I am cycling solo up a long hill on a single laned narrow road doing less than 8 mph most likely. A car comes up behind me and I know it can't get passed, and the hill will take another 3 minutes. So I stop and put my left foot on the verge to let the car pass. The car is grateful and I haven't got an increasingly angry driver on my wheel! It is just an attitude to other road users and many cyclists are letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!  

Given some of the responses on this thread it would appear that it is totally impossible for a cyclist to be inconsiderate as that only applies to motorists.

Maybe that's because riding a bicycle is inherently considerate e.g. consider the environment, consider air pollution, consider how much space you're taking up on the road etc.

(won't somebody please) consider the children!

It does seem however that cycling does have it's fair share of people who become fixated on a target, reducing any sense of self awareness and turning them into blinkered anally retentive borderline obsessives - it gives internet thread posters a bad name, letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!

(no names mentioned - to protect the innocent)

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nbrus replied to hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
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hawkinspeter wrote:

nbrus wrote:

saladfunky wrote:

Well said, let others go about their business and being polite! For example, I am cycling solo up a long hill on a single laned narrow road doing less than 8 mph most likely. A car comes up behind me and I know it can't get passed, and the hill will take another 3 minutes. So I stop and put my left foot on the verge to let the car pass. The car is grateful and I haven't got an increasingly angry driver on my wheel! It is just an attitude to other road users and many cyclists are letting the rest down by just being arrogant and selfish!  

Given some of the responses on this thread it would appear that it is totally impossible for a cyclist to be inconsiderate as that only applies to motorists.

Maybe that's because riding a bicycle is inherently considerate e.g. consider the environment, consider air pollution, consider how much space you're taking up on the road etc.

All true, but I would argue that most of us that take up cycling don't do so for those reasons.

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