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wyadvd.
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January 12, 2012 at 8:56 pm #14792
TheHatter
Pretty much every outing now with my local club run seems to involve at least one instance of abuse shouted from a car, often accompanied by some threatening driving.
The groups we ride in are usually less than 10 and pretty well disciplined (though sometimes a little slower to ‘single out’ than I’d like).
So is this typical of other club runs? -
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kace19
Very dependent on where you
Very dependent on where you are I think. Here in Cornwall I find 99% of drivers are pretty responsible and sensible. Obviously it only takes one idiot to do a lot of harm, but whether I am alone or in a group, most weeks I am pleased to be able to wave my thanks to the majority, who take pride in driving well.arrieredupeleton
I think it’s true there’s
I think it’s true there’s something of a north/south divide. I’ve rarely experienced problems in Lancashire be it driving or cycling but I certainly notice a worse attitude from (most) drivers in the South East. It’s all very stressed, congested and aggressive. Not long ago that was confined to London but it seems to have gotten worse lately.I don’t enjoy driving in the SE and certainly will avoid cycling on major routes there. Worst is the Friday evening rush hour when everyone is manically driving out of the urban areas for a nice relaxing weekend in the country. How ironic. Chill out and show some respect to other road users. Better still, have a go yourself. It does wonders for your state of mind. B-)
cat1commuter
A lot of drivers seem to
A lot of drivers seem to think that riding two abreast is illegal. I’ve even had a driver sound their horn at me when I was riding behind my companion, but further out from the curb than them.Gkam84
SamShaw wrote:We seem to
SamShaw wrote:We seem to suffer relatively infrequent abuse on the roads up in Scotland, even when out with 15+ club members on a ride. Possibly due to the population pressure being a lot less in the Stirling area than it would be further south in England.I have to agree with this, being a mainly solo cyclist these days, but having done various club rides in the past in Scotland and England
Up here, i rarely run into stupid drivers, you get the odd close pass, but thats about it, even when running with 10+ riders on a weekend, you rarely encounter anything from drivers, Although, i think if it was day in day out that drivers faced it, that might change
In certain parts of England, you may have a number of clubs in a small area and being out on different days of the week, a driver may encounter a larger group of cyclist’s more often, for example, if there are 4 local clubs, all having weekly ride outs but on different days, so Monday, Wednesday, Friday and then a few run on a Saturday and Sunday, the likely hood that A driver may come across a few of these rides in their daily drive increases and so may their frustration.
Then again, you just get some idiots on the road
notfastenough
Hmm, talk about timing, I was
Hmm, talk about timing, I was thinking of meeting up with the local club for the first time this weekend! Best prep for some aggro! 😀MikeWall
Ridiculous post? Of course I
Ridiculous post? Of course I want to be respected as a road user. As someone who just before Christmas was run off the road by an inattentive driver, breaking a collarbone, I’ve got recent first hand experience of bad driving.OK, ‘understand…(their) frustration’ was perhaps loose terminology – how about ‘knowing how drivers think, I can see how frustration occurs’. It’s not condoning it, far from it. But in my experience there’s a direct correlation between the size of the bunch and aggro/stupidity from cars. So, given the choice – and apart from commuting I cycle for pleasure/fitness – I find it more pleasant to do it solo or in smaller groups. If that’s giving in then so be it. The comparison with a cyclist being faced with a group of 10 cars is irrelevant.
As for why it should be more pointed towards cyclists than any other road users (Simon E’s point), I agree it is probably because we are ‘different’, relatively frequently encountered (unlike sheep/horses/milk floats), and perceived easy targets.
Raleigh
MikeWall wrote:Thing is I can
[quote=MikeWall]Thing is I can understand the frustration of car drivers when faced with a phalanx of 10 riders in front of them on a country road, even if stretched out singly. quote]WHAT!
Cyclists are not fazed when faced with a phalanx of 10 cars, this is a ridiculous post, I can’t understand how you understand that. Do you want to be respected as a road user, or do you expect abuse when you go out.
Simon E
MikeWall wrote:I can
MikeWall wrote:I can understand the frustration of car drivers when faced with a phalanx of 10 riders in front of them on a country road, even if stretched out singly. Doesn’t warrant the abuse and dangerous driving though…
“Frustration”, but why any more at cyclists than with anyone else?They don’t honk at people on a pedestrian crossing while the lights are red. Or at a tractor, a milk float, the queue of cars in front that’s travelling slower than their preferred velocity, a bus stopping to pick up passengers or a low loader transporting an earthmover or static caravan on its trailer.
Have you ever crawled along a country lane at 5mph while a farmer moves a flock of sheep from one field to another? Honking won’t help then either. Or motorway road works when there’s a contra-flow section with a 40mph speed limit.
It’s just impatience and bullying behaviour, prompted by a lack of respect for people who happen to use a bicycle instead of something bigger. If the group of cyclists were in police uniform you can be sure the driver wouldn’t behave that way!
I have heard plenty of stories where a driver has stopped to remonstrate aggressively at a cyclist to find the guy on the bike is bigger than him so changed his attitude and got back in his car. Cowards.
OldRidgeback
While returning from dropping
While returning from dropping my kids off at school, I saw a particularly dangerous overtake of a cyclist made by a white van. The van cut into the lane just behind the cyclist to avoid vehicles turning right off the main road, then cut back into the lane again, just missing the cyclist who carried on ahead as his lane became a bus lane. What struck me was that there was a traffic queue ahead. All the van driver did with his dangerous overtake (that took him within cm of the cyclist) was to arrive at the back of the long queu of vehicles marginally earlier than had he allowed more time and distance for the cyclist to get ahead. And of course, the cyclist almost immediately overtook the stationary van by passing in the otherwise empty bus lane. It struck me just how many vehicle drivers are unable to think further than the end of their own noses so to speak. The van driver made no difference to his journey time with his dangerous overtake, yet put the cyclist at risk and entirely unnecessarily.Too many vehicle drivers behave in the same way, without appreciating that by driving slower and more considerately, they will arrive at their destination at exactly the same time as if they had driven aggressively. Driving slowly and more considerately reduces overall accident risk, and reduces feelings of aggression that can trigger road rage.
Moreover, the perceived immediate congestion in the mind of the vehicle driver caused by the presence of a slower moving cyclist in the road ahead is only momentary, and generally makes no difference at all to the overall journey time for a vehicle driver. In fact, the presence of cyclists on the road actually reduces journey times for vehicle drivers, as by their very use of a bicycle the cyclist is removing a vehicle from each traffic queue.
myosportstherapy
I too have all but stopped
I too have all but stopped riding with club runs, the differentiating skills mean some are not aware of bunch riding, string out too slowly etc which equals drivers with less patience. This said I have experienced poor riding skills when out with 3/4 others. There will always be drivers in a hurry etc but a those that do wait for a safe passing opportunity a quick hands up to say thanks works well. This is not just a UK problem I rose in Australia for 3 years and had similar issues. Strange as it may be but I find solo riding much safer and drivers more patient.
SamShaw
We seem to suffer relatively
We seem to suffer relatively infrequent abuse on the roads up in Scotland, even when out with 15+ club members on a ride. Possibly due to the population pressure being a lot less in the Stirling area than it would be further south in England.Being from England originally, (I moved up here for uni 12 years ago) I now find that population pressure on road networks down south is one of the largest factors keeping me up here.
That’s not to say that we don’t get our share of moronic or dangerous driving, it’s just in my experience there seems to be less of it in my local area.
Sudor
I suffer frequent abuse (
I suffer frequent abuse ( over 50% of rides) and threatening/aggressive driving whilst in groups and riding solo but I feel safer in a group.In a group most drivers will wait for a safe opportunity to overtake (even if they also develop inappropriate frustration whilst waiting) – but when I’m solo more will try and overtake when it’s not safe, cutting me up when they try to avoid oncoming cars.
This is a particular danger as, In my experience, any car driver will avoid a perceived threat to themselves or their car even if, in doing so, they take out or threaten a cyclist, pedestrian etc. For an example of an example of how driver self preservation instinct overrides (literally) the clear relative vulnerability of cyclists see the 2011 stage 9 TdF outrage at:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxoWQVgwvzA
Sadly there’s not alternative than staying very alert to idiots and risks.
KirinChris
Though slightly removed from
Though slightly removed from this (although I often join a club run on my trips back to the UK) I think there are two factors at work here.One, as was pointed out above, is that the Clarksons and other columnists, presenters and pundits looking to be controversial choose cyclists as an easy target and one of the few remaining to them which will not lead to prosecution for incitement.
But second, and more controversially perhaps, I think they are only feeding off a sense that motorists are regarded by the government as a cash cow and there is a genuine argument that their taxation has outstripped representation.
I know we are fond of saying we pay ‘road tax’ too but the amount of money raised from motorists in VED and fuel taxes vastly outweighs the money spent on roads, even if you include an estimate for carbon emissions.
They really do get a shit deal and since there a no government ministers available to take out their frustrations on, cyclists are the immediate face of ‘the enemy’.
Cycling organisations and cyclists are often seen as setting themselves in opposition to motorists and their organisations. It is viewed as a net sum game – take from them, give to me.
I’m not excusing or justifying the behaviour but sadly it will continue until there is less higher-level antagonism between the groups. We should be looking for a more equitable deal for all road users.
Giant Rob
I ride on my own or with a
I ride on my own or with a friend. I now and again get a honk of a horn or a shout but that is about it. In groups of 4 or more you get hassle.MattFr
I have to say on club runs
I have to say on club runs we’re generally lucky. Obviously there are the odd idiots. My theory when it comes to some of the drivers is that we as cyclists present them a challenge, they can’t just drive in a straight line, they need to actually think about what to do when they pass us. This is why they react the way they do. Obviously there are a few idiots who do it for their own amusement. Anyway that’s just my theory, it’s not an excuse for them, far from it. -
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