Some Things Happen So Fast it is Frightening

It's amazing how many infuriated drivers there are, as a cyclist it seems like all of them. The highway code in the UK http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070314

is often misinterpreted to read, cyclists must be overtaken at all costs. It is surprising that they never seem to learn that doing it in an unsafe manner really doesn't save time, the seconds gained are consumed at the next jam. But they will do it again.

I have a suggestion; leave earlier. Look at all the other cars on the road, they are the ones slowing you down not the cyclists.

You are right, Hux... But, beside this, the cuclists are reckless drivers too... They often do very risky things... And, as a car driver, I have to be extremely carefull concerning the cyclists... ...

You said: "Look at all the other cars on the road, they are the ones slowing you down not the cyclists." This is true but I have observed a way that the cyclists create a delay... You may know (as a cyclist) a bad practice which is adopted by the cyclists: when the vehicles are stopped because of a red traffic light, the cyclists by-pass them and they stop in front of them (in order to pull away first when the light turns to green), in such a way that they can't see the traffic light... so, it turns to green but they don't conceive this and they remain stopped... you have to "inform" them about the green light by sounding the horn... then they understand that they must pull away and, finally, they do so... But, in this way, many valuable seconds have passed and just a few cars have the time to pass the traffic light before it turns, again, to red... So, you have to wait a long time in front of a traffic light until you succeed to pass it... and this happens in front of any other traffic light that you meet and the overall delay is so long... ... and here, in Athens, we have a looot of cyclists (because of the nice weather in general)...

It is better to ride the bicycle outside the city as I do. I don't do risky things when riding a bicycle. Our weather sucks so in the winter I go skiing instead. Skiing is more frightening than cycling. Three or four die each year when the tree hits them. These trees should slow down. Really!

In fact, when I said "cyclists" (here in Greece) I rather meant the riders of motorcycles than the riders of bicycles... The weather is usualy nice (even during winter) so we could use bicycles but there is a problem: Athens is not a "flat" city... it's full of small hills instead... not so convenient if you ride a bicycle... (ouf, ouf) ... and we don't have any lanes dedicated for the bicycles... (hence, more danger)... [And, in fact, Greece (in general) is not a "flat" country at all]... That's why we don't have many bicycles in the streets... But we have a lot of motorcycles...

Personally, I dont think it is safe to ride a bicycle anywhere on most city streets or highways for many of the reasons posted. I ride only on bikeways or separated trail; even then, I have found there are a lot of cyclists that dont follow the written or unwritten rules of cycling. They make it dangerous for everyone.

I am very fortunate. All of my cycling is in and around Concord Ma. which doesn't have traffic lights except to cross the highway which bicycles don't ride on. Everyone from the City comes here to ride but I already live near here so I can ride from the house. We don't allow cyclist to terrorize motorist or vis versa and we also respect the canoe people on the river. If a horse crosses the road, I will yield to him. But if a Redcoat comes into the village bearing arms watch out! We will shoot you in the back as you run away.

Happy Patriot's day!

I had a similar experience where someone blew by me in an angry rush. I said to my brother, "I hope he makes it to his accident on time!"

Although I don't normally encourage it, if you really want to murder someone here in Australia, just put your intended victim on a push bike and run em over with a 4 wheel drive (SUV). The learned judge will slap your wrist and send you on your way.

I gave you a GA because that was appropriate and funny!!

Likewise.

I did too, because I once followed a pack of cyclers riding on a winding two-lane highway in a four- to five-wide cluster, five to six bikes long, instead of single file. I ended up being the first of six or seven cars backed up behind them for several miles of no-pass zone. They were as indignant about being passed when possible as they were arrogant about moving over, based on the sign language they expressed their feelings with. In my mind, if they can move at or near the legal speed limit, they can ride wherever. But if they slow legal traffic down, they should be banned from the road. Not as cyclers, but as a safety hazard!

wow, 6 good answer votes, you guys don't like cyclists do you?

Well put, its actually worth another GA.....!

May I correct you very slightly?

We do not like STUPID cyclists!!!

Sadly many of them show a surprising lack of usage of their brain cells......I guess the passing wind cools their brain down so far that it hardly works at all!!!

Many do not know the correct way to turn right in the UK or left in countries that drive on the right.

Red lights do not stop them.

They wait at traffic lights on the "wrong or Blind" side of a lorry that a) cannot see them b) needs to cross their path.....and wonder why they get run over....

They cycle over/use pedestrian/Zebra crossings, when they should dismount as they are for PEDESTRIANS, not mounted cyclists. If an accident occurs, most do not understand that in their case THE CAR HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY AS THEY ARE TECHNICALLY TRAFFIC MISSUSING A CROSSING!!!

When on the road itself, they cut dangerously between pedestrians using the Zebra crossings in the correct manner....

They can be seen cycling 2, 3 or even 4 abreast......or in the middle of the road.

They give no hand signals.

They ride the wrong way in one way systems.

They ride at full speed through pedestrian precincts.

Many do not use lights at night.

Many do not have the correct clothing/apparel on.

I personally find a lot of them prime candidates for this website!

I am sure, that the "idiots" are only a small percentage of the total, but as with crime, it only takes a few to give the rest the same bad name.......sad to say.....

I am of course sure that you personally do none of the things I have mentioned above!!! or?

Also, as you are logged on only as a guest, I would like to mention that you are hiding behind the anonymity of this name, are you not so sure/confident of the validity of your opinion.....?

Please come out of the "woodwork" & join CR4 fully and stand up for your personal opinions in a proper manner......

Like the old joke about the Groom on his wedding day:-

"Are you going to be a man or a mouse? Will it be tonight or tomorrow night?"

"I am a Rat!"

"Why?"

"I did her last night!"

A colleague of mine is a 'hardened bikelist', on one particular occasion I asked why 'those numpties on two wheels without engines' have to make a point of not stopping at red lights. Apparently, this is the reason! Clip on shoes. They have shoes that clip onto the 'pedals' so that the 'up stroke' of the cycling action is a power stroke as well. Unfortunately, this means that, to stop and put a foot down, they have to twist the foot, with the toe inward, to un-clip. I remember I had a sympathetic answer, like 'Yeah, so?'

Well apparently, they come undone alright, (except when you fall off, when you go down in a pile of wreckage, and then they un clip, at just the right time to make you look a complete dork!) but are a 'bit inconvenient' to get back on.

As compared to getting flattened by an 18 wheeler?

He has these himself, and when he first used them, he set of from his parents drive, stopped at the road, and went over with great Majesty, without moving a singe muscle. Vertical to horizontal without a twitch! After a round of applause, he had to explain that he was in fact struggling like crazy to get his foot off the pedal, visually a non event. HoHum. hehehehehehe.

Well put.

Like I said in my previous post, some of these cyclists were at the back of the queue when the brains were handed out!! Your post inclines to the same direction.....

To use these shoes as the reason for driving over red lights etc., he really does deserve a place on the Darwin award web site......!!

Using these special cycle shoes in modern traffic is tantamount to committing suicide to my mind, a sort of Russian (ballet shoe?) Roulette....

I never could figure out why someone wants to ride a bike on the highway and in the middle of the lane at that. I left the paper mill after work the other day and there was a guy riding right down the middle of the lane keeping everyone behind him. I know bikers have the right away but when you have 10 or so 18 wheeler north Georgia log trucks behind you on a insane delivery schedule I think it is best to pull over and let them get on by.

pipewelder

I agree, I sometimes think that they have a death wish. Its the only explanation that fits the circumstances.....But of course, complete and utter stupidity does also......maybe we will see them on the Darwin Awards....

I was once passed by a car so fast I thought I'd broken down, but when I checked my clock, I was doing a legal 65 mph. About 10 miles farther on, I came upon the same car upside down in the ditch with a highway patrol car just approaching from the opposite direction. I never did know if there were any survivors.

When I originally posted this it wasn't the cyclist that I was questioning but the actual happening as though what I had said caused the accident, which obviously it didn't but it did make me think that there must have been someone listening.

I was once at a two lane 'Give Way' with a bus on my blind side, and realised I couldn't move until the bus was across the road blocking the traffic, I was going straight, the bus was turning left, at a main intersection, we were both first in the traffic lanes, on the otherside a wagon approached and stopped. Something said to me, 'stay there there is a Peugot 404 coming', so I stayed.

The wagon driver waved the bus forward, no traffic lights at the intersection, the bus started to move and so did I, something said again, 'stay there a brown 404 is coming', so I did.

The bus continued to move forwards at the last minute when the gap between the wagon and the bus had gone to nothing a brown 404 station wagon come through the gap at about 100 miles per hour.

That was one of the creepest things?

Makes you beleive in angels , doesn't it ? Mark Steele from Canada - I'm an engineer ,

aeronautical maintenance engineer. I've got a patent pending with USPTO. I would like to correspond , I'm impressed with your training , and would like to run some ideas

by you. markalfredsteele@yahoo.ca or marks@victoria.tc.ca

I go to the Dominican Republic each year for a week. The major transportation near the cities??? is mopeds and small motorcycles. There are no lanes in the streets. There are but nobody obeys them. If the traffic is backed up there may be as many as ten or up bikes in your lane, all side by side jockeying for position. They also cut across the sidewalks on both sides of the streets and even at the oncoming traffic. This would appear as a circus event. The event is complicated by the fact that there maybe up to 4 or five people on these things. Grandma, Mom, 2 kids and the driver. Talk about scary!

And people say driving in New York City is bad. I'll take that any day over the D.R.