Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

I tried to beat the rain and headed out for a quick but gentle ride around Regents Park early yesterday morning. Of course, my timing was off and when I was only a couple of laps into my ride, the rain came down and i was soaked. One benefit of the rain was that it drove away most of the other cyclists; a fact that certainly improved the latter and very wet part of my ride.

When it was still dry, I was riding up the stretch towards Gloucester and overtook someone on a hybrid and pedalled on not paying much attention to him. Indeed it might even have been a her such was my lack of attention. Just a slower cyclist who I overtook allowing plenty of room.

A few seconds later my attention was grabbed by loud shouting behind me. I looked back to see three or four your men riding hard and fast screaming abuse at the slow cyclist as they passed him or her and then they went past me at speed still muttering as they went.

When overtaking someone, it is your responsibility to allow that person room, just as you would expect a car to allow you room. If you fail to do so and that slower cyclist wobbles of swerves to avoid a pothole, any crash will be your fault. There is nothing to be gained by screaming abuse at a slower cyclist when you are at fault. The most you can achieve is to put someone off cycling. What you certainly achieve is to make yourself appear to be an arrogant unthinking idiot.