Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

Excellent read, thanks Oliver.

I don't think things/attitudes to cycling and cyclists has changed much except that it has become acceptable to cycle more now because cycling in many different forms (e.g. mamils/brompton euro trips ) has become more 'topical' (e.g. there is a bike in nearly every advert). There may be more cyclists now but the anti cyclist attitudes remain.

Was called a 'motherfucker' by some chap on a bike who I momentarily inconvenienced about 100m from a set of red lights at the south end of Regent's Park.

I would have apologised to him at said red lights, had he not ridden straight through them, on the wrong side of the road, then hopped on to the pavement and ridden away.

So maybe his shout was informational, in that he was the motherfucker, rather than an insult directed at me.

Well written! Can you send this as a letter to all the newspapers?

Ha, thanks. Feel free to plagiarise. I've run out of green ink.

much like Thatcher's remark about using buses when you're in your thirties

"A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure."

Most of LFGSS would probably agree with that.

Anyway, this is why Dentists Riding Pinarallos have collectively done a lot to help cycling.

There's a pretty good chance a London cyclist selected at random between 8-9am on Monday morning earns more than the adjacent car driver. And he or she is likely to be fitter and better looking to boot.

That makes it harder to look down on cyclists as a bunch of wierdo hippies who should buy a car but can't afford one.

Although it may make it easier to look down on cyclists as a bunch of entitled, smug twats. If your comment is to be taken seriously?

Exactly. The status of the average cyclist has changed in public perception.

These days cyclists are statistically less like bus users, and more like Audi drivers.

ugh, cyclists.
can't I just ride my biek?

^^ you seem to spend a lot of time worrying about what people driving cars think of you when you're on your bike.

let us know how that works out for you.

To the singlespeed rider who battered it through the cs6 zebra crossing: do you realise how stupid it is to say that you didn't slow down for the waiting ped because of all the cyclists blocking your view - that's even more reason to hold back.

One prime cut shot through the crossing on Farringdon, in spite of about 40 people crossing in a small space and him weaving between them.

The DM considers RLJ'ing to be a relatively minor offence (at least for a motorist).

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DM9xuk1WAAA3G8w.jpg

"It means that close to a third of Britain's 40 million motorists are being hit with fines - most of them for relatively minor offences such as running red lights, speeding and parking."

"Don't dazzle, dip" should apply to people on bikes as well as motorists IMO. Especially on a canal towpath, in the daytime. Ffs.

It's not that you don't have to do this test that explains running red lights, speeding and YPLAC are against the highway code...

If they want to make a point of lot of roads policing is lazy, as they just wait on known speed reduction areas, whether those have a high risk of RTC or not, fair enough.

I rather see police driving around and doing spot fines, for all road users.

Which costs money but may increase safety...so it may not reduce the complaint about being used as a cash cow. Is there even a way to "win" this argument? :)

Which towpath?

I have a sneaky feeling that was me and you were the guy who expressed extreme displeasure at my front light.

Ashton Canal, Mcr Monday. Unlikely to be you?

Edit: I don't think I did extreme displeasure, just retina scorched exasperation.

To the flying knobber ninja pleting down Gipsy Hill this morning at 06:50 get some poxy lights or stop wearing all black, and stop at the fu*king zebra crossing when people of on it. Knob

Last night around 9:20 pm from Clapham Common to Colliers Wood, cyclist with a Carradice Super C saddle bag and a rear light very poorly attached to the straps. So much so that the straps had flung themselves around whilst cycling and the light was therefore not facing the road behind but faintly illuminating her back.

Anyway only visibility really was here reflective strips on the Carradice. Did I mention it was pitch black and there was a good deal of RLJ'ing as well?

...and rear lights at night: Still seeing spots after following a rear light assembly that pulsed extra bright every third flash. The rider turned off at Gaskarth Rd (?), Clapham South to spend the evening crywanking and strangling kittens, probably.

Uber eats man on Putney Bridge road rlj'd close passed a lady, caught up (first time for everything I guess) called out he'd come close, disturbed his pavement riding one-handed phone inspecting progress. Cue a Stream of expletives from him. Clown.

Saw a fella by St Pancras Church riding a bike with a section of it's top tube missing...do not want to be around when that goes wrong...

I’m currently on the 12 bus going down walworth road. Driver just had to do an emergency stop because of a massive fixie skidder bellend. We were waiting at the lights, the lights changed, except there was said fixie whopper at full sprint on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic. Flicked across the front of the bus to get back on the right side of the road.

Wow. I’m at a loss.

Called out some mega tool on Chelsea embankment this evening. No lights, rlj one handed while checking Google maps on his phone during peak Friday Eve rush hour. Didn't seem fussed by my "are you mad". Maybe he is.

Uber eats man

RIP, man, we hardly knew ya.