Primary position

Shannon is spot on. You’d be better off adopting the shrinking violet approach (and ride in the gutter) if you’re are going to do what the first cyclist did which was to move to the middle of the road without looking at all. You’d have thought when the first car passed, he would have taken that as a cue to have a check at what might be following behind but no. He should take some responsibility for putting himself in a position blindly.

Something to remember: Looking back isn’t just to know what is there; it’s to also humanise yourself. You go from being an object potentially “In my f**king way” to “ok there’s someone on that bike and they’ve just made eye contact. What’s this idiot cyclist wanting to do next?” (<-the mindset of an ultra cantankerous driver.) Surely most can see the difference in potential outcomes?

Given the uninformed, gormless and lazy "I pay road tax" argument that we've all heard ad nauseum, you could see how said driver(s) would take offence to a 'scummy' cyclist taking the lane without any signal or acknowledgement. When was the last time you saw any smiles, thumbs up, a wave or the words "thank you" from a cyclist to a driver (or even to a fellow cyclists) last week, month or year?! I rarely do. It's human psychology that we like being thanked and recognised for the little things we do. I firmly believe better manners would ease many of these potential confrontations. Next time you find yourself going through a pinch point get into position on time and try looking said driver in the eye with a thumb up in advance.

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