Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

this was in the comments of the reddit blog I knew it was dangerous to go up the side of lorries but the true size of the blindspot is mind boggling :/

TfL Lorry Blind Spots Film - YouTube

^ It wouldn't be anywhere near that size if the driver had adjusted the mirrors properly.

Still. Good video highlighting the potential dangers of undertaking a HGV.

^ got this yesterday, waited ages at a Zeb as folks crossed in dribs n drabs, last lady commented how "you cyclists normally just whizz through" she did thank me for waiting too, but the comment was most telling.

I don't really care if the ped crossing is empty but the light is still red when a cyclist goes through, that's just the cyclist risking a fine from the OBs. It winds me up something rotten when they whizz between people though. Fuckers.

I've chased people down before for doing that and either called them dumb fuckers, or just smacked them up the back of the head.

I've warned my kids that if someone comes speeding through when they are crossing with me, I'll clothes-line the fucker straight in the face and off their bike with my rucksack. Being as said cyclist could potentially kill one of the children if they darted across the road (which they regularly do when they see the green man, without looking), I consider it to be a preemptive defensive strike to save them from being killed.

"Remember - punch a cyclist, save a child's life."

Surprise and gratitude seems to be the usual response from peds when I stop for zebra crossings/etc, which is rather telling.

^ got this yesterday, waited ages at a Zeb as folks crossed in dribs n drabs, last lady commented how "you cyclists normally just whizz through" she did thank me for waiting too, but the comment was most telling.

+1. I even got called a gentleman once. She's clearly never seen me in a locked public toilet.

I was just walking down Lombard Street in an easterly direction when I saw a young man, in his 20s, not in a suit, riding a folding bike towards me on the pavement. I moved to block his passage and told him he should be on The road. He said he couldn't because it was a one way street. I pointed out that there was a contra flow cycle lane. I then directed abuse at him and went on my way.

People like that cause huge harm to cyclists as a whole.

I was just** asking** down Lombard Street in an easterly direction when I saw a young man, in his 20s, not in a suit, riding a folding bike towards me on the pavement. I moved to block his passage and told him he should be on The road. He said he couldn't because it was a one way street. I pointed out that there was a contra flow cycle lane. I then directed abuse at him and went on my way.

People like that cause huge harm to cyclists as a whole.

ha! was that a correction from wondering/wandering?

Missed that one. Wretched iPad autocorrect.

Missed that one. Wretched iPad autocorrect.
I was wondering about the Lombard Street Iran part - Until you managed to correct that too.

Having just read this thread yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon I was stopped at a red on Ken High St by the south side of Hyde Park, when a nodder undertook me at high speed. So I caught him up (after the light went green obvs) and used the form of words suggested by HatBeard:

me: "When you ran that red, you undertook me at full speed. Was that the safest way you could have passed me?"
him: "Oh oh I was watching you the whole time while I did it"
me: "Sure but why not just overtake me next time?"
him: "Rightly said. Point taken"
me: nod / grunt in an "on your way, citizen" style

Result!

you forgot to call him a mug and tell him to jog on...

I slow down when ambulances approach, mostly to avoid muppets win cars who dive to the kerb and slam their brakes on.

What speed was he traveling at? Had he put anyone in danger?

Are you saying that it is acceptable for a grown man to ride on the pavement in any circumstances?

I beg to differ. It does cyclists harm as it inconveniences other people, people who will get behind a steering wheel with antipathy towards cyclists.

Why can't a grown man use a cycle lane? If there was no cycle lane, why could he not take another route? Why does he have to use the part of the carriageway devoted to pedestrians and inconvenience them?

I will be very interested in your reasoned answer.

I think its ok if he's drunk.

Or pulling sick skidz.

Or pulling six kids.

Two Brazilian team riders on the pavement at Holborn this morning. Tut tut.

Maniac on a Bianchi road bike mid morning, from Stratford, all the way down cs2.
Jumping lights at speed, inside of large vehicles, fingers up to people as he passed them while they waited at the lights!
I left him to vanish in to the heavy city traffic, god knows what carnage ensued!!

you can apply that line of reasoning to almost anything though...

"oh dear someone stole my wallet at knife point.

oh well, there's a genocide going on in so I can't grumble."

the fact is different people will apply differing levels of importance to things such as this. so clive's point about it creating antipathy is perfectly valid imo. he's not meant to be doing it so the default response should be in the negative, not positive.

You was stationary?

I was stopped at the red when he undertook me, yes. That was kind of the point of the post.

This is the 'Is It Time To Start Calling Out Bad Cyclists' thread.

This is the 'Is It Time To Start Calling Out Bad Cyclists' thread.

He's just trolling. Joined today. Ignore.

Ah right. Ta.

Acceptability of riding on the pavement should be judged case by case, based on the sickness of the bunny hop performed to get on it in the first place. No bunny hop is grounds for a stern talking to.

If the path is not busy and he is going slowly I have no problem with it. There are far more important issues in this world to worry about.

It was lunchtime in the City and I and a number of others were on it. The road and the cycle lane were, however, devoid of occupants.

Then again he was a fit man in his twenties and like all fit men in their twenties he was mentally retarded. Do you think that ought to be his excuse?

Fair comment, but really worthy of going out your way to play pavement police and then go publish the fact over the interwebs?

If I am walking along a pavement and someone rides towards me on a bicycle is it beholden upon me to jump out of his way or am I entitled to hold my line? As to mentioning it on a website, you may observe that, as others have commented, this thread is just for this purpose. Did you not notice that when you clicked on it.

As a cyclist, I am intolerant of cyclists who irritate motorists, pedestrians and fellow cyclists through dangerous or inconsiderate riding.

Think about it and grow up a little.

From the very post I was curious to why you had so strongly prejudged and labeled the chap. Just seems ridiculously over the top.

His age and fitness are relevant. Is he had been 10 years old or in some way incapacitated, I might have been more tolerant.