Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

I was almost taken out by a cyclist who shot onto a roundabout as I was riding around it.

I immediately apologised for being in his way by saying "I'm frightfully sorry, but I thought it was my right of way".

"It was" he replied and rode on like a latter day MrsMyth.

If some did that to me, I would have lit him on fire before hunting down his family...

No, you wouldn't.

Oh yes, I would!

He's behind you!

^rep

Is it time to call out bad spammers?

Is it time to call out bad spammers?

The thought has crossed my mind...

This

Bad spanners?

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcx6VPIyKlQ"]Bad
Manners - Special Brew - YouTube[/ame]

Classic tune!

I'm going to call myself out, because I felt a bit of a tool after this. I was on a straight, quite narrow road and there was a queue of stationary cars in front of me. I moved to the right to filter past them assuming it was a tailback from the lights ahead. It wasn't: there was some roadworks jutting into the road blocking about half the lane, meaning the cars were waiting for a gap in the approaching traffic before going around it. The front car pulled away leaving me level with a van on my left, me over the white lines in the opposing lane and cars approaching. By now I was in limbo: I wasn't sure whether the white van was going to allowed to go around by the approaching traffic or whether he was going to stay where he was. I don't the van was aware of me, concentrating on the approaching traffic. I was forced to make a spilt-second decision: stop dead in the opposing lane and let the van go (if it was going) or commit to the act and go around the van.

Whish I did and was probably the wrong decision. I carried on cycling on the right of the van, he pulled out, I cycled ahead and around him before diving back to the left curb, and I got a massive honk from him as he was forced to brake mid-manouver(deservedly). I tried to put my hand up in apology, but being a van he was already alongside me, honking again and squeezing me into the curb, so the sorry gesture turned into a finger.

In my defence the roadworks were obscured by the traffic but it wasn't my finest hour, and it shows that filtering through on the right isn't always the best idea. It was this morning as I shot past about 3 miles of queueing traffic though.

There's bad cyclists too (no lights and black clothing are my fav, half of the cyclists here commutes without light and if I can't see them cycling...) and idiots going the wrong way.

Drivers however have a ton of steel ready to kill...cycle into somebody and usually it's yourself that is hurt. Unless you're such a massive tool you cause a pileup and don't get hurt yourself.

However, pedestrians are a bit accident prone too (legally blind and stepping in front of cars/cyclists) so it's hard to say where to draw the line. As they don't have numberplates and might destroy your bike in process too as you swerve trying to avoid them and ride into something or fall.

One thing I would really advice (bar brakes/lights you know legal boring stuff) is to check you are not in the blindspot of a car. I take driving lessons and while car drivers SHOULD check blindspots not all do and if you got fast you may just jump into somebody's blindspot which can be an unexpected surprise for the driver, as yes you check your mirrors every 10 seconds at least and before a manoeuvre and there's no excuse not to check mirrors before turning, but a load of cyclist going in/out of view may be a bit nervewracking too :)

I am not sure a blame game is the right way to go. However, if you have friends that cycle/drive like a nutter a friendly youtube video that shows them the consequences for other road users may be in order.

Failing that, you can always youtube their driving ;)

(One time I missed a red light due to being super tired. No near accident as road was pretty quiet but yeah nice one...!)

I cycled ahead and around him before diving back to the left curb

There's your mistake. If it's narrow, don't tempt them to overtake, just do a quick "intervals session"-style sprint.

Cycling home tonight I was waiting at some lights with another cyclist just to my right. As the lights went green a bloke on a moderately flash road bike split the gap between us at pace with only a couple of inches gap on each side. I mean sufficient pace that if either of us had wobbled as we set off he would have had all three of us onto the tarmac. I pulled away after him with a fair mind to give him a stern talking to when, after about 200 yards his pedal fell off into the gutter. I momentarily slowed thinking about picking it up and returning it to him with a few choice comments, but by the time I'd thought about it I was too far past to make it feasible. In the end I was so amused by has obvious bafflement at repeatedly trying to put his foot on his now-absent pedal I thought I'd just leave him to it.

Karma is rare but when you experience some you should enjoy it.

"Cycling home tonight... ...I thought I'd just leave him to it."

Karma is rare but when you experience some you should enjoy it.

Indeed.

Had a run in with a fool on a fold up bike this morning on Westminster bridge. Suit on , briefcase strapped to his back . you know the type . He was in the middle of the road cycling up from the lights by the hospital and I was behind him in the cycle lane. He was going quite slow so I was catching him up on the inside . Then a car beeped at him so he started wobbling his way into the cycle lane towards me. He only looked when he nearly collided with me. I didn't say anything as I don't call people out , as you know. But the cheeky cunt started shouting at me , saying to look where I was going. So I threatened to throw him off the bridge. He soon shut up. And I went to work as normal.

"... I didn't say anything [at first] as I don't call people out , as you know. ...So I threatened to throw him off the bridge. He soon shut up. And I went to work as normal."

I like your style. Full rep had you only followed through.

I don't think he was that scared.

Had a run in with a fool on a fold up bike this morning on Westminster bridge. Suit on , briefcase strapped to his back . you know the type . He was in the middle of the road cycling up from the lights by the hospital and I was behind him in the cycle lane. He was going quite slow so I was catching him up on the inside . Then a car beeped at him so he started wobbling his way into the cycle lane towards me. He only looked when he nearly collided with me. I didn't say anything as I don't call people out , as you know. But the cheeky cunt started shouting at me , saying to look where I was going. So I threatened to throw him off the bridge. He soon shut up. And I went to work as normal.

So you saw exactly what was about to happen but just carried on anyway ensuring some kind of conflict would occur. Nice one. There is a difference between letting someone know you are there and calling them out.

Had a run in with a fool on a fold up bike this morning on Westminster bridge. Suit on , briefcase strapped to his back . you know the type . He was in the middle of the road cycling up from the lights by the hospital and I was behind him in the cycle lane. He was going quite slow so I was catching him up on the inside . Then a car beeped at him so he started wobbling his way into the cycle lane towards me. He only looked when he nearly collided with me. I didn't say anything as I don't call people out , as you know. But the cheeky cunt started shouting at me , saying to look where I was going. So I threatened to throw him off the bridge. He soon shut up. And I went to work as normal.

Don't undertake. He should've looked, you shouldn't have been there; you're both equally at fault here.

oh no - alpha male status threatened....what will happen?

oh no - alpha male status threatened....what will happen?

I don't know for sure, but somebody being punched in the kidneys will probably be involved somehow.

Maybe that's why the briefcase was strapped to his back?

Once Braved, twice shy.

Don't undertake. He should've looked, you shouldn't have been there; you're both equally at fault here.

+1

Calling out the weapon on the black and green Felt on Brixton Rd this morning.

I overtook shortly after the lights at Morleys and he decided to up the pace and draft me down to the lights at Brixton Jam. Fair enough, couldn't be arsed arguing or trying to shake him off. Then he decides to swing out and overtake with mere milimetres to spare. The slightest of wobbles from either of us and we would both have been down. I sarcastically muttered: "Why don't you try getting a little closer next time". His retort: "Don't worry, with a little more experience you'll get used to it..." as he sailed through the red light.

WAC

His retort: "Don't worry, with a little more experience you'll get used to it..." as he sailed through the red light.

"What? Experience of being drafted by RLJing cockweasels?"