Why Are Cyclists So Hated...

I have nothing further, your honour.

Fair point. You could be on to something

Hoonz
BRM
Hippy
Murtle

; )

I thought Murtle was a kiwi?

I always thought that the wankers in cars was part of the fun . . . until you get taken out that is.

Elms is a London-centric corpse rapist.

That has to be the best example of defamation ever.
I'd pay good money to see that go to court.

Infact this whole forum is the best example of defamation ever.

I thought Murtle was a kiwi?

Aren't Kiwis Aussies?

I thought we were hopping into drivers (for a change)?

Fair point. You could be on to something

Hoonz
BRM
Hippy
Murtle

; )

Beware: the colonials are now colonising the imperialists. the UK is an Australian Territory you know :p

I thought we were hopping into drivers (for a change)?

Aussie bashing is our national sport, mainly 'cos you keep beating us at our other national sports.

EXACTLY!

There's nothing like hurt national pride to fan the flames

The day that the Ozzos and Kiwis are better at us than football, is the day it's all over

(don't point to that silly defeat a couple of years ago, by the way)

Aren't Kiwis Aussies?

now i am confused

:>.

I get looks of disbelief and hatred from pedestrians all the time, for the most basic things. Like cycling fast, within 4 metres of them. I mean, when I am on the road and they are on the pavement. I catch their eye and they look at me like I'm a mad man.

I got called a 'terrorising psychopath' by an old man walking across a red light. I passed within a couple of metres behind the guy for god's sake. People look at me like I'm riding a flaming child, rather than a bike.

Believe it or not I got an old guy saying as I cycled past him saying "bikes are allowed on the road", as he was walking along the road! Not even crossing it, walking parallel with it!

Murts blatantly hasn't got to this thread yet.

I've been listening to Elms for about half an hour. Nothing about cycling.

He keeps banging on about the Elvin Tree in hyde park.

What is it with peds!? They're always walking around and being frightened of dying.

Are you or other female cyclists treated differently?

Yes, I am sure of that and for many good and wrong reasons.

I thought Murtle was a kiwi?

Nearly he's Corish.

Murts blatantly hasn't got to this thread yet.

I know. I've been waiting for his friendly little growl...

What is it with peds!? They're always walking around and being frightened of dying.

Only when they see a bike. They're ok with cars and big buses.

Nearly he's Corish.

That's murtle on the left then?

I'm old enough to remember the 80s, when he was one of the Blitz kids and used to write for a magazine called New Sounds, New Styles: a very pale imitation of the Face and I-D. His journalism is fucking dire, he just sports the same old "look at me I grew up on a Council Estate, aren't I great, isn't London great, aren't Londoners great" bullshit.
There is zero substance to anything he does, it's all about superficial style.

I too remember back in the early '80s him getting a fair bit if stick over some fashion thing involving tatty jeans or something - some sort of poverty chic - and I've always been wary of what he does since.

That's murtle on the left then?

nope - el squire

....People look at me like I'm riding a flaming child, rather than a bike.

I cannot shake this utterly bonkers mental image. I'm giggling when I know I certainly shouldn't be.

People hate cyclists because they are culturally conditioned to.

At least in Dublin, only 10% of accidents involving cyclists were the cyclists fault:
"Crashes where the fault is more likely to be attributable to the cyclist accounted for a much smaller proportion of incidents. In just over 4 per cent a cyclist hit a pedestrian, while in fewer than 3 per cent of collisions a cyclist turned right into on-coming traffic."

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0211/1233867931746.html

Bearing in Mind this bombshell the following recommendations were made:

"

• Segregation of bicycles and HGVs where possible.
  
• Awareness campaign on the danger of left-turning HGVs.
  
• Upgrade of cycle lanes to remove potholes, sunken gullies and poor surfaces.
  
• Enforcement of legislation regarding the use of bicycle lights.
  
• Encourage more cycling to produce a “safety in numbers” effect.
  
• Provide additional cycling infrastructure on a “most used routes” priority basis."
  
  

No where (with the exception of HGVs) are drivers mentioned, or that their behaviour or attitudes should change.

The 'Driver' is 'normal' and society deems those outside of normality to be in need of further conditioning. I don't have any problem with this, and I hate the whole bleeding heart cyclist thing, but its pretty clear that the 'reason' cyclists are hated (at least in Dublin) is not because of their behaviour but because the hateful attitude is developed elsewhere.

Peace