Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

edited.

...a mass of cyclists reading this thread and using it for educational and training purposes.

I'd be delighted if I was proved wrong, but I'm doubtful.

I've learnt something from this thread...

bothwell's a she.

how can it be?! in the sun, it becomes harder to remember to 'get there first' as you get distracted by just how wonderful it is to be out cycling... in bad weather, well a lot of people who find it miserable to be out on the roads might take their only satisfaction of the commute from some little egotistical race...

I do understand what you mean, my comment was based on what I've observed generally riding around these last few days compared to a few weeks, months ago. I'm the same as you, cycling in the sun is amazing and relaxing and enjoyable - The ego race is there for those that have'nt been out much lately, I guess they're finding their Seasonal legs.
That said, maybe these ego racers should take a view if all the satisfaction they get from a ride in is to race - if it's for fun fair enough, those that just race and get dangerous these are the folk that should reflect a little imho. Just saying.

I'm Bothwell

I'm Bothwell

I'm Bothwell and so's my wife.

I'm bothwell and so's my wife.

I'm Spartacus.

Autisticus.

Noddergeddon 07.30 this day.
I stop at the left rear of a bus which has in turn stopped at a red light. The bus is angled slightly nose into the kerb and there are railings, not a safe place to go.
Small gap between me and the bus, not enough to get a bike through, right?
Behind me a crowd of fluoro nodders. Around the outside comes Mr Nod himself, yaking away on his Iphone whilst wobbling towards me. He goes straight past me, clips my bars "sorry, mate" he mumbles before half scooting himself to the point where his handlebars will not fit between bus and railing. All the while jabbering away on said phone.
I wasn't going to say anything but I was genuinly concerned for his saftey, so I call out.
"Watch it matey, if the bus moves you could get caught".
His reply: "Fk off". And back to the phone.
Lights go green and sure enough bus moves forward about 2 m, bars get caught and Mr Nod is lucky not to get squished. Mr Nod heaves bike up and hooks bars over railing allowing bus to move off.
I pedal past and give the obvious "I told you so".
His reply? "fk off" and he is back to his phone as if nothing has happened.
If Darwin was right why does this guy even exist?

This thread has definitely helped me be more chilled out on the bike when someone does something stupid: instead of raging at them, I think "ah, I can post this on the bad cyclists thread".

Posts like Mark's ^^ above are a great example.
I now know that it is just utterly pointless trying to warn your fellow two-wheelers.
They want to know even less than drivers want to know that road tax doesn't exist.
It's pointless fretting. Just keep calm and carry on.

I was overtaking a bus stopped at the stop today and pulling back into the bus lane in front of the bus. Traffic was fairly solid in the main lane so not a massive gap.

As I tried to pull back into the bus lane some get undertook me by inches and I just managed to brake before getting wiped out. When I caught up to him and said something he appeared to be a reasonably experienced cyclist and it was clear he knew he'd done something wrong. I just don't understand the thought process that goes into making these manoeuvres in the first place.

I saw a brilliant bit of bi-wheeled bellendery at the bottom of Spur Road and Kennington Road this morning (the bit where the cabs turn up to go to the Waterloo cab rank). I've come a cropper there being cut up by cabs before so I'm usually pretty careful these days but this was a doozy:

Heading east in a sizeable nodder peloton towards that turning off, the lights at the main junction (Old Vic) just beyond the side turning are red and there's already a queue of stationary traffic all the way back to the boxed-off junction.

Eastbound traffic duly stops on the west side of the box to allow queue of cabs coming from the opposite direction to turn right; across the eastbound carriageway and into Spur road. As the lights are red and there's four or five cabs to let though everyone including a group of at least half a dozen cyclists in the cycle lane stop to let them though. The first one turns in with raised hand of thanks closely followed by his colleagues...

at this point a husky middle aged man on a red Giant Defy with yellow tinted glasses, a helmet and a lot of lycra comes barging though the waiting pack of cyclists and launches himself between the first and second black cabs turning into the side street. There's an audible collective gasp and cringe from the waiting cyclists. The cab stands on the brakes narrowly avoiding hitting him and beeps and gesticulates.

The cyclist goes NUTS and starts screaming "IT'S MY RIGHT OF WAY! PRICK!" spit flying and everything. The cabbie shrugged and offered "Twit".

I laughed and rode off after the cabs.

The end.

I watched a guy sailing through a red last night.

All was perfectly safe, no cars / peds about, but as he free-wheeled through he took one foot off the pedal and hovered it a few mm off the ground.

I assume this was to sort-of-look-as-if-i'm-just-a-ped-walking-my-bike-across-the-road-officer though obviously it was rather more sort-of-look-like-a-twat effect.

It made me do a LOL out loud.

Posts like Mark's ^^ above are a great example.
I now know that it is just utterly pointless trying to warn your fellow two-wheelers.
They want to know even less than drivers want to know that road tax doesn't exist.
It's pointless fretting. Just keep calm and carry on.

Strongly disagree.

It's natural for someone's initial response to go on the defensive. They think they are under attack, they tell them to fuck off.

Thing is, they made them think more about it. They'll remember that, more than just the bar clipping. If they are pissed off, it'll stick in their mind and bother them. They'll remember that next time they find themselves facing a potentially similar situation. They might even not do it again.

Don't tell me you've never had anyone have a go at you for something, especially a stranger, and initially thought they were a twat and even told them so, then later grudgingly realising they were right?

exception that proves the rule

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. A right classic internet there when someone pulls up the incorrect usage of that term to basically say "you've just proved me wrong but if I use this expression it makes me right".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exception_that_proves_the_rule

thanks for the clarification. I will be more careful in my usage, or probably not use it in the future.

^Not the "Is it time to be an English Language pedant" thread

Don't tell me you've never had anyone have a go at you for something, especially a stranger, and initially thought they were a twat and even told them so, then later grudgingly realising they were right?

That's a good point.
But as the Samaritan in your example, I really find it unpleasant to be told to eff off by people in the wrong.
It could really ruin a nice ride. My philanthropy can only go so far.

So in answer to the OP, no.
(Other than shouting, "RED"; that's a given.)

^Not the "Is it time to be an English Language pedant" thread

"English language pedant"

I'm going to call out myself.

Cycled up the inside between cars and the gutter today in a lot of still traffic and a car turned left at a junction knocking me down. Fortunately no damage to me, the bike or the car. He did indicate late (indicated during the turn from a stationary position I think) but I still should have been paying better attention.

Need to not put myself in that position.

Yep me too, and to be honest i think this is the sort of thing which leads to people being hurt. Was at Monument turning left over London Bridge the other morning, a fucking huge lorry decided, while at junction, to turn left too so i stopped where i was until it passed as it filtered into single lane with some bollards, and some cunt behind me gave me a sarcastic "excuse me" and tried to barge past. I seriously think if i hadn't been in his way he'd have tried to go round the corner at same time as lorry and would have been right underneath a HGVs passenger door and in blind spot.
Gggrrrrrr.........

Very much the same on my route, NodderRaces here we go! The perpetual 'get to the front, get there quick, must be first' mindset is set to stay for the season.

Possibly the one upside to hayfever, your chest makes you sound like a diesel engine, and this freaks the new Nodds right out - particularly when waiting at a red....

Far from me to be elitist but Fuck me there's some plonkas on the roads again on bikes.enough to make you shown up promoting cycling

To the melt wearing glasses I just spoke to on Southwark street: You're an idiot. FACT.

That car was at the front of the queue. It was there long before you turned up indicating left. You had a cycle box empty bar ONE other cyclist. Yet you choose to sit almost alongside that vehicle giving the impression you too, were turning left. When the lights go green you set off slower than Driving Miss Daisy, and the driver suddenly realises you're there and that you aren't also turning and has to hit the brakes. There are knock on effects to those of us behind. Have the grace to consider your actions when it's gently brought up.... Otherwise I'll be sure to post something nice in your up coming rider down thread that your ego leads you to.
:)