Don't read the comments!

https://www.facebook.com/transportforlondon/posts/856281157762028

Under this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMj_iF8gRRc
you have a text book case of the fake cyclist sympathizer often found on videos with really shocking driver behaviour. In their minds I guess, they think if they can pass themselves off as a cyclist, maybe, just maybe the whole cycling community will take heed as one and stop riding around 2 abreast or whatever blah they are currently bitching about.

Found in amongst the majority of comments that are expressing condemnation and shock. This one starts off: "yeah that fucking driver, out of order" then a kind of: "but, you know, if you guys only didn't ride in twos". This guy was actually doing quite well considering but then he mentions offhand that he's an ex cop (lie?) and for the last line he can't hide his true convictions and they burst forth with: "move over you spandex benders" A full 180 degree u-turn in one comment! Classic. You see variations of this sort of thing all over the place.

1 Attachment

"move over you spandex benders"

I thought TfL had stopped putting these stickers on the back of trucks and lorries?

I have to disagree with your rather harsh analysis.

My personal experience, here in the sticks, is that people on club rides do demonstrate a lack of consideration for and awareness of other road users.

Instead of splitting into groups of six leaving a two car lengths gap, allowing cars to safely leapfrog them, they do ride in one large group which it is not possible to safely overtake.

The pack mentality dominates as soon as the once-a-week, Strava-heroes are all dressed the same and they lack the courtesy, common sense and confidence to ride according to the conditions.

"... a more open mindset can help deflate a situation." is advice worth heeding.

Why does 'share the road' always equal 'get out of my way'?

OK without wanting to get into a massive debate. Perhaps that is the case about club riders, and I've had my own problems with packs of club riders in the past but on this particular video the cyclists are not at fault at all and the driving is inexcusable. Perhaps those comments would be better on a video that showed club riders riding inappropriately or better yet get a passenger to film an example of it one day.

My point was, more and more, on comments or in real life people often start or end their anti cyclist tirade with "As a cyclist myself" or "I sympathize but". A high percentage of the last few drivers who have risked my life or I busted parking on the cycle lane have all claimed to be cyclists and on the facebook page that was linked to this incident at least 3 people did exactly that, first sympathized then whined, then hurled abuse. I see it as a tactic used by people with an axe to grind. Normally if you want to be effective and get your point across, calling those people spandex benders isn't going to help your cause.

You bloody spandex bender! and I say that as a cyclist myself! ;)

It's New Forest Sport Sportive weekend and local rag have dusted off annal anti cycling artical and got it out for an airing.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/12878124.Here_we_go_again__Thousands_gear_up_for_mass_New_Forest_cycle_event/

^Fairly reasonable comments so far. Quite suprising for the Daily/Bournemouth Echo...

Late response, but I read that in Archer's voice thanks to your avatar and I LOLd

"As a cyclist myself".

Bit like the "I'm not racist, but..." discussion threads then ;)

Just watched Jurassic World trailer.
Best comment: "This is a preview of what's to come when Korea keeps cloning the damn Willie mammoth another animals I swear some one is going to open Pandora box".
Salient point.

The p0rn version of 'Willie Mammoth and Pandora's Box' is a winner!

LOL

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/red-hook-criterium-no-brake-bike-race-sweeps-cycling-world/

PS RHC is coming to London in July

"Pulling up park benches with a tractor is fun. Should I be allowed to do that? It doesn't endanger anyone at all. Grow up, kid. Just because it's fun doesn't mean it's reasonable behavior."

If people don't realise that there's a massive agenda behind a lot of these left-wing cycling "activists" - ie hobble big business, punish private car ownership while pushing collective transport - then they're welcome to the Lycra-clad moonbats.

Hah. Bonus points for Lycra-clad moonbats.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jul/01/sabotage-and-hatred-what-have-people-got-against-cyclists

Good, balanced article that counters the usual media narrative about cyclists, shame the comments show that people haven't even read it and just immediately launch into road tax/RLJing /bloody cyclists rants

I must say I blame Matthew Parris for putting that neck-high wire thing into the public domain. There's no way of showing it influenced people, of course, but I had never heard of it before his column and there have been quite a few such incidents since. It would be horrible if someone actually rode into one of these things.

Not sure when the Parris article appeared but there were a few neck high wire incidents when I were a lad in Derby. Mostly associated with muggings. I guess that until someone connected these with a hate crime rather than good old honest thievery they were not news.

Matthew Parris simply isn't that imaginative. It's a trope that has been around for a while. Certainly there were plenty of urban legends about it stemming from the 80's and 90's in relation to dirt bike trails.

It goes back a fair way. I hear the French resistance in WWII did something similar to catch German motorcyclists.

I cycled though some fishing line on a well-used shared path several years agi, fortunately no damage done, and it was kids playing a stupid prank rather than anything really sinister, they ran away laughing after hiding in some bushes to watch it happen.

If incidents like this do continue and escalate someone is going to get very seriously hurt.

Kinda related...

...Those bloody dog leashes that just roll out forever.
Great idea if you cant let Your dog off the leash. Granted.
But you cant just Wonder around With a 8 meter long line shifting about, without paying attention.

Almost got caught by one of those. Was rolling very slowly along a distance behind when the owner turned, saw me, and panicked about the lead. I stopped & waited for him to gather it up, then moved off. As I went past, the inevitable "SHOULDN'T BE GOING SO FAST" got hollered at me, followed by a witty return from me. CUNT or something like that.

The joys of a shared path. Dogs off the lead are a hazard too, I have five I know how unpredictable they are.

There was a qquestion in the comments about why cyclists don't use cycle paths, dogs is just one of them.

Not cycling related, but the comments are tres lolz.

NB Foul language and gross-out photos warning!