@#$%&* Inconsiderate Cyclist's!!

[Niner]

Looks to me you need glasses..

 

"well you guys (AKA cyclists in general) ride in front of me all the time and I have to slow down for you."

 

Why the need to justify it when it is in black and white. This is not the first time you are not getting it??

My bad then.....

[Lucky Luke.]

In my opinion road cyclists in particular have been acting out an unfriendly and totally aggressive attitude on the roads for years

 

Aggression, flipping the bird, swearing and carrying on - totally the norm for SA's drivers.

 

To me it verges on insane to expect cyclists to lead the way with friendliness. I tend to cycle at, above or just below the speed of the traffic around my neighborhood and I need to concentrate 100% for the duration of my ride just to make sure I make it home.

 

We are the most marginalised and vulnerable group of road users in the country. A country where the roads are internationally renowned for shocking levels of fatalities.

 

The other guy summed it up earlier when he said he thought he was on a drivers forum. Every one of these threads makes me wonder whether you people actually spend much time riding on tar.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Lucky Luke.

[fastbike]

.

[(Deon)]

I'm not sure we agree on the cause.

 

What do you think causes anger in motorists that could, and has, lead to conflict?

 

I think the PPA has the right approach - educating drivers. There are millions of them and only a few thousand of us.

 

They do, but see my comment where I start out saying they need the support of the cyclists.

Not sure what the numbers justify.. but put one fox in a chicken coup and suddenly the minority is the cause of the farmers frustration..

 

By 'us' I mean cyclists using the road.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure you are actually riding on the road as you seem to be motivating for cylists to fix this on their own by improving their riding. I cannot fathom how a regular road-using cyclist in South Africa would arrive at that conclusion.

 

I stated this fact a few pages back and explained that my friends are being put at risk by incidents exactly as shown in Hairy's post. In fact, page 1 illustrates this too. As for fixing it on your own, wrong, but sort out the poor attitude of some by doing what you say in the next line. (So we do agree)

 

I'll do my bit by riding in a sane, life-preserving fashion, being considerate, making room for cars to pass, and suggesting to other riders to do the same.

 

Hopefully clubs will continue to improve marshalling on their rides and educate members on being safe.

 

Cape Cobra comes to mind..

 

Beyond that, I'm out of ideas. Fire away if you have any more Cultural shifts take years. Ride on the roads in Europe and I'm sure you'll agree we're very far from where we need to be.

 

I have quite a bit of experience liaising between user groups and landowners, the hardest part is making users aware of their faults before taking any request for "more" back to the landowner. In this case "more" is driver education.

 

You are a considerate, life preserving rider, the road needs more of your type.. I wouldn't hesitate to tell someone off I I saw them making my life harder by deliberately or inconsiderately pissing motorists off. It will lump you in the same perception motorists have of them.

 

EDIT

Edited February 8, 2012 by Pain or Shine

[(Deon)]

 

To me it verges on insane to expect cyclists to lead the way with friendliness.

 

Now you get it. It is crazy, but look at the responses posted here already!

[Lucky Luke.]

You are a considerate, life preserving rider, the road needs more of your type.. I wouldn't hesitate to tell someone off I I saw them making my life harder by deliberately or inconsiderately pissing motorists off. It will lump you in the same perception motorists have of them.

 

Now as for PPA's campaign.. do you fix a dripping tap with a mop?

 

Yes we agree work is needed in both camps. The difference is what's at stake. For drivers it's minor inconvenience, a 30 second delay waiting to overtake. For cyclists it is the inconvenience of an early death, a life in a wheelchair, a family with one less member.

 

I'm not sure what you're driving at with PPA's campaign. Vast numbers of motorists have never internalised what the safe passing distance is. If they have they don't act on it. You really should go for a ride on the road to see for yourself.

 

PPA also teach bunch riding skills, lobby for cycling lanes, co-ordinate think bike marshalls for our races and more. They take a lot of flack and they're a small outfit but they're trying to do something at least.

[(Deon)]

all good

 

.. and I fully back the PPA's initiative. It is the most urgent issue and can save lives. I was referring to the changing the motorists perception with a campaign aimed at them.. I see how it can be misunderstood. Will correct.

 

PS, just so you know that I do have a closer link with this, every Argus, two weeks before the start, Imy thoughts are with a friend who was taken out by a vehicle. I guess he thought it was safe to go, and the bus thought the same for orange lights..

[weeclarky]

To me it verges on insane to expect cyclists to lead the way with friendliness. I tend to cycle at, above or just below the speed of the traffic around my neighborhood and I need to concentrate 100% for the duration of my ride just to make sure I make it home.

 

We are the most marginalised and vulnerable group of road users in the country. A country where the roads are internationally renowned for shocking levels of fatalities.

 

Completely agree. Of course its sensible to be courteous, but it will not solve the problem at all. It's the thinking of a battered person who always blames themselves for what someone else is doing to them. SA has some of the highest pedestrian deaths in the world, and that is not because pedestrians are not being friendly enough to the lovely drivers, it's because drivers here are mostly crap, drive too fast and irresponsibly, and don't think about the implications of what they are doing. It is natural here for drivers to think that because you're going to inflict the most damage that everyone has to get out of your way - when it should be the other way around.

 

Only sustained campaigns by interested groups like cyclists will help sort this out, together with changes in the law. Its the same as drink driving - it'll take a decade to filter into the collective consciousness that it's not fair to the rest of society, with sustained campaigning to do so.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Aggression, flipping the bird, swearing and carrying on - totally the norm for SA's drivers.

 

To me it verges on insane to expect cyclists to lead the way with friendliness. I tend to cycle at, above or just below the speed of the traffic around my neighborhood and I need to concentrate 100% for the duration of my ride just to make sure I make it home.

 

We are the most marginalised and vulnerable group of road users in the country. A country where the roads are internationally renowned for shocking levels of fatalities.

 

The other guy summed it up earlier when he said he thought he was on a drivers forum. Every one of these threads makes me wonder whether you people actually spend much time riding on tar.

 

I spend ALL my time riding on tar, on the busiest roads around JHB.

 

Its easy to point fingers, "Look at that driver", "this taxi" , "that woman on the phone", but I think we need to make sure our house is in order first. We are not achieving anything, when we point the accusing finger as a justification for our poor behavior, only when we can say, "I did it correctly" can we accuse the other.

 

I dont believe an attitude of persecution or victimization is the way to go either, we cant wonder around with the "Woe are we" attitude, and all the drivers are out to get us, its rubbish, we need to step up to the plate and take responsibility for our attitudes, I wont ride with cyclists who keep tossing the bird and swearing and shouting at drivers, I dont want the drama and I dont want to be associated with that attitude, ......I have very,very few issues and I ride on the most congested roads in the country (ask Dangle) and I put it down to nothing but mutual respect, I treat those motorists around me as I would like to be treated, and 99.9% of the time they reciprocate.

[LeTurbo]

.

 

Bwahahaha!

 

(But actually, I still want to know which of the cyclist's possessions is so inconsiderate.)

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Completely agree. Of course its sensible to be courteous, but it will not solve the problem at all. It's the thinking of a battered person who always blames themselves for what someone else is doing to them. SA has some of the highest pedestrian deaths in the world, and that is not because pedestrians are not being friendly enough to the lovely drivers, it's because drivers here are mostly crap, drive too fast and irresponsibly, and don't think about the implications of what they are doing. It is natural here for drivers to think that because you're going to inflict the most damage that everyone has to get out of your way - when it should be the other way around.

 

Only sustained campaigns by interested groups like cyclists will help sort this out, together with changes in the law. Its the same as drink driving - it'll take a decade to filter into the collective consciousness that it's not fair to the rest of society, with sustained campaigning to do so.

 

Completely disagree, dude. SA has one of the highest rates of pedestrian fatality because the majority of peds are too stupid to do the following

 

Cross freeways on dedicated bridges

Cross roads at traffic lights, when the man is green

Look left & right when crossing the road

Walk on the pavement

 

Instead, they cross freeways, jay-walk on busy roads, heck, any roads, walk in the middle of the road at any time, and just cross the road without even looking.

 

That's why we have one of the highest ped fatality rates in the world. Yes, the drivers contribute to it a bit by sometimes hitting those fools who do the above, but who can blame them when they can't do anything about it?

['Dale]

Yes we agree work is needed in both camps. The difference is what's at stake. For drivers it's minor inconvenience, a 30 second delay waiting to overtake. For cyclists it is the inconvenience of an early death, a life in a wheelchair, a family with one less member.

 

I'm not sure what you're driving at with PPA's campaign. Vast numbers of motorists have never internalised what the safe passing distance is. If they have they don't act on it. You really should go for a ride on the road to see for yourself.

 

PPA also teach bunch riding skills, lobby for cycling lanes, co-ordinate think bike marshalls for our races and more. They take a lot of flack and they're a small outfit but they're trying to do something at least.

 

Cool post; especially the reality embedded in the first paragraph.

 

[(Deon)]

Completely disagree, dude. SA has one of the highest rates of pedestrian fatality because the majority of peds are too stupid to do the following

 

Cross freeways on dedicated bridges

Cross roads at traffic lights, when the man is green

Look left & right when crossing the road

Walk on the pavement

 

Instead, they cross freeways, jay-walk on busy roads, heck, any roads, walk in the middle of the road at any time, and just cross the road without even looking.

 

That's why we have one of the highest ped fatality rates in the world. Yes, the drivers contribute to it a bit by sometimes hitting those fools who do the above, but who can blame them when they can't do anything about it?

 

you sliced through that comment like a ZEF NINJA!

[Capricorn]

the STANDI ZEF!...

u think it works mayhem?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

 

 

you sliced through that comment like a ZEF NINJA!

A zef ninja?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

the STANDI ZEF!...

u think it works mayhem?

 

Aaargh