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

[(Deon)]

 

 

Much of this thread seems to be of the opinion that if we are well behaved then everything will be fine. That's simply not the case, and it's time we stood up for ourselves and make it plain that we have a right to be on the road, and we have a right to cycle safely there.

 

No, the problems will not go away with a friendly smile, but with a concerted effort to reign in some of the bad attitude, you will have a leg to stand on when you try to stand up for you right to the road. No point in letting a bad situation get worse right?

 

Much of this thread got lost in red robots when it was initially about the bad attitude of some riders.

[Capricorn]

not really lost PoS, as the Red Robot hero situation is simply one of the simplest situations to demonstrate that bad attitude.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

The point is that we're forced to take control of these situations because most drivers are unable to make proper decisions which ensure our safety. That means taking up the road and holding up the traffic if it is not safe for them to pass, moving in when you feel it is safe for them to do so.

 

Much of this thread seems to be of the opinion that if we are well behaved then everything will be fine. That's simply not the case, and it's time we stood up for ourselves and make it plain that we have a right to be on the road, and we have a right to cycle safely there. Sure, some cyclists are wankers and ride all over the place, but that doesn't negate this point.

 

Well, I will go against the common feeling of this thread and say I dont agree. Or perhaps a better word would be "that's your experience, but its not mine."!

 

I dont want to get involved with the jumping lights, three abreast issue, its been debated to death and its still nowhere, what I would like to say is claiming your piece of road is fine when you have small vehicle traffic, however trying to force a 36 wheeler to move into the other lane facing another 42 wheeler coming in the opposite direction just to pass you pedaling 2m from the verge is not going to happen where I ride, and you will just be another statistic here in the cycling safety forum.

 

I have been running and cycling on the roads around Gauteng since I was 16, as I am now 54 you can see I have a fair bit of experience in the matter, trucks are going to barrel down the road and force you out of your "piece of the road", like it or not, and to me its more about going home than trying to enforce my position when my competition is 15 tons bigger than me.

 

One can live in a fools paradise and think they will cruise along behind you while you avoid the dead animals in the gutter, but my experience is they wont, so I'll be hugging the curb and even taking to the gravel when need be to get home safely, my days of pretending I am invincible are long gone.

Edited February 6, 2012 by GrumpyOldGuy

[Dubber88]

Followed the first couple of pages on this thread.

 

I went out today for a training ride from 12:00 to 14:00 in Pta, Klapperkop, Rigel, Louis, Dely, Rubenstein, and really made a conscious effort to abide all rules of the road and make responsible decisions whilst being courteous to car drivers.

 

As far as I was concerned I received the same attitude back from the drivers on the road, especially the people that saw my attitude on the road.

 

I'm definitely not saying that you can expect the same from everyone's reactions, but was pleasantly surprised what went on today on the road whilst I was out.

 

Regards,

Dub

[Niner]

 

 

The point is that we're forced to take control of these situations because most drivers are unable to make proper decisions which ensure our safety. That means taking up the road and holding up the traffic if it is not safe for them to pass, moving in when you feel it is safe for them to do so.

 

Much of this thread seems to be of the opinion that if we are well behaved then everything will be fine. That's simply not the case, and it's time we stood up for ourselves and make it plain that we have a right to be on the road, and we have a right to cycle safely there. Sure, some cyclists are wankers and ride all over the place, but that doesn't negate this point.

 

100% correct. Drivers think that cyclist do not belong on the road.

 

We need to stake our claim again.

 

Edit: Grumpy clearly a truck wil win well a motorbike will win but that is not the point. Cyclist are allowed to be on the roads and yes we need to pick our battles.

 

In normal traffic car ignore me like I am not there does not matter how nice your ride. Wrt to a truck and even some cars it does not matter it you are on the road or hugging the curb they will pass you with about 5 cm space. So it does matter if it is a car or a 42 wheeler coming past you, if they touch us we are dead. Yet they seem to get as close to us as possible.

 

Hence I like to try and be visible and if that claim my piece of road.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Niner

[(Deon)]

not really lost PoS, as the Red Robot hero situation is simply one of the simplest situations to demonstrate that bad attitude.

 

ah, yes, correct.

 

[Scooter69]

:devil:

 

AND NOW:

 

Colnago Bicycle plus Testosterone.....Versus......Peterbilt Truck plus Testosterone

 

heh heh heh

[(Deon)]

Reading Dubs post.. responsibility shows.

 

It is so weird that I am even on this thread! I have never been a roadie and the two Argus tours I completed hardly qualifies me to comment, but I am faced with a lot of the same issues in terms of the people who participate.. I meet with a prominent landowner in Cape Town, it is part of managing the trails on their land, and despite all the rogue building, riding in off access areas, conflict with other usergroups etc.. the one issue that drives the owner mad is the general lack of respect. Be it towards the landowner, environment, it is certainly not expected! This sport is supposed to be a recreation??

 

There is one profile of user who's continued activity in the area hangs in the balance, why? It is their attitude above all else.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Pain or Shine

[GrumpyOldGuy]

100% correct. Drivers think that cyclist do not belong on the road.

 

We need to stake our claim again.

 

Edit: Grumpy clearly a truck wil win well a motorbike will win but that is not the point. Cyclist are allowed to be on the roads and yes we need to pick our battles.

 

In normal traffic car ignore me like I am not there does not matter how nice your ride. Wrt to a truck and even some cars it does not matter it you are on the road or hugging the curb they will pass you with about 5 cm space. So it does matter if it is a car or a 42 wheeler coming past you, if they touch us we are dead. Yet they seem to get as close to us as possible.

 

Hence I like to try and be visible and if that claim my piece of road.

 

Hmm, my impression is they "ride a line" on the road (trucks that is) it is not up against the verge and its not over the white line, piloting a 42 wheeler loaded with cement is a delicate task and they cant just change positions on the road instantaneously like a car, hence, they steer a line. Riding 2m into the road is directly in their line of travel and they will force you off your position, possibly with disastrous consequences, hugging the edge keeps me out of their line of travel and I rarely have issues, but if I do, I have no hesitation in hitting the gravel until the truck passes, as I said, going home is my primary concern, not changing the attitude of the countries heavy duty truck drivers.

 

When I was in the USA last year I read a trucking magazine where the cycling body had placed a story about educating the readers on the dynamic effects a passing truck has on a cyclist (ie) sucking it in as it draws level and pushing you away as it passes, most truck drivers are not aware of these issues, its not something they have been educated on, so passing closely is not necessarily an aggressive maneuver, it might just be ignorance.

 

But be that as it may, I cant change that, truck drivers dont read this forum, so my only aim on any run or cycle is to return home at the end in one piece. To this end, I have found been humble, staying out of the traffics line of travel, putting a foot down at stop streets, indicating my intentions clearly and thanking those around me for giving me space and allowing me through is the best manner to achieve my aims.

Edited February 7, 2012 by GrumpyOldGuy

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Followed the first couple of pages on this thread.

 

I went out today for a training ride from 12:00 to 14:00 in Pta, Klapperkop, Rigel, Louis, Dely, Rubenstein, and really made a conscious effort to abide all rules of the road and make responsible decisions whilst being courteous to car drivers.

 

As far as I was concerned I received the same attitude back from the drivers on the road, especially the people that saw my attitude on the road.

 

I'm definitely not saying that you can expect the same from everyone's reactions, but was pleasantly surprised what went on today on the road whilst I was out.

 

Regards,

Dub

 

Oh, indeed it do's, people respond to attitudes, if you have a poor one you will get little freedom from others, however a good attitude and a smile and a courteous wave, without a doubt gets like in return.

 

I ride pretty much the same route daily, I often see the same faces in the traffic, day in and day out, going to work, going to school, dropping off the laundry, it doesn't matter, I am sharing the road with them, stopping at lights I often get waved through ahead of them, sometimes they protect me from oncoming traffic and wave me through, just the other day I waved a taxi in front of me, I had right of way but maybe he didnt see me and pulled out in front of me, I could have adopted the usual finger pointing swearing high and mighty attitude, but I didnt, I slowed and waved him in.

 

The next few days I didnt see him, but then one morning there he was next to me in the traffic at the light, he remembered me and shouted over with a big grin for me to go ahead while he waited. Its not rocket science, its just a behavior modification, for too long cyclists have behaved like Prima Donna's on the road and its gotton us nowhere, we need to change, lose the finger attitude, leave the aggression at home, allow others their mistakes as they allow ours and you will be amazed at the response.

[DJR]

Hi GOG

 

You sure don't sound like a grumpy old guy at all in your last 2 posts.

 

I hope that all the impatient testosterone fuelled riders take especially your last post to heart. That is exactly how things will improve, with the right attitude from cyclists themselves!

[TNT1]

I see in the paper, the inconsiderate cyclists are even arseholes on stationary bikes:

 

Gym member tells of racist insults

 

February 6 2012 at 11:32am

By Botho Molosankwe

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/copy-of-iol-life-oct-4-gym-1.1210964%21/image/565948755.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/565948755.jpg

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

File photo

A woman has told how a fellow member at Virgin Active took offence to her enthusiasm in a spinning class by calling her a “bloody k*****, a cockroach and a selfish bitch”.

This, she said, happened in full view of the instructor, who continued the class without defusing the situation.

It started on the morning of December 31 last year at Virgin Active Morningside in Sandton. Liz Hleza, who is in her 50s, said she was enjoying the music and kept shouting “yebo” as the instructor put them through the gruelling exercise.

However, a man in front of her was not happy about that. He got off his bicycle and confronted her.

“I was so scared and thought he was going to hit me, he was very angry. He said I should keep quiet and kept saying this bloody k*****, you k*****. He was pointing fingers at me. He said ‘bloody c**** and that I was a selfish bitch. He also told me that I was born walking on four legs with a tail, and I should go back to the bushes where I belong and make that noise there.”

Hleza claims that she did not return the insult.

“Thank God I did not lower myself to his level. But his friend sprayed me with water from his squeeze bottle. He said ‘shoosh, can’t you see you are upsetting my friend’, and I told him that I was also paying membership there.”

After the class, Hleza went to the manager on duty to complain and when that manager called the two men to her office, they refused to go. The man, she said, swore at her again. “He said ‘You bloody k*****, you are a cockroach and next time I come to the gym I will bring Doom to spray you with’.”

Hleza said someone from the disciplinary committee asked her about the incident, but kept asking her whether she was sure of her facts because the man whom she claimed insulted her was a lawyer and if it was found she was not speaking the truth, her contract at the gym would be terminated.

Hleza, who lives in Alexandra, said she was not happy about the way the management handled the situation. She claims she was told that the man had apologised. “However, he never apologised to me.”

The club then organised a meeting two weeks ago where the man was to apologise. However, he said he wouldn’t be able to make it.

“On that Saturday, he saw me in the class but did not even say anything to me. After the class, he just left,” said Hleza.

Virgin Active’s Karen Gordon said the health club franchise did not tolerate discrimination and that “the member that allegedly misbehaved also received formal correspondence… which included a final warning”.

Gordon also said nobody would be compelled to make an apology.

“However… VA has made every effort to arrange for them to meet up,” she said.

Regarding the instructor’s failure to intervene, Gordon said he had claimed he had been unable to hear the verbal exchanges.

The man apologised on Saturday in a meeting convened by the club, and Hleza accepted the apology. However, she said she wanted her story to be told “because… there are still people like that out there”.

[Dubber88]

Oh, indeed it do's, people respond to attitudes, if you have a poor one you will get little freedom from others, however a good attitude and a smile and a courteous wave, without a doubt gets like in return.

 

I ride pretty much the same route daily, I often see the same faces in the traffic, day in and day out, going to work, going to school, dropping off the laundry, it doesn't matter, I am sharing the road with them, stopping at lights I often get waved through ahead of them, sometimes they protect me from oncoming traffic and wave me through, just the other day I waved a taxi in front of me, I had right of way but maybe he didnt see me and pulled out in front of me, I could have adopted the usual finger pointing swearing high and mighty attitude, but I didnt, I slowed and waved him in.

 

The next few days I didnt see him, but then one morning there he was next to me in the traffic at the light, he remembered me and shouted over with a big grin for me to go ahead while he waited. Its not rocket science, its just a behavior modification, for too long cyclists have behaved like Prima Donna's on the road and its gotton us nowhere, we need to change, lose the finger attitude, leave the aggression at home, allow others their mistakes as they allow ours and you will be amazed at the response.

 

+1

[Pants Boy]

I see in the paper, the inconsiderate cyclists are even arseholes on stationary bikes:

 

Gym member tells of racist insults

 

I'm just wondering aloud here ... who was inconsiderate in this instance? I know where my money is ...

[weeclarky]

This is more like it - rather than insisting we all ride in the gutter:

 

PPA LAUNCHES SAFE CYCLING CAMPAIGN

PPA is about to launch a major safe cycling campaign to focus attention on safe passing distance. Watch out for our branded buses, print advertising, and bumper stickers linked to a competition in which you can win one of six bicycles. Amongst others, we are looking for names of cycle-friendly coffee shops - read more on our website and send us your nomination now!

[Wannabe]

This is more like it - rather than insisting we all ride in the gutter:

 

PPA LAUNCHES SAFE CYCLING CAMPAIGN

PPA is about to launch a major safe cycling campaign to focus attention on safe passing distance. Watch out for our branded buses, print advertising, and bumper stickers linked to a competition in which you can win one of six bicycles. Amongst others, we are looking for names of cycle-friendly coffee shops - read more on our website and send us your nomination now!

 

 

:clap: :clap: