Motorists vs Cyclists.... again

[Mamil]

10 hours ago, ChrisF said:

 

This is NOT a bike vs car thing, well not only aggresion towards cyclists ...

 

 

All over cars are driven so aggresively now .... no respect to any other road users.

 

 

Out on our bikes we are just so much more exposed .... stay safe out there 👍

I think being encased in armour of metal and plastic with the power of a herd of horses available with the flick of an ankle is a bad idea for most people. Creates a sense of entitlement or at least exaggerates an entitlement that is already there. " Obstacles be they hills or other people can be easily overcome and I'm entitled be anywhere I want fast" are twin delusions that are reinforced by motor vehicles. 

It's not a popular opinion because cars serve as a symbol of all the cultural ideals we strive for (power, autonomy, status, control etc) but I increasingly feel that cars are the devil's work. 

Not long ago travelling at 100 miles an hour was impossible and a feat reserved for the gods.... Now any drunk teenager can do it for sh1ts and giggles. Strikes me as grand scale species based hubris.

 

[Pieter-za]

And then you get the crowd that say they will not give way to a cyclist

(Premeditated assault?)

 

and then I saw this this morning:  

https://maroelamedia.co.za/nuus/sa-nuus/man-gestuur-om-erg-beseerde-fietsryer-te-red/

 

[DieselnDust]

7 minutes ago, Pieter-za said:

And then you get the crowd that say they will not give way to a cyclist

(Premeditated assault?)

 

and then I saw this this morning:  

https://maroelamedia.co.za/nuus/sa-nuus/man-gestuur-om-erg-beseerde-fietsryer-te-red/

 

When you see this level of ignorance and selfish perspective the you start to lose hope that we will ever fix our society 

[lechatnoir]

15 hours ago, splat said:

Blue Arrow = Cyclists
Red Arrow = Silly motorist

Been through this plenty of times to know that it's a death trap. People coming down Houghton wanting to turn left also face challenges.

But, as @Mamil states, entitlement is the issue, and that applies to me in my car, on my bike, or walking down the street. There are times I need an AAK (attitude-adjustment-klap) or just a plain old PK...

[splat]

3 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

When you see this level of ignorance and selfish perspective the you start to lose hope that we will ever fix our society 

Sadly, you will read the same messages on social media boards in many places around the world.

[Robbie Stewart]

4 hours ago, lechatnoir said:

There are times I need an AAK (attitude-adjustment-klap) or just a plain old PK...

You can go drag your brakes around the Tygerberg trails and you're guaranteed of one . . . (too soon? )

[Pure Savage]

4 hours ago, Pieter-za said:

And then you get the crowd that say they will not give way to a cyclist

(Premeditated assault?)

 

and then I saw this this morning:  

https://maroelamedia.co.za/nuus/sa-nuus/man-gestuur-om-erg-beseerde-fietsryer-te-red/

 

On our 300km tour de Bootlegger, there are certain areas that have the worst drivers and I would say they align to the above...

[Bl4d3]

On my way to N1 City this morning, I all most hit a cyclist who decided to run a red light while there was traffic on Old Oak road crossing Frans Conradie.

Had it the other day as well, cycling home, turning right onto Cecil Morgan and here comes an oak blasting through the red light on his MTB, all most taking me out.

In the last year while I've been commuting, I've had more close calls with other cyclists than with cars which is insane.

[Kyle_Hanger]

What we forget is that there are cyclists that do not follow the road rules and are self entitled, but on the flip side we have cyclists that do follow rules are courteous. Cyclists running lights and being morons are creating a bad name for the rest of us and creating an atmosphere where road users will not be courteous or respectful to us. We cannot only blame motorists for the rage against cyclists especially when there are riders that are unintelligent on the on the roads as mentioned above with a MTB rider skipping a light.

[milky4130]

9 hours ago, Bl4d3 said:

On my way to N1 City this morning, I all most hit a cyclist who decided to run a red light while there was traffic on Old Oak road crossing Frans Conradie.

Had it the other day as well, cycling home, turning right onto Cecil Morgan and here comes an oak blasting through the red light on his MTB, all most taking me out.

In the last year while I've been commuting, I've had more close calls with other cyclists than with cars which is insane.

Rookie numbers, check this study conducted in Sweden.

https://cykelframjandet.se/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2-bicycle-accidents-an-analysis-of-the-causes-of-single-bicycle-accidents-in-stockholm-2.pdf

[Hairy]

A good friend told me son was involved in an accident this past week where he was waiting at the traffic light to cross, the light went green and a lady came through the red light and hit him. He was lucky to walk away with just bruising, but in the moment and shock he did not take her details. She stopped to see if he was "ok' and then just left. 

Bystanders loaded him and the ruined bicycle into their car and brought him home.

Be careful out there, if you are on a bicycle, motorbike or driving a car. There are too many idiots out there jumping red lights or not stopping at stop streets, expect the worst and always look twice before crossing.

[MORNE]

Ill say this again….

you can be right or alive. Choose one and proceed with caution.

i personally find that it’s usually people who started cycling after school that are the most vocal/entitled/road ragey when it comes riding a bicycle on the road. Also, same reasons for the most vocal drivers…they never rode or ride bicycles ….so don't know, don't care. 

You probably need to start off with that fear of death (or your parents) in you to understand your fragility and possible consequences. I don't know. 
I still rather choose the shoulder, a sidewalk if there is space, use the pedestrian crossing at a big intersection, like @Hairy mentioned, make triple sure everything that is supposed to stop, has.  And I NEVER ride next to another cyclist because i feel too exposed.

Contrary to what you might feel, you will lose every single time if it’s you vs a car. Rather swallow your pride, preconceived ideas and be alive for your flat white tomorrow. 
 

And then theres the herd mentality which makes it even worse. Just like how those housewives in that post up there find community in bitching about cyclists, cyclist fuel each others road rage towards anything not on a bicycle. There is no safety in numbers on a bicycle. It is in your head. A car will plow trough your group ride just as easily, only difference vs a single rider will be you can hopefully just get matching specialised pink casts in the hospital.

Self preservation should be top of mind, not being right or chasing strava KOMs

i hate on cyclists for the above reasons all the time. And as a cyclist I guess i’m entitled to because I know full well they can do/be better in many situations. There are obviously exceptions. But we are our own worst enemy too.

That piece of road along the seaboard being the worst of the worst re all of the above…

 

[MORNE1102]

Out with a very popular cycle group in Fourways on Saturday (The large chain store one )  in a very misty and cold cradle. when we got to the Lanseria intersection 50% of the group went across the stop resulting in a vehicle who already committed to cross the intersection to halt dead in the middle of the road.

Give it was super misty and visibility was at around 20-30m I thought to myself we should have rather waited for the car to pass. One guy in the group proceeded to call the guy in the car a few names... I mentioned to him that I think we're wrong and almost got myself into a altercation (the Fourways boet-fighter is everywhere)

Point I'm trying to make is {we} as cyclist think of ourselves as untouchable especially in a large group where the entitlement syndrome runs very very thick in some. As thick as this CL member's cranium. 

I dont think there is a fix for this, best you can do is to always to try and rathe go for the save option and dont be a prick. 

Car vs Carbon, flesh and bone. Car always wins no matter how many times you call the guy driving a @#$3ing @@s@#$%. 

[Prince Albert Cycles]

I have driven behind many many riders as a support driver over thousands of kilometers since about 1988. And I ride myself. And sorry to say but as soon as a butt touches a saddle the link to the self preservation part of the brain switches off . Obviously there are exceptions. 

[Zebra]

1 hour ago, MORNE said:

That piece of road along the seaboard being the worst of the worst re all of the above…

 

Ah, the piece that I DRIVE to work 4 days per week that, as a life-long cyclist, I have to learn to BREATHE when I come across groups 3 abreast, that I then wait to coalesce into a single file, as I keep myself from a BRIEF single toot to let them know I’ve patiently waited a while….

Breathe….

[DieselnDust]

2 hours ago, MORNE said:

Ill say this again….

you can be right or alive. Choose one and proceed with caution.

i personally find that it’s usually people who started cycling after school that are the most vocal/entitled/road ragey when it comes riding a bicycle on the road. Also, same reasons for the most vocal drivers…they never rode or ride bicycles ….so don't know, don't care. 

You probably need to start off with that fear of death (or your parents) in you to understand your fragility and possible consequences. I don't know. 
I still rather choose the shoulder, a sidewalk if there is space, use the pedestrian crossing at a big intersection, like @Hairy mentioned, make triple sure everything that is supposed to stop, has.  And I NEVER ride next to another cyclist because i feel too exposed.

Contrary to what you might feel, you will lose every single time if it’s you vs a car. Rather swallow your pride, preconceived ideas and be alive for your flat white tomorrow. 
 

And then theres the herd mentality which makes it even worse. Just like how those housewives in that post up there find community in bitching about cyclists, cyclist fuel each others road rage towards anything not on a bicycle. There is no safety in numbers on a bicycle. It is in your head. A car will plow trough your group ride just as easily, only difference vs a single rider will be you can hopefully just get matching specialised pink casts in the hospital.

Self preservation should be top of mind, not being right or chasing strava KOMs

i hate on cyclists for the above reasons all the time. And as a cyclist I guess i’m entitled to because I know full well they can do/be better in many situations. There are obviously exceptions. But we are our own worst enemy too.

That piece of road along the seaboard being the worst of the worst re all of the above…

 

and bear in mind that the laws and insurance that are supposed to protect you probably will do the least they can to help until compelled to help.

I've stil not heard a peep out of Kirstenhof SAPS re my accident an the driver still maintains she didn't hitme despite several eye witnesses. Did any make a statement at the SAPS? No. SANTAM eventually paid out but I'm so in the **** in ith them i feel like kicking them into touch and going with Discovery to at least get some cash back for good behaviour. As for the motorists the more they get away with the more aggressive and negligent they drive. Its a race to the bottom out there