We aren't making it any easier for ourselves

[Sammajoor]

 

I train on country roads in the afternoon\ early evening and one of my biggest bugbears are motorists who overtake oncoming traffic into your face pushing you of the road.

Three weeks ago I started wearing a dayglo police type jacket when I train' date=' not one single incident since, even traffic coming from behind seem to give me a wider berth.

I now realize just how invisible to motorists we are.

[/quote']

 

Just this afternoon it happened to us. Not only did he pass with his horse and trailer but also went into the wide shoulder where we were riding. He swerved back just before I went for the bushes and his dyed blonde fat ugly trailer trash girlfriend hung out of the window giving us the middle finger........ and guess what his registration number in wild Angola was.....CY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I drive like an @sshole can you CY

 

[porky]

hello. all of sudden we have such a positive vibe. everybody is abiding by the rules. congrats.

THIS WILL HELP SQUAT!

 

No, not everybody, just re-read my post, A SMALL BUNCH.!!

 

Your negative attitude dos less, if a few cyclists stop at lights here and a few stop there, sooner or later, a few more will do the same, and so on and so on.

 

To me, that means slowly, the message is getting through.

 

Do you think the "big bucks" attitude will work better, I dont, change is slow and it begins with YOU and I.

 

You can have the best most expensive education programme the world can buy, BUT if nobody listens or acts ...................Well, THAT means SQUAT.!! 

 

How do you think we got into this situation?? by been responsible and following the rules??? No Sir...............it was by a few ignoring the rules, then a few more, then a few more, then a few more................!!

 

Now we need to reverse it, one step at a time.!

  

[joevan]

Tarmac----

Your comments were a pleasure to read after all the negative/angry/frustrated comments on the last thread. Five stars to you!!!!!

 

Also sending this to our club for posting in our newsletter. We ride by these rules anyway, and it's amazing how often motorists, even taxis and busses stop for us and wave us on. Image counts!!

 

 

[MildlyWild]

It seems that there is a type of cyclists that thinks they are bullet proof' date=' but also quite aggressive. These seem the type that would also flip the finger if a car hooted 'cos they were riding 2/3 abreast. A real 'ph#ck you' attitude.

These are the types that give cyclists a bad name.

[/quote']

 

 

 

Probably the same idjits who believe its their right to nonchalantly toss gu sachets next to the road during races - and some of them are riding VA in sponsored kit.

[splat]

No, this attitude is held by riders across the group spectrum.

[JohnnyReggae]

 

hello. all of sudden we have such a positive vibe. everybody is abiding by the rules. congrats.

THIS WILL HELP SQUAT!

 

No' date=' not everybody, just re-read my post, A SMALL BUNCH.!!

 

Your negative attitude dos less, if a few cyclists stop at lights here and a few stop there, sooner or later, a few more will do the same, and so on and so on.

 

To me, that means slowly, the message is getting through.

 

Do you think the "big bucks" attitude will work better, I dont, change is slow and it begins with YOU and I.

 

You can have the best most expensive education programme the world can buy, BUT if nobody listens or acts ...................Well, THAT means SQUAT.!! 

 

How do you think we got into this situation?? by been responsible and following the rules??? No Sir...............it was by a few ignoring the rules, then a few more, then a few more, then a few more................!!

 

Now we need to reverse it, one step at a time.!

  

[/quote']

Well said !! In my opinion it takes baby steps over time to accomplish something, and the more people are educated by example the longer lasting the effects will be.

 

If anyone is aware of the 100th Monkey Effect ... it was a theory put forward about how monkeys learnt to wash sweet potatoes through watching other monkeys, and when a particular critical mass was achieved, the 100th monkey, other monkeys in different parts of the world suddenly started doing the same thing. The effect has since been proved as a myth, however the concept is still valid in my view. Teaching someone through example can achieve much more than simply telling someone to do something.

 

 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

 

Hey Skye' date=' unfortunately those guys will never change - until one of them does get killed, on or off the bike, then they get even more angry...

 

Only thing to do is adjust our own riding, and when we're ON our bikes, if we see anyone, to confront them. Maybe we do that on our rides Saturday mornings?

 

[/quote']

 

The problem is that the misconception has already been placed that ALL

cyclists are @ssholes.   We are not I know.  But with dipsh*ts like

this, no matter what we do or say, the damage has been done.

 

 

 

It has been said before and I will say it again..   we must first clean our own house, before we start blaming motorists.

 

 

 

Just read Ewep's thread on marshalling, people who get up early and

come and escourt us, so we can have a marshalled cycle race and then we

behave like @ssholes and scream, shout and swear at the people who are

there to protect us.

 

 

 

Now who is the @sshole..... the motorist or the cyclist

 

Hey Samma, I think you misunderstood me somewhat...

 

I was referring to all the idjits who are giving us a bad name, ie: red-light jumpers, non lid / light wearers etc etc, and taking them to task when they do something stupid like that...

 

Myself, I like to think i am a good rider (not the fittest by a long way though) and regularly thank motorists for just waiting to pass me, and always stop at red lights. I can't think of one time when I've flipped the bird in the past 3 years (used to commute in London - it was rife over there)

 

And to answer your q, (even though it was rhetorical) : We're all @ssholes (been tarred with 1 mthafckn HUGE brush) And until ALL of us ride & drive in a courteous, responsible way, there always will be @ssholes out there that give both fraternaties a bad name. To quote you, we have to start with our own house. I started doing that on Monday morning, and had to stop my 2 training partners from going thru red signals & stop streets just this morning.

 

After all, it is about education. And a change of attitude...

 

To put another side on it though - I was waiting at a red light on Waal st this morning, around 7am, when a ped just says to me "Ry over the lights, man! There's no cars coming"

 

 

[Sammajoor]

 

Hey Skye' date=' unfortunately those guys will never change - until one of them does get killed, on or off the bike, then they get even more angry...

 

Only thing to do is adjust our own riding, and when we're ON our bikes, if we see anyone, to confront them. Maybe we do that on our rides Saturday mornings?

 

[/quote']

 

The problem is that the misconception has already been placed that ALL

cyclists are @ssholes.   We are not I know.  But with dipsh*ts like

this, no matter what we do or say, the damage has been done.

 

 

 

It has been said before and I will say it again..   we must first clean our own house, before we start blaming motorists.

 

 

 

Just read Ewep's thread on marshalling, people who get up early and

come and escourt us, so we can have a marshalled cycle race and then we

behave like @ssholes and scream, shout and swear at the people who are

there to protect us.

 

 

 

Now who is the @sshole..... the motorist or the cyclist

 

Hey Samma, I think you misunderstood me somewhat...

 

I was referring to all the idjits who are giving us a bad name, ie: red-light jumpers, non lid / light wearers etc etc, and taking them to task when they do something stupid like that...

 

Myself, I like to think i am a good rider (not the fittest by a long way though) and regularly thank motorists for just waiting to pass me, and always stop at red lights. I can't think of one time when I've flipped the bird in the past 3 years (used to commute in London - it was rife over there)

 

And to answer your q, (even though it was rhetorical) : We're all @ssholes (been tarred with 1 mthafckn HUGE brush) And until ALL of us ride & drive in a courteous, responsible way, there always will be @ssholes out there that give both fraternaties a bad name. To quote you, we have to start with our own house. I started doing that on Monday morning, and had to stop my 2 training partners from going thru red signals & stop streets just this morning.

 

After all, it is about education. And a change of attitude...

 

To put another side on it though - I was waiting at a red light on Waal st this morning, around 7am, when a ped just says to me "Ry over the lights, man! There's no cars coming"

 

 

Was not flaming you mate, but we can all obey stop signs and red lights and one @sshole will jump a stop.  People will not say I saw xyz skip a stop sign today.  They will turn around and say I saw another F%&cken cyclist skip a stop today.

 

Then all our hard work goes down the toilet.  That p*sses me off BIG TIME

 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

 

i was just about to post something else - maybe I was misunderstanding my misunderstanding you had of my post...

 

Wait... way too much thought for this early.

 

And it be true what you say. And then they get knocked over, and the whole thing starts again...

 

You have access to any sticky mines up there?

 

cptmayhem2009-02-19 03:05:09

[Sammajoor]

 

i was just about to post something else - maybe I was misunderstanding my misunderstanding you had of my post...

 

Wait... way too much thought for this early.

 

And it be true what you say. And then they get knocked over' date=' and the whole thing starts again...

 

You have access to any sticky mines up there?

 

[/quote']

 

They got specials on jumping jimmies................ you interested???

 

[Serendipity]

I have followed the letters in Die Burger, our local newspaper for three days now. A lot of pissed off motorists complaining about cyclists riding four abreast and showing rude signs when confronted.

 

 

 

The unfortunate truth is that in almost all collisions between a motor car and a bicycle, the motor car is going to escape with less damage.

[4ph3X]

hello. all of sudden we have such a positive vibe. everybody is abiding by the rules. congrats.

THIS WILL HELP SQUAT!

 

No' date=' not everybody, just re-read my post, A SMALL BUNCH.!!

 

Your negative attitude dos less, if a few cyclists stop at lights here and a few stop there, sooner or later, a few more will do the same, and so on and so on.

 

To me, that means slowly, the message is getting through.

 

Do you think the "big bucks" attitude will work better, I dont, change is slow and it begins with YOU and I.

 

You can have the best most expensive education programme the world can buy, BUT if nobody listens or acts ...................Well, THAT means SQUAT.!! 

 

How do you think we got into this situation?? by been responsible and following the rules??? No Sir...............it was by a few ignoring the rules, then a few more, then a few more, then a few more................!!

 

Now we need to reverse it, one step at a time.!

  

[/quote']

 

ye, one step at a time. we are long past that situation.  i am a law abiding citizen, you are one, and i hope most of the people here. but who cares!? we are a handful compared to the masses out there.

no one actually reads this.  i have said it before and i will say it again. throw lotsa money at this "issue" educate, inform, whatever. i just think we need something bigger.

[KevinV]

I have followed the letters in Die Burger' date=' our local newspaper for three days now. A lot of pissed off motorists complaining about cyclists riding four abreast and showing rude signs when confronted.

The unfortunate truth is that in almost all collisions between a motor car and a bicycle, the motor car is going to escape with less damage. [/quote']

Every day in the Cape Times too. Without fail a letter from a less than happy motorist complaining about cyclists in general. It's going to take a long long time to change these perceptions (I still think it can be achieved in time though).

[Schwynn]

I was taught in the Airforce, as jy *** aanjaag en jy word gevang, vat dit soos 'n man!!!! To those guys this tread is about, if you get hit by a motorist, truck, bus or whatever. Don't come crying and plead not guilty. I was a busdriver for Inter Cape and Greyhound for 5 years. Believe me you only see danger only when it is almost to late. It is YOUR LIFE, NOT MINE, that is in danger, ARSEHOLES!!!!!

[willy]

The scenario that scares me the most is one where a motorist is frustrated and angry at being held up by a bunch of cyclists. The motorist eventually gets past the group with steam coming out of his ears. He then comes upon the next cyclist (who could be you or me). The cyclist is abiding the rules of the road, but the motorist just wants to teach any cyclist he sees a lesson.

[KevinV]

The scenario that scares me the most is one where a motorist is frustrated and angry at being held up by a bunch of cyclists. The motorist eventually gets past the group with steam coming out of his ears. He then comes upon the next cyclist (who could be you or me). The cyclist is abiding the rules of the road' date=' but the motorist just wants to teach any cyclist he sees a lesson. [/quote']

EXACTLY what scares me! We all get tarred with the same brush.