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Own Worst Enemy

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UK and Europe
Published
11 August 2003
Last activity
13 August 2003
Original author
Peter Taylor
Posts
37
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  1. It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.

    On Sunday, driving along some local lanes having picked up my daughter from a sleepover, we came up
    behind a group of cyclists - perhaps 20 or so riding in a group.

    I hung back maybe 50 yards as the lane was quite narrow. The rear marker kept looking round, as did
    a number of others so they were well aware that I was there.

    After a mile or two at 10 mph, the road widened. Instead of allowing me to pass, they continued,
    this time riding 4 abreast. After 10 minutes of following them , I gave a very short blip on the
    horn. The response was a couple of "fingers" from the group.

    This carried on for another three or four miles, until the group strung out on a steepish hill. I
    managed, eventually and very very carefully to get past them. One swore - pretty obscenly - at me as
    we went past - certainly not words I want my young daughter to hear.

    To be frank, I was appalled. I am ALWAYS careful of cyclists and riders - giving plenty of room. I
    am sympathetic to the predicament of cyclists especially on the roads in this country, and it will
    not affect my attitude in the future. But this sort of deliberate confrontation is pointless, stupid
    and dangerous, and does not help relations between car drivers and cyclists. I am not quite sure
    what it was all about, but it was pretty unpleasant. This lot were all middle aged and clearly
    dressed for cycling - shorts, various "team" jerseys and pretty expensive looking bikes.

    And for the record, I am a cyclist myself. Not fanatical but I cover 5K - 6K per year in the UK and
    France and have does so for years, including some reasonably long distance trips.

    Any thoughts on this?

    Peter Taylor

  2. Peter Taylor must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.

    On Sunday, driving along some local lanes having picked up my daughter from a sleepover, we came
    up behind a group of cyclists - perhaps 20 or so riding in a group.

    I hung back maybe 50 yards as the lane was quite narrow. The rear marker kept looking round, as
    did a number of others so they were well aware that I was there.

    After a mile or two at 10 mph, the road widened. Instead of allowing me to pass, they continued,
    this time riding 4 abreast. After 10 minutes of following them , I gave a very short blip on the
    horn. The response was a couple of "fingers" from the group.

    This carried on for another three or four miles, until the group strung out on a steepish hill. I
    managed, eventually and very very carefully to get past them. One swore - pretty obscenly - at me
    as we went past - certainly not words I want my young daughter to hear.

    Quoted message said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    Peter Taylor


    I would have had a little "chat" with anyone swearing in front of my daughters, perhaps involving a
    wheel brace as there were a few of them. There is never any excuse for that kind of behaviour, they
    were drongos of the first order.

    Ian oh, and I am a fanatical cyclist, I just do not tolerate fools.

  3. In message <[email hidden]>, Peter Taylor <[email hidden]> writes

    Quoted message said:

    It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.

    On Sunday, driving along some local lanes having picked up my daughter from a sleepover, we came up
    behind a group of cyclists - perhaps 20 or so riding in a group.

    Snipped story about offensive cyclists.

    Quoted message said:


    Any thoughts on this?

    Peter Taylor


    Could you tell what club they were from? Where were you and at what time? Perhaps someone from this
    NG was there.
    --
    Michael MacClancy

    www.macclancy.demon.co.uk

  4. Peter Taylor said:

    It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.


    <snip>

    Quoted message said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    You get tossers on/in any form of transport, and you also get considerate users on/in any form of
    transport. I have a hearty dislike of the sort of fool you describe encountering, because they give
    *me* a bad name as a cyclist.

    Whether I'm in a car or on a bike I try and show apposite courtesy to all other road users. That
    courtesy is usually repaid, but if someone's duty-neuron is fully occupied with being a [censored]
    there's not much will get through to them :-(

    Pete.
    --
    Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
    Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
    dundee.ac.uk~pjclinch

  5. Peter Taylor said:

    It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.

    On Sunday, driving along some local lanes having picked up my daughter from a sleepover, we came up
    behind a group of cyclists - perhaps 20 or so riding in a group.

    I hung back maybe 50 yards as the lane was quite narrow. The rear marker kept looking round, as did
    a number of others so they were well aware that I was there.

    After a mile or two at 10 mph, the road widened. Instead of allowing me to pass, they continued,
    this time riding 4 abreast. After 10 minutes of following them , I gave a very short blip on the
    horn. The response was a couple of "fingers" from the group.

    This carried on for another three or four miles, until the group strung out on a steepish hill. I
    managed, eventually and very very carefully to get past them. One swore - pretty obscenly - at me
    as we went past - certainly not words I want my young daughter to hear.

    To be frank, I was appalled. I am ALWAYS careful of cyclists and riders - giving plenty of room. I
    am sympathetic to the predicament of cyclists especially on the roads in this country, and it will
    not affect my attitude in the future. But this sort of deliberate confrontation is pointless,
    stupid and dangerous, and does not help relations between car drivers and cyclists. I am not quite
    sure what it was all about, but it was pretty unpleasant. This lot were all middle aged and clearly
    dressed for cycling - shorts, various "team" jerseys and pretty expensive looking bikes.

    And for the record, I am a cyclist myself. Not fanatical but I cover 5K - 6K per year in the UK and
    France and have does so for years, including some reasonably long distance trips.

    Any thoughts on this?

    Roadies. EPO does this to their social skills.

    --
    [email hidden] - Orange Patriot -03

  6. Peter Taylor said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    They perhaps felt that 50 yards was too far back and that you weren't making a proper effort to
    overtake (whatever a proper effort is).

    No need for the swearing, though.

    James

    --
    homepage.ntlworld.comLarrau.jpg

  7. Dan said:
    Peter Taylor said:

    It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.

    On Sunday, driving along some local lanes having picked up my daughter from a sleepover, we came
    up behind a group of cyclists - perhaps 20 or so riding in a group.

    I hung back maybe 50 yards as the lane was quite narrow. The rear marker kept looking round, as
    did a number of others so they were well aware that I was there.

    After a mile or two at 10 mph, the road widened. Instead of allowing me to pass, they continued,
    this time riding 4 abreast.

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    This carried on for another three or four miles, until the group strung out on a steepish hill. I
    managed, eventually and very very carefully to get past them. One swore - pretty obscenly - at me
    as we went past - certainly not words I want my young daughter to hear.

    To be frank, I was appalled.

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    Roadies. EPO does this to their social skills.

    Had a similar experience not long ago at a great local pub - the Watership Down at Freefolk - when a
    load of bikies descended one Sunday lunchtime. They barged in with several - notably older ones -
    demanding this that and everything else, using language that was embarrassing.

    I was there by dint of having ridden their with my young son.

    No they were not 'roadies', but seemed to be members of a national touring club and I do know what
    club they were also from.

    With the poor press given to cycling by the media, such behaviour is just a further nail in
    cycling's coffin and more ammunition to the anti-brigade.

    Rudeness is always devaluing.

    John B

  8. "Peter Taylor" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.

    On Sunday, driving along some local lanes having picked up my daughter


    from

    Quoted message said:

    a sleepover, we came up behind a group of cyclists - perhaps 20 or so


    riding

    Quoted message said:

    in a group.

    I hung back maybe 50 yards as the lane was quite narrow. The rear marker kept looking round, as
    did a number of others so they were well aware that


    I

    Quoted message said:

    was there.

    After a mile or two at 10 mph, the road widened. Instead of allowing me to pass, they continued,
    this time riding 4 abreast. After 10 minutes of following them , I gave a very short blip on the
    horn. The response was a couple of "fingers" from the group.

    This carried on for another three or four miles, until the group strung


    out

    Quoted message said:

    on a steepish hill. I managed, eventually and very very carefully to get past them. One swore -
    pretty obscenly - at me as we went past -


    certainly

    Quoted message said:

    not words I want my young daughter to hear.

    To be frank, I was appalled. I am ALWAYS careful of cyclists and riders - giving plenty of room. I
    am sympathetic to the predicament of cyclists especially on the roads in this country, and it will
    not affect my


    attitude

    Quoted message said:

    in the future. But this sort of deliberate confrontation is pointless, stupid and dangerous, and
    does not help relations between car drivers and cyclists. I am not quite sure what it was all
    about, but it was pretty unpleasant. This lot were all middle aged and clearly dressed for


    cycling -

    Quoted message said:

    shorts, various "team" jerseys and pretty expensive looking bikes.

    And for the record, I am a cyclist myself. Not fanatical but I cover 5K - 6K per year in the UK
    and France and have does so for years, including


    some

    Quoted message said:

    reasonably long distance trips.

    Any thoughts on this?

    Several.

    1. 5-6k (miles or km) puts you into serious verging on pretty fanatical
    IMO.

    2. Roadies doing 10 MPH?

    3. Where, when and which club? If they could be identified I suspect they would get an earful
    from various people here.

    4. Description of the bikes? (Road, MTB, muddy, clean)

    5. How close did you have to pass them? Especially the ones that swore most valuably?

    Sorry to be a suspicious old fart but there are sufficient inconsistencies in your tale to make me
    Troll aware. While I have been out with a group that has purposely held cars back for a short period
    of time (due to the dangerous nature of the road), I have never known a properly constituted group
    do so for longer than strictly necessary for their own or others safety.

    There is something not quite right about your description.

    T

  9. Quoted message said:

    I would have had a little "chat" with anyone swearing in front of my daughters, perhaps involving
    a wheel brace as there were a few of them. There is never any excuse for that kind of behaviour,
    they were drongos of the first order.

    Ian oh, and I am a fanatical cyclist, I just do not tolerate fools.

    wheel brace...mmmmmmmmmm and you dont tolerate fools..........are you not one then ???? cus anybody
    who thinks the problem is sorted with a wheel brace in front of a child is no more then pathectic
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    D@vo the bigger the ring the more it hurts

    "Ian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Peter Taylor must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.

    On Sunday, driving along some local lanes having picked up my daughter


    from

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    a sleepover, we came up behind a group of cyclists - perhaps 20 or so


    riding

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    in a group.

    I hung back maybe 50 yards as the lane was quite narrow. The rear


    marker

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    kept looking round, as did a number of others so they were well aware


    that I

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    was there.

    After a mile or two at 10 mph, the road widened. Instead of allowing me


    to

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    pass, they continued, this time riding 4 abreast. After 10 minutes of following them , I gave a
    very short blip on the horn. The response was


    a

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    couple of "fingers" from the group.

    This carried on for another three or four miles, until the group strung


    out

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    on a steepish hill. I managed, eventually and very very carefully to


    get

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    past them. One swore - pretty obscenly - at me as we went past -


    certainly

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    not words I want my young daughter to hear.

    Quoted message said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    Peter Taylor


  10. Davo must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    I would have had a little "chat" with anyone swearing in front of my daughters, perhaps involving
    a wheel brace as there were a few of them. There is never any excuse for that kind of behaviour,
    they were drongos of the first order.

    Ian oh, and I am a fanatical cyclist, I just do not tolerate fools.

    wheel brace...mmmmmmmmmm and you dont tolerate fools..........are you not one then ???? cus
    anybody who thinks the problem is sorted with a wheel brace in front of a child is no more then
    pathectic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    D@vo the bigger the ring the more it hurts


    You say that with your sig? Looks like I'm in good company, try engaging your brain before you put
    your keyboard in gear.

    Ian

  11. Ian must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    Davo must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    I would have had a little "chat" with anyone swearing in front of my daughters, perhaps
    involving a wheel brace as there were a few of them. There is never any excuse for that kind of
    behaviour, they were drongos of the first order.

    Ian oh, and I am a fanatical cyclist, I just do not tolerate fools.

    wheel brace...mmmmmmmmmm and you dont tolerate fools..........are you not one then ???? cus
    anybody who thinks the problem is sorted with a wheel brace in front of a child is no more then
    pathectic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    D@vo the bigger the ring the more it hurts


    You say that with your sig? Looks like I'm in good company, try engaging your brain before you put
    your keyboard in gear.

    Ian


    Of course I wouldn't beat someone to a bloody pulp in front of my kids, but it does severely nark
    me, when people swear in front of them, and I invariably feel like doing so, by the time I see them
    again my ire has waned of course.

    Ian

  12. Davo must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    re my sig............bone head...try a 56 ring not a ''girls'' 48 ring


    I'm not lowering myself to your level by getting into a slanging match with you on here.

    Ian

  13. [censored]. As usual, a small minority spoil it for everyone else.

    I must say though, even though I am now an official biker, I detect there is a "holier than thou"
    attitude amongst certain cyclists that I have met - a sort of "I am on a bike but you are in a comfy
    car so you can wait" kind of thing.

    "Peter Taylor" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    It is not necessarily only car drivers who are at fault.

    On Sunday, driving along some local lanes having picked up my daughter


    from

    Quoted message said:

    a sleepover, we came up behind a group of cyclists - perhaps 20 or so


    riding

    Quoted message said:

    in a group.

    I hung back maybe 50 yards as the lane was quite narrow. The rear marker kept looking round, as
    did a number of others so they were well aware that


    I

    Quoted message said:

    was there.

    After a mile or two at 10 mph, the road widened. Instead of allowing me to pass, they continued,
    this time riding 4 abreast. After 10 minutes of following them , I gave a very short blip on the
    horn. The response was a couple of "fingers" from the group.

    This carried on for another three or four miles, until the group strung


    out

    Quoted message said:

    on a steepish hill. I managed, eventually and very very carefully to get past them. One swore -
    pretty obscenly - at me as we went past -


    certainly

    Quoted message said:

    not words I want my young daughter to hear.

    To be frank, I was appalled. I am ALWAYS careful of cyclists and riders - giving plenty of room. I
    am sympathetic to the predicament of cyclists especially on the roads in this country, and it will
    not affect my


    attitude

    Quoted message said:

    in the future. But this sort of deliberate confrontation is pointless, stupid and dangerous, and
    does not help relations between car drivers and cyclists. I am not quite sure what it was all
    about, but it was pretty unpleasant. This lot were all middle aged and clearly dressed for


    cycling -

    Quoted message said:

    shorts, various "team" jerseys and pretty expensive looking bikes.

    And for the record, I am a cyclist myself. Not fanatical but I cover 5K - 6K per year in the UK
    and France and have does so for years, including


    some

    Quoted message said:

    reasonably long distance trips.

    Any thoughts on this?

    Peter Taylor

  14. Peter Taylor said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    Yes. It's a curious and implausible story, in my entire driving career I have probably not been
    delayed for 30 minutes by cyclists in total and you managed that much all at once.

    James

  15. "Peter Taylor" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    But this sort of deliberate confrontation is pointless, stupid and dangerous, and does not help
    relations between car drivers and cyclists. I am not quite sure what it was all about, but it was
    pretty unpleasant. This lot were all middle aged and clearly dressed for


    cycling -

    Quoted message said:

    shorts, various "team" jerseys and pretty expensive looking bikes.

    I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt but finding it hard. How were they acting
    dangerously?

    Onviously I wasn't there but don't you find the fact so many of them responded negatively strange?

  16. Peter Taylor said:

    for the record, I am a cyclist myself. Not fanatical but I cover 5K - 6K per year in the UK and
    France and have does so for years, including some reasonably long distance trips.

    Quoted message said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    Not a bad distance - you should come here more often ;-)

    Guy
    ===
    ** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.com New!
    Improved!! Now with added extra Demon!

  17. Peter Taylor said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    On your experience, from this distance, not really, but it doesn't surprise me in the slightest.
    Head problems abound everywhere. It must be the super-duper 'gear', but something happens to our
    egos when we hit the road, that's for sure, regardless of what we're operating. There are some
    zealots who see only cagers and really do believe that all cyclists are beyond reproach, and others
    who see only 'petrol' and anything else as annoyingly irrelevant. But it's a complete of [censored]. It's
    also kind of depressingly sad really.

    gb

  18. Peter Taylor said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    Sniff sniff?

    Trollshit?

    --
    Marc Stickers,decals,membership,cards, T shirts, signs etc for clubs and associations of all types.
    jaceeprint.demon.co.ukjaceeprint.demon.co.uk

  19. Garry Broad must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:
    Peter Taylor said:

    Any thoughts on this?

    On your experience, from this distance, not really, but it doesn't surprise me in the slightest.
    Head problems abound everywhere. It must be the super-duper 'gear', but something happens to our
    egos when we hit the road, that's for sure, regardless of what we're operating. There are some
    zealots who see only cagers and really do believe that all cyclists are beyond reproach, and
    others who see only 'petrol' and anything else as annoyingly irrelevant. But it's a complete of
    [censored]. It's also kind of depressingly sad really.

    gb


    Lets face it, on the most part we are both cyclists and motorists, the people who act like this on
    bikes are probably the road rage motorists too.

    Ian

  20. why.....cant you compete with a ''51'' minute man !!!!!!!!!!!

    D@vo The bigger the ring the more it hurts

    "Ian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Davo must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    re my sig............bone head...try a 56 ring not a ''girls'' 48 ring


    I'm not lowering myself to your level by getting into a slanging match


    with

    Quoted message said:

    you on here.

    Ian

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