On friday I was going down the main road, coming up to a tight spot where cars will often try and squeeze past me, usually I pull out and make them wait. Behind me I sense a car, 5 yrds behind. I crawl along at 16mph, it waits behind me all the way (only about 20 - 30 yrds) until it can safely overtake. Bless her, she gets caught at the next set of lights. I pull alongside, tap on her window, and thank her for being so considerate. She was so shocked she didn't know what to say.
This morning, doing the weaving/bus lane thing in heavy traffic I get it slightly wrong and the driver to my right gets a bit worried about a collision, pulls out and overtakes. 5 yrds later I'm able to shout an apology through his open window and get a wave in return.
I think I may take sweets on my journey tomorrow, and give them out to people en route.
I love it when motorists don't expect a "thank you" back 🙂 It is a funny reaction at times! Hence I work on the theory that a bit of courtesy back, such as a thank you spoken or waved is a good thing to do - I hope they'll carry on being courteous and it shows not all cyclists are Lycar louts 🙂
Cheers, helen s
~~~~~~~~~~ Flush out that intestinal parasite and/or the waste product before sending a reply!
Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd ~~~~~~~~~~
This morning, doing the weaving/bus lane thing in heavy traffic I get it slightly wrong and the driver to my right gets a bit worried about a collision, pulls out and overtakes. 5 yrds later I'm able to shout an apology through his open window and get a wave in return.
It's the best policy. 'tother day I was riding into Henley on the wedgie and went for the brakes rather late at a mini roundabout (having got rather too used to the discs on the 'bent, I guess) - matey in a Merc had his wits about him, saw me overshoot the line and stopped undramatically, letting me get n with it. He went past, and I caught up with hi about a minute later (as you do). Knocked on the window, I'm sure he was expecting an earful, but obviously I apologised and thanked him. Hopefully the next cyclist he meets will reap the benefit.
Discourtesy is the scourge of modern road use, I think, and the more we smile and wave the more we are doing our bit to save the world from Smith and his speed loonies :-)
Guy === ** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗ (BT ADSL and dynamic DNS permitting) NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer work. Apologies.
I usually wave or nod or otherwise acknowledge courtesy. Waving etc I keep to when I'm stopped at lights/signs/roundabouts though, since I don't want anybody to misconstrue a signal/gesture.
I save all my big smiles for other cyclists though.
-Luigi "you can spot the happy cyclists from the bugs in their teeth"
On friday I was going down the main road, coming up to a tight spot where cars will often try and squeeze past me, usually I pull out and make them wait. Behind me I sense a car, 5 yrds behind. I crawl along at 16mph, it waits behind me all the way (only about 20 - 30 yrds) until it can safely overtake. Bless her, she gets caught at the next set of lights. I pull alongside, tap on her window, and thank her for being so considerate. She was so shocked she didn't know what to say.
Hi Steve
I can't make my mind up whether I prefer cars to zoom past me and get out of the way or be nice and keep a polite distance behind where I'm not sure where they are. I suppose if a car sits behind at a reasonable distance then I feel OK. Conversely, if a car sits only a few yards behind then I seem to spend a lot of time looking over my shoulders to make sure it's behaving sensibly.
Quoted message said:
I think I may take sweets on my journey tomorrow, and give them out to people en route.
I like those caramel Quality Street ones in the golden coloured wrapping.
It certainly is, Guy, whether is comes from cagers, wedgers :-/ or riders or proper bicycles. Just don't get me started waffling (no, not you Helen) on about pedestrians.
However, if one almost becomes a splat on the tarmac then it is rather hard to keep one's cool.
I can't make my mind up whether I prefer cars to zoom past me and get out of the way or be nice and keep a polite distance behind where I'm not sure where they are.
If it genuinely worries you, try a mirror. I'm not a great mirror advocate, but it does make it easy to keep an eye on the road language of the cager behind - the ones who are very close and halfway over the line are the ones to watch for :-/
-- Guy === I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.
However, if one almost becomes a splat on the tarmac then it is rather hard to keep one's cool.
Heh! Picture me this morning shouting "[censored]!!!" at the top of my voice after the, well, [censored] who ran me off the road :-)
-- Guy === I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.
