...I did anyway. Chase after the car that is.
I'm not normally inclined towards this sort of behaviour,
but seeing as the incident took place at the turn off to the
street where I live, I thought perhaps something should be
said if only to avoid possible future unpleasantness.
This is what happened. There is a rather peculiar double
mini roundabout at a staggered junction just before the
point where I turn right into our Crescent. I have adopted
the strategy of moving to the right-hand side of the
straight on lane in order to move to the centre of the road
as I leave the roundabout(s). This puts me in a good
position to turn right into the Crescent. Unfortunately for
me many motorists can't see the sense in this manoeuvre and
several have been known to demonstrate their displeasure by
driving very close to me and in some cases shouting abuse.
This evening's exponent of the Art Of Showing The Lycra
Brigade How You Feel was behind me until just before I
reached the right turn for the Crescent. There was a car
waiting to turn right and another behind him waiting to go
up the main road. The gentleman in question then made his
move, he pushed between me and the second car in order to
take up his place behind the car turning right. Not only
did I have to move right to avoid being hit, I was also
forced to cross the white line as I did so. I was not a
happy bunny.
That is where it would normally end, possibly with a shout
of "Oi, [censored]!" as the car drives off into the distance.
This time it was different, this time I knew I could catch
up with the stupid bugger. The road he was turning down only
goes to the Close or the Crescent. I followed him. He went
into the Close and parked in his drive. I greeted him with a
cheery "What was the point of that little episode back there
then?". "What episode?" he replied. "The bit where you tried
to push me off the road" says I, quick as a flash. I was
building up to a good reasoned argument with somebody who
was definitely going to lose, I was looking forward to it,
one up for the Lycra Brigade and all that.
He wasn't giving up easily though, he tried to turn the
tables with a question of his own. "What were you doing in
the middle of the road anyway?". Ooh, gotcha mate, I thought
as I parried with right on my side. "Turning right!".
Wrong answer. This guy knew all about cycling and how it
should be done properly, how it used to be done by cyclists
in his day. He went on to explain that I should wait at the
left hand side of the road and cross when the road is clear
of traffic. I was so sure I had been doing it right all this
time, but I have been shown the error of my ways. So much
for Cyclecraft and the Highway Code and all the U.R.C.
gurus. They are all wrong. The only man who knows how to
turn right on a bicycle is a belligerent old fart in the
next road to me.
Please take heed of this warning, he could be coming your
way tomorrow.
Terry Duckmanton
--
It's not me that's stopping you from overtaking, it's all
them cars coming the other way!