Road pleasantness and stuff

I have been cycling about two months and have had confrontations with motorists on a couple of
occasions. There is one pillock in a white transit who seems to get a buzz on skimming me. Tomorrow
night I am not on my bike but I am going to wait for this [censored] in my car. When he passes the
usual spot I am going to chase the [censored] and have it out with him at the lights. Don't worry I am a
2nd DAN and a heavyweight boxer too (I am seriously - that's why I like cycling so much - its good
aerobically as well as being great fun!!).

Another [censored] was blaring his horn at me since he had to wait two seconds until oncoming traffic had
cleared - (and yes, I do ride correctly, close to the curb as possible). At the traffic lights I
asked him WTF the problem was (he was scared of course, liek 99.9% of drivers. They are not so tough
when you confront them face to face). He said I should get out of the way and give him precedence
since he pays for the use of the roads in fuel duty and car tax !!!!!!!!!! I then mentioned that so
do I - and I pay company car tax AND tax on £60000. Therefore, HE should get the f*** out of the way
and not me !!

Just to add to the discussion !!

Steve

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

Quoted message said:

A rare event indeed, for me at least...

Cycling back from work this morning up a forest edged 40 zone close to built up residential areas
(College Heath Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk - for anyone au fait with the area) I was coming up to a
left fork with the road curving into a sweeping (and lethal) right.

A woman was coming up behind me in a car at about 30 signalling left - I was doing about 20 and
following the road back to mine. I fully expected to be driven around at speed as she was in about
the right place to do so if she put her foot down and cracked 50mph to give us both some room.

At the speed she was actually going she could have made it around me but would have been left with
me embedded in her front passenger door. (Now that would have been technically "in collision with"
as I'd have hit a moving vehicle)

Instead, and to my amazement, I heard engine braking behind me. Glancing round (instead of using
the bar end mirror on my racer) I saw a smile, so I waved, stood up and put my foot down a bit so
she wasn't kept waiting.

Okay, the chances of her reading this NG are astronomically small but I'd still like to say Thank
You for being an intelligent and courteous road user.

In our area, this kind of behaviour is a complete anomoly as some of the cagers reckon doing that
curve at 60 or more and spinning off through a wall 15' away from the road on the RH side is okay.
The child that was pureed in the incident I'm thinking about probably wouldn't have agreed had he
been allowed to grow up. Idiot "showed" loads of remorse at court and nobody mentioned how many
priors he'd already got. Not even 20. Slapped wrist, drove home.

That's in addition to stoopid Yanks late for work up at the RAF station who think that a bike is
just a mirage to drive through when they go straight over a mini-roundabout near where I work, or
worse yet, overtake someone who is going straight over the thing when there is other traffic
already on it and in direct line of fire. I have a digital camera just itching to get shots and if
I do, there will be some interesting events down the local plod-u-like.

Gary

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Reply to gary <at> data <dot> mildenhall <dot> com
--------------------------------------------------

The Oracle said:

(and yes, I do ride correctly, close to the curb as possible).

Make your mind up. Correctly or not? Riding as close to the kerb as possible imho is not correct.
There are too many bumps/dips/drains to ride smoothly, there's a danger of bouncing off the kerb
back into the road should you get a wobble on, you've got less chance of dodging a dozy pedestrian
stepping out on you and lastly, you're encouraging other vehicles to overtake you where it may not
be safe to do so.

This is exactly what I try to tell all the kids on scooters that insist on riding in the yellow
lines - asking for trouble!

Sure, don't road hog, but don't ask for trouble either....

--
Dnc

Quoted message said:

is other traffic already on it and in direct line of fire. I have a digital camera just itching to
get shots and if I do, there will be some interesting events down the local plod-u-like.

But the east anglian police, if you can find one in, would probably arrest you for aggressive use of
photographic equipment and the law breakers will sue you for embarrassing them.

Do tell us if you get a result.I've got a bet on it.

TerryJ

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

Quoted message said:

The Oracle said:

(and yes, I do ride correctly, close to the curb as possible).

Make your mind up. Correctly or not? Riding as close to the kerb as possible imho is not correct.
There are too many bumps/dips/drains to ride smoothly, there's a danger of bouncing off the kerb
back into the road should you get a wobble on, you've got less chance of dodging a dozy pedestrian
stepping out on you and lastly, you're encouraging other vehicles to overtake you where it may not
be safe to do so.

This is exactly what I try to tell all the kids on scooters that insist on riding in the yellow
lines - asking for trouble!

Sure, don't road hog, but don't ask for trouble either....

--
Dnc

Our official line for cycle training at local schools is 60cms from kerb. My view is outside the
line of the drains. This stops the kids from doing the 90 degrees right out into the middle of the
lane, past the drain, 90 degrees left into kerb and surprising the wotsits out of approaching
cagers ;-) Dave.

Dave said:

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

Quoted message said:

The Oracle said:

(and yes, I do ride correctly, close to the curb as possible).

Make your mind up. Correctly or not? Riding as close to the kerb as possible imho is not
correct. There are too many bumps/dips/drains to ride smoothly, there's a danger of bouncing off
the kerb back into the road should you get a wobble on, you've got less chance of dodging a dozy
pedestrian stepping out on you and lastly, you're encouraging other vehicles to overtake you
where it may not be safe to do so.

Quoted message said:

Our official line for cycle training at local schools is 60cms from kerb. My view is outside the
line of the drains.

I am informed by the LA that I should tell the children I instruct, to ride approximately one metre
from the kerb.

But then the LA has a very poor road maintenance record :-(

John B

(Terry) said:

Quoted message said:

is other traffic already on it and in direct line of fire. I have a digital camera just itching
to get shots and if I do, there will be some interesting events down the local plod-u-like.

But the east anglian police, if you can find one in, would probably arrest you for aggressive use
of photographic equipment and the law breakers will sue you for embarrassing them.

Do tell us if you get a result.I've got a bet on it.

TerryJ

Agreed on that - they *do* seem to be slacking where it counts.

However, get to know one or two of them who cycle when off duty and they will not only be
sympathetic but you'll notice them reaching for pocket books that aren't there.

The thing about pictures is how you use them. Number plates on posters are great ways of getting a
point across 🙂

A bet? For or against?? If for, I'll see what I can do.

Gary
🙂

--------------------------------------------------
Reply to gary <at> data <dot> mildenhall <dot> com
--------------------------------------------------

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

Quoted message said:

A rare event indeed, for me at least...

Unlucky for you :-(

However, despite London being a seething pit of anger and hatrid, I've only every been honked at
once - when a taxi was following me and probably thought I was taking up too much room in the
road. *sigh*

I explained that I thought he was masterbating furiously and pointed out where I was attempting to
turn right ahead.

Thankfully, the fella had some kind of miraculous recovery of common sense and slowed down.

I don't know... I think that when I'm cycling, I pretty much well always have a smile on my face
helps. I now stop for pedestrians whenever I see them (rather than shout &c) and get nice smiles
in return.

Maybe that's me just trying to chat up young ladies wherever possible, though.

Fun.

Thomas.

On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 20:49:10 +0100 someone who may be "The Oracle" <[email hidden]>
wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

(and yes, I do ride correctly, close to the curb as possible).

That is riding incorrectly. More importantly it is riding dangerously, mostly for yourself and it
may explain some of your arguments with car drivers.

I recommend reading a copy of "Cyclecraft" to see what riding correctly is and why it is important.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Quoted message said:

Our official line for cycle training at local schools is 60cms from kerb.

My

Quoted message said:

view is outside the line of the drains. This stops the kids from doing the 90 degrees right out
into the middle of the lane, past the drain, 90

degrees

Quoted message said:

left into kerb and surprising the wotsits out of approaching cagers ;-)

Not having taken formal cycling lessons, only having read a few books and a few websites, am I
being a pillock by cycling a minimum of a metre from the kerb, more often varying between that an
1.5 metres?

(oh the delights of an uncontrolled wobble...)

Thomas.

The Oracle tried to scribble ...

Quoted message said:

I have been cycling about two months and have had confrontations with motorists on a couple of
occasions. There is one pillock in a white transit who seems to get a buzz on skimming me.
Tomorrow night I am not on my bike but I am going to wait for this [censored] in my car. When he
passes the usual spot I am going to chase the [censored] and have it out with him at the lights.

Which makes you even worse than the 'pillock' ..

--
Digweed

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

Quoted message said:

Another [censored] was blaring his horn at me since he had to wait two seconds until oncoming traffic
had cleared........

When I was new to cycling I seem to remember this quite regularly, but in the last 10 years I can't
really say I remember being hassled in this way even though I no doubt impede the progress of just
as many cars as when I was a beginner. I can only assume that motorists can somehow sense that a
cyclist is in some way less confident and therefore a target for abuse, rather than the "old hand"
who is "not to be messed with".

On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:01:22 +0100 someone who may be "Thomas" <tom [at] greysheep [dot] co [dot]
uk> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Our official line for cycle training at local schools is 60cms from kerb.

Not having taken formal cycling lessons,

In some ways a good thing.

Quoted message said:

only having read a few books and a few websites, am I being a pillock by cycling a minimum of a
metre from the kerb, more often varying between that an 1.5 metres?

No, you are cycling in the correct position.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

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

Quoted message said:

The Oracle tried to scribble ...

Quoted message said:

When he passes the usual spot I am going to chase the [censored] and have it out with him at the
lights.

Which makes you even worse than the 'pillock' ..

Somebody had to say it . . . . . I was too scared :o~

--
David Brown :o) kitemap.co.ukstackOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>, one of infinite monkeys

at the keyboard of 'Adrian Boliston said:

When I was new to cycling I seem to remember this quite regularly, but in the last 10 years I
can't really say I remember being hassled in this way even though I no doubt impede the progress
of just as many cars as when I was a beginner. I can only assume that motorists can somehow sense
that a cyclist is in some way less confident and therefore a target for abuse, rather than the
"old hand" who is "not to be messed with".

Sounds like a classic case of the difference between someone who is faffing about unpredictably and
someone who is riding with a purpose. The former is legitimately an annoyance, in that you have to
be prepared for them to do something stupid.

--
Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France 1.5,
Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)

No sign of him tonight - wait 'till tomorrow !!

I don;t mean literally two inches from the curb. The point I was trying to convey is that I am not
waving all over the road. I have a motor bike too and the same principle applies.

Steve

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

Quoted message said:

I have been cycling about two months and have had confrontations with motorists on a couple of
occasions. There is one pillock in a white

transit

Quoted message said:

who seems to get a buzz on skimming me. Tomorrow night I am not on my

bike

Quoted message said:

but I am going to wait for this [censored] in my car. When he passes the

usual

Quoted message said:

spot I am going to chase the [censored] and have it out with him at the

lights.

Quoted message said:

Don't worry I am a 2nd DAN and a heavyweight boxer too (I am seriously - that's why I like cycling
so much - its good aerobically as well as being great fun!!).

Another [censored] was blaring his horn at me since he had to wait two seconds until oncoming traffic
had cleared - (and yes, I do ride correctly, close

to

Quoted message said:

the curb as possible). At the traffic lights I asked him WTF the problem was (he was scared of
course, liek 99.9% of drivers. They are not so

tough

Quoted message said:

when you confront them face to face). He said I should get out of the way and give him precedence
since he pays for the use of the roads in fuel

duty

Quoted message said:

and car tax !!!!!!!!!! I then mentioned that so do I - and I pay company car tax AND tax on
£60000. Therefore, HE should get the f*** out of the

way

Quoted message said:

and not me !!

Just to add to the discussion !!

Steve

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

Quoted message said:

A rare event indeed, for me at least...

Cycling back from work this morning up a forest edged 40 zone close to built up residential
areas (College Heath Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk - for anyone au fait with the area) I was coming
up to a left fork with the road curving into a sweeping (and lethal) right.

A woman was coming up behind me in a car at about 30 signalling left - I was doing about 20
and following the road back to mine. I fully expected to be driven around at speed as she was
in about the right place to do so if she put her foot down and cracked 50mph to give us both
some room.

At the speed she was actually going she could have made it around me but would have been left
with me embedded in her front passenger door. (Now that would have been technically "in
collision with" as I'd have hit a moving vehicle)

Instead, and to my amazement, I heard engine braking behind me. Glancing round (instead of using
the bar end mirror on my racer) I saw a smile, so I waved, stood up and put my foot down a bit
so she wasn't kept waiting.

Okay, the chances of her reading this NG are astronomically small but I'd still like to say
Thank You for being an intelligent and courteous road user.

In our area, this kind of behaviour is a complete anomoly as some of the cagers reckon doing
that curve at 60 or more and spinning off through a wall 15' away from the road on the RH side
is okay. The child that was pureed in the incident I'm thinking about probably wouldn't have
agreed had he been allowed to grow up. Idiot "showed" loads of remorse at court and nobody
mentioned how many priors he'd already got. Not even 20. Slapped wrist, drove home.

That's in addition to stoopid Yanks late for work up at the RAF station who think that a bike is
just a mirage to drive through when they go straight over a mini-roundabout near where I work,
or worse yet, overtake someone who is going straight over the thing when there is other traffic
already on it and in direct line of fire. I have a digital camera just itching to get shots and
if I do, there will be some interesting events down the local plod-u-like.

Gary

--------------------------------------------------
Reply to gary <at> data <dot> mildenhall <dot> com
--------------------------------------------------

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

Quoted message said:

No sign of him tonight - wait 'till tomorrow !!

If a car starts getting on my nerves, I do what comes naturally - Oh, damn, this headwind's heavy
tonight, I'm in the middle of the road and, oh how inconvenient, I can only manage a few miles per
hour. Oh so sorry...

Thomas.

David Brown :o) tried to scribble ...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

The Oracle tried to scribble ...

Quoted message said:

When he passes the usual spot I am going to chase the [censored] and have it out with him at the
lights.

Which makes you even worse than the 'pillock' ..

Somebody had to say it . . . . . I was too scared :o~

It's Usenet .. he's probably some gimpy 4 foot high st00pid person .. 😉

--
Digweed

The Oracle said:

No sign of him tonight - wait 'till tomorrow !!

I don;t mean literally two inches from the curb. The point I was trying to convey is that I am not
waving all over the road. I have a motor bike too and the same principle applies.

You ride your motorbike near to the curb? You're an accident waiting to happen then.

Primary road position for a motorcyclist on a straight road is just to the left of the center line.
Roughly in the right wheel track of a car/truck.

Primary position on a left hand bend is a far to the right as you can legally and safely ride.
Primary position on a right hand bend is as far to the left as you can legally and safely ride, but
at least a couple of feet from the edge of the road.
--
"We take these risks, not to escape from life, but to prevent life escaping from us." ***** replace
'spam' with 'ben' to reply *****

Erm... Thanks for the information - I really need it. I did pass my motorbike test twenty years ago
and ride it almost every day. I don't need any lessons thankyou. All vehicles, as a general
principle should keep to the left - it's quite clear in the highway code. That does not mean riding
in the gutter. It does mean you should keep to the left hand side unless a left hand bend is
appraoching in which you should edge to the centre, slowly, to get a better view. If a right hand
bend is approching you should edge to the left to see further around that bend. Thsi principle also
applies to cars as well as bikes. It does not work well with cycles - unless you have a death wish.

Steve

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

Quoted message said:

The Oracle said:

No sign of him tonight - wait 'till tomorrow !!

I don;t mean literally two inches from the curb. The point I was trying

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

convey is that I am not waving all over the road. I have a motor bike

too

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and the same principle applies.

You ride your motorbike near to the curb? You're an accident waiting to happen then.

Primary road position for a motorcyclist on a straight road is just to the left of the center
line. Roughly in the right wheel track of a car/truck.

Primary position on a left hand bend is a far to the right as you can legally and safely ride.
Primary position on a right hand bend is as far to the left as you can legally and safely ride,
but at least a couple of feet from the edge of the road.
--
"We take these risks, not to escape from life, but to prevent life escaping from us." *****
replace 'spam' with 'ben' to reply *****