To the bloke with the orange rucksack cycling down Crystal Palace road at around 8.30 this morning

[jack_G_S]

.... You were cycling like a donut.

I was on my bike about 15/20 meters behind you as you dangerously overtook other cyclists and undertook cars as they approached pinch points/ pedestrian crossing islands/ junctions. You were making other road users lives incredibly difficult with your selfish ways. Evasive manoeuvres left right and centre.

This thread is made in the hope that, if you see this, you'll consider taking it a little easier. You'll get from A to B without killing yourself, or others!

[Blah Blah]

I never understand the point of posts like this. We all encounter idiots on the road every day. Imagine if we all remonstrated in a public forum every time we do so.

[DulwichFox]

Well it's refreshing at the very least that a responsible cyclist is having a go at another cyclist

who was riding less responsibly.. and not defending all cyclists like many others do .

Well done to jack_G_S

DulwichFox

[edcam]

Yes, agree with DulwichFox, there are an awful lot of irresponsible cyclists and some people forget that many aren't like that. If it makes one person think about what they're doing then it can only be a good thing.

[titch juicy]

Was riding down rye lane in rush hour about a month ago and stopped at the zebra crossing by khans to let people cross. A guy cycled straight across and hit an elderly lady and then had the temerity to shout at her "well, cross faster then!". This poor lady was so shocked- all she could muster, in a broken voice was , "why did he do that?!". I cycled after him and gave him a piece of my mind, and he just kept smiling at me and saying, "does that make you feel better? Carry on if it does" over and over again. Sometimes I wish I was a violent person. Quite a well to do chap he was too.

An American stopped at the lights with me and said he wished he had the magic power of pointing at people and making them literally shit their pants. I thought that would be terrific.

[Applespider]

Was he on a Giant bike? Just that I saw a guy with an orange backpack today on South Lambeth Road about 15-20 mins later who was also cycling inconsiderately.

Love that American's idea too

[jack_G_S]

I would love that magic power. But with great power comes great responsibility.

Not sure what bike he was on as i was a bit behind him.

@Blah Blah ? Well, quite. However, seeing as a lot of ED people frequent this forum, this specific cyclist may see this thread and open up the debate. It's annoying when you see people behaving like this on the road. Especially since some cyclists love to get high and mighty about drivers bad behaviour. From a cyclist perspective, it gives us a shitty name. It's really simple to be courteous on the road.

[edcam]

I've always wanted that power too!

titch juicy Wrote:

>

> An American stopped at the lights with me and said

> he wished he had the magic power of pointing at

> people and making them literally shit their pants.

> I thought that would be terrific.

[Muley]

Blimey, I find myself in agreement with Foxy! Well done jack-G-S for your post. All road users owe courtesy to each other, especially those more vulnerable. That's why it's infuriating to see dangerous driving, but also to hear about cyclists like that ar*sehole titch juice described ploughing through pedestrians on a crossing.

Blah Blah, what was the point of your post?

[pommie]

and people wonder why there are so many accidents involving cyclists....some of them have no regard for other traffic on the road or pedestrians and ride their bikes like they are the only ones on the road

[wulfhound]

From a cyclist perspective, it gives us a shitty name.

Got to say I can't stand this guilty-by-association stuff, whether your ride's a Giant or an Addison Lee. We've all (I hope) moved on from it in relation to ethnicity, can we let it go over choice of ride? Especially as pretty much everyone has more than one. Well done OP for calling this particular muppet out though.

and people wonder why there are so many accidents involving cyclists....some of them have no regard for other traffic on the road or pedestrians and ride their bikes like they are the only ones on the road

Given the profile of those killed and injured recently, that's pretty distasteful. Young mums, middle aged art directors, senior architects. Not those you tend to see riding recklessly.

[pommie]

wolfhound....I said some of them have no regard for other traffic!!

[pommie]

and how would you know what profession they were in just by the way they ride their bike!!

[titch juicy]

" Given the profile of those killed and injured

> recently, that's pretty distasteful. Young mums,

> middle aged art directors, senior architects. Not

> those you tend to see riding recklessly."

The gentlemen I spoke about could easily have fallen into a couple of those categories. Quite a 'bookish' looking chap, well dressed, late 30's early 40's at a guess.

I think it's dangerous to generalise, whichever way the generalisation goes.

[JohnL]

I watched the traffic last night at St Georges Circus headed towards

Elephant (front of a bus behind).

A car was stuck - too scared to force his way out - cyclists speeding

round him to each side - wouldn't be surprised if he was still there now.

[JesusMaryandJoseph]

.

[jack_G_S]

@wulfhound - Whether you like it or not, cyclists certainly get tarred with the same brush. Unfortunate truth. You're right though, people should be judged on the merits of their road use. Built into human dna to generalise for efficiency! ha

[njc97]

Pommie, wolfhound was referring to the recent cyclist who have been killed, and their details reporting in the media. Most cyclist deaths are nervous cyclists who have too much regard for traffic and ride like they don't deserve any space on the road. Those who fly out in front of everyone tend to be annoying but not involved in accidents.

[Blah Blah]

I definitely think you have to be assertive when cycling. But that doesn't stop drivers who think all cyclists ride at 2mph and therefore manoeuvre in front of you. I think you always have to expect the unexpected however you travel on the roads, be it by cycle or by vehicle equally.

[edcam]

That's interesting but is there any evidence to support this?

njc97 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Pommie, wolfhound was referring to the recent

> cyclist who have been killed, and their details

> reporting in the media. Most cyclist deaths are

> nervous cyclists who have too much regard for

> traffic and ride like they don't deserve any space

> on the road. Those who fly out in front of

> everyone tend to be annoying but not involved in

> accidents.

[stevie23b]

Phiff, we just punch them on the side of the head as they pass our scaffolding lorry.

[wulfhound]

That's interesting but is there any evidence to support this?

There's evidence that collisions involving women riders (25% of cyclists?) and HGVs (10% of traffic in Zone 1?) make up a massively disproportionate amount of fatal incidents. Young men are, perhaps surprisingly, under represented in the crash stats given they make up a large % of the cyclists on the road. Anything beyond that is conjecture.

[JesusMaryandJoseph]

I was knocked off my bike by a woman opening a car door, this happened when I was 16, she did not look, and the car door cut my throat open. She got fined ?20. I was 16, I still have a scar.