Originally Posted by
Ixion
Many times. As in more than single figures, less than hundreds.
Individual cyclists on their own are seldom a big problem. It's when they are in bunches that they do incredibly stupid shit.
When in a big bunch don't you think they deserve more consideration, just because you are bigger doesn't mean you deserve more consideration, I think if you are more numerous you deserve more consideration. It's difficult to get a pack of bicycles around together as a group without dominating a lane, the inconvenience to car drivers is rare and minor.
Tractors are not 'nimble'. You yourself have touted the nimbleness of the cycle. That same nimbleness which means he may dodge in front of me without warning. Tractors don't. Cars and tractors have indicators, and drivers who in most cases have some idea of the road rules and at least a vague respect for them.
Just because a vehicle has indicators doesn't mean they get used, also nimbleness is an advantage to avoid danger also a bicycle is much easier to overtake safely than a tractor, if you think the bicycle's going to dodge in front of you then good, you are an aware road user and will hopefully allow for such transgressions as a fatality is a far more severe consequence than being forced to slow to allow for the possibility of the failings of other road users. Cyclists are aware of the road rules I believe just less suitable for the road rules thats all. Come round a blind corner too fast and hit that tractor going 20kph and we'll see if it posed more of a threat to your safety than a bicycle going 30,40,50kph in the same direction as you... both crashes however would be totally YOUR FAULT. If a cyclist is hit while not following a road rules then they are in the wrong, and I have no sympathy, if you are going to break the rules you have to do it so you are not going to get messed up. But driving so you can't avoid all incidents that's totally morally corrupt.
See above. Most of the things you specify either signal , stay in one place (when was the last time a letterbox jumped out in front of you?), or at least have some predictability
Actually it was the minority, train crossings was meant to include the arms that come down and the trains that cross them along with the rail lines that are like ice and bumpy when wet. All hazards that could possibly inconvenience you and some that provide danger all that you have to DEAL WITH.
The only thing more unpredictable on the roads than cyclists are animals.
I kindly disagree, I would say taxi's and pedestrians
You complain somewhere of motorists sounding their horns when coming up behind cyclists.Have you considered that they do it for the same reason as a wise driver does it for sheep. To alert the animal that you are there, and encourage it to do whatever it's going to do when startled BEFORE overtaking it. I'd rather sound my horn and have the sheep , or cyclist, do whatever crazy thing it's going to do while I'm still some way behind.
now you're just making stuff up. I never said don't toot a cyclist. you can give them a fright though, but that's not the end of the world... better than hitting them. Although I'm firmly in the mindset if you've got time to toot you've got time to give them space. Tooting is done for selfish reasons, either for self amusement, or to make sure you don't have to slow down to safely overtake a cyclist. I'm sure there's the odd situation where a toot is the easier option, but you can't rely on it to make somebody stop doing something dangerous. I've only ever had to toot cars trying to squeeze me out of my lane, and I've thought about it, and realised it's purely selfish because I don't want to fall back and let them in because they aren't doing the manoeuvre "properly".
You seem to be living on a different planet to me. I have NEVER seen a cyclist hand signal (not for many years anyway). And I am aware of hand signals because I regularly ride a bike without indicators. So, I hand signal. Cyclists never do. I signal, I wave a thankyou when someone merely gives way to me, I turn around and look drivers right in the eye if I feel I need to. Groups are a different animal, they are far more visible and ungainly and should be given due consideration as they far outnumber you, so any minor inconvenience to your commute should be looked on as the many outweighing the few.
And unlike cars (which often don't indicate) you can never predict where they are about to go from their road positioning. Because the latter is weird and illogical beyond any comprehension.
Never trust your prediction of what a car is going to do. There are so many dynamics to riding a bicycle so you are not monstered, so that you are visible, so that you are safe, so that you are PREDICTABLE, and you are right this is a very important part of cycle safety, however it only comes with experience... just like driver and rider safety, not all cyclists are equal. It's not PC to vent on different races or sexes driving abilities so you've chosen the PC target of bicycles.
And I've never noticed one checking behind. in fact, given their riding position I doubt it's possible.
I can never tell if you are talking about single bikes or groups, as there is a massive difference as to how you have to ride to do it safely. On any bicycle you can do a head check when coming up to an intersection where you might be changing your line or lanes, if they don't I'll agree they're stupid, however I assume you are getting annoyed with having them not acknowledge you when you want to pass them on a straight, this is your responsibility for the very good reason that you hold ALL the power.
Motorcyclists emphasise the importance of a high degree of situational awareness. Cyclists on the other hand have zero and seem to think it irrelevant to them.
There's a very good reason why a bicycle might pretend they don't know you are there, that's to make you take responsibility for not rear ending them. If you acknowledge a car behind you trying to overtake when on a bicycle, usually they will then not take full responsibility for their overtaking manoeuvre. Just like 99% of pedestrians when they are crossing the road will not look the driver of the cars in the eye, it may annoy hell out of you but it actually increases the likelihood that you won't rush them to make them jump out of the way. I find pedestrians annoying too, but I have some perspective as a pedestrian and I understand their behaviour, people just need to try on other perspectives. Furthermore the it's extremely important on a bicycle to focus in the forward 180degree range as hazards are so much more severe on bicycles, the effects of glass and potholes, and the general invisibility of oncoming bicycles to the majority of humanity, it's mostly a subconscious psychological risk analysis failing. You'd be amazed how good bicycle couriers get at using their peripheral vision, survival too number one, number 2 is hearing, so you are generally in the dark about their situational awareness.
I must say, though , that there is ONE cyclist that I see regularly, an old Chinaman, who is very good. Predictable, safe riding. The exception that proves the rule.
I'll have to get an onboard camera on my bicycle next time I do some couriering, would knock your socks off. I've always wanted to do that. I haven't seen really any bicycles that pose a danger through unpredictable riding. And even if they were, they are going slow enough that you should be able to react and DEAL WITH IT just like you would any other retarded road user.
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