Road Rage

Galwaybiker

A group of us were cycling around lough Corrib yesterday and the amount of drivers that blew us off the road was unreal. At one stage a 4x4 came right up behind us, kept his hand on the horn and we were cycling in single file. There was no where for us to go as there was no hard shoulder. A 71 year old and a 23 year old were in the group, both got a massive fright. Now i'm pretty sure the driver didnt expect what happened next. One of my mates (who is a good 19 stone and knows martial arts) stopped in the road, dropped his bike and walked back to the driver to tell him what an ass he was. There was a lot more said but that driver will think twice again before beeping a cyclist. Even with all the great TV coverage about road safety is this the only way to get through to people?????????? The attitude towards cyclists NEEDS to change in this country.

biko

That is very bad of the driver alright.
I drive out there sometimes and just wait until it's safe to overtake. Sure, it's only a few minutes to wait at the most.

Mugser

Well within yer rights (and safer too IMO) to cycle 2-a-breast.

death1234567

biko wrote: »

That is very bad of the driver alright.

It happens all the time because the rules of the road aren't enforced in this country. I have been out with groups before and you should see some of the driving that goes on, overtaking a group of 20 cyclists on a blind bend etc. If Gardaí were out patrolling the roads or doing speed checks on country roads then alot of these idiots would be getting penalty points and either have to cop on or be put off the road.

murphyebass

Mugser wrote: »

Well within yer rights (and safer too IMO) to cycle 2-a-breast.

I completely agree with that.

It also bugs the hell out of me that in the adverts on telly it just "cyclist may cycle 2 abreast"

How about say ... for safety. Explain why they cycle two abreast. 99% of people think we/they're being ignorant cycling 2 abreast when its simply to make sure the cars think twice about passing until it is actually safe to do so. Gets me so angry that it really does. Road safety messages that are blurred.

Lawr

death1234567 wrote: »

It happens all the time because the rules of the road aren't enforced in this country. I have been out with groups before and you should see some of the driving that goes on, overtaking a group of 20 cyclists on a blind bend etc. If Gardaí were out patrolling the roads or doing speed checks on country roads then alot of these idiots would be getting penalty points and either have to cop on or be put off the road.

I don't know about that. I have been strafed by Gardai cars a couple of times. I am not sure they are not as bad as everyone else. I rarely see them adhere to the rules of the road, never mind enforce them. I shouldn't paint with such a broad brush, but I just see too many examples to not think it is the rule rather than the exception. Let's put it this way: I am through being surprised by their performance on the road.

buffalo

Lawr wrote: »

I don't know about that. I have been strafed by Gardai cars a couple of times.

strafed past participle, past tense of strafe
Verb
Attack repeatedly with bombs or machine-gun fire from low-flying aircraft: "military aircraft strafed the village"

:eek:

Carpenter

Something similar happened to me last year to this day I hope the driver of the jeep likes his new scratch from my cleats

bootybouncer

"19 stone" for a cyclist is criminal stuff...............

codie

buffalo wrote: »

:eek:

You would be surprised the amount of people that don't know about the 2 abreast .I got into an argument one day with a woman.She wasn't aware that I was a cyclist .We were visiting a house and she happened to be there.We were just making small talk and someone started on about the roads.Next thing the woman starts giving out about cyclists and that they shouldn't be left on the road.They have no respect for others and no respect for themselves cycling 2 abreast taking up the whole road,My blood began to boil as she was a farmers wife who drives their 60+ cows up and down the road at milking times.Anyway I quickly pointed out the 2abreast law.If nothing else the add points out the 2 abreast to people like this.

lolo62

I think cyclists get the worst of it because they are the most vulnerable or 'smallest' on the road but I experienced the same consistently driving a small car.
Obnoxious people tend to drive big obnoxious cars (sure have you seen the ad for some Jeep type car where the selling catch phrase is 'command the road'!), throw in angry lorry van drivers who have been driving all day and view other people on the road as obstacles, you're dealing with a lot of aggression.
I think cyclists need to try and be the bigger person in those situations and don't react, if possible..hard not to react to beeping horns but I think the key is to hold your ground....drivers need to be taught
Dublin bus drivers seem to have become a lot more tolerant over the last few years, I would say it's because of just having to with the increasing number of cyclists (particularly confident ones) on the road.
I'm basing this on my experience as a driver and commuter on Dublin bus..I only cycle part time. Have to say though I take my hat off to people who commute by bicycle as the level of aggression that's out there can be pretty frightening at the best of times!

Maidhci

The disgraceful behaviour outlined by Galwaybiker is, unfortunately, a common occurrence on our Connemara roads, particularly at weekends. I have experienced similar and indeed worse behaviour, while cycling alone and in a group of two or three, on the loop route Cashel Cross - Toombeola - Roundstone - Ballyconnelly - Clifden on many occasions over the past 20 years. Thankfully, the number of D registered 4X4s driven by 'gentlemen' and 'ladies' who come/came to ''Stone'' for the weekend or who ''owned'' holidays homes there in the years of the Celtic Tiger are now fewer and long may that trend continue. The worst incident involved a D registered 4X4, driven by a 'lady' who 'owned' a very fine holiday house near Roundstone and who was unfortunate enough to leave her car parked on the roadside after the incident, thus enabling us to pinpoint the location of the owner to the Garda to support our complaint about her driving behaviour. I am not sure if it was ever pursued but as we cycle by nowadays, many of the fine holiday homes are vacant and no longer have 4x4 jeeps or big cars parked in their driveways and consequently the roads are a better and safer place to cycle as a result. Life is great leveller.

podgemonster

codie wrote: »

You would be surprised the amount of people that don't know about the 2 abreast .I got into an argument one day with a woman.She wasn't aware that I was a cyclist .We were visiting a house and she happened to be there.We were just making small talk and someone started on about the roads.Next thing the woman starts giving out about cyclists and that they shouldn't be left on the road.They have no respect for others and no respect for themselves cycling 2 abreast taking up the whole road,My blood began to boil as she was a farmers wife who drives their 60+ cows up and down the road at milking times. Anyway I quickly pointed out the 2abreast law.If nothing else the add points out the 2 abreast to people like this.

Is she and her family not entitled to do this as are you to cycle 2 a breast?

Darkglasses

She is, but I think it's the woman's total hypocrisy that is annoying.

Kav0777

podgemonster wrote: »

Is she and her family not entitled to do this as are you to cycle 2 a breast?

I read it that codie was getting angry at her hypocrisy, given that she was criticising cyclists for "taking up the whole road" by cycling two abreast, but doesn't appear to criticise her own family taking up the whole of the road at milking times.

I maybe wrong, and codie was getting upset at her family blocking the road, codie?