On a serious note ....

C3PO

Since the latest "spate of attacks" against cyclists in the media started I've noticed a real upsurge in driver aggression when I'm out riding on the road. This is particularly so when out on group rides, riding two abreast! Drivers are more inclined to blow their horns and to overtake aggressively as if George Hook and Mattie McGrath have given them Carte Blanche to cut up cyclists for sport.

I really don't think I'm imagining this, anyone else notice anything similar?

MB Lacey

Not yet thankfully. Speaking to my Dad in the UK yesterday, he told me how he was listening to Irish radio in the week and there was something on about how cyclists are becoming a pest in Dublin?!

redzerredzer

Scumbag in a van nearly took out a few of us in Baltinglass on the day of the 200.
One guy clipped the curb but just managed not to come off.
Your man gave us the finger too.

It was just outside the gaa club. Any bordsies in that group of about 20?

smacl

C3PO wrote: »

I really don't think I'm imagining this, anyone else notice anything similar?

Haven't noticed it particularly, all though have been whacked with a wire hanger from a passing car a couple of weeks ago, and had a bottle thrown at me from a car some months before that. Young lads out for easy laughs on both counts, both incidents reported.

You'll always get a certain tosser minority in any population, and the same is true of drivers. I've no problems with the vast majority.

paddydriver

Nothing new recently. Just find that every single blow of the horn is from a woman in an MPV.. think they just blow the horn to warn you they are there:pac:

Said this to my wife, who is a woman that drives an MPV, and she just mumbled something.

letape

C3PO wrote: »

Since the latest "spate of attacks" against cyclists in the media started I've noticed a real upsurge in driver aggression when I'm out riding on the road. This is particularly so when out on group rides, riding two abreast! Drivers are more inclined to blow their horns and to overtake aggressively as if George Hook and Mattie McGrath have given them Carte Blanche to cut up cyclists for sport.

I really don't think I'm imagining this, anyone else notice anything similar?

I had some idiot shout at me yesterday from the back seat of a car as they passed by (didn't catch what he said). The car didn't come too close though but is still pretty unpleasant.

t'bear

On our winter laps (around the village) we get 'Real men ride women' shouted at least 3 days per spini from the youth hanging arond Tesco . Oh how we laughed :-)

Nothing recent thank God

buffalo

While commuting Sat and Sun, the overtakes from car traffic did seem to be a little closer than usual, but I'm not usually in the Stillorgan area, so maybe it's always that bad.

lennymc

t'bear wrote: »

On our winter laps (around the village) we get 'Real men ride women' shouted at least 3 days per spini from the youth hanging arond Tesco .

my usual response to that is 'most men ride yer ma' which normally shuts them up.

Zyzz

I was beeped at and overtaken while going 60km/h or so going down the sutton side of Howth..some people have nothing upstairs unfortunately..

lennymc wrote: »

my usual response to that is 'most men ride yer ma' which normally shuts them up.

I tend to say 'most men ride yer da'..that throws a spanner in the works

ugsparky

I've had a few close ones lately - nearly wiped out with a silage harvester after the rear tractor wheel passed 18 inches odd past my shoulder - I was inside the broken yellow line of the hard shoulder and luckily had a bit of room to move in further - all the guys behind me thought I was going to be tagged by the harvester :mad: I've have noticed a big increase in women turning at junctions whilst wrestling to keep control of the mobile phone and also the number of people who try to pass without breaking the white line despite no vehicles approaching from the other direction. If they were overtaking a car they would pass around it as opposed to just skimming by.

I don't know if this is influenced by recent media commentary - but it does seem that it's getting more hazardous on our roads so maybe it is contributing to driver negligence and lack of care for other road users.

The scariest one I've encountered so far has been on the N2 stretch between Carrickmacross & Castleblayney - a van on the hard shoulder was being passed by a van ... that was being passed by an Audi ... that was clipping the broken yellow line of the hard shoulder that I was cycling in meeting them ... I think he kinda seen me during the final seconds of his manouevre ... the wind the three of them displaced nearly blew me to a standstill ... except the sigh of relief that escaped from my clenched buttocks kept me going in the same direction I was headed ... t'was scary ...

Ole Rodrigo

I had a couple of close passes on the Ratoath to Swords road (usually a bit tight anyway), and one man in white van pulling out from a left turn while speaking on his phone on Lucan to Clonee road - although he looked at me approaching I could see he didn't see me. I slowed down in anticipation of him pulling out, which he did. I threw him my best disdainful look, he pretended I wasn't there. Make of that what you like.

Does seem that everyone has an opinion of cycling these days. Most of it is tedious to listen to. There's only so much correcting of folk you can do before it saps your energy - its better spent elsewhere.

If someone is to stupid to see the positive contribution cycling makes, or allows themselves to be whipped up by tabloid hacks, then there's not much point in continuing the conversation.

/rant

The Noble Nudge

Damn tourists getting very close Saturday up around the gap. Couldnt hear on the descent at the top of Glenmacnass tool passed me very very close and frightened the ****e out of me.............While recovering with some tea at Laragh the same car passes me thankfully for his sak he didnt stop. The red mist was forming......

biomed32

Anyone know what caused the sudden upsurge in anti-cycling articles. I have read two in the Metro over the past two weeks, I presume the good weather and an upsurge in cyclists.

Smokeyskelton

I would agree with the OP that there seems to be an upsurge in driver aggression towards cyclists recently. Or at least towards me in particular!

Nothing specific, just more drivers beeping their horns at me when I am cycling perfectly legally, and drivers deliberately moving in towards the kerb / into the cycling lane in order to prevent cyclists proceeding legally.

Certainly the current media blitz can't have helped. These media campaigns usually move in cycles though, (if you'll pardon the pun), so I'm sure the articles will find a new outrage de jour soon.

Wishbone Ash

C3PO wrote: »

as if George Hook and Mattie McGrath have given them Carte Blanche to cut up cyclists for sport

Finian - not Mattie!

Darkglasses

No bad experiences here, thankfully. Although I totally understand that traffic seems to have moods.

Similarly, the media goes through moods and trends. Anti-cycling opinion pieces are in this month I guess.

marketty

ror_74 wrote: »

one man in white van pulling out from a left turn while speaking on his phone on Lucan to Clonee road - although he looked at me approaching I could see he didn't see me. I slowed down in anticipation of him pulling out, which he did. I threw him my best disdainful look, he pretended I wasn't there. Make of that what you like.

There's a particular van I've met on that road several times, can't think of the name of the company at the minute. Any way he'd be up your arse coming out from Lucan then pass real close as you take that right bend toward the T junction. Then join the Q of traffic waiting to get out at the T, but puts the van all the way left up in the ditch to try and stop you getting by. I know he does it deliberately as well because I can see his apprentice in the passenger seat watching me in the big wing mirror!
This exact sequence of events has happened a few times the past few weeks,we must be on v similar schedules!

Other than that ONE guy I've actually been very fortunate with drivers (touch wood!)

Trojan

Helmet cameras, and file reports with video evidence. Follow-up on it.

Ole Rodrigo

marketty wrote: »

There's a particular van I've met on that road several times, can't think of the name of the company at the minute. Any way he'd be up your arse coming out from Lucan then pass real close as you take that right bend toward the T junction. Then join the Q of traffic waiting to get out at the T, but puts the van all the way left up in the ditch to try and stop you getting by. I know he does it deliberately as well because I can see his apprentice in the passenger seat watching me in the big wing mirror!
This exact sequence of events has happened a few times the past few weeks,we must be on v similar schedules!

Other than that ONE guy I've actually been very fortunate with drivers (touch wood!)

Don't think it was the same guy, this was a plain white rental. Its a sketchy enough junction anyway - just over the Canal bridge to the left, further back from the one you're talking about. If you're turning right from it you have vehicles and bikes coming off the hill to your right and a corner thats semi blind to the left, and usually with speeding cars coming around before approaching the bridge. I think it was just bad driving and ignorance. He could have waved his finger to apologise but some people have silly reactions when in the wrong.

I've never had any real issues with drivers either, although you can sense their displeasure every now and then which is often expressed in the way they overtake. It's tempting to generalise about types of motorists who do this, but the higher moral ground is an awful thing to waste.

Wishbone Ash

marketty wrote: »

There's a particular van I've met on that road several times, can't think of the name of the company at the minute

If the van is in a company livery, you should give the company a call and ask to speak to a manager/director etc.

I was overtaken dangerously several mornings by the same van on the same road a few years ago. It belonged to a well known landscape company. I contacted them and was put through to a director. She took the details and when she got back to me she said that the van driver had a privilege of taking the van home each night. She immediately withdrew that perk and I haven't encountered it since.

greenmat

Cycling up Howth tonight with my 14 year old son, talking him up the climb, a guy slows down beside me, passenger window down, telling me I'll cause an accident as I'm cycling 2 a breast, cause he'll have to swing to the other side to pass. Tried to be polite and tell him that if it's not safe to pass, Don't, your overtaking me and I'm entitled to cycle 2 a breast. Understand it can be frustrating being stuck behind cyclist, I do drive myself but on a fine summer night like tonight and Howth awash with cyclists what does he expect.

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

carltonleon

Just to flip side it a bit, I was cycling out by the airport and a big bendy bus was behind me. I needed to get in lane to turn right so I signaled checked and moved. The bus had slowed right down to allow me to do so so I gave him a little acknowledgement wave and he beeped me as if to say no problem. As I turned the corner and continued to cycle the bus was behind me and some 20 metres behind me giving me loads of room. He waited about 800/900 metres before it was safe to pass me and then when passing gave me loads of room.
It did restore my faith a little bit, I have to say

Agent Smyth

Came across this today !!

http://vimeo.com/68102591

Surveyor11

It's 'cos we don't pay "road" tax! :cool: