Road rage against cyclists is it just me?

The Noble Nudge · 23-07-2013 05:08PM

cypressg wrote: »

You mean they aren't aware of the risks they're putting you in.
There should be an ad campaign on tv,the same as the driving on motorways one,telling people how much space they're required to give a cyclist and why they should sometimes wait behind a cyclist.

http://youtu.be/0mETVR2534s
RSA have done one very recently

delthedriver · 23-07-2013 05:46PM

Perhaps it is time to put a tax on cyclists. Why should they use the roads for free. The tax take could be redistributed for the trimming of hedges and verges which would make the roadways safer and wider:)

daveirl · 23-07-2013 06:07PM

This post has been deleted.

longshank · 23-07-2013 06:15PM

have experienced 2 serious incidents of dagerously aggressive road range from drivers and both were middle aged females. anecdotal evidence women are worst??..is it because being forced to overtake a group of cyclist is beyond their driving ability, they get stressed then make an arse of overtaking and blame cyclist??

Granolite · 23-07-2013 06:22PM

Everyone's out for a snipe today..i blame the humidity and heavyness in the air..can we blame someone or anybody for that? The Met Office has had an easy time of it last few weeks. Maybe its time to pick on them again...

SpaceTime · 23-07-2013 08:34PM

All that being said, statistically speaking, Ireland is one of the safest places in the world for road users.

There are problems and there's always room for improvement but overall the driving is OK.

We need to tackle tailgating though with penalty points.

I still think what makes cycling so scary is lack of cycling infrastructure. It has improved but there are plenty b of Irish roads, including many secondary N routes that just aren't wide enough.

That being said the same applies to many b British A roads too

galwaycyclist · 23-07-2013 08:39PM

SpaceTime wrote: »

All that being said, statistically speaking, Ireland is one of the safest places in the world for road users.

..

Uh no the number of road deaths is not of itself a measure of the "safety" of the roads. It has to be related back to the exposure levels - such as the number of primary school children who are allowed to walk or cycle to school by themselves.

Tombo2001 · 24-07-2013 11:00AM

"Three years ago I decided to use my bicycle to get around Dublin instead of my car. I was immediately astounded by the total disrespect of many cyclists for the rules of the road and, critically, for other road users.
When I stopped at red lights, as I am supposed to, I was on more than one occasion verbally abused by other cyclists for disrupting their progress, with one particular gentleman being enraged for allowing an elderly pedestrian to cross the road when the light was red for us. I left Dublin a year later, but if I returned I wouldn’t go back on the bike."

Different type of road rage against cyclists 'highlighted' in yesterday's letters page to the Irish Times; the letter curiously coming from one of its own columnists.

Open question to cyclists out there:

Has anyone ever had a single incidence of receiving abuse from a fellow cyclist for not breaking a red light? I certainly havent, and I've been commuting by bike for a few years now.

I've been harangued plenty of times by fellow motorists for not driving fast enough on the motorway (i.e. not breaking the speed limit) but I have never once been hassled by a fellow cyclist for not breaking a red light.

droidus · 24-07-2013 11:02AM

There's been a few reports here. I know someone who's had some run-ins at lights as well.

DirkVoodoo · 24-07-2013 11:19AM

Nope, never received abuse for stopping.

I've muttered expletives at people who I see doing stupid things though. Bit of a nob.

Chips Lovell · 24-07-2013 11:20AM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Has anyone ever had a single incidence of receiving abuse from a fellow cyclist for not breaking a red light? I certainly havent, and I've been commuting by bike for a few years now

More muttering and sighing as they put their bike up on the footpath and go around me to break the lights.

I know someone who was rear-ended (ooh errr, missus) by a cyclist because he didn't expect him to stop on red.

buffalo · 24-07-2013 11:26AM

Yep. Myself and doozerie were shouted at and accused of "blocking the road" while stopped at a red light one evening. The cyclist then proceeded to forcibly shove past us in a most unmannerly fashion.

DirkVoodoo · 24-07-2013 11:30AM

Oh, I did receive abuse in Australia for my lights:

"Teen off yaw facking loights!"

I also received (humorous) abuse the other night, walking along Stephen's Green, some young lads in a Golf screamed out the window:

"Hold her hand would ya!!!"

So I did.

stop · 24-07-2013 11:58AM

Had a taxi right up behind me, horn blaring as cruised (~25-30kph) towards the lights here
I was left of the centre of the Bus lane, as the traffic in the next lane to my left tends to fly past, I wasn't pedaling hard after sprinting from the previous lights to get into the Bus Lane.
Once in the lane I noticed the light to turn right had just turned red so I, eased up, I wasn't holding anyone up.
Except mr taxi, who beeps and beeps and beeps, before undertaking me just before the red light, coming far too close to me for my liking.

I ended up roaring in his window at him, probably not doing myself & other cyclists any good, just looking a bit mental. He screamed at me for being in the bus lane, which didn't help my blood pressure, I just kept shouting that the light was red and he had no reason to undertake me dangerously and be blaring the horn.

I'm not the type to get angry, but alas the red mist descends very very quickly when you get a scare from a car coming wayy to close.

Stupid avoidable situation, all mr taxi had to do was look at the lights!

No Pants · 24-07-2013 12:31PM

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

I know someone who was rear-ended (ooh errr, missus) by a cyclist because he didn't expect him to stop on red.

That happened to me in Portmarnock and Baldoyle. Not much of an impact, just a kiss of front to rear tyre. I didn't bother speaking, just pointed at the red light.

manwithaplan · 24-07-2013 12:39PM

buffalo wrote: »

in a most unmannerly fashion.

I hope you gave this ruffian what for.

mathie · 24-07-2013 12:42PM

I turned up onto the Malahide Road from Fairview yesterday evening doing the same speed as a car that was right beside me. We were only doing about 15 - 20 kmph.
There was a red van trying to make his way onto the Malahide Road from a side road and I gather the car beside me flashed to let him out.
He drove straight in front of me.
I swerved around him and as I did he shouted "You don't have right of way here!"

So a brain donor car driver flashing people out with a cyclist beside him (that he saw) and a brain donor van driver who doesn't know the rules of the road.

I said nothing.

The sun was shining and life is too short and made shorter by blowing a gasket

Lumen · 24-07-2013 12:43PM

No Pants wrote: »

That happened to me in Portmarnock and Baldoyle. Not much of an impact, just a kiss of front to rear tyre. I didn't bother speaking, just pointed at the red light.

I stopped. He kissed my rear, No Pants. I pointed to the red light. We parted, silently. I still feel that tension.

steamengine · 24-07-2013 12:43PM

stop wrote: »

Had a taxi right up behind me, horn blaring as cruised (~25-30kph) towards the lights here
I was left of the centre of the Bus lane, as the traffic in the next lane to my left tends to fly past, I wasn't pedaling hard after sprinting from the previous lights to get into the Bus Lane.
Once in the lane I noticed the light to turn right had just turned red so I, eased up, I wasn't holding anyone up.
Except mr taxi, who beeps and beeps and beeps, before undertaking me just before the red light, coming far too close to me for my liking.

I ended up roaring in his window at him, probably not doing myself & other cyclists any good, just looking a bit mental. He screamed at me for being in the bus lane, which didn't help my blood pressure, I just kept shouting that the light was red and he had no reason to undertake me dangerously and be blaring the horn.

I'm not the type to get angry, but alas the red mist descends very very quickly when you get a scare from a car coming wayy to close.

Stupid avoidable situation, all mr taxi had to do was look at the lights!

I see a cycle lane over on the left and that's what I would use out of consideration to other road users who generally travel faster than a bike. A situation is often avoidable in more ways than one.

I'll give another example of cycling in bus lanes and again the cyclist was doing nothing wrong but not being considerate. A slowish cyclist held up a bus I was travelling on, all the way from Killester to Marino. The bus was full so had no stops to make and the next lane was bumper to bumper, it being rush hour. Had that cyclist been me, then I would have pulled into the left at a suitable point, dismounted if necessary facilitating a clear lane and let the bus through.

Reading a lot of the posts in this forum - there is too much of it all being the other guys fault - sometimes indeed it is - but less face it not always.

manwithaplan · 24-07-2013 12:48PM

steamengine wrote: »

I'll give another example of cycling in bus lanes and again the cyclist was doing nothing wrong but not being considerate. A slowish cyclist held up a bus I was travelling on, all the way from Killester to Marino. The bus was full so had no stops to make and the next lane was bumper to bumper, it being rush hour. Had that cyclist been me, then I would have pulled into the left at a suitable point, dismounted if necessary facilitating a clear lane and let the bus through.

That's on my commute and I hate when cyclists slow buses down. That's mainly because I am usually drafting the bus.

No Pants · 24-07-2013 12:53PM

Lumen wrote: »

I stopped. He kissed my rear, No Pants. I pointed to the red light. We parted, silently. I still feel that tension.

**** off!

Dotsie~tmp · 24-07-2013 12:53PM

For picking stuff out of my tyres.

9-inch-black-tactical-italian-stiletto.600.jpg

stop · 24-07-2013 12:56PM

steamengine wrote: »

I see a cycle lane over on the left and that's what I would use out of consideration to other road users who generally travel faster than a bike. A situation is often avoidable in more ways than one.

I have used it before but short of dismounting or otherwise breaking a red light its not really an attractive option.
The reason I use the bus lane is that almost every time, the filter light turns red before I get near the lane, giving me plenty of time to get out of the way. The only time I would see myself as in the way is the short section before entering the bus lane. In todays case, I was tailgaiting a truck until I got to the bus lane so no issue there.
Plenty of times I've had a double decker behind me on that section, no bother at all, they give me space, and I let them pass me as soon as I get around the corner (bike lane is constantly covered in glass/debris so tend to use the bus lane).

Captain Havoc · 24-07-2013 01:25PM

To say more cyclists break the law than motorists is something I find untrue. I estimate 90% of people on the N7 are breaking the ROTR by driving in the middle lane. It would seem that this is acceptable but you slow bastards piss me off no end when I'm driving.

buffalo · 24-07-2013 01:34PM

manwithaplan wrote: »

I hope you gave this ruffian what for.

That gurrier will think twice before accosting any velocipedists again!

Surveyor11 · 24-07-2013 01:46PM

Captain Havoc wrote: »

To say more cyclists break the law than motorists is something I find untrue. I estimate 90% of people on the N7 are breaking the ROTR by driving in the middle lane. It would seem that this is acceptable but you slow bastards piss me off no end when I'm driving.

Breaking red lights by drivers is at epidemic levels - yes, I saw a guy on a Spesh hybrid coast through a red light at Grangecastle yesterday, but my commute the red light breaking is laughable by cars. Each set of lights from Porterstown to the N7 junction has at least one car breaking it - sometimes up to 3 or 4 cars will chance their arm. The also largely ignore the pedestrian crossing at the N7 - I cross here from the cycle path as I've nearly been taken out of it one time too many by cars on the roads.

Had a taxi driver blast through the green man crossing at Dame St / George's Street junction yesterday - total disregard for peds crossing - right in front of a Garda Traffic Corp car, who for whatever reason did nothing about it.

In terms of breaking lights, the only thing that will work for cars is as they have in the UK - cameras on the red lights - you break them, a fine follows in the post. Until then it's going to be a free for all.

foxer3640 · 24-07-2013 01:57PM

I've seen some pretty outrageous behaviour from motorists on the road this summer. It must be the hot weather. I'm a cyclist, motorist and I spend quiet a good bit of time on the road with farm machinery (Wexford). Middle aged men in large cars and women in their 20s seem to be the worst. While cycling I've had so many close calls through bad careless driving that I've lost count. People need to slow down and be more considerate to other road users. Don't get me wrong I've seen a lot of careless cyclists too but nothing that would endanger anyones lives apart from their own. I had one incident last summer when coming home one evening with a large machine on a country road. A lad in a 12 d beemer decides to play a game of chicken. The road was easily wide enough for both of us to pass but this guy kept right out to the middle of the road and swerved at the last minute. Didn't end well for his car. Its just an example of what kind of bully you can meet on the roads these days. Cyclists are very vulnerable road users so have patience and give them plenty of room. Most of them have familys to go home to just like motorists.

magicbastarder · 24-07-2013 02:00PM

maybe we need a cyclists and motorists good friday agreement. parity of esteem, and all that. though i don't know whether it should be cars of bikes which would be piled into underground bunkers and encased in concrete.

Second Captain · 24-07-2013 02:03PM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Has anyone ever had a single incidence of receiving abuse from a fellow cyclist for not breaking a red light? I certainly havent, and I've been commuting by bike for a few years now.

Yes, I started commuting by bike on a semi-regular basis about three years ago and within the first month I was at the receiving end of a pretty aggressive and foul-mouthed rant from a fellow cyclist on the N11 for stopping at lights just as they had gone from amber to red. That, among other things I was still getting used to nearly put me off the whole venture but I persisted and I haven't had anything so in your face since but plenty of cases of tutting and huffing and just plain old sailing/shoving right past you.

A related practice that I think very unsafe is other cyclists arriving at lights you are waiting at just as they go green and, without warning, passing you from behind at speed through the narrow gap between you and the adjacent car or bus just as you are both setting off. Both bike and car setting off in motion are liable to veer slightly and it wouldn't take much of a misjudgement of the limited space available for the passing cyclist to end up on the ground in front of the accelerating car's front tyres.

There's plenty of inconsiderate dickheads out there, whether on foot, peddling or behind the wheel.

No Pants · 24-07-2013 02:04PM

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I didn't post what you quoted there

You're right, you didn't. No idea what happened there. Apologies.

Road rage against cyclists is it just me?

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