Road rage against cyclists is it just me?

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've had some great fun slapping cars which drive through pedestrian crossings against the lights. i had someone slam on the brakes and hop out of a car on me at the top of dawson street - with a cop standing beside me who'd been similarly inconvenienced. i left him to talk to the driver.

Don't you wish the cops were always close by in some cases:

PerrDub wrote: »

Less "road rage" and more absolute inattention as this woman fiddled with her sav nav and killed a cyclist

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2375784/Mother-killed-cyclist-took-eyes-road-20-seconds-fiddled-sat-nav.html

Jesus, the Mail.

I love how they're obsessed with people's reproductive and marital status.

It's not a driver, or a person, that killed the cyclist. It's a MOTHER. Imagine, someone who is supposed to be RESPONSIBLE and NURTURING, doing something horrific like that. But wait, she didn't just kill a cyclist, she killed a MARRIED cyclist.

Also, it turns out she was "on the way to a baby shower". The grand irony, circle of life and death. The Mail, it gives us everything.

Guybrush T wrote: »

But what was the impact on local house prices?!!??

Plummettin' ever since all those foreign type who can' talk proper like moved in, innit

I have to admit, as a pedestrian who neither cycles nor drives, I have a pet hate for certain cyclists, especially in the city.

The usual things, like not obeying the rules of the road, i.e breaking reds. But what really grinds my gears is when people cycle on the foot path or pedestrian areas. In the last month I've been hit by a cyclist twice, once from behind whilst waiting on a Luas, and once whilst walking across north earl st which is a pedestrian street.

In both instances the cyclists scoffed and cursed as if it was my fault. Neither apologized. Yet both should've dismounted so they were in the wrong.

Another guy went through a red today as I was walking across the road (I had the green man), and he yelled at me?

Obviously not all cyclist are like this, but I've had more bad encounters than good, and these people may be the minority but it's easy to see why people like this can easily paint an image of what cyclists are like for the rest of us.

And sorry I know the above is slightly off topic, but just to tie it back in I'll leave with this: would instances like the above give non-cyclist drivers a perception on cyclist which may lead to road rage?

oflahero wrote: »

You regularly take the whole lane at the lights?

No, not every time, and not at every junction. There are one or two junctions where I do it regularly because there potential for confusion, but normally I don't really overthink my positioning at the lights because I know I'll move off smartly anyway as soon as they change. But occasionally I have been guiding big groups of elderly cycle tourists and we have been waiting at a red when multiple trucks have appeared at a junction, and if I'm trying to keep multiple cyclists safe and sound, and if I know the group members can't accelerate out of trouble, I have to be quite careful about using my positioning to send particular "messages" to the truck drivers. If I were cycling with children or inexperienced cyclists, something similar would apply.

I was out on Howth with some friends yesterday. After this thread, I was paying particular attention.

A lot of cyclists were breaking the lights around bull island, really ticked me off but there was nothing incredibly dangerous.

A few laps of Howth and I saw plenty of speeding (excessive speeding) which seems fairly normal and lots of overtaking dangerously around bends. It's amazing that even going downhill at the speed limit, cars still seem to feel the need to try and overtake cyclists just to reach the red lights at Sutton Cross that bit faster.

I have been a motorist, truck driver, pedestrian, motorcyclist and since the beginning of the year a cyclist (again). So I feel I can see points of view from all sides. And as people have already pointed out you get bad drivers / cyclists /insert road user here.

But as this is a cycling thread my rant shall be about a tosser cyclist I encountered on the way too work this morning.
Before I start I'll point out I am not perfect on the road and red I will stop for, but if it is a ped X and no one is crossing I will cycle through (albeit at a slower pace). Same goes for turn left on a red, if its safe to do so I will...similar to the states being able to turn right on a red, makes sense IMO.

Anyhow cycling past the mater hospital this morning on NCR towards Dorset St and ped lights turn red. Two people waiting to cross so I hit the anchors only this guy pissing down behind doesn't bother, nearly clips me as he serves out right and again narrowly misses the two people on the crossing.

Catch him at the junction of NCR & Dorset street as lights are red. I'm hanging back behind him and as outbound side empties of traffic he breaks the red to move out to the island. Has to wait there as inbound traffic is heavy until the green.

Off he goes, breaks the next set of lights where I stop. Think to myself karma please karma! Anyhoo continuing on down Portland row at the Council depot a van is parked whilst turning into the entrance. I go around it, look back only to see your man having an argument with the driver. Now not having witnessed what happened but having seen how his actions previously I can only assume the van driver was in the right.

Absolute tool of a cyclist, no consideration for anyone's safety not even his own. And if people don't consider their own safety you can hardly expect them to think of others unfortunately.

droidus wrote: »

If we had more zebra crossings and less pedestrian lights this wouldnt be an issue. Cars would stop if peds were crossing and cyclists could go as long as there were no peds directly in front of them. Anyone who cycled through without slowing or failed to yield for peds could be fined.

Cars stop at zebra crossings? In Ireland?

You're funny!