Calling out fellow cyclists for illegal or dangerous behavior

I have been hit twice crossing on a green and hit twice on a footpath....

Funnily though I was ready for the ones on the footpath....

Sent one into a wall.

The other got my shoulder and he went flying as did his bike which ended up hitting two of his drug addict friends walking towards us....

Gob****es

axer wrote: »

I don't think it is up to cyclists to police other cyclists, or that they should be expected to

How wil the dangerous cyclists break their bad habits unless someone calls them out on it?
I'd rather another cyclist told me when I did something bad than someone in a car.

Tombo2001 wrote: »

I completely agree. The business of cycling through pedestrian crossings when people are walking across, I have a big difficulty with that.

This really pisses me off; it's intimidating for pedestrians. If people cycling are going be "flexible" on red lights and get a head start on people driving then at least be respectful of people walking. I'm off the mind that when we cycle we should treat pedestrians with the level of courtesy we'd really like to see from people driving

oLoonatic wrote: »

I was stopped at a set of traffic lights yesterday and a cyclist blew through red light. A driver actually rolled down his window and said to me " Thats what gives you guys a bad name"

Did your being stopped at the red light not give cyclists a good name though, no?

People with an existing prejudice or bias will only notice the bad behaviour which reinforces that bias.

I don't accept the notion that if we all (>90% of us?) behaved ourselves that we'd suddenly be respected by drivers.

Anti-cyclist prejudice is borne out of driver frustration with being trapped in a totally dysfunctional transport system. Drivers have been sold the dream of freedom and speed, but find themselves stuck in their (toxic) boxes going nowhere - and paying a premium for the privilege.

Cyclists are an easy, soft target to vent their frustration at: Look at all these people who pay very little to cycle, but who manage to skip all the traffic queues - they must be cheating somehow, right?

About a year ago I saw a cyclist (on green) totally t-boned by a cyclist breaking red. The guy with the green was going at (legitimate) speed and could do nothing.

I really had to hold myself back from roaring at the offending cyclist as the two men picked themselves up.

Ruraldweller56 wrote: »

What about cyclists who don't bother using the cycling lanes? .

Because cyclists don't have to use them.

Various reasons why a cyclist would not use it.

buffalo wrote: »

I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion. You said he said "Thats what gives you guys a bad name", which is reinforcing the tarring of all cyclists with the same brush.

If he'd said "look at that one muppet", that could be interpreted differently.

However, you were there, so maybe there were some tonal inferences or facial expressions that we're missing.

Tarring all cyclists with the brush of being cyclists?

Breaking the rules and getting away with it is being a cute whore in Ireland and seen as a good thing, be that jumping lights in a bike or knowinging using the wrong lane to skip traffic and then blocking your lane as you cut back in with your car, its asshattery but done by thousands every day and they think those who dont do it are muppets.

Once roared at a cyclist to stop as he was in the middle of undertaking a lorry turning left.

Once spoke to a cyclist after I had caught up who had raced through raced through a red light almost being t boned by a car. All I said was "you're going to get yourself killed cycling like that". He didn't like that. He went to chase me.....I just took off.

When I see sh1t from cyclist I just shake my head.

Ruraldweller56 wrote: »

Nonsensical and disingenuous comment..

Exactly like yours was, exactly. In your one sided blinkered view on the subject that's how you appear to all those who are regulars on the Cycling forum.

Weepsie wrote: »

It's no more nonsense than yours though. Most cycle lanes are pretty crap.

If you told a driver they'd have to go over debris, around lamposts, yield every 20-50 metres and that their lane will just stop they'd take a different lane without that.

In what way is it? "no more nonsense than yours though."

This guy suggested to me that a legitimate comparison was that everyone drives solely on Motorways? Are you honestly suggesting the two things are as nonsensical as one another? In my case I'd be about half a days trek from my house.

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Impossible to have a debate with someone who makes the point that all bicycle users should always use bicycle lanes no matter what, because you have such a blinkered one sided view on the matter.

Most cyclists are drivers also, and can see things from both points of view, you obviously cant't.

I tried telling you already that I'm finished discussing this with you, as you honestly believe that the suggestion of a cyclist using a purpose built cycling lane (which in this case runs parallel to a road) is the same thing as suggesting that motorists solely travel on Motorways.

But if that's how your brain works - which it evidently is- then you I guess you're never going to understand the simple concept of "I'm not discussing this with you any further" either.

And by the way, I also cycle sometimes.

Tenzor07 wrote: »

The main point is that "Cyclists" aren't some homogeneous group, no more than bus passengers, car drivers, pedestrians...

If you spent your day going around trying to correct what you see in your opinion as dangerous behavior or trying to say another individual has done what you in your unqualified opinion thinks is lawbreaking, then you'll get yourself into trouble and cause yourself high blood pressure..

If you see something illegal and dangerous, report it to the authorities.

I agree with this, but would't even bother reporting it.
I am a cyclist and a motorist and previously a delivery driver around Dublin.
And they are all sh!t groups.
You will never win with the militant cyclist, the militant motorist or the militant delivery driver.
Some people are out actively looking for an excuse to give out to someone else, be it cyclist, motorist or any other form of public space user. I've come across this multiple times with cars speeding up just to blow the horn, cyclists deliberately blocking cars at junctions just to prove a point. Vans parked across cycle lanes to make it more difficult to cycle. Nothing surprised me anymore so I just assume all other road users are going to be a sh!tbag.