friday rant about cyclists

There is an article in the Independent about the different ‘tribes’ of cyclists.

Let’s see...yep they are missing out the ‘tosser’tribe. I know its green and cars are bad blah blah, but some cyclists are tossers.

Of course we want to get people out of their cars and bikes are one solution, along with improved cheap public transport. Given that cars are BAD some people think that because they ride a bike they are GOOD and somehow morally superior, even when cutting up people on pavements. Yep, look at me , I’m green . Yeah a green tosser all too often.

So morally superior do they feel towards car drivers they neglect to reflect on their own arrogant and thoughtless behaviour.

OK examples.
Well for starters cycling on pavements, busy ones. Yeah I know that roads are often not great for them, but pavements are for people. Many times I have had a cyclist hurtling towards me who expects me to move out of their way. I have been sworn at a good few times and of course give as good back.

Pavements are full of all sorts of people who cannot always move out of the way quickly and why should they. This includes the elderly, those with poor mobility or a disability, visual impairments or hard of hearing, those with small children and prams. I heard recently of an elderly woman locally who was badly hurt after a cyclist collided with her on the pavement and its no consolation that cars are more dangerous.

Pedestrians move across pavements and as they are not on a road and are not in a car do not signal, this means bikes can run into them if they cross their path. Again I have been sworn at, but on busy roads walking along a pavement you don’t always hear a bike coming up behind you and as I say it’s a pavement and you’re walking so don’t expect to have to look behind as if driving .

Then there are cyclists who don’t seem to think the highway code applies to them so will go through red lights , even at pedestrian crossings and yes this does endanger people. There is a narrow one way road near me where buses come along and yet cyclists speed down it the wrong way . I have seen cars swerve out of their way yet I'm sure if they were hit they would consider it must be the car driver at fault.

I know this may sound a bit Jeremy Clarkson, but i'm not anti bike, but anti the tosser element. I know there are lots of good cyclists and all that, but there are far too many tossers on bikes . Cyclists should treat pedestrians with the sort of care they want themselves and not excuse it all on cars making their life difficult.

And yeah I am in a ranty Stroppy mood today :-)

Pic Naked Bike Ride in Brighton. Next one tomorrow !