Hatred against Cyclists

[fastpedaller]

My observation is that there is a breed of criminal thug who drives as if he owns the road (but avoids paying tax when he can), steals when there's no consequences, litters because he knows no one will dare to stop him and has negative attitudes to women, different races, disabilities, classical music, socialists, tree huggers and anyone else who isn't "like" him. This creature of the sewers unfortunately isn't unique. And worse, there are many who are on the same sliding scale of anti-social attitudinal behavior.

I place some of the blame on "the media" - the so called reality TV celebrities who are about as far as they can be from having any real talent are pushed to the forefront. Then you have corporations who's morals are sometimes questionable. I have worked for large companies who actively promote those who shout the loudest, have limited people-skills and are are happy to trample over everyone else - The sort of people who say on their CV "I am a driven person" - let's translate that into "aggressive self-promoting narcissist". My experience of these companies is that there are some managers who are excellent, but a lot of the rational, thoughtful (maybe sometimes described as 'quiet') ones are cast aside. One CEO made us all gasp for breath when his main statement during a speech was "I want to snatch the money out of the Customers' wallet"

[skyhawk]

Too many posts to read here but why do people believe that cyclists are perfect, I have as we have all seen them running red lights, jumping pavements to avoid lights, cycling on pavements SOD the pedestrians, running down the inside blind spots on lorries/busses

Come on

[tatanab]

^^^^^^^ read a few posts on this thread and other similar threads and you will find that nobody believes cyclists (as a group) are perfect. Like many here, I dislike being held in some way responsible for the actions of others. All of the misdemeanours you have listed are committed daily by motorists but I am not held responsible for them when I am driving. The common ground here is that we are all people, but some people make silly/dangerous/illegal choices.

[Cyril Haearn]

Too many posts to read here but why do people believe that cyclists are perfect, I have as we have all seen them running red lights, jumping pavements to avoid lights, cycling on pavements SOD the pedestrians, running down the inside blind spots on lorries/busses

Come on

I know several junctions where disobeying the law while cycling (moving off a moment before the light turns green) is safer than obeying the law, if one waits one is almost hit by turning vehicles
As a CiC, cyclist in car, (driver), I did not break the law
Gave up driving a week ago

[skyhawk]

Too many posts to read here but why do people believe that cyclists are perfect, I have as we have all seen them running red lights, jumping pavements to avoid lights, cycling on pavements SOD the pedestrians, running down the inside blind spots on lorries/busses

Come on

I know several junctions where disobeying the law while cycling (moving off a moment before the light turns green) is safer than obeying the law, if one waits one is almost hit by turning vehicles
As a CiC, cyclist in car, (driver), I did not break the law
Gave up driving a week ago

That is different to cyclists running red lights ages before they turn green

[Cyril Haearn]

Too many posts to read here but why do people believe that cyclists are perfect, I have as we have all seen them running red lights, jumping pavements to avoid lights, cycling on pavements SOD the pedestrians, running down the inside blind spots on lorries/busses

Come on

I know several junctions where disobeying the law while cycling (moving off a moment before the light turns green) is safer than obeying the law, if one waits one is almost hit by turning vehicles
As a CiC, cyclist in car, (driver), I did not break the law
Gave up driving a week ago

That is different to cyclists running red lights ages before they turn green

It is breaking the law, I could get points on my driving licence for it
I cycle a lot on footways too, if I use the cycleway I am too close to motors and PoBs undertake on the inside
Usually one can use the footways because very few people walk
Sadly, many people cycle
Speedy e-bike are a growing curse

[reohn2]

Too many posts to read here but why do people believe that cyclists are perfect, I have as we have all seen them running red lights, jumping pavements to avoid lights, cycling on pavements SOD the pedestrians, running down the inside blind spots on lorries/busses

Come on

Story alert 1:- whilst stood at a mobile coffee cum burger trailer for a coffee late one afternoon in November,I'd leant my bike up on the trailer whilst I ordered(it had the lights switched on).
A motorcyclist behind me in the queue said,"that's usual a cyclist with lights on".I replied "that's unsual a motorcyclist not speeding,then his bike is parked up on the side stand".To which he replied "I don't speed" I replied "and I don't ride without lights in failing light,and I don't run red lights or ride on the pavement and have right to ride on the road".He failed to see the irony,the chap serving me however did.

Story alert two:- I stopped in a pub for a coffee one afternoon,whilst at the bar ordering,a chap next to me at the bar ask how far I'd ridden and how far I had to go.
After I'd told him he took me aback by ask how many red lights I'd ridden through that day I said "none,how many have you driven through".Of course he said "none, I don't drive through red lights",I answered "neither do I,but I have seen four cars drive through red lights today,so am I to assume every driver drives through a red light because four have out of the hundreds of cars I've seen today?"
That shut him up,and earned me a wry smile from the landlord.
Like Tatanab I won't be held responsible for other peoples failings and law breaking because I use the same mode of transport!

[skyhawk]

Too many posts to read here but why do people believe that cyclists are perfect, I have as we have all seen them running red lights, jumping pavements to avoid lights, cycling on pavements SOD the pedestrians, running down the inside blind spots on lorries/busses

Come on

Story alert 1:- whilst stood at a mobile coffee cum burger trailer for a coffee late one afternoon in November,I'd leant my bike up on the trailer whilst I ordered(it had the lights switched on).
A motorcyclist behind me in the queue said,"that's usual a cyclist with lights on".I replied "that's unsual a motorcyclist not speeding,then his bike is parked up on the side stand".To which he replied "I don't speed" I replied "and I don't ride without lights in failing light,and I don't run red lights or ride on the pavement and have right to ride on the road".He failed to see the irony,the chap serving me however did.

Story alert two:- I stopped in a pub for a coffee one afternoon,whilst at the bar ordering,a chap next to me at the bar ask how far I'd ridden and how far I had to go.
After I'd told him he took me aback by ask how many red lights I'd ridden through that day I said "none,how many have you driven through".Of course he said "none, I don't drive through red lights",I answered "neither do I,but I have seen four cars drive through red lights today,so am I to assume every driver drives through a red light because four have out of the hundreds of cars I've seen today?"
That shut him up,and earned me a wry smile from the landlord.
Like Tatanab I won't be held responsible for other peoples failings and law breaking because I use the same mode of transport!

Usual, don't you mean "unusual"

Also I never implied they all do it, but there are good and bad on ALL sides

[reohn2]

Usual, don't you mean "unusual"

Also I never implied they all do it, but there are good and bad on ALL sides

You used the collective "we", I was pointing out as was tatanab was that there is no "we" in this sense,but individuals who don't like being lumped together with some individuals who ride bikes choose to break the law.

[skyhawk]

Usual, don't you mean "unusual"

Also I never implied they all do it, but there are good and bad on ALL sides

You used the collective "we", I was pointing out as was tatanab was that there is no "we" in this sense,but individuals who don't like being lumped together with some individuals who ride bikes choose to break the law.

[Wanlock Dod]

Too many posts to read here but why do people believe that cyclists are perfect, I have as we have all seen them running red lights, jumping pavements to avoid lights, cycling on pavements SOD the pedestrians, running down the inside blind spots on lorries/busses

Come on

This is a short extract from the Beyond the kerb post linked earlier by the utility cyclist, and as predicted it seems remarkably appropriate here.

The game is basic stuff. Two parties, two decisions. If the guy with the bike obeys the lights and so does the HGV, no-one’s harmed; if he doesn’t, the guy with the bike might die. If the guy with the bike doesn’t obey the lights, and the guy with the HGV does, the guy with the bike might die; if they both jump the lights, the guy with the bike dies.

Basically, however badly people riding bikes behave their ability to maim and kill is rather limited. The same is not true of people driving motorised vehicles. Perhaps you could remind us just how many pedestrians are killed by people riding bikes and how many by people driving motorised vehicles. Stuff that annoys people isn’t the same as stuff that kills people.

[pjclinch]

Back to the Channel 5 doc, see https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2019/jul/08/channel-5s-nonsense-will-make-me-and-other-cyclists-less-safe

[fastpedaller]

I've sent the link and my own words to the Police Commissioner for South Yorks, from whom I am awaiting feedback about the 'garroting journalist'
Clearly the Guardian journalist has seen the programme and is not impressed - maybe some action does need to take place to stop this being aired?

[Vorpal]

Too many posts to read here but why do people believe that cyclists are perfect, I have as we have all seen them running red lights, jumping pavements to avoid lights, cycling on pavements SOD the pedestrians, running down the inside blind spots on lorries/busses

Come on

Why do people believe that cyclists have to be held to a standard of perfection in order to be treated with basic decency?

[Mike Sales]

Why do people believe that cyclists have to be held to a standard of perfection in order to be treated with basic decency?

That belief is a useful way to attack us.
Road congestion means that there is competition for road space. We take up space which could be used by motors. And we slow them down. Drivers are always in a hurry.