OMG The shame of it...

[reohn2]

But they were still a cyclist weren't they?
Or are you of the opinion that if a car driver is beaking the law they're not a motorist

That kind of goes into the Cyclist != cyclist argument.

No it goes into the "what do call someone on a bicycle question"
A cyclist surely?

I'd describe myself as a someone who drives and tend to think a motorist is someone that uses that as their primary method of transport. I get the joke but in a sense yes, I drive but wouldn't group myself the same as BMW driver (with obvious exceptions Meic ). In the same way cyclists/person on a bike may use the same method of transport but have completely views on law breaking and their life expectancy.

But it's not what you call yourself that matters,it's what others see that matters.
Person driving car=motorist.
person riding bike=cyclist.
Meic=Welshman

[rand]

I know many on posters on this forum sneer at the thought of using conspicous clothing but a relective jacket/ waistcoat would have rendered him immediately visible............
rand.

So would lights

I never suggested that he shouldn't use lights.

rand.

[Alex L]

No it goes into the "what do call someone on a bicycle question"
A cyclist surely?

Well, we all have our own opinions. I think that depends on what they call themselves off the bike, I'd still call myself a cyclist. I doubt they would (or I might just call them lucky). Really, we just need a new name for ourselves. Bike fanatics maybe

But it's not what you call yourself that matters,it's what others see that matters.
Person driving car=motorist.
person riding bike=cyclist.
Meic=Welshman

I need a t-shirt that quotes "Self Proclaimed Cyclist" on then. I'd better change my name to "Man" then.

I don't know of anyone outside the cycling community that describes themselves or others as motorists.

[Guy951]

Correction, you almost hit a person on a bike. I usually travel with £100+ lights on my bike/on my person and I earn less than minimum wage (hopefully not soon though), so I'd take a guess that they're not really into their cycling.

We talking about lighting cost. Let's see. Probably about £180 worth at a rough guess.

Rubbish! I use "proper" lights myself but £3 at Poundland will get a front light of sorts, a rear light of sorts, and a pack of batteries. They're not brilliant but they can be seen.

If somebody is so stupid as to be happy to risk their life rather than spending £3 there's nothing we can do about it.

[eileithyia]

Don't worry Alex I have been shot down in flames on here for describing a 'bike-rider' as such rather than call them 'cyclist'.
He did appear to have some reflective type bits but that was after I had already spotted him on the rear of the bike.
Given the nature of some of the industrial units he was probably cycling away from and the fact that many of the cyclists I see on this route appear to be talking among themselves in a gutteral language, he was possibly of eastern european extraction.

[reohn2]

Well, we all have our own opinions. I think that depends on what they call themselves off the bike, I'd still call myself a cyclist. I doubt they would (or I might just call them lucky).

Person on a bike=cyclist if you ask people to descrbe them.
Person walking down street=pedestrian

Really, we just need a new name for ourselves. Bike fanatics maybe

Cycling enthusiasts maybe?
It's snobbish elitism when cycling enthusiasts/fanatics begin to describe some other cyclists as POB's,"not proper cyclists" or by other derogatory descriptions.
It's that snobbishness that divides and attempts to degrade others,but those "enthusiasts" serve only to degrade themselves in doing so,that's what I'm getting at,I think it's termed as ethics.

I need a t-shirt that quotes "Self Proclaimed Cyclist" on then. I'd better change my name to "Man" then.

Whatever strums yer strings

I don't know of anyone outside the cycling community that describes themselves or others as motorists.

No?
I don't know anyone who drives a car,who describes other drivers as "not proper motorists" or "not real drivers"
They're all motorists.
BTW,My daughter sells a pair of bike lights for £3.95 in her Ebay shop I'm amazed how good they are for the money.

[Alex L]

It's snobbish elitism when cycling enthusiasts/fanatics begin to describe some other cyclists as POB's,"not proper cyclists" or by other derogatory descriptions.

I don't think POB is the same as "not proper cyclists" at all. I haven't been been cycling all that long but wouldn't take offence to being classed as a POB before I was a regular commuter. I wouldn't say I'm a snob but what do I know, eh? I could equally say it is those cyclists that run red lights, don't use lights at nights which cause the problems for me.

I'll make sure I call us all cyclists in future. Just for you reohn

Don't worry Alex I have been shot down in flames on here for describing a 'bike-rider' as such rather than call them 'cyclist'.
He did appear to have some reflective type bits but that was after I had already spotted him on the rear of the bike.
Given the nature of some of the industrial units he was probably cycling away from and the fact that many of the cyclists I see on this route appear to be talking among themselves in a gutteral language, he was possibly of eastern european extraction.

Haha, I'm sure I'll live. I've learnt my lesson

[meic]

I don't know anyone who drives a car,who describes other drivers as "not proper motorists" or "not real drivers"

I think that they do.

However it may be more common to refer to them as a special category of driver, like Sunday Drivers and when I was a courier the terms we had for commuters were almost always said with a sneer.

[reohn2]

I don't know anyone who drives a car,who describes other drivers as "not proper motorists" or "not real drivers"

I think that they do.

However it may be more common to refer to them as a special category of driver, like Sunday Drivers and when I was a courier the terms we had for commuters were almost always said with a sneer.

But still motorists eh!

[mrjemm]

Think I must just be totally sociophobic...

When on a bicycle I moan about other road users and pedestrians stepping onto it.

When on a motorbike I moan about other road users and pedestrians stepping onto it.

When in a car I moan about other road users and pedestrians stepping onto it.

When walking I moan about other pedestrians getting in my way just as much- get rilly rilly rilly frustrated when people fanny about on the pavement I am trying to walk along, and other such crimes... Oh, and road users not obeying red lights when the little green man shines and tells me it's time to become a road user too. Strangely enough it can be cycling persons ( ), but more typically it's the motorised element, though that could of course be down to them being the great majority.

[reohn2]

Think I must just be totally sociophobic...

When on a bicycle I moan about other road users and pedestrians stepping onto it.

When on a motorbike I moan about other road users and pedestrians stepping onto it.

When in a car I moan about other road users and pedestrians stepping onto it.

When walking I moan about other pedestrians getting in my way just as much- get rilly rilly rilly frustrated when people fanny about on the pavement I am trying to walk along, and other such crimes... Oh, and road users not obeying red lights when the little green man shines and tells me it's time to become a road user too. Strangely enough it can be cycling persons ( ), but more typically it's the motorised element, though that could of course be down to them being the great majority.

Not rilly just egocentric(steady ),don't worry though,we all are to a greater or lesser degree.
It's what makes us recognise ourselves as individual and conscious beings.
The problems begin when individuals begin to think they are more important,to the exclusion of all the other individual conscious beings.
When those of a similar persuasion cluster and organise themselves(religion,colour,politricks,etc,even transport mode) it all rilly starts to hit the fan .

[[XAP]Bob]

Really, we just need a new name for ourselves

To mirror the petrol head label of keen motorists maybe we should call ourselves pedal heads?

[reohn2]

Really, we just need a new name for ourselves

To mirror the petrol head label of keen motorists maybe we should call ourselves pedal heads?

I prefere cyclists,it's the correct term for anyone on a bicycle or even a tricycle and it's inclusive

[AlanD]

I also nearly ran down a person on a bike the other day. It was about ten to seven in the morning, so it was dark, and it was raining heavily, which did not help visibility. I had stopped at a T junction ready to turn right. Yes I did look carefully both ways. Pulled out and my eye caught some movement close by as a cyclist, no helmet, dark/black clothing, no lights, appeared out of the gloom and on a collision course with my front nearside wing (approaching from the left). I hit the brakes and was stationary in the middle of the turning whilst this rider turned early into the corner and disappeared down my nearside, no doubt in the space that a following car would use to turn left (good thing for him that there was'nt one).

On a slight digression, on another morning exodus, I had words with the paperboy on our shared driveway delivering to a neighbour. The only visible part of him was the bag. "Where's your lights?" I asked. "Do you realise you are invisible and you're asking to get run down." He muttered something incomprehensible whilst showing me his back. He switched on a pretty pathetic front light, just to show me - switched it off again - delivered newspaper and then rode off. With no rear light. Yesterday morning he appears, with front light on, but still no rear light and still invisible but for the bag. Think I'll ask my neighbour which newsagents they use.

[squeaker]

.... as a cyclist, no helmet, dark/black clothing, no lights, appeared out of the gloom

Oh {FFE - family-friendly edit }, what's 'clothing' got to do with it?!? Lights, yes, road positioning and speed, yes: everything else, no!