Worst motoring/podestrian offence rants!!!!

ianhargreaves

I live in the city centre in Manchester and sometimes commute accross the city on my bike to work - a short commute of about 10 mins out and back (= more time in bed) - and whenever I do my training rides I have to leave the city to hit the open road. Within 1 month of me riding I already had gotten hit by a car doing a right turn where he should'nt in the city centre, encountered a car who thought he could drive in the bicycle lane in a queue of traffic and if he wasn't I could have rode down the side of all the traffic saving plenty of time (this was a looonnnggg queue). After a few gestures he moved over. Car drivers who don't seem to check before rossing your path. Bycicle lanes used as parking spots. Podestrians in the city don't look before they cross, they often just listen step on the road then look. That is perfectly safe if bikes didnt exsist ... oh... and assuming you're not deaf. I have only been riding now for nearly 4 months and I am shocked by all this!

Is this normal? What's the worst instance you saw in your own expirience? and is it true that cars are alowed to drive in bycicle lanes?

Belleville

Sounds like you've had a tough few early months. Stick with it! You'll get around faster and you won't need to worry about parking spaces or traffic jams ever again.

I've spent most of my adult life commuting by bike. To be honest I haven't seen half as much as you already have. Probably the worst regular offences are cars pulling too close to the kerb or turning left a couple of feet in front of me. Most of the most absent minded driving I've seen has been from car drivers on mobiles.

I try to avoid cycle lanes because they have a nasty habit of disappearing and then magically reappearing a hundred yards up the road.

A lot of cyclists out there (and I'm sure none of them are here) are their own worst enemies; riding in dark clothes on a dark bike with no lights up the wrong way on a road while texting).

In answer to your question; cars aren't allowed on a cyclepath and neither are motorbikes

juksey

the one i hate is when i am coming up to a left hand junction.
i'm doing a good speed in top gear and you hear a car rev its engine and
overtake just metres in front you then turn left....glad my brakes work..

or cars nosing out of junctions.. and leaving you no room.

jhuskey

Your are almost me at least in name. How flattering.

__________________
Sobriety is over rated!

Batesy

Had somebody overtake me and turn left across my path once, unfortunately I didn't have time to brake and went up and over. Guy didn't stop either, apparently he'd seen the parking space outside a shop down a side road that he could get in and hadn't thought of anything else.
Justice prevailed though... unmarked traffic car behind him, pulled him over, dusted me down, took me home and arranged for him to buy me a new wheel/front lightset.

I always find that a ping/flick bell works pretty good on pedestrians, but I always have a whistle (referee style) just in case they are a little hard of hearing.