ShotoKarate Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 There is a growing hatred across the country building towards cyclists, a lot of this you bring upon yourselves especially in the peak areas, you do not ride in single file or stick in the cycle lanes, the amount of riders who run red lights to beat the trams is just a joke in itself. You do not pay any insurance against accident damage against other vehicles. We might be living in the Eco friendly age were the car is non PC, but its still king in the sense that its most efficient form of independent travel we have but we pay very much for this privilege. Until you contribute to the use of your vehicle, then i cant see the sympathy flag being waved much. Same old chestnut ..... I presume you mean ALL cyclists???? (By the fact that you have typed these comments, I am presuming that they are your opinion - if you do not hold these opinions I apologise but find it a bit odd that you would state them without believeing them). The 'growing hatred' you talk about is souly based on a bigotry and prejudice against people you think are getting one over on you. Cyclists delay you by a few seconds, so you think it's fine to shout abuse or throw things at them. A cyclist rides to the front of a queue of traffic at a traffic light to make sure he/she can get a head in order to make a safe manoevre at the next junction and you think it's OK to cut them up ..... this happened to me a few weeks ago when a bus did just that. Yes I have seen cyclists going through red lights. Invariably I have commented on their behaviour as I have cycled passed them. BUT .... the other day, I saw a guy in a white van overtaking a tram which was setting off from it's stop along Middlewood Road. I ask you .... which is more likely to kill? As for insurance .... yes many (probably most) cyclists don't have insurance ..... possibly because they aren't aware of cycling insurance policies or even the need for them. I for one DO have 3rd party insurance through membership of the CTC. Upto £1mill worth I believe ... my car isn't worth that much. I doubt yours is, so I hope you can see that there are some/many cyclists who are doing it properly and don't deserve the abuse nor the 'growing hatred'! BUT, then you've got to ask .... how many motorists don't have insurance???? I don't know the figures .... but I ask you, which is more likely to lead to problems (ie deaths/injury/damage)? A cyclist without insurance or a driver without insurance? The car is the most efficient form of indepedant travel? Define efficient. I know for a fact that with regard to the efficient use of energy, the bike is far ahead of the vast majority of cars (I'm not sure about the hybrids or electric cars but as they are exempt from VED as well as bikes). And yes ... we all know the argument about 'Road Tax' (doesn't exist) and cyclists ..... I did a search (re cycles exempt from vehicle excise duty) for VED exemptions and found a Parliamentary site which had a pdf template (not sure if that will work) which had a exemption listed as "Light passenger vehicles with low CO2 emissions (i.e. that the emissions figure for the vehicle does not exceed 100 g/km)". I presume that includes cyclists??? I can find no other referrence to cycles other than electric cycles. So lets presume that cycles are exempt. Since I started cycling to and from work(3 years ago), I have clocked up 15,000 miles. All those miles of wear and tear on the roads avoided because I haven't used my car. I have saved hundreds of pounds in petrol (and lost lots of pounds in weight) and yet I still pay the same amount of VED as I would if I still drove everywhere. The argument about cyclists not paying VED tax is as useful as someone saying "if you don't smoke you can't use the NHS if you get cancer because you haven't paid the hospital tax!" It's a stupid argument and so is the cyclists shouldn't be allowed to use the road until they make a contribution argument. So I will ask you these questions to finish .... do you really think this 'growing hatred' for cyclists is justified? And if it is justified, how far would you take it? Shout abuse? Throw objects? Knock someone off on purpose? I would suggest that this 'growing hatred' isn't justified and people could do well to look at the bigger picture and calm down before their hatred leads to someone getting seriously hurt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShotoKarate Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 For cycle paths look here ... or do a search on google images As for the roads issue ...... I got heckled on here a while ago by someone complaining I was reporting pot holes to Fill That Hole ..... Since I found that site, I have reported 12 or 13 major holes all the way along the A61. ALL of them have been fixed. In no way will they be permanant fixes and as a cyclist, the fixes are still really uneven, but they have been done and are far less likely to damage tracking/suspension if hit by a car. Another reason for appreciating the cyclists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SV500 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Having just completed 32,000 miles on bikes with NO issues I feel a little left out here, Just take up your correct place in the road,always be courtious to all other rd users Always signal and wave to apologise if you do anything wrong, Basicly .. Don't be a prat ! And of course expect all motorist's to be trying their hardest to kill you ! I like the majority of cyclists I know also own a car,and never have issues apart from other drivers on mobiles while driving :-( I wish everyone could get on together on the roads as cycling or driving is and should be a enjoyable thing, JJ.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnsie Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Having just completed 32,000 miles on bikes with NO issues I feel a little left out here, Just take up your correct place in the road,always be courtious to all other rd users Always signal and wave to apologise if you do anything wrong, Basicly .. Don't be a prat ! And of course expect all motorist's to be trying their hardest to kill you ! I like the majority of cyclists I know also own a car,and never have issues apart from other drivers on mobiles while driving :-( I wish everyone could get on together on the roads as cycling or driving is and should be a enjoyable thing, JJ.. the only problem I have is signalling whilst breaking, going down hill when turning and Sheffield’s lovely flat roads ...more hands needed. What really want to know...these bike haters...what are they like in the rest of their life....is it a personality trait? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penistone999 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Anyone else seing a trend here? Are you a fan of Lycra ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penistone999 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Last week, whilst cycling to work and back, i was verbally abused by a driver had a beer can thrown at me and on another occasion had half a brick brush past my elbow and hit the handlebars. is this normal for a commute? Ditch the pushbike( and the lycra ) and buy a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penistone999 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Some drivers need executing. They literally kill cyclists through their foolish driving, for what?, to try and save a few seconds. Everybody is in a race nowadays. People need to chill out a bit, but I doubt they will. We need cycling tracks completely separate from the roads, like in Netherlands. Of course . cyclists never cut up cars ,jump red lights and ride like lunatics do they ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamf Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Are you a fan of Lycra ? Maybe you should find a specialist forum for your fetish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
native son Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Ditch the pushbike( and the lycra ) and buy a car. I will get a car when my legs stop working. I will get one just like yours if my **** stops working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penistone999 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I will get a car when my legs stop working. I will get one just like yours if my **** stops working. Yes, but i arrived home lovely and dry in the Range Rover today , Has your Lycra dryed out yet after your pedal powered wet journey home. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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