Cyclists being bad drivers to other Cyclist - Disgraceful

[TrekStar]

Today I met the most disgraceful kind of cyclists - the ones that drive with no respect for the safety of his other fellow cyclists.

After a long ride, I'm heading back home on a stretch of road, a Silver Pajero driver goes past me at barely less than half a metro easily between 40-60kph- I could have touched the car if I had reached out my hand. He turns into a shopping area, and I catch up with him and signaled and yelled out to him to tell him he was too close and could have hit me and that he did not give me my 1 metro - I wasn't being confrontational, there were no swearing etc, stern look but firmly told him my thoughts.

Then he turns around and says to me (not a direct quote but the gist of what he said): Mate I am a cyclist too - it's hard to give you more space without me scraping my car on the other side.

So he'd rather risk flattening me with his freaking 4WD than scraping his precious car. As a driver, I am especially conscious now since I started cycling to ALWAYS give a cyclist 1 metre, and if I can't, I will avoid overtaking until it is safe to do so.

To the Pajero driver: if you happen to read this, my response is: Thanks. It's amazing how you prioritize your hunk of metal more than the life and safety of a cyclist, of which you so gallantly declared to me in the car park.

[The 2nd Womble]

Not anywhere between between Brissy and the GC was it?

[trailgumby]

Seems to happen when they get inside a car, their personality changes.

A mate of mine with a psych background has sadly given up cycling after he did a study as part of his qualifications that showed people lose their sense of the humanity of others when they get behind the wheel, and start treating others as objects.

[Mulger bill]

I gotta admit I have sodall patience with others when in charge of the smokebox, if my windscreen could talk it'd be all blue.

But then again, I have little patience with idiots of any kind at any time. Methinks the problem when in smokebox zone is that these idiots are travelling at the same speed as me and therefore I have to live with their stupudity for a longer period than when out on the velocipede.

EDIT, I failed to address the OP itself
Put a bike in front of me and it all changes. I give them all the room I can, and if necessary I will block the world to keep the idiots behind me from getting too close to my unknown sibling.

[sogood]

Bastard will always be a bastard, irrespective behind a handlebar or a steering wheel, or standing behind you on the street.

[The 2nd Womble]

Seems to happen when they get inside a car, their personality changes.

A mate of mine with a psych background has sadly given up cycling after he did a study as part of his qualifications that showed people lose their sense of the humanity of others when they get behind the wheel, and start treating others as objects.

I'd love that kind of research!

[dynamictiger]

Maybe it is pajero drivers only.

The only bad experience I have had so far is with a pajero, and my mate at work who owns a pajero reckons Bicycles should be banned from the road as they simply get in his way.

Everywhere else I ride where I am in contact with cars I have no issues.

[uncle fester]

Seems to happen when they get inside a car, their personality changes.

A mate of mine with a psych background has sadly given up cycling after he did a study as part of his qualifications that showed people lose their sense of the humanity of others when they get behind the wheel, and start treating others as objects.

I'd love that kind of research!

Ditto - i don't suppose there's a link to it on the interweb somewhere?

It's a theory I've long held - but never looked into whether its been researched.

[GraemeL]

The Pajero driver is probably one of those that ride 3 abreast on a bike path or shared path.


Graeme

[UpDownUp]

Bastard will always be a bastard, irrespective behind a handlebar or a steering wheel, or standing behind you on the street.

Yup. Agree with this - almost got left hooked by a 4WD motorist who accelerated to get past me and tried to 'left hook' me as he turned narrowly in front of me. There was no need for it - another 2 sec and I would have passed the slip lane. I was amused (right word?) by the fact he had 2 bikes on the back of his car. Would have hoped he would have some awareness.

[TrekStar]

Not anywhere between between Brissy and the GC was it?

Brissy.

[Xplora]

Pathetic. Although it is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate that the current understanding of the road rules is just *&%^... for an alleged cyclist to have such a (*&(*& excuse for nearly blitzing you means that no one really gets it.

[DavidS]

Bastard will always be a bastard, irrespective behind a handlebar or a steering wheel, or standing behind you on the street.

Yup. Agree with this - almost got left hooked by a 4WD motorist who accelerated to get past me and tried to 'left hook' me as he turned narrowly in front of me. There was no need for it - another 2 sec and I would have passed the slip lane. I was amused (right word?) by the fact he had 2 bikes on the back of his car. Would have hoped he would have some awareness.

Did you look to see if the bikes were welded to the back of the truck?

DS

[John Lewis]

I have seen this sort of behaviour too.
It seems to me these 4WD drivers with bikes on the back are driving to somewhere to ride off the road. They, of course, won't ride on the road. It is far too dangerous for them.
After all, roads are for cars. Geez, some clown might come too close and frighten them if they were on the road.
They would never admit to being part of the problem.

John (Who does ride on the road and takes the lane)

[hannos]

Put a bike in front of me and it all changes. I give them all the room I can, and if necessary I will block the world to keep the idiots behind me from getting too close to my unknown sibling.

Ditto here. I don't care if I'm down to 30km/h and the traffic is banking up. The cyclist in front of me gets a nice clear run.

[martinjs]

Pigs bottom their attitude changes when they get into a car, don't make any difference. Cyclist are clowns too, it's not the vehicle it's the attitude pure and simple. SOME cyclist justify breaking the law cause they know better, well I'll be, so do some vehicle drivers. Sorry no difference in my mind.

Martin

[GraemeL]

Pigs bottom their attitude changes when they get into a car, don't make any difference. Cyclist are clowns too, it's not the vehicle it's the attitude pure and simple. SOME cyclist justify breaking the law cause they know better, well I'll be, so do some vehicle drivers. Sorry no difference in my mind.

Martin

+1

Graeme

[Aushiker]

Pigs bottom their attitude changes when they get into a car, don't make any difference. Cyclist are clowns too, it's not the vehicle it's the attitude pure and simple. SOME cyclist justify breaking the law cause they know better, well I'll be, so do some vehicle drivers. Sorry no difference in my mind.

Well said Martin.

Andrew

[izzythedan]

Pajero does mean <REMOVED> in español

[Tony6463]

Agreed, idots are idiots regardless of their choosen form of transport.

I find i quite amusing though when an "idiot" discovers that not all cyclists fit the small, slim stero type. I am 6"1' and 103kg

[RetroPilot]

Yes to this tale but it all works both ways in each format.

when driving have been infuriated by behavior of some arrogant lycra-decked cyclists in station St Chelsea Bonbeach area (incredibly popular beat on any half-nice morning) blocking entire lane unnecesarily when there is in fact no lane remaining to overtake them..hope they didnt accuse me of being anti-cyclist had two bikes lying in back of my Hilux while trapped behind these blokes..

and have you never been aggravated by behavior of other cyclists while cycling?

almost run down by one on pedestrian crossing in Douglas St Noble Park while crossing dismounted, who then gave me a middle finger when i "oyed" him..

admittedly unusual for me to cross zebra crossing dismounted and legal, but i was, just that once..didnt pay off for me..

[RetroPilot]

means I cant be accused of being anti-cycling redneck,surely, doesnt it,
drivers accuse you of being a bike nazi, that cant be me because I drive, cyclists accuse you of being anti-bike redneck, that cant be me either for reasons given..

but these blokes were so out of line...there is a generous cycling lane and these guys were pointedly out multiple abreast, pretty clear that any motor-vehicle is trapped behind them and they dont give a ****...did I ask why /confront them?
No, to what possible end...???
theyre doing as they please without it really being 100% essential to their own progress, at the total expense of everyone else , and Im going to ask them why?
And from there is plays out to a pretty predictable confrontational aggravated cliched script, doesnt it?

the thing about cars blocking you in peak hour traffic presumably with you presumably mobile on a bike, I dont really understand..I never met a traffic jam that I couldnt penetrate with little or no impediment on a bike, thats one of the key advantages in fact..the only time I couldnt proceed in good order was when directed not to by traffic police or road work traffic controllers ...

[RetroPilot]

and half the time roadworks lollipops wave cyclists past anyway..

[RetroPilot]

Im not going to debate the legalities with you,a big fat whatever,
lets debate the common sense and PR of everyday life and getting along.

More than two abreast, it was 4+ ranging up to 6 from memory..

there was no need for their approach, theyd be f-you militants the exact zealots who do give drivers ammo against us..

not even other gaggles of cyclists going along that strip arrange themselves in this particular kind of formation, is another facet of my own point.

if it was 2 lanes each way, different matter, they pointedly inconvenienced me and anyone else who was going to happen along there that morning..

[RetroPilot]

what other kind of road user inconveniences other road users in a way analagous with that sketch?

I dont know who you mean, I cant think of an example...who...a slow driver not keeping left lane , maybe?

Some guy in a tractor or front-end loader isnt an example, he is physically constrained both by the dimensions of his vehicle and the speed which it is safe to drive such an unwieldy vehicle?

an optical illusion as to how many there were or how far across the road they were?

jesus.

anyway, you like their behavior maybe you do the same thing on the foundations of logic that you have offered up, I didnt like their behavior, and once more, my point is, I ride too, 90% of my travel is in fact thus.
So im neither ignorant of what it is to ride around on bikes on city roads in the current day nor too slack to get out and do it every single day.
Am I a clubbie? No...maybe that too is an emerging hard to penetrate nexus.