| Conduct of cycling community.... 08:31 - May 8 with 4624 views | itfcjoe |
Came across this at the weekend, because the company involved are also on the contractor list for a company we do a lot of work for so have had meetings with a few of their top guys and vaguely know them:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/van-driver-cyclist-bike-video-hel
A bloke driving one of their vans, drives like an absolute @rse and nearly (deliberately in my view) knocks a cyclist over.
This is picked up by Jeremy Vine on Twitter who @'s the companies Twitter account.
Their Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus account are hit with a deluge of abuse. People go on to their website find their client lists, send e-mails, tweets, etc to all their clients telling them to stop using them. Wishing death on people and going absolutely miles OTT - they had over 150 1* reviews given to them on Google.
Social media accounts get taken down, and people go on about them putting their head in the sand and that they should be taking action - I assume they think this company has a big PR team used to dealing with things like this?!
A couple of days later the accounts are back up and the director comes out and says that they have spoken to driver, and he has been sacked and they will be arranging for drivers to go on a driver awareness course or similar and 99% of people seem happy with this.
Described as a grovelling apology in the Sun ( https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3497910/company-boss-issues-grovelling-apology-aft
As someone who has a company with vans driving round with our name plastered on the side it worries me, as much as you can try and get message across you can't physically drive everyones car and this bullying mentality from cyclists once something like this happens can be hugely damaging - there was something that happened with an Aussie last year and the community seeks to bring down his business.
I get that there is an imbalance between cyclists and car drivers, and that more probably needs to be done to protect the cyclists - but this conduct is just so massively OTT, and the people doing it must not care about the consequences of their actions and what they could ultimately lead to. |  |
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 08:34 - May 8 with 3580 views | No9 |
Modern life I'm afraid Joe.
Been going this way for a while
Listen to any discussion on the radio about Brexit and you do become really concerend at what some people will do |  | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 08:41 - May 8 with 3560 views | StokieBlue |
I cycle to work everyday and do see so hairy driving from vans, buses and taxis but often the worst idiots are other cyclists and pedestrians that walk out right in front of you (happened to me last week and still have the cuts and bruises after swerving out of he way and falling off, should have just hit him).
I agree entirely though that the militant cyclists are a bunch of idiots. Everyone needs to get along in the road and this creates a them Vs us mentality which is incredibly unhelpful.
As someone pointed out, unfortunately society is becoming incredibly polarised and for some people, if someone doesn't agree with them then everything is fair game and they must destroy them in public. In the modern world they have the platforms to accomplish this.
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 09:01 - May 8 with 3524 views | GeoffSentence |
I have had someone do that to me before. He had used a bus/cycle lane to jump a long queue of traffic but was stuck at the traffic lights at the end of the lane with me in front of him. My departure at the lights slowed him down and the queue he had tried to get around all got ahead of him again, so he drove his car at me. He then took the time out to stop his car and level a volley of abuse at me, so it turns out he wasn't in that much of a hurry at all.
It wasn't captured on camera, nor posted on social media so we went on our way and enjoyed the rest of our day in the normal manner. |  |
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 09:13 - May 8 with 3507 views | Basuco |
I cycled across London for a while and pedestrians were the worst for me, walk out in front of you without looking then moan when you shout at them, I had a van angrily blast his hooter at me for stopping as lights turned red as I got to them once as well! This was on Whitechapel road at the junction near the Aldgate tube stations where there have been several cyclist deaths recently. The problem as I see it is there are too many vehicles on the road, more cyclist's would free up road space.
The only answer is for proportionate liability as is the case in France, the car driver is in control of the lethal weapon and should be automatically guilty of dangerous driving unless they can prove themselves innocent, should they be involved in a collision with a cyclist or pedestrian. As a friend I stayed with in France a long time ago said to me "the law was changed because cars are killing too many of our children"
Yes some will take advantage of this but at the moment there is not enough road space for the amount of cars and not enough money or space in Towns and Cities to cope with the amount of traffic. The result is that parents are too scared to let children out on a cycle and drive them everywhere making the problem even worse. [Post edited 8 May 2017 9:22]
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 12:01 - May 8 with 3398 views | bluebud |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 09:13 - May 8 by Basuco |
I cycled across London for a while and pedestrians were the worst for me, walk out in front of you without looking then moan when you shout at them, I had a van angrily blast his hooter at me for stopping as lights turned red as I got to them once as well! This was on Whitechapel road at the junction near the Aldgate tube stations where there have been several cyclist deaths recently. The problem as I see it is there are too many vehicles on the road, more cyclist's would free up road space.
The only answer is for proportionate liability as is the case in France, the car driver is in control of the lethal weapon and should be automatically guilty of dangerous driving unless they can prove themselves innocent, should they be involved in a collision with a cyclist or pedestrian. As a friend I stayed with in France a long time ago said to me "the law was changed because cars are killing too many of our children"
Yes some will take advantage of this but at the moment there is not enough road space for the amount of cars and not enough money or space in Towns and Cities to cope with the amount of traffic. The result is that parents are too scared to let children out on a cycle and drive them everywhere making the problem even worse. [Post edited 8 May 2017 9:22]
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...interesting.
..however an annoyance for me is the lack of insurance and education for cyclists,
We should have a standard cyclists insurance, a flat rate, not too expensive. That should be coupled with an online course, a modern cycling proficiency test if you like as well as rules which cyclists should buy into as a matter of law. At the same time there should be a firm law and punishment for riding bikes on pavements and pedestrianised areas. These could involve trackers which would be issued with insurance perhaps. |  | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 12:13 - May 8 with 3366 views | GeoffSentence |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 12:01 - May 8 by bluebud |
...interesting.
..however an annoyance for me is the lack of insurance and education for cyclists,
We should have a standard cyclists insurance, a flat rate, not too expensive. That should be coupled with an online course, a modern cycling proficiency test if you like as well as rules which cyclists should buy into as a matter of law. At the same time there should be a firm law and punishment for riding bikes on pavements and pedestrianised areas. These could involve trackers which would be issued with insurance perhaps. |
All sounds pretty reasonable, I would like to add that all car drivers should have to take that cycling test too and have 6 months cycling experience before being able to take their driving test. | |
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 12:55 - May 8 with 3321 views | Basuco |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 12:01 - May 8 by bluebud |
...interesting.
..however an annoyance for me is the lack of insurance and education for cyclists,
We should have a standard cyclists insurance, a flat rate, not too expensive. That should be coupled with an online course, a modern cycling proficiency test if you like as well as rules which cyclists should buy into as a matter of law. At the same time there should be a firm law and punishment for riding bikes on pavements and pedestrianised areas. These could involve trackers which would be issued with insurance perhaps. |
The problem is politicians are mindful that they must not discourage cycling, compulsory helmet use reduced cycle usage by up to 50% in area's that have brought it in and insurance or compulsory cycle proficiency test would have the same effect. It would kill of the Boris bike scheme at a stroke, just as compulsory helmet has in every City that has introduced that legislation. | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 13:21 - May 8 with 3293 views | bluebud |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 12:55 - May 8 by Basuco |
The problem is politicians are mindful that they must not discourage cycling, compulsory helmet use reduced cycle usage by up to 50% in area's that have brought it in and insurance or compulsory cycle proficiency test would have the same effect. It would kill of the Boris bike scheme at a stroke, just as compulsory helmet has in every City that has introduced that legislation. |
I remember that. I was amazed at the time that principles flew straight out the window for vanity, when in actual fact safety was the only reason - which is now the thing that cyclists today use to beat up on drivers the most :-)
Something will have to be done though, the problem exists and will only get bigger. Reminds me of I.D. cards in the nineties, a huge political debate when in actual fact it was total common sense to have them - how much simpler would things be now? | | | |
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 13:58 - May 8 with 3243 views | BlueLikeJazz |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 13:21 - May 8 by bluebud |
I remember that. I was amazed at the time that principles flew straight out the window for vanity, when in actual fact safety was the only reason - which is now the thing that cyclists today use to beat up on drivers the most :-)
Something will have to be done though, the problem exists and will only get bigger. Reminds me of I.D. cards in the nineties, a huge political debate when in actual fact it was total common sense to have them - how much simpler would things be now? |
" in actual fact it was total common sense to have them - how much simpler would things be now?"
If you actually read what was proposed in the Identity Cards Act, 'total common sense' and 'simpler' are emphatically *not* the words that spring to mind... | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 14:34 - May 8 with 3216 views | bluebud |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 13:58 - May 8 by BlueLikeJazz |
" in actual fact it was total common sense to have them - how much simpler would things be now?"
If you actually read what was proposed in the Identity Cards Act, 'total common sense' and 'simpler' are emphatically *not* the words that spring to mind... |
Yeah, I was talking about the nineties, I did mention it.
If memory serves me correctly you're talking about something that happened tenish years after. | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 14:51 - May 8 with 3182 views | Che |
No one is perfect on the roads and pavements but I never understand this toxic hatred of cyclists. Its cars that do the killing and no amount of examples of what cyclists did or didn't do will alter my view that some people need a full and on going psychological assessment before they are allowed behind the wheel of a car. |  | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:11 - May 8 with 3164 views | Basuco |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 13:21 - May 8 by bluebud |
I remember that. I was amazed at the time that principles flew straight out the window for vanity, when in actual fact safety was the only reason - which is now the thing that cyclists today use to beat up on drivers the most :-)
Something will have to be done though, the problem exists and will only get bigger. Reminds me of I.D. cards in the nineties, a huge political debate when in actual fact it was total common sense to have them - how much simpler would things be now? |
Cycle helmets may not be as good as they make out to be, studies following compulsory usage showed head injuries that required hospital treatment went up not down. But sadly no further analysis was made into why. | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:14 - May 8 with 3157 views | GeoffSentence |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:11 - May 8 by Basuco |
Cycle helmets may not be as good as they make out to be, studies following compulsory usage showed head injuries that required hospital treatment went up not down. But sadly no further analysis was made into why. |
My own experience is that they saved me from a few whacks from low hanging branches, I doubt if they would be much use in a serious collision. | |
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:23 - May 8 with 3141 views | patrickswell |
I've lost sympathy for cyclists since living and working in London. There's a a sizeable amount who seem to think that traffic lights don't apply to them and heaven forfend that they should ever have to slow down when pedestrians are crossing. Add to that those who see the pavement as an extension of the road and ones who bring their bikes on public transport, and I really hate them. Oddly, I take more care when driving around them now after seeing footage on YouTube, but I don't think cyclists extend any courtesies to pedestrians, and that really annoys me. |  | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:25 - May 8 with 3128 views | chicoazul |
Everyone knows grown-up male cyclists are all absolute dickheads. |  |
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:33 - May 8 with 3112 views | tcblue |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:14 - May 8 by GeoffSentence |
My own experience is that they saved me from a few whacks from low hanging branches, I doubt if they would be much use in a serious collision. |
My own experience is a concussion rather than probable permanent brain damage if not death, so although I may look like a bit of a tit, I'll continue to wear one.
I think the whole thing is about respect on both sides. As with any of us, I've seen plenty of bad behaviour from drivers and cyclists, what I would say is that we should all kind of respect the vulnerability of other road users and be aware of our relative positions in it, so as a motorist I would be super aware of cyclists and pedestrians, as they are made out of meat rather than metal, equally when I'm cycling I like to think that I'm really aware of the damage I could do to pedestrians if I'm on a tear.
As for the specific point, I would say Joe, look to the positives, you've been made aware of this incident and therefore the potential damage to your company, so it's not a bad idea to just cascade that message down so that your employees understand that when they're driving their liveried vehicles they need to remain an ambassador for the company and not try to knock people off their bike... | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 16:46 - May 8 with 3066 views | Che |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:33 - May 8 by tcblue |
My own experience is a concussion rather than probable permanent brain damage if not death, so although I may look like a bit of a tit, I'll continue to wear one.
I think the whole thing is about respect on both sides. As with any of us, I've seen plenty of bad behaviour from drivers and cyclists, what I would say is that we should all kind of respect the vulnerability of other road users and be aware of our relative positions in it, so as a motorist I would be super aware of cyclists and pedestrians, as they are made out of meat rather than metal, equally when I'm cycling I like to think that I'm really aware of the damage I could do to pedestrians if I'm on a tear.
As for the specific point, I would say Joe, look to the positives, you've been made aware of this incident and therefore the potential damage to your company, so it's not a bad idea to just cascade that message down so that your employees understand that when they're driving their liveried vehicles they need to remain an ambassador for the company and not try to knock people off their bike... |
Good points well made. | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 17:09 - May 8 with 3032 views | GeoffSentence |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:33 - May 8 by tcblue |
My own experience is a concussion rather than probable permanent brain damage if not death, so although I may look like a bit of a tit, I'll continue to wear one.
I think the whole thing is about respect on both sides. As with any of us, I've seen plenty of bad behaviour from drivers and cyclists, what I would say is that we should all kind of respect the vulnerability of other road users and be aware of our relative positions in it, so as a motorist I would be super aware of cyclists and pedestrians, as they are made out of meat rather than metal, equally when I'm cycling I like to think that I'm really aware of the damage I could do to pedestrians if I'm on a tear.
As for the specific point, I would say Joe, look to the positives, you've been made aware of this incident and therefore the potential damage to your company, so it's not a bad idea to just cascade that message down so that your employees understand that when they're driving their liveried vehicles they need to remain an ambassador for the company and not try to knock people off their bike... |
Cripes, that sounds serious, I take it that you had a major accident whilst on your bike. | |
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 17:12 - May 8 with 3025 views | bluebud |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 15:11 - May 8 by Basuco |
Cycle helmets may not be as good as they make out to be, studies following compulsory usage showed head injuries that required hospital treatment went up not down. But sadly no further analysis was made into why. |
Wow, some freakonomics right there :-)
You think it might have been an invincibility issue with cyclists taking more risks? | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 18:51 - May 8 with 2964 views | Plums |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 14:51 - May 8 by Che |
No one is perfect on the roads and pavements but I never understand this toxic hatred of cyclists. Its cars that do the killing and no amount of examples of what cyclists did or didn't do will alter my view that some people need a full and on going psychological assessment before they are allowed behind the wheel of a car. |
This thread has wandered - the issue is the ferocious social media action of some people. There's very little to do with cycling here. |  |
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 19:01 - May 8 with 2947 views | stonojnr |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 12:01 - May 8 by bluebud |
...interesting.
..however an annoyance for me is the lack of insurance and education for cyclists,
We should have a standard cyclists insurance, a flat rate, not too expensive. That should be coupled with an online course, a modern cycling proficiency test if you like as well as rules which cyclists should buy into as a matter of law. At the same time there should be a firm law and punishment for riding bikes on pavements and pedestrianised areas. These could involve trackers which would be issued with insurance perhaps. |
why is it an annoyance ? standard cyclists insurance is already rolled up in peoples home insurance policies (its called 3rd party liability if you are wondering), and every member of British Cycling, 125,000 of them, CTC, 80,000 of them, and there are more than 300 cycling clubs or organisations in the UK covered similarly.
and yet there are between 1 to 2 million uninsured vehicle drivers on the road...who do you think are the ones causing the lack of insurance problem again ? | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 19:03 - May 8 with 2939 views | bournemouthblue |
If the same person drives like a nob in their own car, they more often than not get away with it
Frankly they should be subject to to the same level of scrutiny and that's where government comes in
As a cyclist, I have to say that 99% of drivers are safe. It's the one idiot who has either forgotten or ignores the highway code who is going to kill you. If that idiot is stupid enough to drive like that with a big logo on their car or van, they deserve everything they're going to get.
I agree, it's harsh on the company, you can't police everyone but it's better the book is thrown at them now before they cause a serious accident. At least with a company, there are opportunity to flag these people up, and retraining them if necessary.
I have to say, I now drive also and I'd have been very happy to do a theory test as a cyclist and even a test. There's a certain number of cyclists who have never driven and clearly don't understand the road rules. They are just as dangerous to everyone around them.
I don't consider myself part of a cycling community at all, it's just another means of transport for me. [Post edited 8 May 2017 19:07]
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| Conduct of cycling community.... on 19:18 - May 8 with 2916 views | tcblue |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 17:09 - May 8 by GeoffSentence |
Cripes, that sounds serious, I take it that you had a major accident whilst on your bike. |
It wasn't really that serious in terms of drama, I came off (no other parties involved, ran out of talent) and bounced my head off the asphalt. Wrote off the helmet, went to A&E for observation, felt sick for a day, got told that the helmet saved my life, went home to live the tale.
I regret I didn't keep it (smashed helmet), think they took it off and chucked it after working out my neck wasn't broken. Always wear a helmet, folks x | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 19:41 - May 8 with 2887 views | bluebud |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 19:01 - May 8 by stonojnr |
why is it an annoyance ? standard cyclists insurance is already rolled up in peoples home insurance policies (its called 3rd party liability if you are wondering), and every member of British Cycling, 125,000 of them, CTC, 80,000 of them, and there are more than 300 cycling clubs or organisations in the UK covered similarly.
and yet there are between 1 to 2 million uninsured vehicle drivers on the road...who do you think are the ones causing the lack of insurance problem again ? |
Oh dear
I am completely aware of insurance policies, thanks. That however doesn't help the perception that cyclists don't pay insurance - which most motorists believe, they also know cyclists don't pay road tax, they also know that they ask for a lot of expenditure (which should be provided, don't get me wrong) and they also know, and experience more and more smartassery from that community on the roads and pavements (you've probably listed a lot of them and you I feel may be too).
A specific road insurance/road tax would help all road users feel they're on the same gig and would hopefully lead to better relations and understanding.....as well as making a contribution....to the roads. | | | |
| Conduct of cycling community.... on 20:43 - May 8 with 2851 views | tcblue |
Yay, who else had 'road tax' in the thread sweepstake when reading the OP? | | | |
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