When will it bloody end with motorists attitude ??

I suggested that until cyclists are holier than thou then motorists will have ample ammunition to have a moan about us. They've plenty enough to main about with their Neanderthal road tax whittling without cyclists giving them further ammunition.

And I never suggested anything about anyone's behaviour affecting road safety - the discussion is about motorists attitude and the bouts of verbal chunder that goes with it. I have not written a single word in this thread with reference to road safety, only the attitudes that one group displays towards another.

Chopper1192":2gizvmcc said:

I suggested that until cyclists are holier than thou then motorists will have ample ammunition to have a moan about us. They've plenty enough to main about with their Neanderthal road tax whittling without cyclists giving them further ammunition.

And I never suggested anything about anyone's behaviour affecting road safety - the discussion is about motorists attitude and the bouts of verbal chunder that goes with it. I have not written a single word in this thread with reference to road safety, only the attitudes that one group displays towards another.

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The thing you miss, is that it wouldn't matter whether cyclists, on the whole, were holier than thou.

The idiots in cars would still treat them the same.

There's pragmatism to consider. The reason why there's idiots on bikes, idiots behind the wheels of vehicles, and idiots on foot, probably has some correlation, wouldn't you say. That, realistically, is not going to change.

Attitudes from idiots with a vehicle, but insufficient intelligence to realise the invective they fume is confirming their lack of a clue, does have a material effect on the safety of cyclists, life, and limb - whereas the converse isn't quite the same degree of danger.

The only way this will ever change, is for a top-down approach to make it unacceptable - which has worked perfectly well in the past, when people have the will to make it so. And with form being very much de rigeour over function, and looking good and green, at times, very good for the relationship with voters of middle England, there's a consideration there...

I've said to motorists that as a cyclist and road user im more than happy to pay proportionate tax and insurance but i demand an entire lane as a fully paid up member.
They usually go quiet at that and refuse to talk further on the subject.

Great.

Three pages of cyclists arguing amongst themselves and sod all done about stopping poor driving :roll:

Sign this please:

http://www.roadjustice.org.uk/

and take a look at this:

http://www.roadjustice.org.uk/node/465

We don't all limit our activity to winging on here!

Thanks for posting links and all that, but try assuming less about what so many cycling enthusiasts are not doing, aye?

I cycle and I don't pay for a Road Fund Licence...

...I drive a Peugeot 107, and I don't pay for a Road Fund Licence!

God, don't you just hate it when you get to the bottom of a really nice cup of tea and find you've dropped half a biscuit in the mug without realising! :x

As we already know, the attitudes of people change when they are behind the wheel. the term road rage was coined for exactly that. As cyclists god or bad we are the easy targets, take the people out of the cars and watch their balls shrink, they don't act like twats in the mall, could you imagine what it would be like if they did? the fact of the matter is, if you are driving along and someone (irrelevant of their purpose or transport) delays a twat in a car (the ones that usually think they own the road) then they will get some form of abuse thrown at them. chopper said there is no point in trying to reason with them, they have that attitude not because you are there but because they are cnuts. so treat them as such. two wrongs don't make a right but you being right and telling them as such isn't going to change their views on you. ride like they are trying to kill you and remember, there are a lot of dead cyclist,s that defended their right to use the road.

highlandsflyer":1ggwsssj said:

We don't all limit our activity to winging on here!

Thanks for posting links and all that, but try assuming less about what so many cycling enthusiasts are not doing, aye?

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Yes, have a whinge, but how about doing something after the whinge?

Anyhow,

I received this email today:

Dear Reader
A landmark debate on cycling will take place in the House of Commons on Monday, September 2, when MPs will debate the findings of the Get Britain Cycling report. This calls on the Government to increase investment in cycling across the UK.
This debate only came about because almost 70,000 people, perhaps including you, signed our vital e-petition. Thank you so much for doing so.

Now we are requesting that you to write to your MP and implore him or her to attend the debate on your behalf. You can do so on our campaign page here.*

The result of your actions would not only improve safety for the 750,000 cyclists who already commute to work by bike in Britain, but would also have a significant impact in reducing traffic jams for motorists, easing overcrowding on public transport and saving millions from local health budgets.
When we last asked you to contact your MP in February 2012, more than 4,000 of you did so, which resulted in 77 MPs attending a debate on cycling in Westminster Hall. Many said they attended because they had been contacted by their constituents.
Almost 18 months later, we would urge you to do the same.
Thank you for your continued support.

John Witherow
Editor of The Times

* here's the campaign page link: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cy ... ty/pledge/



As I recently contacted MP Robert Halfon Re. cycling issues he replied:

You are the first constituent to contact me directly on this issue. Do you have any specific concerns or ideas about the cycle network in Harlow and the UK?
Very best wishes,
Robert


I did reply, but I have heard nothing since as I believe he is more concerned with oil fraud. The following letter I received from him out of the blue, hence I contacted him about cycling issues instead. Alas, after a few email correspondance, the silence is deafening...

Dear Scott,

We need YOUR HELP to uncover oil fraud.

Petrol companies such as BP and Shell were raided last night in an explosive operation by European authorities, following allegations of price fixing at the pumps.

Newspapers are now saying that oil prices could have been rigged not just for a few months, but for the past 10 years! This could mean that we have ALL been forking out over the odds to fill up the family car.

It's happening under our noses. We need a full investigation in the UK. We need action. There should be prison time for serious criminal price-fixing, and proper compensation for British motorists if they have been ripped off.

Please sign our petition at http://www.PetrolPromise.com today, and share it with your friends. This will send a letter to your local MP, urging them to act.

Please also forward this email on to your friends and family. We need to put as much pressure as possible on the oil companies so that they come clean.

Very best wishes to you,
Robert Halfon MP


If we (cyclists) don't lean on our MP's for safer cycling, then our kids won't ride bikes and we will be driver fodder. It is not a case if we agree with our local MP's policies, they are here to serve our needs.

scottmac":2id9rtyg said:

highlandsflyer":2id9rtyg said:

We don't all limit our activity to winging on here!

Thanks for posting links and all that, but try assuming less about what so many cycling enthusiasts are not doing, aye?

Click to expand...

Yes, have a whinge, but how about doing something after the whinge?

Click to expand...

I really can't do better than one of those pointless emoticons here.

:facepalm: