Stupid Pedestrian!

[stavroshamster]

Why can't people pay attention? It's a cycle lane for a reason!

Fell off my bike on the way home because some idiot stepped into the cycle lane without looking, leading me to swerve into a bank and fall off. Now I have an injured coccyx and bruised knee, although at the time it didn't hurt that much (it does now) and I was in a reasonable mood so I didn't get too annoyed - even though they weren't particularly apologetic.

However, I have just discovered that I fell on my phone and the screen is smashed and unreadable. Now I'm pissed off!

Ironically, I had just picked up my mountain bike from a friend who had borrowed it, after having to cycle in on his highly dangerous crap fixed axle racer (which you can't stop pedalling otherwise it rips your Achilles' to shreds) - which went without incident.

[qbie]

I think you can find people just generally don't pay any attention to whats going on around them, for example I work in a retail store and every day people ignore signage telling them where to go.

Another bugbear of mine is when people don't use pedestrian crossings, and stand next to the side of the road literally 15 feet away from it, waiting to cross over.

I think a lot of people look at signs and warnings and think it applies to everyone except themselves. Just a part of the world we live in at the moment, unfortunately!

[Flibb]

My local cycle paths are a nightmare, hence I cycle on the roads. The majority of my short journey to work is 30 mph I tend to cruise at 15-20, and it goes up to 40 on one stretch most of which is after a small hill so I am up to 30 ish for most of that. I cycle in the middle of my lane unless it safe to pull over to the left and let cars past, the gutters around here are unsafe to cycle in so I occupy my lane. If I cycled on the cycle path I would have to cross the road about 4 times, cross several junctions, and multiple drives, cycle paths are for leisure not for getting anyplace fast

[Flibb]

you could try one of these, apparently they make car drivers head for cover
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-D...Air-Horn-4.htm

[razer121]

you could try one of these, apparently they make car drivers head for cover
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-D...Air-Horn-4.htm

That is awesome, and you should buy it and mount it to your bike

[santa claus]

......some idiot stepped into the cycle lane without looking, leading me to swerve into a bank and fall off.

You shouldn't have swerved, landing on people (kids excluded of course) is softer than tarmac. If it happens again simply throw your arms around them and let gravity take its course.

I was out cycling the other day when I was stopped by a woman who said her off-the-leash dog hates bikes; sure enough, when she called it over, it went ballistic. I treated it to one of my special kung fu style cleat kicks and apologised for forgetting to mention that I am a cyclist that doesn't like dogs that attack me.

Yelp is such a satisfying sound.

[Whiternoise]

On the other hand, what annoys me as a pedestrian is cyclists who insist on cycling on the pavement and show no sign of moving out of your way - to the point that you'll get a dirty look if you don't until the last minute.

If I had more balls I'd be happy to play chicken, but most of the time I don't fancy getting knocked down by some tool who has no grasp of the highway code.

[GheeTsar]

On the other hand, what annoys me as a pedestrian is cyclists who insist on cycling on the pavement and show no sign of moving out of your way - to the point that you'll get a dirty look if you don't until the last minute.

If I had more balls I'd be happy to play chicken, but most of the time I don't fancy getting knocked down by some tool who has no grasp of the highway code.

Yeah - I like that game and will play chicken; but only as long as they are paying attention. Quite frequently around here they are on the phone at the same time or having a fag while cycling.

[Kata]

I cycle to a from work every day, and this is through The Hague, a major city in probably the most bicycle-orientated country in the world. Still, it's unusual for me to make it to or from home (about 20 minutes) without at least 3 or 4 morons wandering into the very clearly marked cycle lane without looking. I would love one of those air horns, but the thoroughly awful and incompetent Dutch police would probably get on their high horse about it.

[Behemoth]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had dealings with people who refuse to walk on the pavement this week.

I was driving down our road yesterday and there was an old woman walking right in the middle of the road. She'd chosen a very narrow part which meant I could only slow down for her, I was unable to get out of the way because of a parked car on the other side of the road, she heard me coming and just about gave me enough room for me to get by her without causing her any harm.

I had my windows open and I could clearly hear her shout at me "Get that red heap off the road, cars have no place on the roads" I then heard her throw in a few choice insults.

So I stopped, which shocked her and told her that she was in the wrong for 1) Walking on the road when there was a perfectly empty pavement which she should be using 2) There was absoluteley no need to insult me 3) She'd have more to complain about had I actually ran her over.

Aparantly I'm not the only person she does this kind of thing to, lots of people round where I live has had the same problem with her.

[Kata]

Report her to the police, if she's walking down the middle of the road she's clearly nuts and needs to be sectioned and taken away somewhere.

[Behemoth]

The problem is, the police aren't interested in things like that down here. They care more about catching speeders and drink drivers and drug users/pushers.

[Kata]

They'll be interested when she gets run down

[Behemoth]

Don't tempt me lol !

[b0redom]

If you're doing any sort of speed, you should be using the road. I had an accident due to signage on a bike lane (there wasn't any), so now I stick to the roads. You still get idiots wandering out in front of you, so I bought one of the airhorns above. It's REALLY loud -115dB. For reference, a jackhammer is ~ 120dB and danger of hearing damage starts at around 125. People really shift when they hear it.

Unfortunately the first time I really needed to use it, I hit the horn and there was no reaction from the two girls wandering around in front of me. I passed them and they were signing to each other. Completely deaf. True story.

[Kata]

I guess it might help if I fixed the brake on my bike, too