Why do people treat cyclists with no respect?

Question

Today I cycled about one mile in Wembley just to get back to the station and while on the road a car driving in the other direction sounded its horn malicously for no reason at all (this has happened once before). Also, an idiot walked out in front of me without looking forcing me to shout at him (this has also happened before). Why do people treat us like idiots?! It enrages me - I ride better than a lot of car drivers and I haven't even taken a test to learn. I think it is absolutely appaling. Do you not agree?

Answer 1

3000lb car, 120lb cyclist 10' lane, blindspots, roadrage, cellphone, stereo, etc... distractions, = dead cyclist.  Almost hitting cyclist = being pissed off.  Ride your d**n bike in the dirt, if you want negative attention, do something else.

Answer 2

Hear! Hear! for Evelyn the modified dog! I live in a rural area, and just 2 days ago whilst driving on a narrow 'a' road I rounded a corner to be confronted by a pack of spandex clad budding Eddie Merckx's who were so busy 'gassing' to each other they didn't even notice the other vehicles on the road!

If you want to use the roads get insured! Oh, and lights might be a good Idea! It gets dark here about 3.30pm!

Answer 3

i do, i agree fully and i also hate these drvers that think, he is on a thinner vehicle than me, so i can give him 2 inches of room when i pass him. That really scares me every time they do that because if anything comes infront of me, or theres something in the road i dont see then im straight under their wheels. its terrible, they should have more cycle lanes to promote cycling, its healthier, 'greener' and cheaper than driving

Answer 4

I can only respond to this with more questions:  If you want to ride your bike, why do you insist on doing it on main highways instead of low-traffic areas?  Why must you ride side-by-side in "gangs" on curvy roads, making me practically stop to keep from running over your butt?  One last one: why do you have to wear those freakin' tights?  The last thing I want to see is some 50-year-old wearing tights, all bent over.  Talk about something that will make you barf your burger.  I sure do miss that old Mercedes diesel I used to have years ago.  It was such fun passing a two-wheeler and romping down on the accelerator.  Very enjoyable burying that bike in that beautiful solid-black smoke!  If you're looking for pity, you came to the wrong place.

Answer 5

Because, like us bikers, you are tarred with the same brush as the minority of cyclists who consistently ignore the Highway Code and ride like idiots.

Answer 6

Because the stereotypical cyclist has no respect for the road.

Answer 7

coz cyclists deserve to die-or at least the idiot that rode into the back of my 4x4 coz "i didnt see you!"...to get respect it must be earned and in my experience cyclists dont do this-they just ride blind-with no lights-jump red lights-then cry when honest TAX PAYING motorists kick the S**t out of them

Answer 8

I'm only talking from experience here and not necessarily applying it to you.

Cyclists in general do appear to think they own the road and are quite inconsiderate. Especially when you are walking your dog in the park/woods and they shoot up behind you without so much as giving you a warning and not only startling you but startling the dog too. They also seem to cut you up on the roads quite a lot, or when you are walking along the pavement. This may have something to do with why cyclists are treated with no respect, as they treat others with little respect!

Answer 9

Pisses me off that no one wants us on the roads (even the cycle lanes), and no one wants us on the pavements. Also pisses me off that bicycles don't fly..

Answer 10

Yes it's really bad, we have just as much right to be on the road but usualy i stick to the pavement, you get some evil looks off people but generally its better than nearly getting run over by a speeding car.

If someone behind you is getting impatient just look around at them and give them a cheesy grin they tend to calm down a little then.

Answer 11

Car drivers pay road tax, insurance etc. therefore have the right to use the road, what do cyclists pay to allow them to use the road?

Answer 12

As a driver, I have no problems with cyclists at all - they all ride on the pavement in my neighbourhood!

Answer 13

Are you one of the Supergreen save the earth cyclists that ride at speed on footpaths,ignore red lights,pedestrian crossings, ride the wrong way up One Way Streets, and then abuse drivers that have to break suddenly to avoid killing you when you ride in front of them.

How does a " Malicious " horn sound

Answer 14

There may be cyclists who behave them selves and do things properly, but there are LOTS of cyclists who do what they like.

I am a pedestrian, and I have been knocked over by cyclists on the pavement and been called a 'Silly B###h' for WALKING on the pavement.

Answer 15

Three words - on yer bike

Answer 16

It's those tight little spandex pants.  

just joking.  people are jerks.

Answer 17

Maybe you should consider riding as bad as they drive cut them off and get a louder horn lol, but really i dont know why maybe they think they can because they are in their big powerful machines ect yadayadayada so they can bully anyone........?

Answer 18

Because from my own experience most cyclists are ignorant of the highway code. If they do ride on the road, (which is not that frequently) they tend to ignore traffic lights and pelican crossing lights and just ride through them. Despite the enormous expense the Council has been put to to build cycle lanes, they tend to ignore them and insist on riding on the pavement putting the lives of all us pedestrians at risk.

Answer 19

The thing about cycles is that they are the only road users who are untested, uninsured and for the most part, impervious to the laws of the roads. For every intelligent, considerate cyclist there are 10 organ-donors-in-waiting who haven't got a clue about their own safety, never mind that of other people.