h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm a law-abiding cyclist. I almost always wear a helmet, and never cycle on a footpath (except this one bit where some idiot on Galway City Council decided to erect a fence that forces me to go on the footpath for a short distance instead of just continuing along the cycle path).

Now, due to the fact that the cycke path mentioned in the previous paragraph is one of the very few in the area where I live, I am often forced to use the road. This is entirely within the law, as a bike is legally classified as a slow-moving vehicle. So please, drivers, stop beeping your horns when you see me. I want to be on the road even less than you want me to be on the road, but I'm stuck there, so please cut me some slack.

I would also massively appreciate if you would not yell at me to use the cycle path when there is none available. I swear, next time that happens I'm going to stop in the middle of the road and wait until I get an apology.

On a related note, could you please stop trying to run me over? I know I'm not a person in your eyes, but there are a few peoiple who would be very upset if I was to die, so don't try to kill me, OK?

One other thing - indicators. Learn to use them. It's not that hard, plus it's actually illegal not to use them. I indicate left and right all the time by extending my arm - which, by the way, is slightly unsafe as it renders my bike quite hard to steer. In a car, however, there is a handy little lever or two right next to the steering wheel that turns on a few blinking lights to let everyone know which way you intend to turn. This system has the added bonus of not affecting your driving ability in any way. Honestly, if I can indicate, why can't you?

Although I drive a car I'm very aware of other road users so have managed to avoid killing/maiming/knocking sideways any cyclists. But I just wanted to join in your refrain: "Indicators. Learn to use them". It drives me mad and is the cause of most of my one-sided rants whilst driving to work. Along with "It's a 30!" when other drivers sit right behind me until they get a chance to zoom past in what I know they think is a 40 zone (I know this cos I've discussed it with a fellow motorist & he thought it was too).

Deb

I'm right with you there Deb! I'm a driver too and haven't used my bike in about 12 years.

It cracks me up when people pass me when I'm doing 30 in the 30 zone or when they don't indicate. I really don't want to be the one who knocks Apollyon or any other poor soul off their bike because the idiot in front of me didn't give me any warning that the person was their.

Traveller in Time grunting at motorbikes passing left and right
"The indicator lights are a luxuory only functioning on the less expensive cars. Just look close and you will notice the more expensive a car the less likely they still function.

But indeed using the indicators is not an option, it is a rule any driver has to obey. "

Exactly! I once heard a quote from a BMW driver when asked why he didn't indicate - "But *I* know where I'm going"

Oh come on!!!

I love this conversation. Can I ask - does it have any effect at all if you toot someone for not using their indicator at roundabouts (ie, they take the first exit without indicating, while you're patiently waiting to go AND COULD HAVE GONE IF ONLY THEY'D INDICATED!!! Or is it just something you have to shrug your shoulders about? Not that I'm that good at that, as you can tell from this post.

Traveller in Time trying to get contact with any other driver
"They will not blink, but they are so far off they will never even concider anyone noticed them, let alone try to make them pay attention.

In other words: no, it is of no use at all to try noticing them of what they did not do.

You can make someone notice they do not have their lights on in the dark, but it is nearly impossible to 'ask' anyone to switch them on during daytime. "

I'm a cyclist myself so I totally sympathise

However, I mostly drive these days and if I were to start on what annoys me on the road we'd be here til Crimbo 2010

The thing that really gets my goat though is people who have no idea of the Highway Code. Last week I was driving along a narrow road but my side was clear. A woman comes charging up the road and because all the cars were parked on her side someone had to move. I was there first and also pointed out to her that as my side of the road was clear she was obliged to move to let me pass. She wasn't having any of this so I told her I wasn't in a hurry, stuck the car into neutral, put the handbrake on and sat there with my arms folded. She eventually got the hint and let me pass

The other thing that gets my goat is people who don't understand that the national speed limit on a dual carriageway or motorway is 70 and a single track A road is 60, not 50! And when you finally get to the built up area they won't do 30, oh no, they always do at least 40. This I just don't get

I sympathise with Appolyon. I drive throughout the UK & Ireland professionally and, imo, the Irish drivers are the worst. Around Galway a lot of the roads have been improved and straightened and some drivers think this gives them licence to drive at ludicrous speeds. Traffic congestion in Irish towns is exacerbated by the sheer rudeness of some drivers who will not, simply will not give way to other motorists at junctions.

Tonight I'm in Navan. My car is parked about a mile from the hotel because I gave up. I spent 25 minutes trying to exit a side road into traffic and not one driver would let me out. On Tuesday I was cut up at a roundabout in Derry and the driver proceeded to weave and brake in front of me, trying to get me to stop. At one point he drew alongside and spat at my window. Given that he was huge and looked like a refugee from 1974 (long hair, sideburns, moustache) and I was in a pretty rough-looking part of town, there was no way I was going to stop.

Ireland is beautiful and the people are generally lovely, but some of the drivers need sedating.

Sorry you've had some bad driving experiences here in Ireland, SWL. I must say, as a resident, I've never found it too bad - certainly better than in England!

My house is in a new development, and coming out onto the main road which is less than half a mile from a major roundabout ought to be tricky in the mornings - there is a queue of cars stretched back as far as the eye can see. But every morning someone lets me (and other residents) into the queue. So first up a public thank you to all of them.

Rudeness and bad driving in others - I tend to almost "expect" others not to drive perfectly - that busy roundabout is apallingly badly laid out, so I'm on the look-out for people changing lanes at the last minute and without warning.

I use the Buddhist "Let go, let go, let go" a lot when driving - if some eejit wants to overtake me at greater than the speed limit then let him, I'm not going to stress myself out about it.

Where I HAVE taken action is on parking - especially in disabled spots. I carry a set of leaflets with me and stick them under the windscreen of offending vehicles, pointing out that just cos it's raining/ they have kids/ they're only going to be 5 minutes/ they drive a BMW/ whatever justification they have....does not mean it's OK to use a disabled space without a blue badge.

I also recently had a go at a blonde female who'd parked dreadfully outside a bus-stop causing traffic chaos behind her. That nearly came to fisticuffs, as I accused her of giving female drivers a bad name

My apologies for the Irish drivers SWL! I live near Derry and sympathise.

It cracks me up too when you get thouse people doing 40 on 60 roads. That's just gonna *cause* an accident! I was following someone a few weeks ago who was doing 40-45 on a 60mph single carrigeway. It was a twisty road too. But when we got to straight bits he'd speed up so I couldn't pass. Then would slow down when we got back into the bendy bit.

Or another twit I followed recently doing 45 in the 60 bit. We got to a 50 bit and he slowed down!!!! Arrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not a speed freak but although speed limits are guidelines, you're generally expected to drive as close to the speed limit as you can. It's not just old duffers who drive slowly either, which may be surprising to some.

I can generally stay calm when I've been cut up or whatever, but I have peeped my horn a few times too. I remember one time where I was driving on the Edinburgh city bypass (an experience in itself) and a woman came out from a slip road. She was indicating right as she came onto the main road, which is fair enough, but then proceeded to try and get into the outside lane. Only trouble was, I'd moved to the outside lane to let her onto the bypass and my car was where she wanted to be. I had to slam the brakes on (thank Bob for ABS) and I peeped the horn while looking angrily at her. She just looked back at me as if to say 'What are you looking at me like that for?'. I was especially mad as the wee one was in the back

It's surprising where I live that people don't seem to realise that at roundabouts you should give way to the right.

People just seem to think that they can go (not even showing the slightest signs of giving way or even slowing their speed).

I've had several near misses this way.

I know! I had someone pull out in front of me in on a roundabout last week. And a few weeks ago I had a bloke cut in front of me coming offa roundabout. Granted the twit in front of me was dead at the wheel with no way to pass him, but that's no excusre for cutting me off. And I'd two kids in the car.

I've had it a couple of times outside my local Tesco where the road's two lanes of one way with a little slip lane going into Tesco. I've been coming along the road in the left lane and someone in the right lane's cut me off to go to Tesco. the first time it happened I blared the horn and the woman just waved and went on.

This is a very funny article from NewsBiscuit about BMW drivers.
http://newsbiscuit.com/article/bmw-driven-sensibly-up-motorway-203

Haha, love it!

Strangely enough, I've met a few courteous BMW drivers recently when out and about. Have BMW drivers been replaced with Honda drivers?

I love it!!! Hope it's true.

As a cyclist and a driver I can completely sympathise with the indicator argument. So many times I've seen people not indicate either at all or until the last minute. When I'm walking from car park/bike park to work, and back, and if I'm going across one of the many junction areas, if someone is turning and are indicating I'll stop on the pavement and let them pass. If however they keep going until they see me crossing, then indicate, if I'm already crossing I will not change my pace for them. This is of course unless they're refusing to slow down. When I'm in a car I will indicate whenever I'm turning, sometimes even when I can see that there's no-one else around, just to keep the habit up (and because I'm a bit anal).

As a cyclist though, on the way in to work it's mainly downhill, and especially on school days I would find myself a cyclist in a line of stationary traffic. Now, I can't remember entirely what my cycling on the roads testing told me about passing cars in this situation, but I try to use common sense and only make my way along the line when I think it's safe to do so. When the cars start moving I'll slot into a space, as long as it's safe to do so, and cycle normally trying to keep up with the cars, which normally isn't hard since they stop again a bit further on. As I overtake though I'm always aware of the sort of people who will be thinking 'ing cyclist' because I'm moving and they're not, and although I have yet to get any abuse from someone I've passed like this I'm always conscious that it could happen. However, it has yet to happen, and since in my area (Jersey) the roads aren't huge or very fast (40 limit max) it's generally not too much of an issue.

I do agree with you, and I indicate even if I don't see anyone. Just coz I can't see anyone, doesn't mean there isn't a pedestrian or a car just out of my sights, but who can see me. My aunt's terrible for not indicating and when I challenge her she says there'as no one there to indicate to. Fine if you're on the Top Gear track and you know you're the only car there but not on ordinary roads.

Yeah, I always indicate even if I can't see anyone in the immediate vicinity because you never know That reminds me of a funny story actually - on Tuesday I let a car indicating right come of its junction. The driver then turned left

Made me laugh anyway!