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

As a cyclist I divide car drivers into two categories: Those who give you enough room when overtaking, and those who don't. About 50 - 50, I'd say.
Plus there's the driver the other day who's in a class of his own, who took the trouble to wind down his window when passing me in the opposite direction and inform me I was peddling the wrong way up a one way street. I wasn't because it wasn't.

As a cyclist, the thing that gets me is when traffic that has passed me on the way to a junction (and has often made a conscious effort to overtake me) then proceeds to manouver so close to the kerb at the junction that you'd have difficulty getting a credit card between the two, let alone a bike... It also bugs me generally how close most people seem to drive to the kerb, but then I probably do the same when I'm driving too...

Cars vs. Bicycles???

The car will win every time...

This is a "fact" based on what is called the "law of sheer tonnage!"

An unwritten and in most cases "obscure" law. Reminiscent of the "mine is bigger than yours" law recognised by all primary school students.

This law is regularly employed by most lorry drivers and owners of large four wheel drive vehicles in order to determine right-of-way!

There's a chap who cycles along the A12 every day between Marks Tey and Colchester and even though he goes very quickly (for a cyclist) at about 35 mph this is half the speed that most of the traffic is going. I can't help thinking that one day there will be a very nasty accident. The thing that I can't understand is the fact that the alternative (and I would imagine safer) route along the back road is actually slightly shorter than the A12...