How cyclists annoy motorists

Waterbeach crossing CCTV

It has to be said, some cyclists push their luck a bit; so often this simply seems to fall into the hands of car drivers eager to moan about cyclists.  What kinds of things cyclists do to annoy car drivers?

My friend Jon has also been blogging about this from the perspective of a car driver who loathes cyclists.  Sad to say he actually has a point in saying some cyclists are irresponsible and they bring their troubles on themselves.

So here’s my list of things some cyclists do to annoy car drivers:

• Firstly the above photograph.  Thankfully a rare event when a cyclist over takes a row of cars, passes the STOP barrier at a railway level crossing and is narrowly missed by a passing train.  This cyclist came within inches of being killed and to be honest it is impossible to blame anyone else other than the cyclist herself.  She was, by the way, spoken to by British Transport Police afterwards…..  This kind of thing, quite rightly, outrages everyone and not just motorists!  I bet the train driver had a fright, phew, flippin’ heck.
• Cyclists over taking.  Picture the scene – slow moving traffic and a cyclist passes the whole queue with complete ease.  This annoys the motorist, not because the cyclist has done anything particularly wrong other than being completely free and not constrained by a long queue in which they are still burning fuel getting nowhere.
• Cyclists under taking.  Can be risky business for us cyclists zooming passed on the inside.  Most concern is for the drivers of flash Bentleys having a pedal scrape along the paintwork (another reason to have 3rd party insurance with the CTC).  Serious issue is for cars turning and cutting a cyclist up…. who gets fined, who gets squashed?
• Cycling without lights!  Could range from people being caught out unintentionally to cyclists sticking two fingers up.  No sympathy with that.
• Car drivers not being able to overtake a cyclist.  So many seem to think bikes should be in the gutter and never mind the Highway code of waiting until its safe before overtaking.
• Fat cyclists wearing Lycra.  Need I say anything more?
• Cyclists not having to buy a tax disc, insurance, congestion charge, car parking fees and also pay out the huge amounts of money to keep a car on the road.  Sorry car drivers, that’s just tough.  Buy a bike.
• Cyclists being all green types.  These are the annoying environmentally friendly, tree-huggers who ride around on 50 year old 3 speed bikes who make a point about saving the planet.  You biking guys – just carry on!
• Cyclists are mostly lean and fit, not needing to spend £25 – £100 a month on gym membership.  They stay slim for free.  That annoys car drivers who are middle aged and already have a spare tyre, or two and maybe shelling out lots of money to burn some flab.
• Cyclists who consider themselves above the law – flouting one-way signs, red lights etc.  Nah, shouldn’t do it.  But what annoys car drivers is that cyclists always get away with it, nobody cares.  But if a car drives the wrong way up a street, that’s a big deal and the Police take delight in nailing a car driver for that transgression.

Other ways cyclists annoy car drivers……?  Tell me, leave me a comment