Sorry about not having written anything here for so very long. I dunno if anyone ever checks it anyway but I should write more often.
This year has been a real off year so far in terms of cycling. I've hardly been out at all and have been very lazy (with the gut to show for it). I should get my ass out on the saddle, get cycling and stop being such a damned slacker. Of late, I've been spending my internet time on attempting to do a musical effort type bit thing but it's a source of frustration. If I was motivated enough to get out on my bike, it would probably help relieve such frustrations and make my life better generally.
In part, I've been a bit scared off cycling. There have been so many near misses and, more to the point, me losing my temper as a result. The other week someone came at me with an iron bar because I shouted at him after he nearly knocked me off my bike and it scared the bejayzus out of me. The same day, I got completely covered in yoghurt some little shites threw over me out of their car window (That was before the iron bar incident and probably helped create the anger in me which caused me to shout at the driver who nearly knocked me down).
I'm more than a bit sick of drivers treating me as scum when I'm out cycling and their endangering my life for no reason other than to get stopped at traffic lights a second or two earlier than they otherwise would have. I'm not unrealistic. I know the majority of motorists don't do this sort of thing but probably a hundred or more cars pass me, on average, when I'm out on my bike (I've never counted to be sure) and almost without fail there will be at least one incident during each journey where someone drives in a really dangerous manner and I have to react to stop myself getting knocked off/injured/killed. Much as I love cycling, I'm just not in love with the thought of getting hurt because of it. It scares me more now than it used to and that's a slippery slope I'm finding difficult to deal with.
This year has been a real off year so far in terms of cycling. I've hardly been out at all and have been very lazy (with the gut to show for it). I should get my ass out on the saddle, get cycling and stop being such a damned slacker. Of late, I've been spending my internet time on attempting to do a musical effort type bit thing but it's a source of frustration. If I was motivated enough to get out on my bike, it would probably help relieve such frustrations and make my life better generally.
In part, I've been a bit scared off cycling. There have been so many near misses and, more to the point, me losing my temper as a result. The other week someone came at me with an iron bar because I shouted at him after he nearly knocked me off my bike and it scared the bejayzus out of me. The same day, I got completely covered in yoghurt some little shites threw over me out of their car window (That was before the iron bar incident and probably helped create the anger in me which caused me to shout at the driver who nearly knocked me down).
I'm more than a bit sick of drivers treating me as scum when I'm out cycling and their endangering my life for no reason other than to get stopped at traffic lights a second or two earlier than they otherwise would have. I'm not unrealistic. I know the majority of motorists don't do this sort of thing but probably a hundred or more cars pass me, on average, when I'm out on my bike (I've never counted to be sure) and almost without fail there will be at least one incident during each journey where someone drives in a really dangerous manner and I have to react to stop myself getting knocked off/injured/killed. Much as I love cycling, I'm just not in love with the thought of getting hurt because of it. It scares me more now than it used to and that's a slippery slope I'm finding difficult to deal with.
2 comments:
Hey 3ply, welcome back!
Here's hoping you find some calm roads to ride...what you're describing doesn't sound like much fun, but I'd hate to see it limit your desire to ride.
Goodness me. I didn't know anyone checked on this at all. Thanks Old Bag. I'm hoping it's just an annoying phase which I'll get over and be back out cycling again and enjoying it as much as ever.
The funny (although not in a way which amuses me) thing is that I stick to really minor roads, whenever possible, and still get motorist hassle (although I've got to admit it's more prevalent on busier roads). It's something I'll either have to learn to accept or which will stop me cycling. I find it difficult to have someone drive close enough to me to knock me off/throw something out a car window at me/shout abuse at me while passing me/spin the wheels of their car or make it backfire whilst passing me etc. and just 'let it go'. It really affects the rest of my cycle that day and puts me in a bad mood.
I don't think I'm a rude and inconsiderate cyclist. I'm very anal about road position (don't weave in and out of parked cars etc.), signal for everything I'm doing, wave to acknowledge motorists who go over to the other side of the road to pass me, wave motorists past me when I'm absolutely 100% definite it's safe, let them know when it isn't safe to pass and they can't see the oncoming traffic, don't even filter up the side of traffic at t-junctions and traffic lights (unless I'm turning left and they're turning right or vice versa) etc. However, I totally see red when someone does any of the stuff I mentioned earlier. I don't know if it's partly because I feel I'm being so accommodating to motorists, it really pisses me off when they couldn't give a damn about me or what it is. It might be as simple as being annoyed that someone thinks my life is worth risking over the sake of getting somewhere a few seconds earlier or that they think it might be fun to try to injure or kill me for a laugh. It's probably differing levels of all the above but it's certainly a problem for me and is something I'm going to have to learn to adapt to and not let control my cycling life.
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