brilliant!

I want to hear about the male foursome.... It was clapham common after all.....

So angry about an incident on Clapham Common this am.
On the path just to the south of the east-west road across the common towards Clapham South a woman cyclist was approaching me so I stepped to the left and then heard a kind of shout behind me. A male cyclist who I had n't heard at all very nearly ran into me from behind me. When I remonstrated, he said " thought it was a cycle path" as if that would make it OK. The reaction of the woman (who it would n't have hurt to go on the dry grass for a few seconds) was odd too. She turned round with a sort of grin as if to say "Oh well no harm done".
I was thinking that was so bad I can't leave it and had a pretty good idea where he was heading as he was carrying tennis rackets. I approached a guy playing in a male foursome who denied it was him. I think it was but because he sped on I was n't 100 per cent sure so had to leave it.
Do these arrogant and irresponsible cyclists realise that if they injure someone it could cause a lot of problems for them as well?

I used to cycle in Central London a long time ago - always stopped at traffic lights, always stopped at zebra crossings. Got dragged off my bike in Charing Cross Road once, came to a blooded heap outside Central St Martins! I'm sure IO inspired a few art projects that term. Haven't cycled since, daren't.

But as a pedestrian I am shocked by the sense of entitlement a lot of cyclists have these days. There's a crossing on the north side of Waterloo Bridge that I absolutely hate - hardly anyone stops for the red lights. I've lost count of the times I've jumped out of the way....!

The problem is there is no respect for each other on the roads.
Cyclists and motor vehicle users both have grievances about the other.
Cyclists - motor vehicles think they own the road
Motors - cyclists are a nuisance and menace and can do what they like and get away with it

How many cyclists have actually undertaken any form of road training?
How many motorists actually ride a bike on our roads?

There should be a minimum training requirement to enable anyone to use the roads and this should for their own safety.
It should also be enforced that cyclists have lights, helmets and some form of reflective material on their person. (how many cyclists wear black clothing when cycling at night?)
I know we don't want to deter cyclists but it is about time there are laws in place and enforced. I also believe there should be a form of registration system in place (I had my car damaged by a cyclist whilst sitting in traffic and they just cycled off)

Personally after cycling on the road for 5 years I wouldn't do it with the way the roads are now and I think some cyclists are a nuisance and have no place on the road but by the law they are another road user.
Banning motor vehicles on our roads is never going to happen nor is a city that is 100% cycle friendly we just have to have a mutual respect for other road users whether that be bus, truck, car, van, motorbike or cyclist.

Although cyclist do have less chance of killing someone. As road travellers, they are in a greater position (in terms of vulnerability) of being killed, not only through their own behavior, but by other people's stupidity as well.

Unfortunately this stupidity is not confined to the motorist, cycling or pedestrian community. It is easy to point fingers. Ideally in an imaginary utopia, the onus is on everybody's collaborative understanding.

Primarily 'everyone' would have to try and avoid impatience and recklessness - and behave considerately. But then how is this possible (to evade the fundamental basis of the human condition) especially on the road?

Light-hearted comments aside, though a focus for a good moan, this is a serious subject with too much tragedy. The results of the 'Near Miss Project' mentioned in the first post are terrifying. Lucullus maybe right in highlighting we live in a "toxic road culture". It could be helpful to look at the possible causes - higher levels of stress (especially city life), less support, little outlet, longer working hours? Maybe we sometimes are under too much strain to have consideration for ourselves and others, I dunno, good job we have Nappy Valley.

Yep good point Supergirl. As mentioned in the post about the cyclist being injured in Wandsworth recently the volume of all traffic users is rising and the space through traffic management is decreasing.

I'll give you my two incidents today from Belleville Road to the Bowling Green and back. This is a normal day for me by the way.

Cycling up, Alfreston Road, pedestrian on mobile steps out right in front of me. Totally unaware of all around him. Thankfully I have good brakes. Cycling back on Clapham Common Westside a van is stopped in the middle of the road, as I pass he pulls off feeding me into a parked car before he emergency brakes.

As I said this is a normal day on a bike. Am I speeding, breaking the law in anyway? No. Is there an agenda against me and other cyclists? No. Is there a general lack of awareness by all road users including pedestrians and cyclists? Yes.

Time to wake up to our surroundings before you get hurt or hurt someone else.

p.s. to the OP were you the family that got jammed on Webbs Road last week by the passat pulling out on you?

Seb: thats quite unhelpful to say lets just ban cars. How would shops get their stock, people go to work (when i was working jn Surrey no way i would cycle before you ask), etc.

My opinion is that there has been no future planning in London when it comes to road usage. Take the South and North circular, what a mess. Take a cycle lanes some are on pavement, in some areas they are non existent, etc.

There are a lot of cars and cyclists jn London. All should have a safe way to go from A to B.

Tfl and others in charge should look at what other capitals are doing and learn from them.

Car drivers should be less in a rush and entitled.

Cyclists and moped, motorbike should be more careful and dont feel they are above the law.

Pedestrian should always have the right of way as they are very vulnerable.

Van drivers should learn how to drive

the number of cyclists who jump the lights is astonishing

totes agree with you!

two wrongs don't make a right, I think many cyclists are extremely badly behaved, the main difference is that it's harder (not impossible but harder) for me to kill someone through my stupidity!

From a slightly different angle, I run to work once a week and the number of cyclists who jump the lights is astonishing. I know they are trying to stay away from the cars, but in the process they practically run over pedestrians and runners who are crossing at the green man (and yes, loads of pedestrians don't wait but that is yet another problem).

I cycled to work this morning and a white van screamed abuse at me because I was cycling a safe distance from the parked cars. The irony was that 15 seconds later I overtook him as he was stuck in traffic so he gained precisely zero seconds.

Last week a cyclist was injured in Balham due to a car door being opened onto him and it fractured his wrist.

The sooner we ban cars from the roads the better!

This is a really interesting read, from the 'Near Miss' Project. I'm not seeking to justify cyclists breaking the rules, but if you've ever driven in London, this is a worthwhile article to read. As the article observes, we have a toxic road culture, with every mode of transport identified.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/ ... -road-rage

Just this morning, taking the girls to school on my bike, I had someone following my less than three feet from my back wheel, trying to squeeze by. My daughters want to cycle to school, but the road - and the driving on it - are hideously unsuitable for it.