road warrior
Here's my top tip for those of you who venture out of your houses on bicycles - learn the road rules and/or read the Highway Code. Last night, I followed a guy on a bicycle who made the following mistakes in a distance of roughly 1/4 mile: instead of using the overpass specifically built for pedestrians and cyclists, he followed the traffic over the ancient and narrow bridge that is barely a car width wide (any of you who crossed this bridge to get to our wedding venue will know which one I mean), he then decided to cycle in the middle of the right hand lane (the road goes into two lanes after the bridge), cut across to the left hand lane and turn without signalling, and to top it off, had no lights on his bicycle and was wearing black.
Don't get me wrong, I am not an angry motorist who loathes anything on two wheels. I used to cycle into work every day and absolutely loved it, but I was constantly amazed by how many people have no clue how to ride safely. I've seen people go the wrong way on roundabouts, cycle down pitch black paths at night with no lights, cycle 2 or 3 abreast down busy city roads, ride on sidewalks/pavements, and cycle on the shoulder of the A14 (a busy dual carriageway with a 70 mph speed limit).
When I was a cyclist, I almost got hit by cars and other cyclists numerous times. When I had my scooter, cars used to pull out in front of me because they didn't "see" me (regardless of the fluorescent yellow safety belts I wore over my jacket). As a motorist, I've almost been hit by other cars, vans, cyclists, motorcycles, and various less intelligent furry and winged creatures. It's obvious - everyone is a crap driver except for me and they should be forced to take a road test every six months. Hmph.
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