Driver Anger (or lack of it)

[mileburner]

So far this year I have noticed a complete absence of driver anger. I have
not been shouted at or hooted at and most of the overtaking traffic has been
courteous with space and speed.



I thought initially that this was because of road my positioning. Most of
the above problems occurred previously when I was too close to the gutter
and drivers wanted to squeeze by or couldn't squeeze past because I was not
close enough to the gutter and therefore in the way. I have been riding
centre of lane by default this year and *only ever* move to the side to
allow traffic to pass while waving them past in an authoritative manner.



However, I am beginning to suspect that this newfound driver courtesy might
have more to do with my overall image rather than road positioning and this
is it. Red flashing light with occasional constant blue light on the rear.
Black trousers. Bulky waist bag. Hi vis yellow jacket. Black/grey helmet. I
clocked my self in a shop window the other day and thought that guy looks
like a copper. It was never the intention to do so but the image portrayed
creates such a safer ride that I think I will stick with it rather than
losing it with summer shorts and shirt etc.



I might even get some chessboard squares for the helmet, a blue rectangle
for the hi-vis jacket and a pair of toy handcuffs for the waist bag :-)



One thing this does prove, is that drivers behave far better when they think
that the police are watching.

[Mrcheerful[_2_]]

mileburner wrote:
> So far this year I have noticed a complete absence of driver anger. I
> have not been shouted at or hooted at and most of the overtaking
> traffic has been courteous with space and speed.
>
>
>
> I thought initially that this was because of road my positioning.
> Most of the above problems occurred previously when I was too close
> to the gutter and drivers wanted to squeeze by or couldn't squeeze
> past because I was not close enough to the gutter and therefore in
> the way. I have been riding centre of lane by default this year and
> *only ever* move to the side to allow traffic to pass while waving
> them past in an authoritative manner.
>
>
> However, I am beginning to suspect that this newfound driver courtesy
> might have more to do with my overall image rather than road
> positioning and this is it. Red flashing light with occasional
> constant blue light on the rear. Black trousers. Bulky waist bag. Hi
> vis yellow jacket. Black/grey helmet. I clocked my self in a shop
> window the other day and thought that guy looks like a copper. It was
> never the intention to do so but the image portrayed creates such a
> safer ride that I think I will stick with it rather than losing it
> with summer shorts and shirt etc.
>
>
> I might even get some chessboard squares for the helmet, a blue
> rectangle for the hi-vis jacket and a pair of toy handcuffs for the
> waist bag :-)
>
>
> One thing this does prove, is that drivers behave far better when
> they think that the police are watching.

It has always been a good idea to drive as though a police car is behind
you, amazing how much better you drive.
pity cyclists don't get the same effect, must be the lack of
identity/registration

[mileburner]

"Mrcheerful" > wrote in message
...
>
> It has always been a good idea to drive as though a police car is behind
> you, amazing how much better you drive.
> pity cyclists don't get the same effect, must be the lack of
> identity/registration

I suspect that the difference is that cyclists breaking the law, or riding
in a discourteous manner often don't realise that what they are doing is
wrong whereas drivers know their behaviour is wrong and automatically curb
the behaviour on the sight of a copper or speed camera etc.

[JNugent[_5_]]

mileburner wrote:

> So far this year I have noticed a complete absence of driver anger. I have
> not been shouted at or hooted at and most of the overtaking traffic has been
> courteous with space and speed.
> I thought initially that this was because of road my positioning. Most of
> the above problems occurred previously when I was too close to the gutter
> and drivers wanted to squeeze by or couldn't squeeze past because I was not
> close enough to the gutter and therefore in the way. I have been riding
> centre of lane by default this year and *only ever* move to the side to
> allow traffic to pass while waving them past in an authoritative manner.
> However, I am beginning to suspect that this newfound driver courtesy might
> have more to do with my overall image rather than road positioning and this
> is it. Red flashing light with occasional constant blue light on the rear.
> Black trousers. Bulky waist bag. Hi vis yellow jacket. Black/grey helmet. I
> clocked my self in a shop window the other day and thought that guy looks
> like a copper. It was never the intention to do so but the image portrayed
> creates such a safer ride that I think I will stick with it rather than
> losing it with summer shorts and shirt etc.
> I might even get some chessboard squares for the helmet, a blue rectangle
> for the hi-vis jacket and a pair of toy handcuffs for the waist bag :-)
> One thing this does prove, is that drivers behave far better when they think
> that the police are watching.

If it's credible that they think the police ride bikes, that is.

Surely a far less unlikely explanation is that they give you as wide a berth
as they would give someone similarly dressed on a bus?

You know, the bloke no-one sits next to until there are no seats left, mainly
because his appearance is shouting: "unpredictably mercurial".

[Mrcheerful[_2_]]

JNugent wrote:
> mileburner wrote:
>
>> So far this year I have noticed a complete absence of driver anger.
>> I have not been shouted at or hooted at and most of the overtaking
>> traffic has been courteous with space and speed.
>> I thought initially that this was because of road my positioning.
>> Most of the above problems occurred previously when I was too close
>> to the gutter and drivers wanted to squeeze by or couldn't squeeze
>> past because I was not close enough to the gutter and therefore in
>> the way. I have been riding centre of lane by default this year and
>> *only ever* move to the side to allow traffic to pass while waving
>> them past in an authoritative manner. However, I am beginning to
>> suspect that this newfound driver courtesy might have more to do
>> with my overall image rather than road positioning and this is it.
>> Red flashing light with occasional constant blue light on the rear.
>> Black trousers. Bulky waist bag. Hi vis yellow jacket. Black/grey
>> helmet. I clocked my self in a shop window the other day and thought
>> that guy looks like a copper. It was never the intention to do so
>> but the image portrayed creates such a safer ride that I think I
>> will stick with it rather than losing it with summer shorts and
>> shirt etc. I might even get some chessboard squares for the helmet, a
>> blue
>> rectangle for the hi-vis jacket and a pair of toy handcuffs for the
>> waist bag :-) One thing this does prove, is that drivers behave far
>> better when
>> they think that the police are watching.
>
> If it's credible that they think the police ride bikes, that is.
>
> Surely a far less unlikely explanation is that they give you as wide
> a berth as they would give someone similarly dressed on a bus?
>
> You know, the bloke no-one sits next to until there are no seats
> left, mainly because his appearance is shouting: "unpredictably
> mercurial".

you mean like that bloke on a greyhound bus in Canada: he hacked off the
head of the passenger next to him, apparently the dead man had just been
sitting there listening to music on headphones: I suspect that was what
caused the incident.

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2008/07/31/man-decapited-beheaded-aboard-greyhound-bus-canada/

[The Medway Handyman[_2_]]

mileburner wrote:
> So far this year I have noticed a complete absence of driver anger. I
> have not been shouted at or hooted at and most of the overtaking
> traffic has been courteous with space and speed.
>
>
>
> I thought initially that this was because of road my positioning.
> Most of the above problems occurred previously when I was too close
> to the gutter and drivers wanted to squeeze by or couldn't squeeze
> past because I was not close enough to the gutter and therefore in
> the way. I have been riding centre of lane by default this year and
> *only ever* move to the side to allow traffic to pass while waving
> them past in an authoritative manner.
>
>
> However, I am beginning to suspect that this newfound driver courtesy
> might have more to do with my overall image rather than road
> positioning and this is it. Red flashing light with occasional
> constant blue light on the rear. Black trousers. Bulky waist bag. Hi
> vis yellow jacket. Black/grey helmet. I clocked my self in a shop
> window the other day and thought that guy looks like a copper. It was
> never the intention to do so but the image portrayed creates such a
> safer ride that I think I will stick with it rather than losing it
> with summer shorts and shirt etc.
>
>
> I might even get some chessboard squares for the helmet, a blue
> rectangle for the hi-vis jacket and a pair of toy handcuffs for the
> waist bag :-)

Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence. Still, being a cyclist
you will be used to breaking the law on a regular basis.

> One thing this does prove, is that drivers behave far better when
> they think that the police are watching.

Nah. It just proves you need to get a life.


--
Dave - intelligent enough to realise that a push bike is a kid's toy, not a
viable form of transport.

[bugbear]

JNugent wrote:
>
> If it's credible that they think the police ride bikes, that is.

http://www.daveches.co.uk/analysis/bikes

So, that would be a "yes".

BugBear

[bugbear]

The Medway Handyman wrote:
>
> Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence. Still, being a cyclist
> you will be used to breaking the law on a regular basis.

Looking similar enough to a police officer to fool
a dimwit isn't illegal.

BugBear

[Mrcheerful[_2_]]

bugbear wrote:
> The Medway Handyman wrote:
>>
>> Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence. Still, being a
>> cyclist you will be used to breaking the law on a regular basis.
>
> Looking similar enough to a police officer to fool
> a dimwit isn't illegal.
>
> BugBear

actually it is, there have been many prosecutions for it, when you see the
pictures and read the story it is hard to believe that anyone falls for it,
yet they do.

[mileburner]

"bugbear" > wrote in message
...
> JNugent wrote:
>>
>> If it's credible that they think the police ride bikes, that is.
>
> http://www.daveches.co.uk/analysis/bikes
>
> So, that would be a "yes".

I saw two yesterday.

The first one I was not certain if it was at first as he was riding rather
erratically and his hi-vis was rather grubby and dull. But as he went by I
saw that he had "Police Community Support Officer" on his back. There is of
course the possibility that he was a cyclist *impersonating* a police
officer. :-)

The second one I saw later that day. She had no pedal reflectors which I
understand to be illegal on the highway. Tsk!

[mileburner]

"Mrcheerful" > wrote in message
...
> bugbear wrote:
>> The Medway Handyman wrote:
>>>
>>> Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence. Still, being a
>>> cyclist you will be used to breaking the law on a regular basis.
>>
>> Looking similar enough to a police officer to fool
>> a dimwit isn't illegal.
>>
>> BugBear
>
> actually it is, there have been many prosecutions for it, when you see the
> pictures and read the story it is hard to believe that anyone falls for
> it, yet they do.

You may have a point but I do not think that a standard yellow cycling
hi-vis jacket, a pair of standard black cycling trousers and a sports helmet
would be counted as an attempt to impersonate a police officer. The blue
light OTOH might be seen that way which is why I do not use it in flashing
mode. Given that the police have been having a crackdown on unlit cyclists,
and also given the extreme caution that other road users take when it is on,
I think I would be prepared to argue that one in front of the magistrate (if
it came to it) rather than bickering with some dork on Usenet.

[Mrcheerful[_2_]]

mileburner wrote:
> "Mrcheerful" > wrote in message
> ...
>> bugbear wrote:
>>> The Medway Handyman wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence. Still, being
>>>> a cyclist you will be used to breaking the law on a regular basis.
>>>
>>> Looking similar enough to a police officer to fool
>>> a dimwit isn't illegal.
>>>
>>> BugBear
>>
>> actually it is, there have been many prosecutions for it, when you
>> see the pictures and read the story it is hard to believe that
>> anyone falls for it, yet they do.
>
> You may have a point but I do not think that a standard yellow cycling
> hi-vis jacket, a pair of standard black cycling trousers and a sports
> helmet would be counted as an attempt to impersonate a police
> officer. The blue light OTOH might be seen that way which is why I do
> not use it in flashing mode. Given that the police have been having a
> crackdown on unlit cyclists, and also given the extreme caution that
> other road users take when it is on, I think I would be prepared to
> argue that one in front of the magistrate (if it came to it) rather
> than bickering with some dork on Usenet.

flashing blue lights are a definite no-no, yet static ones are accepted.

an unlit cyclist (at night) was killed just a few days ago, cycling on a
dual carriageway, hit by a horsebox, then splattered by a good few other
vehicles.

[mileburner]

"Phil W Lee" <phil(at)lee-family(dot)me(dot)uk> wrote in message
...
> "mileburner" > considered Wed, 26 May 2010
> 11:24:50 +0100 the perfect time to write:
>
>>
>>"bugbear" > wrote in message
...
>>> JNugent wrote:
>>>>
>>>> If it's credible that they think the police ride bikes, that is.
>>>
>>> http://www.daveches.co.uk/analysis/bikes
>>>
>>> So, that would be a "yes".
>>
>>I saw two yesterday.
>>
>>The first one I was not certain if it was at first as he was riding rather
>>erratically and his hi-vis was rather grubby and dull. But as he went by I
>>saw that he had "Police Community Support Officer" on his back. There is
>>of
>>course the possibility that he was a cyclist *impersonating* a police
>>officer. :-)
>>
>>The second one I saw later that day. She had no pedal reflectors which I
>>understand to be illegal on the highway. Tsk!
>>
> Only during lighting up time, and at point of sale.

You mean all this time I have been riding my road bike with Look Keos (with
no place for reflectors) and I have been worried sick how the hell I am
going to explain away my evil crime if I were to get pulled over? But it's
legal anyway? Like riding with a yellow jacket? And black trousers? And toy
handcuffs :-)