Today on my way to work I saw a cyclist with no lights go through a red light right in front of me. It was just before 7am so still very dark. He rode through a right-hand T intersection and was riding on the left-hand shoulder there was nothing coming around the corner so what he did was quite safe. For him.
What happened as I pedalled away from that intersection, being careful to hold my lane as the shoulder runs out 40m past the intersection to cross a rail bridge? I was abused by three drivers for holding them up. I never have trouble at that intersection because it's so obviously necessary to hold a lane. I was being abused as payback for the other cyclist breaking the law.
Yes, I know what he did was perfectly safe. It's against the law and motorists will use anything they can against us. I recently saw a really good piece on the topic of law breaking cyclists and why they get up motorists noses so far. A serious article and worth a read. Thanks to Treadly for finding and linking to it.
Then of course there's always this dick-head. I can't believe that anyone can seriously stick their head up and support such views. This is exactly the kind of self-absorbed, unthinking stupidity I expect from the worst kind of motorists. Why doesn't he just buy an SUV and rip up a few bits of national park before monstering a cyclist or two? To make matters worse, he's from Australia.
Anyway, I had a great ride home, set a PB with a light tail-wind. Now I hurt all over.
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