After a bit of Christmas shopping I cycled home through Manchester on a dual carriageway punctuated with traffic lights.
I stayed left at some sets of lights and cycled in the middle of the road at others.
When I cycled in the middle of the road, what we cyclists call primary position, I didn’t have drivers ’squeezing’ past me in their cars, but I felt pressure from the driver of the car behind to ‘move over’. I have never been one for imposing my will over anyone else, but cycling is different. I have to stay safe and sometimes that means deterring motorists from overtaking at squeeze points.
When I was more submissive staying to the left, I was ‘well squeezed’. I had a car full of five ‘laddish’ lads pass and they all gave me the thumbs up in a festive spirit. Contrast that to occasional drivers who get angy because when I do ride in a more central position. Sadly, the lads in this particular car seemed completely ignorant to the fact they were travelling at 30-40 mph and just a few inches from my right elbow and the risks there in.
So as a cyclist, it’s a choice between potentially annoying the driver behind and drawing yourself into a conflict situation or being submissive and coping (and praying) in what little space drivers allow you. The former situation makes it easy to avoid potholes, see clearly what is happening around you and also gives the opportunity to communicate to other road users via positioning. The latter is very constrained, gives no leeway for avoiding potholes and leaves you at ther mercy of drivers who, because you are at the extreme of their field of vision, may not have even seen you.
On some occasions I’ve tried to start discussions with drivers following a ‘near hit’ where clearly I’ve not been seen or properly regarded and the conversation always starts the same way, no matter how polite and constructive you try to be. ‘You don’t pay road tax.. don’t have an MOT.. don’t have to pass a test’ etc. I’m getting bored just thinking about it for a short second because I have heard it so many times before.
Then of course, give them time and the driver will go on to talk about the no-light cyclists and the red light jumpers. But none of that changes the fact that the driver you’re trying to talk to (and I mean talk) has just comprimised your safety.
So.. what has all this got to do with starting a blog? During the remainder of my journey home, I figured it was high time I started to do something positive with all the emotion I experienced whilst out on the road. So here it is.
I will emphasize now that this blog is not about berating drivers or belittling the car though. That said, I won’t be frightened to constructively criticise any person or group of people. Including cyclists themselves (because we have to accept there are untrained, inexperienced cyclists out there as well as ones that just don’t give a monkey’s backside). This blog intended to examine why cycling is important enough to be more widely understood and the problems cyclists face.
