Ding Ding Ding Get Out of My Way

I’m sure we have all been in a situation where a driver behind us has blasted their horn because we are ‘in their way’.

I tried to do the similar whilst on my bicycle, I got up really close behind another vehicle, dinged on my bell really loudly to show my frustration, unfortunately they couldn’t hear it due to them singing along to a dodgy song from Heart Radio. When they finally pulled over and stopped, I cycle passed shouting my frustration, telling them they can’t drive here and they should be on the motorway. The driver was clearly startled by this as they quickly got out of their car and ran into the post office with a letter. A letter which I’m presuming was a written apology to me for being in me way.

Sounds crazy eh?! But that is pretty much what happens to cyclists. Drivers expect us (cyclists) to bow down and pump their tyres up with our mouths as they pass. They drive close behind us and blast their horns if we are stopping them from progressing to the back of the next queue. As they pass they shout out of the window that we don’t pay ‘road tax’ and that we should be on the pavement.

It’s bullying behaviour and shouldn’t be accepted on our roads. Look after the more vulnerable road user.

Note: Some things said in this post are not strictly true.


4 thoughts on “Ding Ding Ding Get Out of My Way

  1. 🙂 It’s strange when you put it that way I’m sure not many people would expect other’s to behave like that. The other way I like to put it is how would the car drivers like it if articulated lorries treated them like they treat us? Blasting their horns, tailgating, un-reasonably close passes or my personal favourite the “overtake then turn left”. Lets see if they feel so safe wrapped in they little metal boxes when faced with a 45-ton truck, should give them an idea how it feels for us…..

    At the end of the day we are all just trying to get somewhere, if car drivers genuinely think it’s cyclists holding them up then they clearly need to be a tiny bit more observant of which vehicles around them are stationary and which are disappearing off down the road 🙂

  2. I think you may have misunderstood the purpose of the car horn, which is to warn other road users of the user’s presence. You may perceive that the driver behind is being aggressive or impatient. Nothing could be further from the diligent driver’s mind, whose purpose is to ensure your safety.

    The correct response is to ensure that you are in a safe position. The primary position is a safe position. It is quite possible that you are also cycling too fast for the circumstances. Having adopted a safe road position, slow down. That way, if the vehicle behind needs to overtake, it will need to spend less time in the oncoming land while overtaking you and giving wide berth.

    If the driver feels the need to give further warning, (s)he may come alongside and call a warning through their open window, e.g. “accident ahead”; “your wheel’s going round”; “get out of the King’s way” (that’s what it sounded like, anyway). Out of politeness, you will wish to acknowledge their warning…

    In older days of radio communications, the letter “R” denoted “received” (the phonetic code for “R” was “Roger” which is why it is used to acknowledge in various forms of radio speak). The Morse for “R” is “.-.”, or “dit-dah-dit”:

    Remove your AirZounds horn from its bracket and, for optimal communication, point it through the open window and signal “R”. This will satisfy the other driver who will now continue happily on his way.

    Good luck.

  3. Had a driver bang his horn like a 5 year old in a temper tantrum today. I’d just scaled one of the worst hills in Southampton, negotiating between a pinch point (bushes to my left, parked cars to my right) I intended to turn right. About to stick my arm out and indicate when I realised “Hold on, some idiot is trying to overtake!?”

    Threw my arm back to and said “GET OFF MY BACK WHEEL NOW!” Him nearly taking me down, and my having no where to go. He presses the horn for about 6-7 seconds. I make my turn, walk down the pavement and he’s followed by a younger fella who looked at me to say “I feel for ya! What was he doing??” Plonker is still at the junction as I come parallel on foot so I shouted “Do you not know what tailgaiting is??!!”

    Straight ahead stare.

    No need for it. He’s the one who has it easy.

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