View Single Post
      02-26-2020, 05:17 PM   #23
Tambohamilton
Brigadier General
3046
Rep
3,899
Posts

Drives: E91 330d
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Herefordshire

iTrader: (0)

Having commuted by bike (push bike, not motor bike) for about 3 years, covering between 5000 - 7500 miles per year, I feel I'm reasonably well positioned to have an opinion on which car brand is driven least considerately...

ANY car can be driven inconsiderately. I've seen it, and got the brown stains in my underwear from it However, it seems like there are 2 extremes who are generally less considerate, and a middle ground who are generally more considerate;

Fancy range rover sport, flashy Audi, BMW (yep, us!), 'executive' Vauxhall (Opel/GM), fancy Merc...way more likely to blast past me at 60mph, barely clearing my handlebar. Same goes for more shitbox cars; beat up old...anythings. The drivers seemed to not give a fuck about me or my life, either way.

On the other hand, your average Joe cars (non-R golfs, civics, fiats, Peugeot, Citroen, etc ...normal non-racy cars), way more likely to at least slow a bit and/or change lane to pass me.

Of course the worst offenders in my observations are the exception, not the rule. But I swear the pattern was there, and I certainly wasn't looking for it. I never went a week without an 'incident' that gave me an adrenaline spike; at least once a day was normal. I can't claim to have ridden like a saint, but I was always very visibly dressed and lit up at least. And being acutely aware how dead I would be if I actually got hit, I did my best to stay out of trouble.

Since owning my 330d I've hardly commuted by bike. It's too tempting and easy to drive, and honestly I don't want to die because somebody couldn't be bothered to lift their right toe and/or turn the steering wheel clockwise (UK!) by a few mm. I tried to get back into it now that I have a much shorter commute, but within a week I came very close to being flattened by a driver who just didn't give way at a roundabout until the very last second. I'm done with it.

Do I agree with this article though? No. Shit like that is purely provocative, and should never be published. Doesn't matter if the massive generalisation is true, it just doesn't deserve air time.

Oh and thank you to everyone who gives cyclists space on the road. I know we're slow and small, but we're trying to save money and the planet and get fit and maybe have fun at the same time...
Appreciate 5
NEfan5082658.50
Red Bread4462.00
Moflow2484.50
ROASTM162.50