bloody_cyclist

Last night at 10.15pm I was driving Northbound on Kennington Oval Out of nowhere, a cyclist going southbound on the 2-way cycle lane, left their lane at speed, and cut across me to join the southbound traffic lane He was *SO* close to getting hit by my car. Had I not slammed by brakes on, he’d be dead or very hurt There was no way he didn’t see me. He made a conscious choice. I beeped, but he just rode on, oblivious, whilst I was left stressed, a bit scared, and frankly furious Why didn’t he realise he’d be badly hurt, not me? Why did he put his safety at such ridiculous risk instead of stopping? Why did he just presume I’d stop in time? What if I didn’t? But more importantly, how much longer do we all need to put up with this? How much longer do drivers have to put up with constant roadworks and congestion for cycle infra which isn’t even used by so many? Put up with redesigned gridlock- creating junctions to keep cyclists ‘safe’ when many don’t even seem to care about basic road rules? Put up with the ones darting through red lights, speeding on and off pavements or through crossings leaving pedestrians having to fear for their lives? Of course there are many cyclists who are decent. But too many aren’t. And ultimately those ones lead to us to reasonably ask why any of us should care about their safety when those ones just don’t seem to? When I cycle I am SO careful. Why are so many not careful at all, and presume others reactions will keep them safe? Nothing will change of course. This post will get the usual ‘but cars…’ responses (cars are identifiable) or probable accusations this didn’t even happen. Or that it is ‘hateful’. But anyone who walks or drives in a major city knows this is all true, it’s getting worse, and really can’t go on