Riders must change their behaviour to make roads safer?

[rachk89]

Some people are just rude on the road, no matter if they are in a car, on a bike, on a horse or walking on the road. That's just them.

I thank drivers for slowing down or passing carefully when I do go on the road which isn't often anyway as I dont like to. I did hold up a person the other day but I did thank him as my horse is just not trustworthy enough to trot on when something behind him is making him tense. The guy was really good about it and stayed well back and even waited until I had pulled off the road and turned my horse around so he could see the car.

 

[fattylumpkin]

I don't ride on roads any longer, despite being a former advocate. We've nearly been taken out twice by speeders, both on the wrong side of the road going around a blind corner, plus one man in a hurry who came inches from skidding into us when he lost traction on the gravel, and once by a woman texting on her phone who just didn't see us. Too many close calls. This has ruined our happy hacking as I have no driver's license or ability to drive her out someplace safe but I honestly can't see the point in taking the risk anymore.

 

[sjp1]

sjp1, yes, as riders we will more than likely come off worst in a collision with a car but doesn't that also apply to cyclists, joggers, walkers etc? Should they prostrate themselves with gratitude every time we slow down and pass them safely? I think a simple wave or nod from a cyclist, providing they are not taking part in a race or puffing up a steep hill would suffice but still they don't do it or at least I've never encountered a cyclist who's thanked me.

I will repeat for the millionth time that I, personally, always drive or ride as safely as possible and I always, without exception, thank those who have slowed down and passed me safely/let me out at junctions or whatever. I do not, however, see that horse riders, and horse riders alone, should have to come over all Uriah Heep every time they encounter a driver who is obeying the highway code and driving safely. Whatever next, should it be compulsory for all horse owners to rush out of their homes and thank passers by for walking past uneventfully rather than breaking into their houses and stealing their televisions?

No, its just that we as riders have living animals underneath us who are reactive. Cyclists ride pieces of metal that don't have their own agenda and aren't flight animals prone to having a nervous breakdown over silly things!!

Yes, its wrong that we live in a society where there are a lot of thick people, but thats just the way it is. I live in Devon - sadly and am not looking to start another argument - there are a lot of incomers who don't understand animals at all. They have money, move down from cities and urban areas and behave as badly as they did where they came from. They are aggressive impatient drivers who don't realise there might be a flock of sheep being moved on a small rural road, or horses and riders hacking down it, but think they can drive in their normal idiotic way without having the benefit of x ray vision and being too thick to think about it.

Sad, but true, and if I have to be Uriah Heep so the idiots realise they have 'done good' so be it!! I do however get very cross with those that don't slow down and do make a lot of not particularly polite gestures. Probably though they are used to that where they come from and take it as a sign of goodwill or an indication that they are a bit of a 'geezer'

Oddly the young local lads driving souped up cars are fab here, often they stop, turn their engines off and wait until you have gone a long way past before starting up again - they clearly understand that something on four legs is an animal and reacts differently to a motorbike or a bicycle.

Cyclists are dreadful - they are so obsessed with their fitness regime they really don't care at all about anything else on the road apart from them. I MAKE them say hello as they whiz past if I am riding - oddly horses are prepared to accept bikes whizzing if they realise they have a person on them, but I have bolted down the road on my horse who is fab in traffic because a stupid cyclist came stealthily up behind him as we turned out of a junction at a hundred miles an hour - he certainly had an earful!!

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Having ridden all my life I do realise that a horse is not a bicycle and vice versa but ta for the heads up

Do you not worry that, being in a vulnerable position as you admit, giving drivers/cyclists an earful of abuse might land you in deep water? My friend once challenged a man who was making rude comments (sexual) to her and he came back and punched her and knocked her out. Something to think about ...

 

[dulcie_dustyxx]

Haven't read the article but I do know that whatever signals we make it doesn't always work. Only Friday had my lesson, hacked back. Asked a line of cars to slow down. The first did and when I saw a black car NOT slowing down I assumed he hadn't seen but was still far enough away to slow down before getting to me. I asked HE SAW ME, LOOKED RIGHT AT ME AND DELIBERATLY SPED PAST. Well Dusty spun, terrified (he was in a very loud sports car) and I generally thought she was going to go into him. Scared the life out of me and then had the audacity to shake his head at me on the way because my horse nearly hit his car because HE was speeding.

 

[sjp1]

Having ridden all my life I do realise that a horse is not a bicycle and vice versa but ta for the heads up

Do you not worry that, being in a vulnerable position as you admit, giving drivers/cyclists an earful of abuse might land you in deep water? My friend once challenged a man who was making rude comments (sexual) to her and he came back and punched her and knocked her out. Something to think about ...

No, I suppose I should!!