More than one forum has a ‘pet hates’ thread – this page is along that idea but is for those things that I don’t necessarily hate (but probably do, at least sometimes) but which will generally make me go ‘grrr!’ It currently has a strong bias to transport – I have other peeves and I’ll be adding them in. Feel free to contact me about any of them. I welcome comments on everything listed here:
People who don’t follow the Highway Code:
A big category this – it includes (but is not limited to):
cyclists who go the wrong way on one-way streets
cyclists who cycle on pavements
cyclists who don’t have lights on in darkness (either switched on or on the bike!)
cyclists who don’t wear appropriate safety gear (see the comments for more details)
cyclists who think traffic lights don’t apply to them
all motorists who think traffic lights don’t apply to them
Or yellow boxes
Or do not turn left/right here signs
Or ‘reserved parking bay’ signs
Even small ones
or the lines around a parking bay
motorists coming down a hill who don’t give way for traffic coming up the hill
tailgators
middle lane hoggers
or those who resolutely stay at well below the speed limit (40mph in a 60 zone does not make you a safer driver)
drivers who talk on their mobile handsets whilst driving
drivers with missing lights
or drivers who think fog lights are needed to drive in ALL weathers conditions
people who get on the tube for one stop during rush hour and the next stop is only a couple of minutes away (London Bridge to Bank in particular)
people who feel that standing is acceptable on trains (particularly if they don’t travel in the rush hour – just try it!)
people standing on the wrong side of an escalator
people in front of you on a golf course who don’t think to let you play through even though you are a smaller group/play faster/etc.
catching copper from electrical cables under fingernails
delivery companies who’s idea of giving a delivery time is “from 8am to 6pm”
that period time, usually at work, where there’s nothing to do but you know that later everything is going to get rushed
Whats wrong with cyclists without protective equipment? I don’t see many pedestrians or drivers wearing helmets, when they are more likely to be in the kind of accident where one would be useful. In fact there is no statistical evidence that cycle helmets reduce the occurrence of serious injuries, and may in fact cause more serious neck injuries from what would otherwise have been minor incidents.
Also why didn’t you include:
drivers with only one working headlight
the 99% of people who don’t know when to turn fog lights on or off.
Thanks for the comments Jasper.
I’ve had a look at http://www.cyclehelmets.org to get a better idea of the helmet arguments and accept that helmets are not necessarily always a good thing (but I won’t accept that they are _never_ a bad thing)
Protective equipment on a cyclist would also include (but not be limited to) hi-vis materials, trouser straps, cycling gloves, anti-glare glasses, elbow and knee pads, a cycle bell, front and rear lights …
As for your other suggestions, well I’ll add them to the list if you have no objections.
This page is ongoing so I will always be adding to it
fairy nuff, although personally i wouldn’t be peeved at a lack of e.g. trouser straps. while traffic is on the menu, you might even add “traffic planning officers who think a 10cm wide cycle lane will do anything other than increase accident risk” and “people who think it’s a good idea to put up important road signs behind trees or bushes that, surprise surprise, get loads of leaves on in spring and make said sign unreadable from passing motor vehicles.”
though it might be easier to just say “other road people grrr”
There. i feel better now, think i’ve said enough
Hello,
Just responding to Jasper’s comment about what is wrong with cyclists that do not wear a helmet etc. The main reason FOR cycle helmets, is that in the event of an accident where there is a head trauma, it significantly reduces the severity of any head/brain injury sustained. For more information about this I would contact charitiable organisations in relation to head injuries regarding this. Having worked in A&E and with people recovering from head and brain injuries/trauma on a neuro team I have first hand accounts for this.
You are MUCH more likely to walk away from an accident if you wear a helmet, therefore stastics may not be that realistic- eg. facial injury recorded but not head trauma.
Additionally, what may interest you, is that you may ask yourself why then, doesn’t the Government bring in legislation like in Australia where cyclists legally HAVE to wear a helment – if it reduces the risk of serious head injuries?…..
The simple reason relates to public health promotion. This reason goes back YEARS. The Government decided not to make this a priority in their policy planning, as they discovered that social attitudes towards wearing cycle helmets -that it was ‘uncool’ to wear one and ‘too much hassle’ to carry it/buy one; was actually putting people off of cycling full stop. In their great wisdom, they decided then that as there were more people dying of ‘less healthier lifestyle’ related illnesses (heart disease etc) than serious cycle related head injuries – they decided to play this down so that mor people were encouraged to get exercise and cycle (also solves transport problems).
Again, referring to the statistics – ….. who publishes them and defines how they record them…? when you do have a look at them, consider how mr spin doctor woking for the NHS has put them together first.
I give an example of how waiting times in A&E have gone down – isn’t it strange how your now get seen quite quickly by a triage nurse and they now have additional areas attached to A&E and discharge waiting lounges…. people are getting seen to so much quicker in a&e and discharged so much quicker apparently… according to the statistics pulled off from this process!!
there is a bit more to it and the NHS and government do do lots of things very well too – just thought i would use these examples to ask you to be wary of statistics.
…and, if you do cycle wearing a helmet is worthwhile, honestly!! -providing it is fitted and worn correctly – this is very important too -as have seen one or two neck injuries from people in accidents who have actually worn them back to front.
Buses, especially bendy buses, that go through pedestrian crossings with no hope of reaching the other side. They just sit on the crossing while the pedestrians have to go around them when it on the green man. Which part of the highway code can you not read!!! This is getting to be more and more of a problem.