Cats and mice, dogs and cats, men and women - just a few of the ancestral rivalries we've grown up with, to which we can now add another one: cars and bicycles.
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
The funny thing is the two sometimes - or even most of the times - intertwine, meaning that most cyclists are also drivers, and some drivers use to cycle every now and again. Still, their attitude towards the other camp seems to fluctuate depending on which side they are at the moment. When you're pedaling, you think every driver is out on a mission to kill you, whereas when you're driving, it's like the main reason for the cyclists' existence is to annoy you and get in your way.
That's probably because of the way we're wired, thinking that we can never do anything wrong while everybody else can do anything but. Somehow, though, we all manage to live together most of the time, but then there are these encounters that remind us why there are very few chances these two types of road users will ever be able to make a truce.
We start this clip focusing on the bicycle rider. He's weaving through traffic not a care in the world, riding in the opposite lane (we're in England here, in case you were a little confused) as if the cars have a moral - if not legal - duty to get out of his way. And he's not going particularly slow either, pushing that 26-inch wheeled mountain bike pretty hard. He's the "after me, the deluge" type of guy and he makes no excuses about it.
Meet Granny. She's the proud owner of a Nissan Micra, one of the best mini-cars on its first generation, and one of the worst in the ones to follow. Granny doesn't enjoy driving, but she doesn't enjoy walking or using the public transport either, so she has to get in her car now and then. She sort of remembers what she's doing, but she's mostly going with the flow. She doesn't like crowded streets, but she needs other cars around her so she can know what to do.
Nothing good can ever come out of this, and yet the two somehow manage to see it through without serious complications. After riding in the opposite lane, Exhibit A thinks it's about time he got closer to where he's supposed to be, so he hugs the road's dividing line. Exhibit B wants to make a right-hand turn, and since there were no other cars in front of her, she goes ahead and does it. Exhibit A brakes hard, locking the wheels and swerving left and then right. The Micra stops, so he's free to continue his ride unaffected.
After watching the clip, I can only find two good things to say: one, at least the cyclist had the common sense to continue without making too much out of the incident, even though the Nissan did almost kill him; two, it sent the cyclist where he belonged: right next to the curb. And there's a potential third favorable consequence: Granny was so scared, she decided not to drive the Micra anymore. Unless she's decided to get a Hummer now.
That's probably because of the way we're wired, thinking that we can never do anything wrong while everybody else can do anything but. Somehow, though, we all manage to live together most of the time, but then there are these encounters that remind us why there are very few chances these two types of road users will ever be able to make a truce.
Exhibit A
We start this clip focusing on the bicycle rider. He's weaving through traffic not a care in the world, riding in the opposite lane (we're in England here, in case you were a little confused) as if the cars have a moral - if not legal - duty to get out of his way. And he's not going particularly slow either, pushing that 26-inch wheeled mountain bike pretty hard. He's the "after me, the deluge" type of guy and he makes no excuses about it.
Exhibit B
Meet Granny. She's the proud owner of a Nissan Micra, one of the best mini-cars on its first generation, and one of the worst in the ones to follow. Granny doesn't enjoy driving, but she doesn't enjoy walking or using the public transport either, so she has to get in her car now and then. She sort of remembers what she's doing, but she's mostly going with the flow. She doesn't like crowded streets, but she needs other cars around her so she can know what to do.
Exhibits A and B meet
Nothing good can ever come out of this, and yet the two somehow manage to see it through without serious complications. After riding in the opposite lane, Exhibit A thinks it's about time he got closer to where he's supposed to be, so he hugs the road's dividing line. Exhibit B wants to make a right-hand turn, and since there were no other cars in front of her, she goes ahead and does it. Exhibit A brakes hard, locking the wheels and swerving left and then right. The Micra stops, so he's free to continue his ride unaffected.
After watching the clip, I can only find two good things to say: one, at least the cyclist had the common sense to continue without making too much out of the incident, even though the Nissan did almost kill him; two, it sent the cyclist where he belonged: right next to the curb. And there's a potential third favorable consequence: Granny was so scared, she decided not to drive the Micra anymore. Unless she's decided to get a Hummer now.
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