Open letter to the woman whose morning was spoilt by an argument with a cyclist

It wasn’t a good start to the day for either of us. We nearly had an accident and then I shouted at you and didn’t accept your apology.  I couldn’t accept it though, because it wasn’t made in good faith. It came with a “because” which started as self-justification and ended with an accusation. That’s why you stopped your car to apologise to me; you just wanted to tell me it was my fault.

As it happens, I have reflected on the incident and I think it probably was my fault. It all comes down to deciding who has right of way at the junction at which we met. I assumed I had right of way because I was going in a straight line; you assumed you had right of way because you live in a cul-de-sac and only two or three cars are ever likely to come from the direction I did. Into which tail of your cul-de-sac does the right of way flow? There are no road markings to help either of us. If we assume the right of way follows the longest piece of road, you win.  It is probably also safe to assume that where a traffic free cycle route flows onto a road, the minor route should give way to the major.

I am a commuting cyclist, but I’m also a car driver. Over the last five years of city cycling I have modified many aspects of the way I cycle as I learn lessons from encounters with cars when I’m a cyclist and encounters with cyclists when I’m driving.  I overtake differently and approach junctions differently; and that’s just when I’m cycling. I don’t weave in and out of traffic, I don’t run red lights, and I signal at junctions. When I’m in a car I always marvel at how hard it is to see some cyclists; that’s why I wear a full long sleeved fluorescent jacket, don’t cover it up with a rucksack, and ride a bright yellow bike. And on the autumn morning we met I also had two bright lights both front and rear. I want to give my fellow car drivers a chance. As far as possible it is always my intention to act as a full piece of traffic, in the hope that I’m treated as a full piece of traffic.  My visibility, my road position, the predictability of my behavior are things I take very seriously. That’s why I was so incensed by the sight of only your right cheek facing me as you turned left into the road in front of me, and why I bleated so plaintively about being legitimate traffic.

Today I learnt a new lesson; that I need to give way at that junction.  On Tuesday morning I’ll approach it with more caution.

Can I ask a favour of you though?  You live in a city whose Council is winning awards for its cycling initiatives. You live in a road which has a numbered cycle route running onto it. I didn’t come “shooting out” of nowhere, I was using the Sustrans National Cycle Network. Please expect to see cyclists on your next commute to work, and please turn your head to look both ways next time.  And I hope that when you do you’ll see me stop and give way to you. And I hope that I will have more good grace this time to acknowledge you more kindly. It’ll be a better start to both our days.