Over the last month, after a winter break I have returned to cycling to work from the west to the city centre. This something I have done for years.
However, this year things feel different. Almost every day I have experienced aggression and frustration expressed towards me by drivers. My route hasn’t changed and I don’t think my cycling technique/etiquette have either.
It doesn’t seem to be an isolated commuting phenomenon either. Over the weekend a van driver stopped and got out of their van to confront me and my family (including several young kids) about us crossing the road as part of using national cycle route 7 on South street.
I am finding this quite draining and wondered if it was just me running into this aggression? Have I missed an update in cycling rules? Am I just noticing more now I’m older/slower? Is frustration at all the roadworks being taken out on cyclists? Does everyone assume two wheels = e-bike menace?
Apologies for drivers vs. cyclists rage-bait but even just writing it down has made me feel a bit less unsettled.