Won't somebody think of the children?

Argh.

I don't want to turn into angry militant cyclist person I really don't.

But they keep. Pushing. Me.

I commute to work on my pushbike, but I don't use the road. Luckily Milton Keynes has a fine, if somwhat meandering network of Redways which I use. They're kinda combination foot/cyclepaths. Very newtown. Pretty cool actually and it means you don't have to mix it with cars that can legally be going 60mph (and maybe more in reality).
Every so often the Redway crosses a road, and they have cute little 'Give Way' markings painted just so you know that the road users have priority.



It seems to be a weekly occurrence now that as I pull up to give way a driver will slow to a halt and then flash to let me cross.

Don't get me wrong I appreciate the sentiment of the gesture, they have good intentions... they're just well intentioned idiots. The bit that really grinds my gears is that it always happens at the junction next to Gulliver's Land (kid's theme park) and the one next to the school... because these dimwits are mostly stopping to beckon kids out into the street.

They are doing it because they wuv the ickle kiddies... and want to help them out. Precisely how helpful it is to encourage kids out into traffic disregarding the Highway Code obviously hasn't troubled them.

They don't appreciate sitting in the middle of the road flashing their lights at me, beckoning me into the road with a hand gesture whilst I eyeball them shaking my head... after a couple of seconds of this I'll tend to point out the road markings, at this point the driver likely as not roll her eyes and drives off muttering under her breath.

At this point that I have to resist the temptation to follow her into the school car park and explain to her in front of her offspring in robust terms why if she's concerned about kids safety the best approach would be to consistently follow the Highway Code and encourage her family to do the same - if she wants to go the extra mile there's always adoption and sterilisation available.

So far I'm still resisting but its a struggle not becoming angry cyclist sometimes.