Who to blame

You own a car, not the road.

Picture this.


Two-way residential street. 


You are cycling along. 


Car parked smack bang in your lane. 


Creating a pinch point. 


And pinch points are bad as you are in conflict with the driver behind and/or oncoming traffic.

Question: what happens next?


UK

Motorists will blame you as a cyclist for holding them up, and they may even reward you with bad and dangerous driving, speeding past at close distance, or speeding towards you to squeeze through.

Same scenario. But in a different country.

Germany

Motorists will blame the driver of the parking car for putting it in a silly place and reward the cyclist with patience.

Why? What makes people react so differently?

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Great North Road, cycle lane, parked-in

For Newcastle folks. 


Writing this I am thinking of Ilford Road which is on my daily commute to work and shopping trips to the city centre. I cycle on Ilford Road a lot to avoid the dangerous Great North Road with its parked-up cycle lanes (left), land of bollards and 40mph 'sharing'.