July 9th 2014

I stopped behind a red van today in traffic and on the rear, written in dirt, was a string of abuse towards cyclists. Mostly the language was foul and in some instances physically impossible however, in summary the comments were advising cyclists to keep clear and stop colliding into the van's wing mirrors.
As with any disagreements there are problems and solutions. Why do cyclists keep hitting the wing mirrors of the van? I suggest the following could be a selection of answers:

1. The wing mirrors are too big
2. The red van stops at junctions or in traffic without consideration of cycling flow - deliberately or otherwise
3. The van is too big
4. The driver is inadequate
5. The roads are too narrow
6. The cyclists or the van is in too much of a hurry
7. The cyclists think they own the road
8. A bad hair day for the cyclist or van driver

Any others?
LCO