effing drivers

xz

whilst I am a driver myself, i like to cycle a lot too, 6 times on my short commute home, I had drivers turn left, literally cutting me up, or basically not checking blindspot before turning, one of them has a nice big dent in his off side rear door where I kicked it to alert him to my prescence, which he never acknowledged and kept going:mad::(

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Welcome to cycling in Ireland:D

cipo

you gotta ride defensively ALL the time.

dont count on or rely on any drivers to see you, dont count on them to act sensibly, dont rely on them to abide by the rules of the road (as you would nt expect many cyclists to do so either eg light jumping etc).

i now expect drivers to drive past me in the bus lane and then cut me up !! im not being cynical just maybe a little over cautious but the more time you spend pedalling around the more ye see people driving without due regard for cyclists !!!

be safe,

dave

bealbocht

a dent eh...

and the person did not stop... ( if you put a dent in the ipod , they were probably listening to.. then you might have had a problem)

been very tempted myself a few times.

I suppose there is always the argument, that "you kicked out to stop yourself going under the vechile which was less that a leg-length away from you, and closing, and the dent is a result of you trying to preserve your well being"

And you be right.

steinone

Yeah some drivers I have to say are great:D Just so obliging and understanding to me a..well mad cyclist.
Me and two of my friends were cycling down a one laned road, in the middle of the road as we were about to turn right. We signalled and I was first so I started to turn right I then saw in the corner of my eye the woman overtaking my two friends just as they started to turn and nearly hit the back of me and then started to beep at us. Like not overtaking us a bit out into the other lane, completely in the other lane. It was RIDICULOUS!

DirkVoodoo

I went with my mum there a few hours ago to visit my brother in vincents (just got his appendix!) and naturally I had to drive .

Anyway, when we were coming out of the well lit carpark I noticed this woman behind hadn't turned on her lights, even though immediately after you come out of the car park it is pitch dark with little street lighting.

I thought I should let her know in case she happens to cause an accident so I stopped the car in front of her, not pulling in just stopping, and stuck half myself out the window and started pointing frantically at her bonnet. She stood there staring at my brake lights and then with a quick look over her shoulder, proceeded to overtake. I suppose its conceivable that the light was so poor she didn't see a mad looking young man hanging out the driver's side of a big car, but if that was the case then she should have been thinking her headlights weren't very effective.

As she passes the front of the car I started waving more frantically, really giving it socks. Then she spots me and after a second or two of wondering whether there is a gremlin on her bonnet or her headlights aren't turned on (also possibly she realised her instrument cluster wasn't illuminated at this point), she flips the switch and I slide back into my seat a happy citizen.

I wondered, as she nearly plowed through the red light at the top of nutley avenue, whether she should be behind the wheel of that fiesta and shuddered at the thought of coming across her while on my bike.

The plus side was the GARDAI were out on the N11 and stopped a few people for speeding, but be careful out there folks, a lot of bad drivers!

@xz: I had a driver (elderly lady again, hmm..wonder if thats a pattern?) cut across me on the cycle lane as she was turning left up Brewery road and just pulled up along side me. I started to realise there was a problem when the cycle lane seemed to shrink in front of me. Anyway, I gave her car a thump on the boot (first and only time I have done that) but she didn't even blink at her rear view mirror. I find that quite terrifying when a driver seems completely oblivious to your presence.

steinone

Yeah the ignorance or just the unknowing that your even there is terrifying.

buffalo

Out cycling Sunday morning, making a right turn on a roundabout, motorist comes onto the roundabout to make a left turn onto my exit. Doesn't stop at the stop line for the roundabout, but obviously glanced at the roundabout, saw no cars, and proceeded to drive straight into the side of me.

Only that I saw him coming, and managed to get my left leg up and kicked myself off his bonnet, I could've ended with a nasty bumper-leg-bike squishing scenario. He wasn't the least bit apologetic! I swear it's like I'm wearing the hi-vis vest for a joke. I hope I left a dent in his bonnet.

TinyExplosions

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I went with my mum there a few hours ago to visit my brother in vincents (just got his appendix!) and naturally I had to drive .

You mean his didn't come as standard? I got mine along with everything else, didn't need it installed later

DirkVoodoo

Harr, harr smart arse! Ok, I wont edit it so everyone can see how stupid I am.

Good spot though! :rolleyes:

EDIT: I cant stop laughing now when I read it!

flickerx

Motorists as a species are disgusting.

mrpants

well, i know what you guys are talking about, i used to cycle everywhere and now as a driver i watch for cyclist even slowing down traffic on tight roads to give them room. my only problem would be that alot of cyclists dont use cycle lanes and if im on a road that has them and the cyclist isnt on it i couldnt give a flying F**K about them.

pipsqueak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auIntJIMmYI

only 18 seconds long but damn, proves a point!!

kenmc

mrpants wrote: »

well, i know what you guys are talking about, i used to cycle everywhere and now as a driver i watch for cyclist even slowing down traffic on tight roads to give them room. my only problem would be that alot of cyclists dont use cycle lanes and if im on a road that has them and the cyclist isnt on it i couldnt give a flying F**K about them.

Hmmm, yeah well see that's cos a lot of "cycle lanes" actually aren't, and it's illegal for cyclists to ride on the path. End of discussion, search previous threads for further details.

uberwolf

Folks this isn't going to go anywhere