Where can I cycle?

Eo1n

I was cycling up the swords road today in the bus lane beside a cycle lane and a bus driver starting honking me out of it and he was pointing to the cycle lane. I pulled up beside him and asked him what his problem was. He told me by law i should be in the cycle lane when one is provided. It was news to me.

From what I notice cycle lanes mostly appear out of nowhere and are difficult to join from the road. Can someone clear this up for me. Is it ok to cycle on the road at all times? Can I ignore grumpy bus drivers in future?

Thanks
Eoin

Depending on the nature of the cycle lane, some are compulsary by law. However, most are designed without it seems considering cyclists' needs.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Stick to the road if you feel safer there. You're very unlikely to get done for it.

short circuit

Eo1n wrote: »

I was cycling up the swords road today in the bus lane beside a cycle lane and a bus driver starting honking me out of it and he was pointing to the cycle lane. I pulled up beside him and asked him what his problem was. He told me by law i should be in the cycle lane when one is provided. It was news to me.

From what I notice cycle lanes mostly appear out of nowhere and are difficult to join from the road. Can someone clear this up for me. Is it ok to cycle on the road at all times? Can I ignore grumpy bus drivers in future?

Thanks
Eoin

It is mandatory to use the cycle lane where provided. That is the law.

But I use my own discretion when to use it or not ... if I know that a particular section has glass all over it ... or shares it with people walking dogs, kids on three wheels etc ... I avoid. If its good to use and doesn't endanger me or others, I will use it.

Cycle lanes do have a habit of coming up and disappearing out of nowhere .. if its your regular commute, recon them over a weekend .. so you know where to join, which ones to use and which one to avoid. If its a new route you are trying out .. there is very little you can do.

As far as using bus lanes ... don't cycle in the middle ... but as far to the left as safely possible. And whatever the law .. its not the driver's job to enforce it. He is just chancing his arm because you are but a piece of meat on a pole ... he wouldn't be honking if there were 10 cars stopped on the buslane in front of him now ... would he?

Hold your line ... and don't get into an altercation ... and make a point of taking his route and reg. number and complain ... follow-up ... don't suffer in silence.

Bus drivers are like every other car driver, cyclist etc around ... 95% of them are good ... the other 5%, I try desparately to avoid.

petethedrummer

Check the signs for the bus lane, if they have a bicycle underneath the bus then you are permitted to use the bus lane.

I used to cycle out to swords for work and the cycle lanes through Santry are a disaster. I can't remember what's on the bus lane signs.

Captain Ahab

Sean_K wrote: »

Stick to the road if you feel safer there. You're very unlikely to get done for it.

What's the legal position in case of an accident? Would your case be harmed if you were involved in an accident on the road, when there was a cycle lane beside it you 'should' be using?

buffalo

short circuit wrote: »

It is mandatory to use the cycle lane where provided. That is the law.

...

Hold your line ... and don't get into an altercation ... and make a point of taking his route and reg. number and complain ... follow-up ... don't suffer in silence.

Complain about what exactly? That the driver gave out because the OP was breaking the law? I imagine whoever you complain to won't humour you.

short circuit

buffalo wrote: »

Complain about what exactly? That the driver gave out because the OP was breaking the law? I imagine whoever you complain to won't humour you.

I am not doling out vigilante justice .. am I ... so why should Dublin bus drivers ... complain against dangerous driving if the driver was going 2 inches from my back tyre honking away ...

If I feel safe and its just honking .... just ignore ...

short circuit

Captain Ahab wrote: »

What's the legal position in case of an accident? Would your case be harmed if you were involved in an accident on the road, when there was a cycle lane beside it you 'should' be using?

I would hardly think that a defence for running into someone just because they are in the wrong place would reasonably stand up in court.

You are not supposed to go onto a motorway if you not sure that your car is roadworthy ... but suppose I do and run out of gas .... if you run into me ... you could hardly state the law ...

The simple reason for the crash is that you were not driving carefully ..

I am thinking the same would apply in this case.

Húrin

short circuit wrote: »

It is mandatory to use the cycle lane where provided. That is the law.

But I use my own discretion when to use it or not ... if I know that a particular section has glass all over it ... or shares it with people walking dogs, kids on three wheels etc ... I avoid. If its good to use and doesn't endanger me or others, I will use it.

Cycle lanes do have a habit of coming up and disappearing out of nowhere .. if its your regular commute, recon them over a weekend .. so you know where to join, which ones to use and which one to avoid. If its a new route you are trying out .. there is very little you can do.

As far as using bus lanes ... don't cycle in the middle ... but as far to the left as safely possible. And whatever the law .. its not the driver's job to enforce it. He is just chancing his arm because you are but a piece of meat on a pole ... he wouldn't be honking if there were 10 cars stopped on the buslane in front of him now ... would he?

Hold your line ... and don't get into an altercation ... and make a point of taking his route and reg. number and complain ... follow-up ... don't suffer in silence.

Bus drivers are like every other car driver, cyclist etc around ... 95% of them are good ... the other 5%, I try desparately to avoid.

I agree that cycle lanes should be used with discretion, whatever the law says, but the bus driver was not out of line to say something to our OP here. Any citizen has the right to highlight the law.

With Dublin Bus drivers I'd say 99% are good. A great bunch of lads.

Captain Ahab

short circuit wrote: »

I would hardly think that a defence for running into someone just because they are in the wrong place would reasonably stand up in court.

Was thinking of something along the lines of where you swerve out to avoid a pothole/glass and get hit by a taxi (or any situation where blame is hard to apportion).
Would it affect your entitlement to, or the level of, compensation if you shouldn't have been on the road in the first place?

blorg

As Húrin says, 99% of Dublin Bus drivers are great. Well under 1% however are homocidal maniacs. Hooting is one thing but on more than one occasion (that would be twice, maybe three times) I have had a bus overtake and then, before the overtake was complete, edge into me on the N11 between Stillorgan and Foster's Ave where the cycle lane is unusable- forcing me in one case to brake sharply to get behind him and in another to bail onto the footpath. I caught up with one of them and he said he did it to "teach me a lesson" as I should have been on the cycle lane. I know others who have had the same experience.

short circuit

Húrin wrote: »

but the bus driver was not out of line to say something to our OP here. Any citizen has the right to highlight the law.

With Dublin Bus drivers I'd say 99% are good. A great bunch of lads.

Agree completely on that ... everyone has a right to tell others if they are breaking the law ... its their way of enforcing the law that I have issues with. I would be surprised if the bus driver just honked at OP .. but if he was just informing, I think its correct .. atleast it started this thread and now a few more people know.

blorg wrote: »

As Húrin says, 99% of Dublin Bus drivers are great. Well under 1% however are homocidal maniacs. Hooting is one thing but on more than one occasion (that would be twice, maybe three times) I have had a bus overtake and then, before the overtake was complete, edge into me on the N11 between Stillorgan and Foster's Ave where the cycle lane is unusable- forcing me in one case to brake sharply to get behind him and in another to bail onto the footpath. I caught up with one of them and he said he did it to "teach me a lesson" as I should have been on the cycle lane. I know others who have had the same experience.

Exactly as it happened to me ... if the driver had just said .. sorry didn't realise how close I was ... I would have dropped the issue ... But he was talking on the lines of "teach me a lesson" too .... so I decided to write an official complaint mail to Dublin bus ... let's see what comes off it ... anyone else ever had any experience with complaint letters to Dublin bus .. do they take any action ...