She came at me to knock me down

Spoon Fed

this morning I had the closest shave in my 5 years riding.
Filtering down Rathmines road coming up to the lights at portobello brigde, a car came around the corner from the canal. She came around the corner wide so I started to move in to the stationary traffic. She however continued to come down the road close to the centre line. The road at this point is quite wide so I suspected she was coming at me. However, how close she got to me was atrocious. I had to lean into the cars on my left to avoid her glancing off me. I was in complete shock and continued on my way. Only after did I entertain the idea that I should have gone after her and asked her why she attempted to murder me. Or I should call the police and report her.

What do you do in that situation????

biko

How fast was she going? Would she have been able to actually harm you? Did you get car details?
If so you should report it to the Gardai, were you on the right (left) side of the middle line.

galwaytt

I'd have turned around and followed her to get her details AND report it.

KamiKazi

I would have turned around and kicked the sh1t out of her cage, but that's just me.

Spoon Fed

She was moving fast and would have clobbered me, for sure.
As for reporting her to the gaurds, I was 'overtaking' so on the right side of the (solid) line. So question is, would my misdemeanor for illegal overtaking and crossing solid line be overlooked due to the attempted hit and run?

I did not get a reg number but would recognise the car again.
Now I'm wondering if there are security cameras on that road that could be used?

Nodster

Spoon Fed wrote: »

I was 'overtaking' so on the right side of the (solid) line.

Close call and all that, you'll be learning the rest of your life, but Theirs a reason for a solid while line coming up to junctions and the like - YOUR SAFETY

pa990

i'm sure she's claim that you were driving on the wrong side of the road.. would she be correct in saying so ?

Spoon Fed

Not at this part of the road. The road widens from the junction with plenty of room to drive down it without needing to be close to the line.
She came at me to knock me down.

Yes, I am on the wrong side of the road technically. (aren't motorbikes always when filtering?)

I will remember the car next time.....

biko

I'd say that you making a claim that she aimed for you will be dismissed as she didn't actually hit you and you were in her lane in the first place.
If it's not safe to overtake/filter you shouldn't have been in that lane at all.
It crappy but this is what I think will happen if you report it.

pa990

Spoon Fed wrote: »

Not at this part of the road. The road widens from the junction with plenty of room to drive down it without needing to be close to the line.
She came at me to knock me down.

Yes, I am on the wrong side of the road technically. (aren't motorbikes always when filtering?)

I will remember the car next time.....

without making a massive argument here, i just need to point out that its ok to filter, unless there is a solid white line, and its only ok to filter if it is safe to do so.

You crossed a solid white line....
Yes, the woman should have taken action to avoid you.
if an accident would have occured.. you would have been in the wrong.


edit.. also, she could claim that you swerved at her.. how else would you end up on her side of the road. (presuming she doesnt understand filtering)

Spoon Fed

I agree on the reporting side of it.

But you know as a biker when it is safe to filter coming into a junction and when it is not.

If you know where this took place, at the end of Rathmines road coming into portobello, then you know there is ample room to filter right up to the lights.

No bike would sit in the traffic there waiting like a good boy observing the rules of the road. I mean no bike does or has, ever.

She came at me to knock me down.

PCPhoto

Spoon Fed wrote: »

I agree on the reporting side of it.

But you know as a biker when it is safe to filter coming into a junction and when it is not.

If you know where this took place, at the end of Rathmines road coming into portobello, then you know there is ample room to filter right up to the lights.

No bike would sit in the traffic there waiting like a good boy observing the rules of the road. I mean no bike does or has, ever.

She came at me to knock me down.

because you've watched every other road user and no bike obeys the traffic laws ???

Seriously - if you were on the wrong side of the road after crossing a solid white line you are getting no sympathy, the driver either didn't see you or maintained her line in order to frighten the sh1t out of you because you were driving illegally.

most bikers experience a car/cager "holding their line" at some point ...just out of interest - what are you driving ? do you have a full-licence ?

this morning I had the closest shave in my 5 years riding.
Filtering down Rathmines road coming up to the lights at portobello brigde, a car came around the corner from the canal. She came around the corner wide so I started to move in to the stationary traffic. She however continued to come down the road close to the centre line. The road at this point is quite wide so I suspected she was coming at me. However, how close she got to me was atrocious. I had to lean into the cars on my left to avoid her glancing off me. I was in complete shock and continued on my way. Only after did I entertain the idea that I should have gone after her and asked her why she attempted to murder me. Or I should call the police and report her.

EDIT: ok...so from reading your post I can translate it into this:

" I was filtering around traffic close to a corner/junction and as I was driving on the wrong side of the road a car came around the corner and nearly hit me..... it must have been the cars fault because I was doing what I do all the time and what I see other bikers doing all the time"

I think everyone has told you already - you were driving badly and should try to fix your bad habits before you are involved in an accident....none of us want you in an accident the advice we are giving is for you to LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKE - take more precaution when driving.

Spoon Fed

Yamaha Fazer, full licence.

I ride this route every day, and have never seen any bike sit in the traffic coming into this junction, ever. (in fact they are usually coming up the bus lane)

By the way, are you suggesting that it is ok to try and take a bike out because it is driving illegally?

I suppose it one way of removing 95% of motorbikes from the roads.

EDIT: ok...so from reading your post I can translate it into this:

" I was filtering around traffic close to a corner/junction and as I was driving on the wrong side of the road a car came around the corner and nearly hit me..... it must have been the cars fault because I was doing what I do all the time and what I see other bikers doing all the time"

no, no, no, you need to read my post again.

blorg

Frightening the sh1t out of people you consider to be breaking the law is not the job of the public. It sounds like OP shouldn't have been there but there is no excuse for her behaviour. There is an obligation on road users to do everything in their power to avoid an accident and this includes not deliberately driving at people even if they are on the wrong side of the road.

pa990

@Spoon Fed

Report the matter to the Gardai.
And i dont mean by phoning them, Make a written statement of complaint with a view to going to court.
The other driver will be asked to make a statement as well.

Based on what information /allegations are in each statement, summons's could be issued to one or both drivers.

If you feel that you are completely in the right, and have nothing to fear.. do that , and let the judge decide.

TheZohanS

Overtaking on a solid white line is illegal, I know you were filtering but still...

I certainly wouldn't be going to the gardai to report this, you had a very cheap lesson...a fright but no injuries. She'll get hers someday, karma's a bìtch.

PCPhoto

Spoon Fed wrote: »

Yamaha Fazer, full licence.

I ride this route every day, and have never seen any bike sit in the traffic coming into this junction, ever. (in fact they are usually coming up the bus lane)

By the way, are you suggesting that it is ok to try and take a bike out because it is driving illegally?

I suppose it one way of removing 95% of motorbikes from the roads.

I'm not suggesting that its ok to take a bike out because its driving illegally - what I was saying was that you will get cagers/cars/vans/trucks etc .... who will hold their own line and stay on their side of the road if they see someone coming towards them on the wrong side of the road....basically like playing "chicken"...its down to the driver (some drivers are a$$holes....and some drivers cant see that sometimes they are at fault)

I ride this route every day, and have never seen any bike sit in the traffic coming into this junction, ever. (in fact they are usually coming up the bus lane)

This is possibly the solution .... and in this case its what you should have done !! ... there is a junction where cars will "blindly" turn the corner not expecting a vehicle to drive against them....this is the reason why the other bikers come up the bus lane because it is dangerous to filter/go on the outside when you will be faced with oncoming traffic at any time.

Ps. Motorbikes are not allowed drive in the bus lane either (if you didn't already know)

By all means if it happens again - get the details of the driver and report the matter but without trying to sound (more) like a pr1ck ...be prepared for the gardai to question why you were crossing a white line and driving on the wrong side of the road so close to a junction.

Spoon Fed

She deviated from the normal road position to come nearer to me to knock me down.
I did not swerve into her path, there was ample room for her to pass, and the more I think of it I was probably the right side of the line after I swerved in to avoid getting hit!

Spoon Fed

PCPhoto wrote: »

because you've watched every other road user and no bike obeys the traffic laws ???

Seriously - if you were on the wrong side of the road after crossing a solid white line you are getting no sympathy, the driver either didn't see you or maintained her line in order to frighten the sh1t out of you because you were driving illegally.

most bikers experience a car/cager "holding their line" at some point ...just out of interest - what are you driving ? do you have a full-licence ?



EDIT: ok...so from reading your post I can translate it into this:

" I was filtering around traffic close to a corner/junction and as I was driving on the wrong side of the road a car came around the corner and nearly hit me..... it must have been the cars fault because I was doing what I do all the time and what I see other bikers doing all the time"

I think everyone has told you already - you were driving badly and should try to fix your bad habits before you are involved in an accident....none of us want you in an accident the advice we are giving is for you to LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKE - take more precaution when driving.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate the advice. I admit I broke the law this morning, true. I also realise I was nearly knocked over by a driver who wanted to knock me over deliberately. I will certainly be adjusting the way I ride in future.

By the way, do you drive a car? and if so what is the make and colour and where were you this morning at 8.45?

PCPhoto

KamiKazi wrote: »

I would have turned around and kicked the sh1t out of her cage, but that's just me.

and what would you have done if she went to the gardai and asked them to charge you with criminal damage*

*(assuming your kicking the sh1t out of her cage did some damage - I don't know your strength)

Spoon Fed .... 8.45am..... would have been driving back from Baggot street to Ranelagh after dropping the girlfriend to work... wine Ford Fiesta Van... doubt it was me ... didn't encounter a bike.

Just so you know I also have a 125cc Moped and the girlfriend has a 650cc Bandit...I am VERY bike aware on the roads...maybe the driver was just an ignorant sh1t.... there are plenty of them out there who will drive towards a bike to "teach them a lesson"

Spoon Fed

PCPhoto wrote: »

and what would you have done if she went to the gardai and asked them to charge you with criminal damage*

*(assuming your kicking the sh1t out of her cage did some damage - I don't know your strength)

Spoon Fed .... 8.45am..... would have been driving back from Baggot street to Ranelagh after dropping the girlfriend to work... wine Ford Fiesta Van... doubt it was me ... didn't encounter a bike.

Just so you know I also have a 125cc Moped and the girlfriend has a 650cc Bandit...I am VERY bike aware on the roads...maybe the driver was just an ignorant sh1t.... there are plenty of them out there who will drive towards a bike to "teach them a lesson"

Agreed, and have encountered them, this time though it was way too close for comfort and hence my post to vent about it

KamiKazi

PCPhoto wrote: »

and what would you have done if she went to the gardai and asked them to charge you with criminal damage*

*(assuming your kicking the sh1t out of her cage did some damage - I don't know your strength)

I'm on a black bike, my leathers are all black and my number plate is tiny. good luck proving it was me

seanybiker

KamiKazi wrote: »

I'm on a black bike, my leathers are all black and my willy is tiny. good luck proving it was me

Hehehe.

JohnnyCrash

KamiKazi wrote: »

I'm on a black bike, my leathers are all black and my number plate is tiny. good luck proving it was me

Im on a black bike,my gear is all black,my number plates tiny and ive got the same helmet.Now they,ll come looking for ME when you smash up someones cage:eek::eek::eek::eek: ha ha ha

AnonymousPrime

pa990 wrote: »

...
If you feel that you are completely in the right, and have nothing to fear.. do that , and let the judge decide.

I wouldn't bother, it will be thrown out of court and will be as much hassle for you as for her.
By filtering like you did you were breaking the rules and were in the wrong. In this situation two things are important to remember:

1. Might is right
2. People are a$$holes

If you can't handle that you shouldn't break the rules

jameshayes

she must have had a biker overtake her earlier in her journey and is taking it out on you - i'm not justifiying it in any way at all, but fúck it, forget about it and move on - it's gonna happen again no doubt.

And, if there was a bus lane - you should probably be using it, not legal but it is overlooked and encouraged by some garda... and if you get caught in it, take the points & the fine, I know I would prefer the points rather than a cast.

P.C.

KamiKazi wrote: »

I would have turned around and kicked the sh1t out of her cage, but that's just me.

Advocating violence/damage to personel property goes against the spirit of boards.ie.

Jackasaurus rex

jameshayes wrote: »

she must have had a biker overtake her earlier in her journey and is taking it out on you - i'm not justifiying it in any way at all, but fúck it, forget about it and move on - it's gonna happen again no doubt.

And, if there was a bus lane - you should probably be using it, not legal but it is overlooked and encouraged by some garda... and if you get caught in it, take the points & the fine, I know I would prefer the points rather than a cast.

far as I know you can be fined for using the bus lane but not points. anyone know better?

mikemac

She's one of these weak people who get satisfaction in enforcing rules on the road.
She saw you filtering and decided to give you a scare.
Get the hell back onto your side of the road she thought.

I would also bet she sits in the overtaking lane of any motorway and goes at 120km per hour. She's enforcing the speed limit you see.

And I'm certain if she comes across a pedestrian when the "red man" was on she'll keep driving and blow the horn. The pedestrian should have waited for the green man.

You can make a report but nothing will come of it.

honeybadger

the exact same thing happened me yesterday coming up a red traffic light,,not nice to be facing and had me thinking me man in the car was deliberately looking for a claim cause i was just on the white line filtering

Pkiernan

I would like to preface by saying:

1. I am a biker;
2. A lot of car drivers are nuts.

But in this case the OP was on the wrong side of the road, while the oncoming driver was not.

Sorry, OP, but in my opinion you were 100% at fault, and while the oncoming driver (assuming she didn't see you) may have been close to you, she did nothing wrong.
(If she did see you, then she of course has no right to enforce the ROTR by intimidating you)

To put the situation in perspective, what if you had been driving your bike close to the white line, and a car coming at you driving on the wrong side of the road nearly hit you. Are you then somehow at fault for not keeping to the left?

I am glad you are okay!

scorn

There must be something in the air these days.

I've been commuting in Ireland for 5 years now, and generally don't get pestered too much by cage drivers, but the last few days there seems to be a renewed aggression in some drivers attitudes to me.

A couple of times after filtering, I've pulled back into the line of traffic only to have the car behind accelerate and close the gap - even though I was already in there. I can't count the number of times that I have done this before with no cause for alarm.

Admittedly I would normally accept my fate if I felt that I pulled in to an unsafe gap, but in these instances there has been plenty of room and the traffic flow speed has been slow.

Odd behaviour - including the OPs experience. Maybe with the bit of sunshine we've had lately, cagers are a little jealous?

Keep vigilant out there folks!

faceman

While the OP was technically breaking the law, he is not 100% at fault.

If he was driving in a bus lane and was knocked down, would it be his fault because he was breaking the law by driving in the bus lane?

Without having seen the incident it sounds like both of you were at fault. She should have took corrective action and the OP shouldnt have been filtering in oncoming traffic.

While the high horse brigade are telling the OP that he is damned to hell for breaking the law, the VAST majority of bikers that I encounter filter on solid lines. However the variance in behavior differs when there is oncoming traffic.

pa990

faceman wrote: »

While the OP was technically breaking the law, he is not 100% at fault.

If he was driving in a bus lane and was knocked down, would it be his fault because he was breaking the law by driving in the bus lane?

Without having seen the incident it sounds like both of you were at fault. She should have took corrective action and the OP shouldnt have been filtering in oncoming traffic.

While the high horse brigade are telling the OP that he is damned to hell for breaking the law, the VAST majority of bikers that I encounter filter on solid lines. However the variance in behavior differs when there is oncoming traffic.

But he wasnt in the bus lane., however if a car or bus was driving the wrong way on that bus lane.. who would be wrong ?? .. ...... The person driving the wrong direction for that particular lane.


He filtered where there was a solid white line.
I'll let you find out the rules regarding a white line yourself.
If an accident occurred and it was discovered that one of the vehicles was traveling on the incorrect side of the road, across a white line, who do you think would be found to be more wrong.

No high horse here, i am a biker myself, but see too many bikers doing stupid things

PCPhoto

Jackasaurus rex wrote: »

far as I know you can be fined for using the bus lane but not points. anyone know better?

€60 fine and no penalty points

Occam

faceman wrote: »

While the OP was technically breaking the law, he is not 100% at fault.

He was on the wrong side of the road. Insurance would *always* place 100% of the blame on the overtaking driver, no matter if its a car/motorbike/lorry etc.

faceman wrote: »

She should have took corrective action and the OP shouldnt have been filtering in oncoming traffic.

Of course morally she should have taken corrective action, and legally every driver should do their utmost to avoid a collision but if there had been a collision the motorcyclist would be legally at fault, likely more injured and possibly facing a charge of dangerous driving. The car driver would claim that she came round the corner, under the speed limit and had no way of avoiding a head on collision.

Case below involved an overtaking motorbike hitting oncoming car....granted he had no insurance etc as well...

http://www.nationalist.ie/news/local/motorcyclist_drove_on_wrong_side_crashed_into_car_1_2234591

jameshayes

PCPhoto wrote: »

€60 fine and no penalty points

60 quid well spent if you ask me - sometimes the safest place to be

blorg

Occam wrote:

if there had been a collision the motorcyclist would be legally at fault, likely more injured and possibly facing a charge of dangerous driving. The car driver would claim that she came round the corner, under the speed limit and had no way of avoiding a head on collision.

Not necessarily. If it was a he said, she said, that is likely. If it could be shown through witnesses that the car driver deliberately drove at him, she would be liable. If it looks deliberate to the guy on the bike there is a good chance it looks deliberate to other witnesses also.
You can't just drive into other people because they are driving illegally (try knocking down a ped crossing on a red man and see how far you get.)

Sids Not

Should-a..would-a ..could-a...I would have done exactly what most others would do......NOTHING....;)

Just learn from it....nothing actually happened...:)

Spoon Fed

Ok, I will give this one more go...(thanks to all the support posts, the incident shook me and I justed wanted to get some confirmation that this type of thing should not happen. As for the rules of the road brigade, get lost, I know the rules of the road for God's sake. Bus lane and solid line, come on, these are the basics. Go onto a thread and preach to those who don't know how to drive on a motorway or a round about)

Ok so here it goes..(by the way it would be extremely helpful if you know the actual stretch of road before replying)

I was filtering down Rathmines Road towards the Portobello end. Its a wide enough road which narrows into the lights.
However, I was a good 50-60 yards away from the lights when the car turned the corner.
The car came around the corner and straightened up before then turning in towards the centre of the road where I was.
Grant it by this stage I was outside the solid line but it was clear to me and I guess anybody watching that she deliberately came at me to knock me down.

It's fine, I'm over it and will keep inside the white line from now on (well for a while anyway)

Occam

Spoon Fed wrote: »

She came around the corner wide ...She however continued to come down the road close to the centre line. The road at this point is quite wide so I suspected she was coming at me.

Spoon Fed wrote: »

The car came around the corner and straightened up before then turning in towards the centre of the road where I was.
Grant it by this stage I was outside the solid line

I'm afraid you are giving two conflicting versions of your own story.

If she came around wide, and continued to stay close to the white line (holding her line) its a very different thing to moving from the center of her lane out towards you.

Its one or the other I'm afraid.

Spoon Fed wrote: »

The road at this point is quite wide so I suspected she was coming at me.

Spoon Fed wrote: »

it was clear to me and I guess anybody watching that she deliberately came at me to knock me down

In the first post she was coming down the road towards you, holding her position and you suspected she was coming at you. Yet by the your latest account it was clear to you and everyone watching that she had changed her course in order to "come at" you?

Another contradiction.

Spoon Fed

I repeat..(by the way it would be extremely helpful if you know the actual stretch of road before replying)
Have a look at it on Google.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&sll=53.325429,-6.265088&sspn=0.007862,0.006295&ie=UTF8&ll=53.3296,-6.264123&spn=0.000557,0.001203&t=k&z=20

DeepBlue

Spoon Fed wrote: »

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&sll=53.325429,-6.265088&sspn=0.007862,0.006295&ie=UTF8&ll=53.3296,-6.264123&spn=0.000557,0.001203&t=k&z=20

The road there is two lanes wide which later merge into one lane. There is no reason for her to be so close to the centre line (effectively on the outer lane if the road was actually marked as two lanes).
Either she's an extremely incompetent driver or a completely reckless one.

If I was a biker I would have gone after her and had it out with her.
Then again I suspect that if I had been in your situation I would have been too shocked to do that at the time and of course later is too late.
Is there any CCTV in the area and would it be possible to check it? Was she driving some old rust bucket that didn't have power steering (no excuse really given the width of the road)?

Occam

Spoon Fed wrote: »

I was a good 50-60 yards away from the lights when the car turned the corner.

DeepBlue wrote: »

The road there is two lanes wide which later merge into one lane.

No its not.

50 yards from the lights is at the bus stop painted on the road, where the road has narrowed considerably, and is most definitly not two lanes wide.

Either the OP proceeded on the wrong side of the road, having crossed a continuous white line, in the face of oncoming traffic or stopped and tried to pull back in when he saw the car, which means the incident must have occured where the road has narrowed.

Sids Not

OP...its a bit like me complaining that an oul one stepped out onto a pedestrian crossing while i was in the middle of a brilliant wheelie and nearly caused me to crash.......:rolleyes:

If you're on the wrong side of the road you have to expect these things to happen...maybe she was blinded by the early morning sun and didnt even see you....:o

Some drivers perception of the width of their cars vs. the width of the actual road can be frightening sometimes...

everyday taxi

As a very experienced biker, ive been in this situation a few times. If you simply eyeball the driver, you can tell what their intentions are. If they are looking at you....they are been arseholes and are trying to frighten you, if not, they just most likely dont see you. (TOP-TIP), if they are been arseholes.....most car door mirrors come off with the slightest persuasion, the whore wont do that again.

3DataModem

I'm very familiar with that bit of road, on bike and in car.

OP you were executing a dangerous manuveure on a busy stretch of road. You are probably right that this driver was teaching you a lesson, but it is possible she was avoiding a pedestrian, a puppy, blinded by something, etc.

When you turn left against a long line of stationary traffic you don't expect someone on the wrong side of the road.

Bottom line; yes she may be a wagon, but you were taking a huge risk filtering in that spot.

JohnnyCrash

Regardless of who may be in the right or wrong in these types of situations,I dont think anyone on here should be condoning the swiping off of wing mirrors.

everyday taxi

JohnnyCrash wrote: »

Regardless of who may be in the right or wrong in these types of situations,I dont think anyone on here should be condoning the swiping off of wing mirrors.

No more than they should condone "teaching people a lesson".

PaudyW

JohnnyCrash wrote: »

Regardless of who may be in the right or wrong in these types of situations,I dont think anyone on here should be condoning the swiping off of wing mirrors.

maybe youre right just a wee ding in the door or wing they, mirrors are easy replaced

everyday taxi

PaudyW wrote: »

maybe youre right just a wee ding in the door or wing they, mirrors are easy replaced

great minds.....