Something that grinds my gears...

Ricky91t

This is a bit strange as it's never happened to me before this week, but it's now happened to me twice(On Monday and Today).

I cycle most roads in a more central position, as I can usually keep up with the traffic ahead of me due to the number of junctions. Today I was following a car with maybe a cars distance between us, We were only doing 10mph max. He then drives past a parking space to paralel park and then begins reversing, with no indication that he was intending to park there.

I continued to follow him meaning I was then blocking his space, he then reversed quickly towards me and then starts making angry gestures in his wing mirror. I obviously moved out of his way but decided to tell him if he just indicated there would have been no need for him to get wound up and he just replied 'Yeah.'

Does this happen to anyone else, do you also find it annoying?

Tenzor07

Happened to me in a supermarket carpark, driver went past a spot, slapped the car into reverse, and the back of his car mounted the front of mine... People can be dumb... expect the unexpected...

fat bloke

Obviously the dumba$$ should've indicated. It's similarly annoying when you're that guy in front trying to park and you indicate well in time, slow down well in time, go past the space with the very obvious intention of reversing into it, all the while looking in your mirror, making eye contact with the following driver trying to embed your clear intention into his/her tiny mind..... and they drive right up your a$$ so you can't reverse in....

and then they find the horn

endacl

Ah, the four wheeled motorized cycling thread...

DirkVoodoo

I've noticed (more so when driving because it's easier to keep up) that taxis can have some awful double standards when looking for an address. They don't hesitate to beep and flash if you dilly-dally at a light, but if they are looking for an address, well sir, they are totally entitled to speed up, slow down, have a look out the window, speed up some more, slow down, pull onto footpath....continue driving down footpath.

All the while not indicating or bloody well pulling in and looking at their GPS.

If I get lost (which is frequently), I pull in and consult my phone.

Look, the plain and simple truth is that some people are totally obnoxious prciks! I would put money on that guy honking his horn like mad if you tried something similar. It's like learner drivers, everyone gets frustrated and mad when they get stuck behind one, but they forget how terrifying and upsetting it was to be in that position when you were learning to drive and a line of angry drivers were hurling abuse at you.

cdaly_

fat bloke wrote: »

Obviously the dumba$$ should've indicated. It's similarly annoying when you're that guy in front trying to park and you indicate well in time, slow down well in time, go past the space with the very obvious intention of reversing into it, all the while looking in your mirror, making eye contact with the following driver trying to embed your clear intention into his/her tiny mind..... and they drive right up your a$$ so you can't reverse in....

and then they find the horn

I stop alongside the space, put it in reverse, move a touch. Then move forward followed by the reverse in manoeuvre. If the following driver is to thick to figure that one out, I wait for them to go around me and then reverse in...

ednwireland

park like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doJj4nVw_ts

2:15 in

Wishbone Ash

Ricky91t wrote: »

He then drives past a parking space to paralel park and then begins reversing, with no indication that he was intending to park there.

.........I continued to follow him

Could you not have simply glanced over your right shoulder and went around him if it was safe to do so. Regardless of his actions it seems like you didn't 'read the road'. If a vehicle slows beside an empty space most people would assume the driver may want to park there (and he couldn't have begun reversing without coming to a stop first).

I'm not justiyfing his actions but unfortunately we need to assume most drivers out there are potentially dangerous.

Ricky91t

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Could you not have simply glanced over your right shoulder and went around him if it was safe to do so. Regardless of his actions it seems like you didn't 'read the road'. If a vehicle slows beside an empty space most people would assume the driver may want to park there (and he couldn't have begun reversing without coming to a stop first).

I'm not justiyfing his actions but unfortunately we need to assume most drivers out there are potentially dangerous.

Nope it's on a sharp blind corner that you need to slow down for. I assumed he was braking for that. I also didn't feel too safe to cycle round him as cars, lorries and vans can come flying down the hill, so I backed up and waited till he pulled in a bit all while he was getting more and more wound up.

hucklebuck

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Could you not have simply glanced over your right shoulder and went around him if it was safe to do so. Regardless of his actions it seems like you didn't 'read the road'.

So your idea of reading the road is passing a reversing car on the right?

How is this for a read? When a car is reversing to its left, the front of the car swings right

Wishbone Ash

hucklebuck wrote: »

So your idea of reading the road is passing a reversing car on the right?

Yes - as I said "if safe to do so". Would you think it safer to stop behind a reversing vehicle or pass on the left? As you say yourself "How is this for a read"?

hucklebuck wrote:

When a car is reversing to its left, the front of the car swings right

I well aware of the motions involved with a reversing vehicle. Fortunately my bicycle is of standard width and I am capable of observing my surroundings and making an informed decisions regarding the safety of moving around a vehicle which may make a reversing manoeuvre. I am also capable of making the same decision while driving a motorcycle, car, truck or bus. It's not rocket science!

hucklebuck

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Yes - as I said "if safe to do so". Would you think it safer to stop behind a reversing vehicle or pass on the left? As you say yourself "How is this for a read"?

You said:

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Could you not have simply glanced over your right shoulder and went around him if it was safe to do so.

OP said:

Ricky91t wrote: »

Today I was following a car with maybe a cars distance between us, We were only doing 10mph max.

So you can continue to cycle, look over your shoulder, watch out for the car in front coming towards you and avoid it without stopping in "maybe a cars distance". Very impressive :rolleyes:

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I am also capable of making the same decision while driving a motorcycle, car, truck or bus. It's not rocket science!

Very quickly indeed it would seem, not sure Bruce Lee had those reactions.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Fortunately my bicycle is of standard width

I would be more concerned by the width and speed of the reversing car coming towards you, it might save your life.

Bicycle Hunter

I'd be able do that, look over my right sholder (incase someone is over taking me and the parking car (posibly bruce lee)) at a car lenth going at 10 miles per hour, I'd say most commuters are forced into this manuver everyday. It would not be as safe as stoping in most sercumstances.

Monday night I was on sundrive road and almost got door'd by some chap as I swearved with my cat like reflexes I shouted "JAAYSUSS" to which the man shouted back "No Lights". Well didn't I jam on, rolled back to the man and shined my front light in his eye's then dismounted, leaned the bike up against the wall and politly said " when you get back you'll be the one with no lights" well he started huffin and puffin, I just lit a smoke had a sit side saddle on the bike and didnt say another word. He was to scared to go to the shop and leave he sped of else where. I had no intention of doing anything to his car just wanted to bring him back down to earth. maybe realize that actions have conseqwences.