Drivers who have funny ideas of the rules of the road

monument

Since it's Friday!...

Was on a cargo bike with my son and shopping on board, coming out of Tesco off the Navan Road in D7 and a driver tried to overtake me coming off the mini-roundabout and onto the turning lanes. Distance between the roundabout and the main road is only about 40m max and there's two turning lanes -- one right, one left -- and I was going right. As we were coming off the roundabout the lights on the main road were already turning red. I also indicated right as I came off the roundabout but he still tried to overtake until the two of us had to come to a stop.

I then pulled forward and looked around as to give out but he was already getting out of the car. He said I was lucky he seen me -- I'd hope he'd be able to see a fairly large adult male on a cargo bike! It stayed fairly civil, but it's what he said that turned my blood to boiling! (in the call the gardai to report him way)

He told me that the rules of the road say cyclists must keep to the left -- pointing to the left turning lane!!! When I argued that these are turning lanes for all, he then said I should have stayed to the left of right turning lane! What?! He was some how going to pass out a cargo bike where there's a solid white line in the middle of the road?!

While I don't think there was much danger in the above, there was some risk because of him and it's this kind of driver thinking that gets people killed and injured.

*vent over*

Raam

You do know that his journey is more important than yours, right?

Junior

Might as well ask the question, I hope you were wearing a helmet ?

/me runs and hides...

Jawgap

Pay road tax then you can come on here and vent about driver behaviour, you goddamn bicycle riding, broccoli wearing hippy.......


.....sorry, wrong forum - can this be moved to After Hours....:)

....also you're story would've been much better if you said you were coming from an artisan food market or organic allotment rather than Tesco.

Junior

Jawgap wrote: »

Pay road tax then you can come on here and vent about driver behaviour, you goddamn bicycle riding, broccoli wearing hippy.......


.....sorry, wrong forum - can this be moved to After Hours....:)

....also you're story would've been much better if you said you were coming from an artisan food market or organic allotment rather than Tesco.

He probably took some instagram photos of the event and is going to post them later..

On the other side, glad you and your son are unscathed monument, no one needs a scare like that on any day of the week.

monument

Raam wrote: »

You do know that his journey is more important than yours, right?

Silly me. Sorry everybody -- I forgot that people coming out of Tescos in cars are in an even larger hurry than I to get home and get the dinner on. My fault, I'll learn my place at least until the cycling tax comes in in the next budget.

Junior wrote: »

Jawgap wrote: »

Pay road tax then you can come on here and vent about driver behaviour, you goddamn bicycle riding, broccoli wearing hippy.......


.....sorry, wrong forum - can this be moved to After Hours....:)

....also you're story would've been much better if you said you were coming from an artisan food market or organic allotment rather than Tesco.

He probably took some instagram photos of the event and is going to post them later..

On the other side, glad you and your son are unscathed monument, no one needs a scare like that on any day of the week.

I have a normal iPhone pic of the car, but I could run it throught instagram before showing the it to the gardai?

ROK ON

As a motorist I find the OPs behaviour reprehensible.
There is no valid excuse for ever delaying a motorist. I think you are lucky that the Gardai did not arrest you and call social services for your kid.

Learn from what happened today and improve as a person.

monument

ROK ON wrote: »

As a motorist I find the OPs behaviour reprehensible.
There is no valid excuse for ever delaying a motorist. I think you are lucky that the Gardai did not arrest you and call social services for your kid.

Learn from what happened today and improve as a person.

Thank you and everybody else for showing me the light -- I will learn that I should get out of the way so a motorist can reach a red light 40 meters away just that bit quicker. It's very important that motorists get ahead of cyclists at all times, even where there is no reason. It's shameful that I forgot this.

Really this shows me that I should cycle on the footpath and pedestrians should just get out of my way!

Jawgap

I think it's only fair to let the motorist get to the red light first because he has to stop, whereas I'm sure when you got there you just sailed merrily through it because that's what cyclists do for the optional lights.

btw, was your son on the bike with you or on his own bike cycling three-abreast with you and the shopping?

piston

Drivers have the right of way at all times. Their journey costs them more.

I point out that it is not my fault that they choose a more expensive method of transport.:p

I had a classic where some <insert suitable expletive> on an urban road overtook me but there was a car coming towards him, panicked and cut across on top of me with inches to spare between my handlebars and the Micra coming the other way. He then complained that I could have caused him to lose his no claims bonus by making him overtake my bicycle when there was traffic coming the other way. He wanted to know why his insurance would had to payed if he'd hit the Micra as I had caused the accident. I pointed out that his insurance would have paid as HE would have caused the accident by overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic. Apparently I should always move my bike of the road when a car comes up behind as it's in the ROTR (where?). It worries me that people with such a poor understanding of the ROTR are passing driving tests.

Darkglasses

Throw on the hazards -> I'll do what I want.

manwithaplan

In ranting to his mates about the incident, how do posters think the driver may have described the OP's cargo bike? Three for starters:

Lentil wagon
"D'yiz remember the yokes dey useta bring the evenin hedild in?"
Mealbarrow

petethedrummer

On Saturday A woman drove at me twice in the bus lane, undertaking a car while brushing her hair. My shouts of terror almost caused her to drop the brush!!!

When I caught up to take her license plate she was still brushing her hair. So all's well that ends well.

Doctor Bob

I do like a well turned out lady. When so many members of the fairer sex seem to be 'letting themselves go' these days, what with the pyjamas in the street and the unkempt bird's nest hair and the tracksuits worn by unsporty types and all that, it's heartening to hear a story of someone who cares so much about her appearance that she would jeopardise the safety of a fellow road user in order to keep herself in tip top condition. That shows real commitment.

Unfortunately I suspect the same can't be said for you, Pete. How was your hair on Saturday? Perhaps it's time we all took a leaf out of her book and stopped compromising our appearances for the sake of some nebulous principles such as health and fitness, saving time or, godforbid, environmental awareness. I mean, what use a clean environment if everyone in it looks like crap?

DePurpereWolf

I always find that motorist don't mind as much cutting off cyclists as they do cars. Lets say a car was driving at 10 kmh towards the red light, he wouldn't have though about taking over then, that would not be decent. Yet when it lacks an engine all decency goes out the window.

Stollaire

Cycling home the other day a gentleman in a 4x4 pulled out in front of me from a junction to my right, causing me to crash into the side of a parked car in order to avoid certain death.
As there was a half mile long line of traffic in front of him I had the opportunity to discuss what just happened:

"Did you not see me on the road as you drove into me? You almost killed me! "

"I did, and I couldn't give a f**k, this is a public road and you're on a bike."

"You're an idiot!"

I then cycled off to the sound of him shouting abuse out his window about "f**king road tax", or something along those lines.

I should have know better not to be cycling on a public road with my bike.

buffalo

Stollaire wrote: »

Cycling home the other day a gentleman in a 4x4 pulled out in front of me from a junction to my right, causing me to crash into the side of a parked car in order to avoid certain death.
As there was a half mile long line of traffic in front of him I had the opportunity to discuss what just happened:

"Did you not see me on the road as you drove into me? You almost killed me! "

"I did, and I couldn't give a f**k, this is a public road and you're on a bike."

"You're an idiot!"

I then cycled off to the sound of him shouting abuse out his window about "f**king road tax", or something along those lines.

I should have know better not to be cycling on a public road with my bike.

That's a definite reporting to the Gardaí for me. An intentional action that risked serious injury to you, it's bloody malicious. In my eyes, he may as well have swung a punch at you. Hope you took note of the reg.

Stollaire

buffalo wrote: »

That's a definite reporting to the Gardaí for me. An intentional action that risked serious injury to you, it's bloody malicious. In my eyes, he may as well have swung a punch at you. Hope you took note of the reg.

Didn't take the registration, didn't see the point.

Seriously considering getting a camera for the helmet though.

buffalo

Stollaire wrote: »

Didn't take the registration, didn't see the point.

Seriously considering getting a camera for the helmet though.

Always worth trying to make a driver like that a bit more aware that his actions have consequences - a visit from the Gardaí might be enough for them to smarten up. Sounds like he'd have no problem running a cyclist off the road.

I'd take note of the reg, then when I get home, sit down and write out exactly what happened. Then ring the local Garda station or Trafficwatch and report them.

Jawgap

Had a taxi driver once tell me to get out of the bus lane and on to the path.

I pointed out that the sign showed it was a shared lane (bus & bicycle).

He said the sign was wrong!!

Regarding the creep in the jeep, had a similar experience and reported it to the Guards who paid the driver a visit........

.....and speaking of funny ideas of rules of the road, the only other incident I ever reported to the Guards (a van forcing me from the road) generated a reply from the Garda in question that I shouldn't have been cycling on the road in question! His sargent took a different view, thankfully.

Stollaire

buffalo wrote: »

Always worth trying to make a driver like that a bit more aware that his actions have consequences - a visit from the Gardaí might be enough for them to smarten up. Sounds like he'd have no problem running a cyclist off the road.

I'd take note of the reg, then when I get home, sit down and write out exactly what happened. Then ring the local Garda station or Trafficwatch and report them.

I'll have to do this the next time.
To be honest I was afraid of my temper boiling over; kinda had to remove myself from the situation.

Hungrycol

Darkglasses wrote: »

Throw on the hazards -> I'll do what I want.

Don't you mean the "Park Anywhere" lights? Flick the switch, problem solved.

Why do fellow road users consider killing a cyclist as teaching them a lesson. Surely a dead cyclist learns nothing!

check_six

We had a similar confrontation to the OP a few weeks back.

They overtook us going over a speed bump and then immediately threw on the left indicator and started swinging in towards the footpath. We were going to run out of space so we jammed on. Then they stopped mid-manouevre with their car at 45degrees across the lane with a bit of space between themselves and the footpath. My son asked if we should stay put or not, and I replied loudly that the driver doesn't have a clue what they are doing and that we should wait and see what they do next rather than trying to squeeze through a gap they might decide to close. At this point the passenger leaps out of the car and starts shouting at us. A few minutes later the driver pulls in and gets out and starts shouting at us. That's right *minutes* elapsed with these loolahs parked in the middle of the road with us waiting behind them and traffic behind us and the two of them shouting at me, my little fellow on a bike, and my even littler fellow in a trailer.

They seemed to feel that we didn't know the rules of the road, that it was too dangerous to have a child on the road, and that standing there roaring bizarre insults at us would make them look good in front of the group of people looking on. I don't think they saw the irony of their point about the dangers of the road, but then again I don't think they saw very much outside their blinkered small minded view of the world.

To complete the dodgy driver bingo, they had the L plates on the car back to front and there was no parking spot where they were trying to pull in. It all ended when I remembered the line about not arguing with an idiot as they will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience, so we just rolled off down the road leaving them still shouting at us.

L'Enfer du Nord

Stollaire wrote: »

Cycling home the other day a gentleman in a 4x4 pulled out in front of me from a junction to my right, causing me to crash into the side of a parked car in order to avoid certain death.
As there was a half mile long line of traffic in front of him I had the opportunity to discuss what just happened:

"Did you not see me on the road as you drove into me? You almost killed me! "

"I did, and I couldn't give a f**k, this is a public road and you're on a bike."

"You're an idiot!"

I then cycled off to the sound of him shouting abuse out his window about "f**king road tax", or something along those lines.

I should have know better not to be cycling on a public road with my bike.

Sadly this is simply an extreme example of a regular occurrence. Do the RSA have any bicycle related publicity on the TV or Radio? Some drivers really need to be remind A) The cyclist are entitled to be on the road. To leave a bit of space when overtaking - taxis in Bus lanes especially need to be reminded of this. (Was cycling along the quays yesterday in the rain - not fun). C) For balance cyclist need to reminded that the rules of the road apply to them.

Snako

Woman overtook me and cut me off in the process, throwing me to the ground, and smashing my bike, then alleged that I had cycled into the side of her, I of course apologised profusely, and dragged myself and my broken bike off to the hospital. (LOL jk straight to the garda - solicitor - insurance job)

Been wondering recently about people who carry their children with them on the bike, after my little accident, I'v a bad case of the nervous nelly's on my bike, I just feel that at any second I'm totally at the mercy of grossly negligent drivers, and constantly a victim of archaic attitudes to cyclists, hopefully these anxieties will pass over time.

Don't quote me on this but I believe the road test in the UK, has a full section on driving etiquette with regard to cyclists, there is very little if not almost none in ours!

But I'm with you monument, you should have read that **** the riot act, god bless the next driver who engages me!!!

Hungrycol

check_six wrote: »

It all ended when I remembered the line.... "take your grievance up with me when I'm back at (enter town) Garda Station, I'm back on duty tomorrow. Ask for Garda Jim of the Traffic Road team."

Fixed your post, in a very lighthearted manner. Obviously am in no way condoning imitating an officer of the law. This is very illegal but if you get it on camera very funny.

check_six

Hungrycol wrote: »

Fixed your post, in a very lighthearted manner. Obviously am in no way condoning imitating an officer of the law. This is very illegal but if you get it on camera very funny.

It would be more convincing if I was able to get one of the kids to shout "Vehickle!" at them on cue.

I toyed with the idea of pretending to be really really furious, but the exasperation and then boredom took over. I realised that these people would spend their lives getting into stupid arguments and I just couldn't be bothered to be the one that put them back in their box. I'll let karma do that for me.

tomasrojo

No-one has asked the most pertinent question: what type of cargo bike?

monument

tomasrojo wrote: »

No-one has asked the most pertinent question: what type of cargo bike?

A Bear-branded Bakfiets. It was the dealer's test model, but it looks like I'm buying one (well, really, it's a wedding present).

There's a small part of me which is screaming "try the Bullitt again".

tomasrojo

monument wrote: »

A Bear-branded Bakfiets. It was the dealer's test model, but it looks like I'm buying one (well, really, it's a wedding present).

There's a small part of me which is screaming "try the Bullitt again".

That's the one I'm thinking of, mostly based on good word of mouth and not needing to import. Haven't tested any makes at all or talked to anyone or scoped prices, so it's a bit pie in the sky (and may remain there).

Congratulations on your wedding!

Mycroft H

I had a taxi driver throw coppers from the window as he didn't have room to pass me in the bus lane.

check_six

BX 19 wrote: »

I had a taxi driver throw coppers from the window as he didn't have room to pass me in the bus lane.

I can see the road safety ad now... When throwing objects at cyclists make sure to check your mirrors before proceeding. Never try to use a mobile phone without a hands free kit when chucking coins...

Postit

buffalo wrote: »

Always worth trying to make a driver like that a bit more aware that his actions have consequences - a visit from the Gardaí might be enough for them to smarten up. Sounds like he'd have no problem running a cyclist off the road.

I'd take note of the reg, then when I get home, sit down and write out exactly what happened. Then ring the local Garda station or Trafficwatch and report them.

In some cases thats a pointless exercise too!

A few weeks ago I was waiting at a red light at the top of queue. When the light went green I began to peddle. Within 3 or 4 seconds the car behind me beeped, as I looked around he rear-ended me (on purpose) at about 5 km/h (it was a narrow junction so there was no room for him to pass for about 50 metres [that was his gripe]). I shouted at him and could see that he was in a state of furious rage punching his steering wheel and going crazy.

He got out, slammed his door and started coming towards me with clenched fists saying he's going to f*cking kill me. Some people in the surrounding cars stopped and started shouting at him that they were calling the gardai. I got on the phone myself (whilst getting out of his way) and called the Gardai. He was long gone by the time the Gardai arrived, but I had his registration number and told them what happended. They were quite sympathetic and said they would pay him a visit and then get back to me.

Haven't heard a thing from them since. Its hard not to be cynical when a manic like that doesn't even warrant a talking too!

NORTH1

I was driving home from a training session with my young daughter in the car, the road is a small secondary with a left turn at the end and continues on to a dead end, with a pedestrian walk through at the end.

I passed a cyclist about 100m from the left turn, and indicated I was turning left. I slowed down to make the turn and checked my mirror to see the cyclist coming up my inside. I stopped suddenly and the cyclist swerved to miss the front of my car and hopped of his bike. I rolled down the window to see was he alright when he started to abuse me.

All honesty I didn't think I did anything wrong here, as the cyclist went to pass me out on the inside, I indicated I was turning its it not up to the cyclist to slow down?

Anyway there was a pedestrian how seen the incident and felt the cyclist was in the wrong.

Dermot Illogical

NORTH1 wrote: »

I was driving home from a training session with my young daughter in the car, the road is a small secondary with a left turn at the end and continues on to a dead end, with a pedestrian walk through at the end.

I passed a cyclist about 100m from the left turn, and indicated I was turning left. I slowed down to make the turn and checked my mirror to see the cyclist coming up my inside. I stopped suddenly and the cyclist swerved to miss the front of my car and hopped of his bike. I rolled down the window to see was he alright when he started to abuse me.

All honesty I didn't think I did anything wrong here, as the cyclist went to pass me out on the inside, I indicated I was turning its it not up to the cyclist to slow down?

Anyway there was a pedestrian how seen the incident and felt the cyclist was in the wrong.

Would you do that to a truck?

buffalo

NORTH1 wrote: »

I was driving home from a training session with my young daughter in the car, the road is a small secondary with a left turn at the end and continues on to a dead end, with a pedestrian walk through at the end.

I passed a cyclist about 100m from the left turn, and indicated I was turning left. I slowed down to make the turn and checked my mirror to see the cyclist coming up my inside. I stopped suddenly and the cyclist swerved to miss the front of my car and hopped of his bike. I rolled down the window to see was he alright when he started to abuse me.

All honesty I didn't think I did anything wrong here, as the cyclist went to pass me out on the inside, I indicated I was turning its it not up to the cyclist to slow down?

Anyway there was a pedestrian how seen the incident and felt the cyclist was in the wrong.

While the actions of the cyclist in this case were definitely not sensible or logical (and not something I'd do myself), I think technically you're turning across his path and should be yielding to him. He was an eejit though. Going up the inside of a potentially turning car is something I'm uncomfortable with. Going up the inside of an indicating car is asking for trouble.

buffalo

Postit wrote: »

Haven't heard a thing from them since. Its hard not to be cynical when a manic like that doesn't even warrant a talking too!

Have you given them a ring? They might've done something and not told you. That's happened to me - had to get a hold of the Garda involved in the case to find out what had happened.

TinyExplosions

tomasrojo wrote: »

That's the one I'm thinking of, mostly based on good word of mouth and not needing to import. Haven't tested any makes at all or talked to anyone or scoped prices, so it's a bit pie in the sky (and may remain there).

Congratulations on your wedding!

The bullit's are awesome, and would be my first choice had I anywhere to keep it!

Old Tom

Ha, cyclists can have funny ideas too.
Like 3 people cycling next to each other just because they wanna have a chat. Cycling in line? Meh, better take up the whole lane and block the traffic.

Lumen

Old Tom wrote: »

Ha, cyclists can have funny ideas too.
Like 3 people cycling next to each other just because they wanna have a chat. Cycling in line? Meh, better take up the whole lane and block the traffic.

This is a criticism often levelled at cyclists by people who can't drive properly.

Old Tom

Lumen wrote: »

This is a criticism often levelled at cyclists by people who can't drive properly.

Seriously? What has taking up the whole lane to do with proper driving?

I'm a cyclist too, by the way.

buffalo

Old Tom wrote: »

Ha, cyclists can have funny ideas too.
Like 3 people cycling next to each other just because they wanna have a chat. Cycling in line? Meh, better take up the whole lane and block the traffic.

I know, when I'm out for a Sunday drive, I make one friend sit behind me, and the other in the boot. And I still take up the whole lane!

Dermot Illogical

Old Tom wrote: »

Seriously? What has taking up the whole lane to do with proper driving?

I'm a cyclist too, by the way.

3 abreast is illegal,and is the preserve of self-absorbed asshats. 2 abreast is fine, and is safer than single file.
If cyclists go in single file there will invariably be muppet after muppet squeezing through the gap between them and oncoming traffic. This is not dangerous for the motorist, so the motorist doesn't see a problem with it. If it goes wrong, the cyclist bears the brunt.

2 abreast is more sociable, and is generally safer. It forces the motorist to actually do a proper overtake, when it's safe to do so. With large groups of cyclists it halves the length of the group, which is a plus for motorists trying to do a legitimate overtake. It also halves the length of time it takes the group to move through junctions etc, also a bonus for motorists in the area.

Lumen

Old Tom wrote: »

Seriously? What has taking up the whole lane to do with proper driving?

I'm a cyclist too, by the way.

Of course you are.

There are plenty of situations where a group taking up the whole lane is safer/more convenient for everybody. For instance, on a narrow country road you need to use the oncoming lane to overtake. In that situation a shorter, fatter group reduces the TED for the overtaking vehicle compared to a group strung out, thus giving more opportunities for a safe overtake, and also discouraging unsafe overtakes such as where the driver launches themselves down the middle of the road towards a blind bend, encounters an oncoming car and pulls left to wipe out the line of cyclists.

That may have no relevance to your case since you provided no details of the circumstances of your frustration.

I'm not saying you're an incompetent idiot, I'm just saying that the viewpoint you put forward is a viewpoint often held by incompetent idiots.

Old Tom

No point to say anything in this thread. Seeya lads. Enjoy.

Dermot Illogical

Old Tom wrote: »

No point to say anything in this thread. Seeya lads. Enjoy.

Don't let the door...etc

Hungrycol

Old Tom wrote: »

Ha, cyclists can have funny ideas too.
Like 3 people cycling next to each other just because they wanna have a chat. Cycling in line? Meh, better take up the whole lane and block the traffic.

Tim Allen is that you?

cdaly_

RT66 wrote: »

3 abreast is illegal.

3 abreast is legal for a single cyclist overtaking a pair cycling 2 abreast. AIUI it is not legal for a pair cycling 2 abreast to overtake a single cyclist without singling out.

Dermot Illogical

cdaly_ wrote: »

3 abreast is legal for a single cyclist overtaking a pair cycling 2 abreast. AIUI it is not legal for a pair cycling 2 abreast to overtake a single cyclist without singling out.

I didn't want to get into that. I was leaving it in the context of 3 abreast having a bit of an old natter alluded to by our drive-by poster.

Hungrycol

cdaly_ wrote: »

3 abreast is legal for a single cyclist overtaking a pair cycling 2 abreast. AIUI it is not legal for a pair cycling 2 abreast to overtake a single cyclist without singling out.

and doing the wafting fart signal.

Mycroft H

Today I learned that cyclists can alleviate motorist confusion over hand signals by simply using their middle finger for stops, turns, and lane changes