Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

magicbastarder

heh, a colleague was talking about that very road today. said it was bedlam.

odyssey06

I think people "generally" respect double yellow lines but there seems to be much less awareness that a continuous white line means the same thing.
And that goes for officialdom too - I've seen DCC mark out disc parking spaces part of which was opposite a continuous white line.

P_1

Weepsie wrote: »

Cyclist tearing through a pedestrian light at Mobhi Road junction as loads of kids were about to cross. He then struggled up the little incline as I breezed by him having waited at the lights.

Had similar on the Malahide Road yesterday. Needless to say I caught up with him with ease at the lights at Fairview Strand. Not content with that our "here" decides to cross the road into the park without waiting for the lights to chance. Needless to say I took great pleasure in blitzing past him with ease once in the park myself.

Leroy42

P_1 wrote: »

Had similar on the Malahide Road yesterday. Needless to say I caught up with him with ease at the lights at Fairview Strand. Not content with that our "here" decides to cross the road into the park without waiting for the lights to chance. Needless to say I took great pleasure in blitzing past him with ease once in the park myself.

Why do you care?

Not the RLJ per se, but why does it bother you what others are doing?

magicbastarder

had an amusing one on the way home today. near the vet at the fairview end of the malahide road (heading northbound though) a construction van was sitting probably a foot into the cycle lane. as i cycled past i let out a 'you're in the bloody cycle lane!' and got an instant unintelligible roar in reply. he caught up with me on griffith avenue, and after a little 'yes you were' 'no you weren't' i apologised as the poor bugger in the passenger seat (who i hadn't realised was there) had clearly gotten an unmerciful start, and i wasn't going to hold him responsible for the driver's positioning. so we shook hands and went on our way.

magicbastarder

two phenomenal manouevres seen on the way home today - waiting on east wall road to turn right up towards fairview ( https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3605611,-6.2389284,169m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en ), and a guy shoals past me to sit in front of me. the lights went green - a general green, which means oncoming traffic also had it, and he decides '**** it, i'll turn right anyway' and takes a right straight into oncoming traffic. who had to stand on their brakes to avoid him.

not too long later, on griffith avenue, waiting to cross over the top of drumcondra, the lights went red for northbound traffic, and a guy in an audi stopped for it, but decided 'arrah, sure i'll go anyway' and gunned it through the junction just as a bus and another car were entering it; again, both having to stand on their brakes. something in the air this evening, i guess.

Weepsie

I see that first one an awful lot. Cars gunning it to turn right right as the oncoming traffic is moving off. It's a nuts thing to do.

magicbastarder

just to clarify - that guy was on a bike.

magicbastarder

blown at and gestured angrily at again, on the leopardstown road this morning. caught up with the car and had a polite conversation 'the law explicitly allows me to use the road when the cycle lane is not up to spec' (which is a little off the truth) and got an 'oh i was just wondering why you weren't using it' (no, you were gesturing angrily).

it's the glass that's the issue. motorists who hide behind it tend to be the angrier ones; most interactions i've had when there's no car window in the way ended amicably.

Weepsie

Everyday the Drumcondra road bus lane has at least 1 car thinking it's okay to use the bus lane. Most days it's a few. More often than not I've observed it's a car with Northern plates assuming I presume, theyll get away with it.

Today, there was one, driver on their phone a few times as I went by, aggressively took over where there wasn't really space to do so past Griffith Avenue thinking their few minutes was more important than my and others safety (including her passenger)

Anyway approaching Whitehall, I spot a Garda. So does the driver and leaves the lane. I told the Garda what I'd seen for the preceding few minutes and he was only glad to have a chat with them.

At the very least the few minutes they saved were eaten up. Garda was very polite and was just pointing at cars to leave the lane to give them a chance but this driver deserved a talking too.

Granolite

Weepsie wrote: »

Everyday the Drumcondra road bus lane has at least 1 car thinking it's okay to use the bus lane. Most days it's a few. More often than not I've observed it's a car with Northern plates assuming I presume, theyll get away with it.

Today, there was one, driver on their phone a few times as I went by, aggressively took over where there wasn't really space to do so past Griffith Avenue thinking their few minutes was more important than my and others safety (including her passenger)

Anyway approaching Whitehall, I spot a Garda. So does the driver and leaves the lane. I told the Garda what I'd seen for the preceding few minutes and he was only glad to have a chat with them.

At the very least the few minutes they saved were eaten up. Garda was very polite and was just pointing at cars to leave the lane to give them a chance but this driver deserved a talking too.

Good to read something positive this Friday morning! Well done to the Garda..just need to impose their presence more I feel and it will go a long way!

buffalo

I've become inured to the RLJ-ing cars at the top of Whitworth Road, but watched with interest as a driver tried to enter the Des Kelly carpark in rush hour yesterday evening.

https://goo.gl/maps/cBcn5iht7VC2

Given where the entrance is, she stopped on the pedestrian crossing with her right indicator on, so far so good. Only as the lights changed, none of the cars on the far side left her any room to get across their lanes into the carpark. So now she's stuck on the crossing.

On the far side of the crossing is a man with sunglasses and a white stick. I try to warn him, but this guy knows where he's going, and is perfectly capable of getting there. Stick is out, along the tarmac, then whack! whack! whack! whack! whack! all the way around the side and back of the car. :pac:

And the muppet on the bike who decided to try get across at speed against the lights yesterday morning. One lane was stopped, so he took a chance, then had to slam on when a car came up the inside lane (legally), and the back of his bike smacked into the stopped car beside him. He went on his way with a merry wave! Sure that's grand so!

plodder

buffalo wrote: »

On the far side of the crossing is a man with sunglasses and a white stick. I try to warn him, but this guy knows where he's going, and is perfectly capable of getting there. Stick is out, along the tarmac, then whack! whack! whack! whack! whack! all the way around the side and back of the car. :pac:

Ha, that's brilliant. I was stopped at lights on Griffith ave a few weeks ago and there was a car (turning right)* stuck in the pedestrian crossing. Like this case, there was a girl with a white stick waiting to cross. I mentioned it to her, but she could see the outline of it, and said in that case, she has to wait until the next green sequence, and the crossing is clear. She said it happens all the time and is very annoying, specially as the motorist was totally oblivious to the inconvenience he/she caused.

* on that specific point, I think the ROTR used to say that when turning right, one car is allowed to go into the centre of the junction, and was allowed to complete the turn on Red. I don't think that advice is still in the ROTR though, because if motorists actually followed it you wouldn't get this happening.

check_six

plodder wrote: »

* on that specific point, I think the ROTR used to say that when turning right, one car is allowed to go into the centre of the junction, and was allowed to complete the turn on Red. I don't think that advice is still in the ROTR though, because if motorists actually followed it you wouldn't get this happening.

If you are in the junction you have passed the light controlling your entrance to the junction. If that light subsequently turns red you are still allowed to clear the junction. In fact vehicles coming from the other direction (who now have green) should give way to allow you to clear the junction.

You will see in many cases that the motorist that has already moved past their light when it was green will then stop dead in the junction blocking it after the light (technically behind them) has turned red.

The other common behaviour is to wait at the opposing red light as someone is waiting to turn in the junction, then as the light goes green the driver roars forward, jams on the brakes, and beeps their horn furiously as if surprised to see the car/cyclist they have seen sitting directly in front of them in the junction for 30 seconds.

Lots of junctions do not have a filter light and are busy enough that moving into the junction and waiting for the oncoming traffic to be stopped by their red is the only way to turn right. There is one outside Slattery's on Shelbourne Road that also has the added hazard of loads of RLJ motorists that make waiting in the junction to turn a little hair-raising at the best of times, especially on the bike.

De Bhál

check_six wrote: »

There is one outside Slattery's on Shelbourne Road that also has the added hazard of loads of RLJ motorists that make waiting in the junction to turn a little hair-raising at the best of times, especially on the bike.

yeah I worked over that way for years and it wasn't nice turning right up Haddington Rd. at those lights.
You'd be waiting for the opposing traffic to get the red light so you could make your move (along with usually a few others behind you), red light goes and you think 'this is my moment'...nope gotta wait for the 3 or 4 cars that need to break that red first. You then get the all clear and would be lucky if you could make the move yourself. Worst still was when you had someone nervous in the prime position, you might never make the turn.

buffalo

Waiting at a red light in the IFSC this morning while a guy with a GoPro sailed through around me cutting right.

Couldn't help but think of these guys - 2:35 if you don't want to watch the whole thing: https://www.facebook.com/foilarmsandhog/videos/10159024394475335/

CramCycle

buffalo wrote: »

Waiting at a red light in the IFSC this morning while a guy with a GoPro sailed through around me cutting right.

Couldn't help but think of these guys - 2:35 if you don't want to watch the whole thing: https://www.facebook.com/foilarmsandhog/videos/10159024394475335/

I went to college with one of those guys, wish I was that cool and popular

magicbastarder

this morning, i watched four cars stop at a red light in front of us, and then proceed to drive through it anyway - crossing an oncoming lane in the process.

Roadhawk

magicbastarder wrote: »

this morning, i watched four cars stop at a red light in front of us, and then proceed to drive through it anyway - crossing an oncoming lane in the process.

wow where was that?

magicbastarder

heading outbound from fairview, taking the right down alfie byrne road. i've seen it happen in ones and even twos before, but this morning, four. and it's not as if they were waiting a particularly long time at the lights.

odyssey06

magicbastarder wrote: »

heading outbound from fairview, taking the right down alfie byrne road. i've seen it happen in ones and even twos before, but this morning, four. and it's not as if they were waiting a particularly long time at the lights.

I've seen that happen also and it surprised me at first but when I observed the sequence it's a weird one. The light should have an option for 'green circle' but only shows a green straight arrow and a red on the right turn filter even when the pedestrian crossing related to the right turn is red.

plodder

magicbastarder wrote: »

heading outbound from fairview, taking the right down alfie byrne road. i've seen it happen in ones and even twos before, but this morning, four. and it's not as if they were waiting a particularly long time at the lights.

That is customary at that junction. I've waited in the car and had people honk at me from behind impatient for me not breaking it too. Apart from motorists basically being sheep and following the car in front, there are two causes imo. First, the wait to turn right can be very long. You could be waiting ten minutes or longer in the queue sometimes. So, when there isn't much oncoming traffic, the temptation to break the light overcomes some people.

It's partly down to the way the junction is designed as well. You also get cars driving up the inside, skipping the queue and cutting in ahead of the stop line. There's enough room for a couple of cars there, the way the markings are.

This all happens, every week, Monday to Friday, right outside Clontarf Garda Station. They could watch it without even leaving the station. :rolleyes:

cdaly_

I always wait for the green filter there. Plonked at the top of the queue...

magicbastarder

plodder wrote: »

First, the wait to turn right can be very long.

well, i was the fifth vehicle to arrive at the lights, probably before 7am - so there was no major tailback at all.

plodder

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, i was the fifth vehicle to arrive at the lights, probably before 7am - so there was no major tailback at all.

I dunno. Maybe when you do it once, it just becomes habit after that regardless of traffic.

Chuchote

odyssey06 wrote: »

I've seen that happen also and it surprised me at first but when I observed the sequence it's a weird one. The light should have an option for 'green circle' but only shows a green straight arrow and a red on the right turn filter even when the pedestrian crossing related to the right turn is red.

You can report broken (or badly timed) traffic lights here if you go through to the "Make a report" section http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-roads-and-traffic-road-maintenance-and-street-repair/repair-road-or-footpath

Weepsie

Cycling to work yesterday afternoon and I was in the bus / cycle lane going up the Ballymun road. It was relatively quiet and all the lanes were mostly free of traffic. However I sensed a car to my right as I passed the DCU gates. It was on off duty, or former taxi (a 6 or 7 seater). It had the stickers, but it didn't have it's taxi plate on.

It decided to come into the lane, perhaps through habit but it wasn't operating as a taxi so it should't have been there, strike 1.

It then starts indicating left, to turn into the Hamstead avenue just beyond Albert College park. It failed to complete it's turn and whipped back out into the lane without looking. strike 2

The light just ahead goes red, I can see this from 50-100 or so metres back. It slows for a second, and then carries on. strike 3

I was hoping to catch it at the next light to get it's licence plate number as it deserved reporting, but it got away from me as I was waiting at the red light.

buffalo

Had a wonderful encounter with a white van man last night. Heading south on the R120, off the railway bridge so at a decent clip (40-45kph): https://goo.gl/maps/tQNeeHaBjdt

A large white van starts pulling out from a roadway on the right (Hansted Road). I'm in luminous green with a light on the front, so no chance of the driver missing me. I even see his passenger's cap look in my direction for a few seconds.

As there's no way he hasn't seen me (or so I think), I assume he's going to do that manoeuvre where a motorist pulls into the centre of the road - leaving lots of room on the left - and then gradually pull in to the side as they pick up speed and pass. There's a big section of cross-hatching in the centre, so lots of room.

Oh, what fool I was to think that well of white van man. He comes right in on top of me. I let out a road and get just out past his front bumper, then wave my arm in the air. The van swerves wildly as he keeps pace behind me - whether out of shock, or to intimidate, I don't know.

The next action left me with less doubt, as either driver or passenger throws an empty plastic food container at me, and - well done on their accuracy - scores a direct hit. I pull in about 100m up the road and turn around. He's stopped at the lights, despite having a green.

As soon as I start reaching for my phone, he takes a left turn (not using the slip road) and away.

I'd honestly love to know whether his original action was incompetence or maliciousness, but alas, I'll never know.

And that was just the most serious of two close passes and one failure to yield I had on the way home last night. Some journeys are so peaceful, but others I do wonder if there's something I'm doing wrong...

Dubliner23

After alighting from a bus today on the N11 I was roared at by a cyclist for being in his way about 1 metre from the stop. The cyclist had passed a clearly painted Yield sign but still took the high ground.

He acknowledged seeing the sign when I pointed it out to him but still got quite thick. His line was that I was "deliberately being a c***" by not immediately moving to facilitate his passage. From where I was standing he should have given way to me.

I am a cyclist but walk a lot also so I see this from both perspectives. I would always give way to pedestrians on a shared space as is laid out in the National Cyclist Manual.

I think it really doesn't help relationships between cyclists and pedestrians when the few create unnecessary tensions like this (when in the wrong) given both sides just want to get home efficiently and safely. I think shared lanes are a disaster for this reason but a sense of perspective and cordiality never goes amiss.

magicbastarder

<mod hat on>post moved as it's just a complaint about a single interaction. i don't think much more can be drawn from this regarding the relationship between cyclists and pedestrians</mod hat>