A close call with a bus, commuting.

ArraMusha

I am on my way home out of Galway this evening on my usual route and taking it handy as I'm tired after a week long commute. As I move off from traffic lights there are a few parked cars on the left hand side, usual spot same ole same ole. Groundhog day.

I know there are cars coming behind me as its a busy road leading out of the city and they usually pass me after the lights. I slowly move out and overtake the first car and then pull in as a few cars go by. I begin to go around the next car and I hear a horn blearin, and this bus skimp by me as I pass the car, its the closest I've come to being knocked down.:eek:

@ker' so he tooted the horn and kept the boot down.

A few seconds later this private bus pulls to let off a people and I pull in also(I wasn't going to bother but he pissed me off and it was a dangerous maneuver) and I can tell before a word is even spoke that he knew he had done wrong. "that was a bad maneuver back there" I said, "I dont know what your talking about" says he. Big thick head on him. "I've a recorder" says he, "well lets see it so" says I, knowing I was in the right. He starts to pull off and I say "if you admit it was a dangeous maneuver and apologies we'll leave it at that, "I've no intention of apologising" says he, "you can do your dambdest" he says. "Right I'll do my dambdest" says I and I get the phone and ring the 50, as he drives off.

The Garda was sound, and said she'd alert the next village and called me back a while later to say a Guard would call out in the am to yer man, as he knew him.

Now, a lot might leave it at that, but the fact that he said "do yer dambdest"...leaves an awful bad eye on this. The guard may or may not call out and might even drink tay with the driver... where's my satisfaction?

I know by the thick head that there won't be any apology so maybe the legal route is the 'dambdest' option.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Darkglasses

Did you check whether the bus was coming before you pulled out to pass the car?

JayRoc

If I understood your post wrong I apologise.
But it sounds like you admit changing lane without even checking over your shoulder to see what was coming, and that sort of silliness is what gets us (cyclists) a bad name.

ArraMusha wrote: »

I am on my way home out of Galway this evening on my usual route and taking it handy as I'm tired after a week long commute. As I move off from traffic lights there are a few parked cars on the left hand side, usual spot same ole same ole. Groundhog day.

I know there are cars coming behind me as its a busy road leading out of the city and they usually pass me after the lights. I slowly move out and overtake the first car and then pull in as a few cars go by. I begin to go around the next car and I hear a horn blearin, and this bus skimp by me as I pass the car, its the closest I've come to being knocked down.:eek:

@ker' so he tooted the horn and kept the boot down.

A few seconds later this private bus pulls to let off a people and I pull in also(I wasn't going to bother but he pissed me off and it was a dangerous maneuver) and I can tell before a word is even spoke that he knew he had done wrong. "that was a bad maneuver back there" I said, "I dont know what your talking about" says he. Big thick head on him. "I've a recorder" says he, "well lets see it so" says I, knowing I was in the right. He starts to pull off and I say "if you admit it was a dangeous maneuver and apologies we'll leave it at that, "I've no intention of apologising" says he, "you can do your dambdest" he says. "Right I'll do my dambdest" says I and I get the phone and ring the 50, as he drives off.

The Garda was sound, and said she'd alert the next village and called me back a while later to say a Guard would call out in the am to yer man, as he knew him.

Now, a lot might leave it at that, but the fact that he said "do yer dambdest"...leaves an awful bad eye on this. The guard may or may not call out and might even drink tay with the driver... where's my satisfaction?

I know by the thick head that there won't be any apology so maybe the legal route is the 'dambdest' option.

Any advise would be appreciated.

MarkR

Are "the 50" the guards?

You really didn't look behind you before changing road position? Lucky to last this long. You're an accident waiting to happen.

ArraMusha

It was more a case of me holding position as opposed to suddenly darting out. I was at the parked car ahead of the bus and didn't swerve and didn't need to hand signal. He should have waited for me to pass the car.

Green&Red

Sorry OP, you say you pulled in to let cars go by and then begin to pass the next car, to me that means you are pulling out and presumably into his lane, whether u indicated or not you can't just change lane. It's like a car indicating and moving lane without looking, indicating doesn't give you a right of way

Darkglasses

Reading your initial description, it sounds like you moved into the bus's path when it was just a couple of seconds behind you. You were behind a parked car, and then moved out around the car and the bus was already passing you before you'd even cleared the car?

I can't see how it is the bus driver's fault if this is the case.

JayRoc

Actually, having reread your post, it appears you admit to having changed lanes without checking TWICE?
Doesn't matter how "slowly" you pull into someone's lane. We hold drivers accountable for this stuff, so we must be held equally accountable when we do something silly like the above

ArraMusha wrote: »

I slowly move out and overtake the first car and then pull in as a few cars go by. .

hueylewis

Yeah, make a signal in advance and look behind before to make sure your signal is being acknowledged before proceeding with the manoeuvre. Always be ready to not make it, in case you're not given way by traffic behind. If it's a stretch of road where you'll be moving in and out regularly and want to have a consistent passage through, you should pick a consistent line through the road that ensures you avoid obstacles and discourage overtakes or drivers leaving you no room. Don't put yourself in a position that invites risky overtakes, and be predictable in your movement. An impatient person might very well beep at you for taking up so much room on the road while not paying road tax, but you should prioritise your safety above all else.

ArraMusha

Thanks for the feedback. I'm trying to recall what happened as I've gone that route loads of times. When passing the first car I would have been going faster than the traffic ...can't remember if cars then passed...sometimes they do sometimes not. Just felt the bus driver should have waited in this case.

Zyzz

Our Friday thread is here!!!!!

ArraMusha

Yipee

Janedoe10

ArraMusha wrote: »

I am on my way home out of Galway this evening on my usual route and taking it handy as I'm tired after a week long commute. As I move off from traffic lights there are a few parked cars on the left hand side, usual spot same ole same ole. Groundhog day.

I know there are cars coming behind me as its a busy road leading out of the city and they usually pass me after the lights. I slowly move out and overtake the first car and then pull in as a few cars go by. I begin to go around the next car and I hear a horn blearin, and this bus skimp by me as I pass the car, its the closest I've come to being knocked down.:eek:

@ker' so he tooted the horn and kept the boot down.

A few seconds later this private bus pulls to let off a people and I pull in also(I wasn't going to bother but he pissed me off and it was a dangerous maneuver) and I can tell before a word is even spoke that he knew he had done wrong. "that was a bad maneuver back there" I said, "I dont know what your talking about" says he. Big thick head on him. "I've a recorder" says he, "well lets see it so" says I, knowing I was in the right. He starts to pull off and I say "if you admit it was a dangeous maneuver and apologies we'll leave it at that, "I've no intention of apologising" says he, "you can do your dambdest" he says. "Right I'll do my dambdest" says I and I get the phone and ring the 50, as he drives off.

The Garda was sound, and said she'd alert the next village and called me back a while later to say a Guard would call out in the am to yer man, as he knew him.

Now, a lot might leave it at that, but the fact that he said "do yer dambdest"...leaves an awful bad eye on this. The guard may or may not call out and might even drink tay with the driver... where's my satisfaction?

I know by the thick head that there won't be any apology so maybe the legal route is the 'dambdest' option.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Scary when it happens .
Lucky for u you are ok .
Am I right to say LFLane (LF=left hand) it was a parked car /stopped bus and the 2nd lane or RH(RH=right hand) was clear and the bus was in this lane and u moved into this lane ?
If u were ahead of said bus and signalled while moving into lane then I guess bus at fault .

VONSHIRACH

MarkR wrote: »

Are "the 50" the guards?

You really didn't look behind you before changing road position? Lucky to last this long. You're an accident waiting to happen.

Yes, the 50 are the police in Ireland, commonly called the guards.

The nickname 50 derives from a very popular 1968 - 1980 US cop series set in Hawaii, called Hawaii Five-0.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht3Al9H3iUM

Joxer_S

I got called a "LITTLE SKINNY WHITE BOY BITCH" for taking the full lane this morning where there was no bike lane. Followed by "ARE YOU A CAR, ARE YOU A CAR, ARE YOU A CAR, ARE YOU A CAR, ARE YOU A CAR, ARE YOU A CAR, ARE YOU A CAR, ARE YOU A CAR????????" when I attempted to point out that the ridiculously dangerous overtaking manoeuvre had made absolutely no difference to her position in the line of traffic.

Wishbone Ash

OP - you need to learn to read the road ahead and take up your position early. If there are a number of parked vehicles ahead, move out if safe to do so and stay out until you have cleared them. Moving in and out only encourages drivers to pass. If you had stayed out, the bus driver may have seen you earlier and would not have room to pass you.

Janedoe10 wrote: »

If u were ahead of said bus and signalled while moving into lane then I guess bus at fault .

That's very oversimplified. First - signaling doesn't give right of way. Second - just because a cyclist is ahead of another vehicle, it doesn't mean it's advisable to change position. For example, if the bus was 10 metres behind the cyclist, but travelling at 80km/h.

VONSHIRACH wrote: »

Yes, the 50 are the police in Ireland, commonly called the guards

I have never ever heard them referred to as "the 50". It sounds so daft!

Dermot Illogical

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I have never ever heard them referred to as "the 50". It sounds so daft!

Depends how you say it. It's the Five Oh. Calling them "The Fifty" would be something of a fail alright.

Limestone1

ArraMusha wrote: »

... where's my satisfaction?

No physical damage done !

In a lot of these incidents it's the attitude/actions/language used in the follow up exchanges that grate more than the initial offence. I try not to engage anymore - leave out a roar of abuse, carry on and forget about it.

Sounds like this guy got under your skin with one turn of phrase. I'm afraid the Gardai can't undo that - and it's unlikely that you'll hear back that he broke down in tears and begged the cyclist's forgiveness when they showed up at the door.

ezra_pound

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Depends how you say it. It's the Five Oh. Calling them "The Fifty" would be something of a fail alright.

Hipsters or anyone under twenty five call them the 5 owe.

Lawr

If I understand Arramusha correctly, he/she pulled away from the light. Cars were in his/her lane ahead. He/she pulled out to go around the first and tucked in afterwards, but came out again to pass the second when the bus blew him off the road. If that is correct, I wouldn't have tucked in because that does signal that you are allowing cars behind to pass. I would just stay out there until I pass the full line of cars on the left. If the cars behind want to pass, they should wait until it is safe to do so; i.e., they can go around you leaving plenty of room on their left and not infringing on traffic coming against them (or behind them if there is another lane going in the same direction on their right). Still, you would think it reasonable, if you were driving, that the cyclist will have to come out if he or she were to pass the next car. Wouldn't you slow down if you were concerned with the welfare of other, particularly vulnerable road users? Bus driver sounds like a bozo.

ArraMusha

Lawr wrote: »

If I understand Arramusha correctly, he/she pulled away from the light. Cars were in his/her lane ahead. He/she pulled out to go around the first and tucked in afterwards, but came out again to pass the second when the bus blew him off the road. If that is correct, I wouldn't have tucked in because that does signal that you are allowing cars behind to pass. I would just stay out there until I pass the full line of cars on the left. If the cars behind want to pass, they should wait until it is safe to do so; i.e., they can go around you leaving plenty of room on their left and not infringing on traffic coming against them (or behind them if there is another lane going in the same direction on their right). Still, you would think it reasonable, if you were driving, that the cyclist will have to come out if he or she were to pass the next car. Wouldn't you slow down if you were concerned with the welfare of other, particularly vulnerable road users? Bus driver sounds like a bozo.

Yes 'Lawr' you've captured it as far as I can recall the incident. I put up the thread for the reasons you explained above...when I'm driving behind a cyclist and they are about to pass a parked car, I would not forcefully plough by, and most reasonable people would not either. I'd wait until the cyclist has passed the car and has pulled in safely before overtaking.

Thanks for the feedback from others above also. The thread was more of a request for advice on next moves after this incident as opposed to advice on the incident. I'd also agree with the comment that looking over your shoulder alerts or allows a lane change.

In future when passing a sequence of parked cars I'll be holding the line 'more' aggressively.
Safe commuting.

fat bloke

It should be said imo, that yer man wasn't much of a bus driver if he didn't anticipate that the cyclist ahead of him was going to weave out again to pass the next parked car. Course the OP should have acted differently but the bus driver also went to box him in. -Standards and expectations of driving should be, and are, higher for public service vehicles, especially big-a$$ ones.

droidus

When passing a row of parked cars, move about a metre out to the right to avoid the doors and stay there until you can move into the left again once you've passed them.

what_traffic

Hi ArraMusha,

Were exactly did this occur? Can you post a google maps link?
Was it a private coach or private city services bus?
I cycle in and around Galway City. Would be useful to know.

dedocdude

the five oh - not the fifty -

lots of police slang you need to be aware of before leaving your house of a morning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_police-related_slang_terms