Rathmines Dangerous spot

4545lkjo454

I've nearly been hit a few times at this spot.

Once a suv turned left and went straight into my path, just missed me by millimeters and the passenger gave a filthy look as if I was in the wrong!

I was behind this woman a few nights ago, think she go a bit of a shock.

This is the kind of thing that puts people off cycling.

manafana

careless driving, its bad enough when people cut off cyclists coming from behind but to overtake like that then cut them off is disgraceful driving. Instances like this are one reasons taking up primary position on road is sometimes the only way.

Least the surface in rathmines has improved.

Tenzor07

Jeeze yea the surface looks great now...

But that sort of manouver is a disgrace, though hardly surprising seeing as it's a Taxi.. Have had many an incidence of beeping and/or shouting at Taxi's cutting in to a lane etc..

Kurtosis

I think this spot in Rathmines used to be more dangerous with the cycle lane to proceed straight on being to the left of the left turn lane. Since the resurfacing the cycle lane has been routed as in the video above, but there is no accounting for the idiocy of some drivers.

Pinch Flat

Nice intense flashing light - I prefer my lenzyme on the forbidden daylight setting. Also, approaching that junction I would tend to stay mid lane - I realise it's a solid line, but my own safety would've more important - to prevent the idiots overtaking dangerously.

Ole Rodrigo

Unfortunately thats quite common. The best thing to do is anticipate those manoeuvres and take an assertive position.

seamus

Yeah, the new layout is better, but there's no accounting for stupidity, as said. At that section your best tactic is to move right into the traffic lane (if you can of course) and hold it until you're across the junction. That will give following traffic room to move into your left if they wish to turn, and will also give you a better line into the pedestrian crossing, as peds have a tendency to just walk out in front of bikes there.

Wishbone Ash

I also take up a mid-lane position on the approach there and a couple of glances back to the vehicles behind help.

manafana

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I also take up a mid-lane position on the approach there and a couple of glances back to the vehicles behind help.

can't say enough good things about quick glane back, several studies have shown positive results for glances back to cars behind creating human contact with a driver.

I see lots of cyclists with earphones or whatever with little awareness of their surrondings cycling along, a cycle lane is no guarantee of safety.

CramCycle

Any point reporting his taxi plate to the carriage office?

kenmc

CramCycle wrote: »

Any point reporting his taxi plate to the carriage office?

Nothing to lose, esp with video evidence to back it up

Zyzz

Knew it was a taxi driver before I pressed play.

Pinch Flat

Agree the taxi driver is a d!ck, but no lights on either bike......

CramCycle

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Agree the taxi driver is a d!ck, but no lights on either bike......

Well spotted, I almost missed that. There is a small light on the cyclists going left (although it is sh1t). The lady should have lights but I can't believe for a second that the taxi did not see her? If the videographer had lights, he was close enough to the junction that the taxi should have been more cautious.

-=al=-

Wow used to cycle around there all the time and that was always dodgy but the surface looks great now! That Rathmines road is quite the bone rattler alright

Hunterbiker

The surface is so much better now but this bit is dangerous as is the bit going the other way in the morning.

At least now you just need to watch out for cars, motorbikes, and predestrians rather than all those plus the potholes!

Pinch Flat

CramCycle wrote: »

Well spotted, I almost missed that. There is a small light on the cyclists going left (although it is sh1t). The lady should have lights but I can't believe for a second that the taxi did not see her? If the videographer had lights, he was close enough to the junction that the taxi should have been more cautious.

Fair enough, but the taxi driver has a perfect get out of jail card on this one "sure, I couldn't bleedin' see ya bud'.

CramCycle

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Fair enough, but the taxi driver has a perfect get out of jail card on this one "sure, I couldn't bleedin' see ya bud'.

Thats one way of looking at it, I notice cyclists without lights when driving in areas like this, although it is obviously more difficult. They should have lights on but assuming that the OP had lights on (and they can clarify this) the turn was too close for them as well, so while both the cyclist and the taxi were in the wrong, neither have an excuse.

manafana

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Fair enough, but the taxi driver has a perfect get out of jail card on this one "sure, I couldn't bleedin' see ya bud'.

Yeah give them no excuse, I could certainly seeing someone silly throwing this out based on no lights.

Tenzor07

Whilst having no lights is obviously wrong, I don't think in this case it would have made a blind bit of difference! (pardon the pun)

It's a very well lit urban area so the Taxi driver knew full well what he was doing... though the lady on the bike looks fairly wobbly and nervous though..

I've had Taxi's cut across me whilst in the car during broad daylight to pick up a fare, so I always expect the unexpected from these guys...

Pinch Flat

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Whilst having no lights is obviously wrong, I don't think in this case it would have made a blind bit of difference! (pardon the pun)

It's a very well lit urban area so the Taxi driver knew full well what he was doing... though the lady on the bike looks fairly wobbly and nervous though..

I've had Taxi's cut across me whilst in the car during broad daylight to pick up a fare, so I always expect the unexpected from these guys...

Completely agree - more a case for defensive cycling. I face a similar situation at Lucan at the Penny Hill on my morning commute - no end of d1ckheads coming up the bus lane and cutting in front of me - have had similar close shaves. Easy solution - stay center until I'm after the lights. Beeping ignored. Problem solved. I cycle on safely.

4545lkjo454

CramCycle wrote: »

Thats one way of looking at it, I notice cyclists without lights when driving in areas like this, although it is obviously more difficult. They should have lights on but assuming that the OP had lights on (and they can clarify this) the turn was too close for them as well, so while both the cyclist and the taxi were in the wrong, neither have an excuse.

I had a flashing rear red light and a flashing front light.

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Whilst having no lights is obviously wrong, I don't think in this case it would have made a blind bit of difference! (pardon the pun)

It's a very well lit urban area so the Taxi driver knew full well what he was doing... though the lady on the bike looks fairly wobbly and nervous though..

I've had Taxi's cut across me whilst in the car during broad daylight to pick up a fare, so I always expect the unexpected from these guys...

Not very clear in the video but the lady braked and that and the fright she got probably made her a bit wobbly.

Tenzor07

4545lkjo454 wrote: »

Not very clear in the video but the lady braked and that and the fright she got probably made her a bit wobbly.

Yea I mean looking at it, the Taxi driver may have assumed from her road position that she was taking the left up to the post office direction, whereas if she took a more "prominent" position on the road then the taxi driver may have backed off and took his turn once he knew she was going towards the garda station..

degsie

No lights and no helmet. Disgraceful. That's what annoys me most!

Pinch Flat

degsie wrote: »

No lights and no helmet. Disgraceful. That's what annoys me most!

One is mandatory, one isn't (and don't even think about opening up the latter:pac:)

Valentine1

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Yea I mean looking at it, the Taxi driver may have assumed from her road position that she was taking the left up to the post office direction, whereas if she took a more "prominent" position on the road then the taxi driver may have backed off and took his turn once he knew she was going towards the garda station..

The Driver isn't entitled to make any assumptions about what direction she was intending to go unless she signals such an intention.

It looks like a very straight forward case of a motorist trying to pass a cyclist before a left hand turn when there wasn't actually enough room or time to complete the maneuver. It is textbook dangerous/careless/reckless driving and it happens to me at least two or three times a week on my commute. It is very dangerous and often very frightening. In my experience Mercedes drivers are the most frequent offenders:P

In all seriousness though I believe it is a combination of the impatience of motorists and their ignorance about cyclists. Specifically that, in some circumstances we travel faster than motor vehicles (approaches to corners being one such circumstance) and also that we don't cease existing just because a motorist has passed us.