Near misses - mod warning 22/04 - see OP/post 822

AndrewJRenko

CramCycle wrote: »

Zebra crossings seem to confuse us over here, between road users not giving way and pedestrians afraid to scross, so stopping to wait on them. I cross one every morning, and even though I stop, people will still not cross ver for a minute until you wave them through, as if to assure them. This said, I understand why, having seen cars coming through it at 70kmph (in a 30kmph zone)

I was in Amsterdam last month. I don't think I ever really adjusted to cars actually stopping at pedestrian crossings.

coward

Traffic was very busy on my commute home today. From Crumlin, Long Mile, Nangor Road to Clondalkin. Long line of slow traffic and as a result it just felt like a lot of aggression and impatience out there from people in cars.

Most drivers were at least acknowledging my existence in the bus lane and overtaking with some care. I heard one driver approaching at speed - which is bloody terrifying. Just not sure how to control the lane in those few seconds. Lots of stuff runs through your mind.. will it slow down.. what if it's stolen.. if I don't move will they just wipe me out.

My heart rate was high after that pass. And I was angry. A little further down the lane and a taxi driver approaches. I'm in no mood to let go of my lane. He tries to push me over to the left. I get a beep. He gets a wave. Eventually when I'm moving into the next lane he drops gear and revs the car passing me as close as he can without actually touching.

Why? Why would you treat someone like a piece of s**t. Giving no thought to the safety and wellbeing of another road user. If that was your wife, your son or daughter - would you be happy giving them the same respect? 10 to 15 seconds and we both could have happily continued on our journeys in peace.

This is the gap you gave me when passing.. why? to punish me in some way? I never put you in any danger with my position and cycling but you felt it necessary to bully and intimidate.

Rant over! sorry.. feel better now

<removing video>

Seth Brundle

That is a disgrace for a so-called professional driver.
At 0:37 it is evident to see that he is driving as close to you as is possible.
I would be up at the garda station right now if I were you!

magicbastarder

what Seth said.

Duckjob

I know hindsight is 20/20 but it was a mistake to move over to the right so early. He had already shown himself to be an impatient pr**k so it was naive to think he would give you the courtesy of waiting a second or two for you to get to the lights safely. Safer to just hold the lane and then nip over to the lights at last moment.

And the worst part there is you "held him up" for what? 50m maybe? Didn't look like he gave 2 foops to slow and look right at that left filter either.

coward

I removed the video. I'm probably getting a bit desensitized to this stuff and was saving up my traffic watch and garda station visits for actual hits and damage. But you people are probably right. I'll visit the station tomorrow evening. If I can at least get him to think twice about doing that again to another road user in the future, it would be good. Well not me make him think twice.. but maybe a garda phone call.

rubadub

edited out

https://www.psv.ie/taxi-driver-check/

mod note - as coward him or herself has taken the video down pending reporting it, i'm removing any info gleaned from it. and i'll let people do their own sleuthing, plus there's not a guarantee that the check performed is going to be 100% accurate nor that the licence holder was driving.

John Hutton

rubadub wrote: »

edited out

https://www.psv.ie/taxi-driver-check/

mod note - as coward him or herself has taken the video down pending reporting it, i'm removing any info gleaned from it. and i'll let people do their own sleuthing, plus there's not a guarantee that the check performed is going to be 100% accurate nor that the licence holder was driving.

Just to explain how it works, if you do the check at the time in question the driver detail that is returned WILL be the actual driver. They are obliged to update the NTA on a live basis with who is driving the taxi. If they don't, they get fined. So it doesn't just display the license holder.

Pinch Flat

Twice the arsehoolishness for the price of one - an audi taxi driver!

CramCycle

John Hutton wrote: »

Just to explain how it works, if you do the check at the time in question the driver detail that is returned WILL be the actual driver. They are obliged to update the NTA on a live basis with who is driving the taxi. If they don't, they get fined. So it doesn't just display the license holder.

Experience has taught me that this is not the case if going by plate number and that reporting it bears no fruit unless you were a passenger at the time.

CramCycle

Martin567 wrote: »

Just to play devil's advocate slightly (probably not relevant to any of your incidents above) but I see a problem sometimes with the zebra crossings in High St, particularly the one at the Market Cross.

Due to the narrowness of the street and footpath, I've seen people emerge from the Market Cross and straight out onto the crossing in 2-3 paces. So even the most careful motorist can have someone suddenly stepping out who wasn't visible at all a second or two earlier.

To argue against the devils advocate, you should be driving slowly and carefully enough to prepare for this scenario.

John Hutton

CramCycle wrote: »

Experience has taught me that this is not the case if going by plate number and that reporting it bears no fruit unless you were a passenger at the time.

I've reported a number and the NTA have fined them. I think it's only 50 quid but still.

Boom_Bap

Weepsie wrote: »

Not a near miss, but what an absolute moron. Taxi had earlier overtaken me, gave me lots of room but oncoming car had to slow


https://streamable.com/z3xcl

Driver was well aware that was a 1 way system as well

mr spuckler

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Driver was well aware that was a 1 way system as well

Of course he was, pedal to the metal as soon as there was a gap!

CramCycle

John Hutton wrote: »

I've reported a number and the NTA have fined them. I think it's only 50 quid but still.

I tried and they told me i wasn't a passenger and therefore couldn't, I wasn't that pushed about looking further into it.

Boom_Bap

Weepsie wrote: »

Completely. 2 cars in front of him were going to go that way, but both turned back around. I think they might have been from out of town though and someone told them there was no through road, despite the fact you can just get back to chesterfield avenue by taking a left.

I have to admit, when I'm on the bicycle, that's where I exit the park. But not on the road, I get up onto the path and very slowly cycle to the gate giving any pedestrian priority on the footpath.
Then cross the road at the pedestrian lights.

It's the only place I mount the footpath and I always feel guilty about it. Maybe I should walk with the bike instead.

TheJak01

https://goo.gl/maps/KvNNqNFNf3CyDTEK9

In the car rather than on the bike, and in fairness there wasn't anybody on the stretch at the time, but I saw a taxi driver pull along this footpath rather than following the road an extra 50m around here. His window was down when I caught him at the lights so mentioned it was a footpath.

"Yeah, I know, I can't see without my glasses though" followed by a laugh.

Didn't know how to reply to that one. Blind as a bat - your local professional drivers ladies and gentlemen.

CramCycle

Thats the zebra crossing I go over quite a bit, it has gotten to the point where people are surprised when I stop for them to cross.

Peregrine

There's a roundabout near my house that I cycle through everyday. It's too wide to be a single lane. The same thing has happened to me the last two days.

I go into the middle of the lane as I get to the roundabout, signal right and enter the roundabout. Car behind me also enters the roundabout, overtakes me on the left in the roundabout and also turns right in front of me. Pulled hard on the brakes to avoid crashing into them.

Same thing, two consecutive days. Well, the second one was a very large van whose driver was on the phone.

I didn't want to but I'm tempted to get cameras.

neris

https://twitter.com/EdwardTheuns/status/1161923528620486656?s=19

Left hooked this morning in Killester by a car who overtook me to then pull into Super Valu. I'm sure whatever he bought was very important.

Pinch Flat

Nearly got t-boned by some muppet in the Phoenix Park this morning - heading down Chesterfield Avenue, last roundabout before the Park Gate Street gates. Just came out on to the roundabout from my left, almost clipped me. Weird thing was, we held eye contact before hand. It was like he just decided "ah feck it, just some fella on a bike. What can happen to me."

droidus

Heading downhill along Botanic road yesterday, not going too fast, probably 25 or so. Taxi pulls up alongside and then gradually starts slowing and pulling to the left. No indicator but id anticipated so I slowed and fell behind. he then stops and gets beeped out of it by the cars behind. As I pull out and past him I ask him what the hell he thinks he's doing... His response? "I'm a taxi, I'm a taxi".

Baron Kurtz

I find that living down in Cork for the last couple of years I now cycle way less than I ever did. Not least for the lack of provision to make cycling enjoyable i.e. cycle lanes etc., but moreso because of the serious contempt drivers have for cyclists down here I find.

Two near misses in the space of 10-15 minutes this morning. It's truly appalling. I never really experienced this in Dublin to the same extent (not even close), but I suppose the idea that people cycle in the city is generally something accepted in Dublin and largely because there is a half-decent infrastructure put in place to actually enjoy it. It's lunatic after lunatic in Cork.

Edit: Just to add, 6 deaths in a month (not all cycling related) in Cork is a pretty damning statistic to say something is clearly wrong here and needs to be properly addressed.

hesker

Baron Kurtz wrote: »

I find that living down in Cork for the last couple of years I now cycle way less than I ever did. Not least for the lack of provision to make cycling enjoyable i.e. cycle lanes etc., but moreso because of the serious contempt drivers have for cyclists down here I find.

Two near misses in the space of 10-15 minutes this morning. It's truly appalling. I never really experienced this in Dublin to the same extent (not even close), but I suppose the idea that people cycle in the city is generally something accepted in Dublin and largely because there is a half-decent infrastructure put in place to actually enjoy it. It's lunatic after lunatic in Cork.

Think you’re overstating it a bit. I’ve been cycling to work in Cork for the last 5 years. Part city part country. Meet a few lunatics and impatient assholes but plenty of considerate drivers too. From reading this thread over the same period I firmly believe Dublin is much worse.

Baron Kurtz

hesker wrote: »

Think you’re overstating it a bit. I’ve been cycling to work in Cork for the last 5 years. Part city part country. Meet a few lunatics and impatient assholes but plenty of considerate drivers too. From reading this thread over the same period I firmly believe Dublin is much worse.

That fair enough. There's no reason for me to argue the point. That's just my perspective on cycling in Cork. Have you cycled regularly in Dublin? I've cycled regularly in both cities and I feel I cycle a lot more defensively down here.

It could be a country thing, as in people commute from areas (places like Bandon, Macroom, Carrigaline) with stretches of road with a 100kph limit - maybe the frequency in travelling up and exceeding these speeds is just normalised/habituated and tempering it can give rise to frustration in more built-up areas.

tnegun

Maynooths newest cycle lane, KCC are so proud of their creation they also retrofitted a bus stop into it, I won't be using it again.

https://streamable.com/edpjn

hesker

Baron Kurtz wrote: »

That fair enough. There's no reason for me to argue the point. That's just my perspective on cycling in Cork. Have you cycled regularly in Dublin? I've cycled regularly in both cities and I feel I cycle a lot more defensively down here.

It could be a country thing, as in people commute from areas (places like Bandon, Macroom, Carrigaline) with stretches of road with a 100kph limit - maybe the frequency in travelling up and exceeding these speeds is just normalised/habituated and tempering it can give rise to frustration in more built-up areas.

Haven’t cycled in Dublin since the 80s but as I said my opinion on Dublin is formed from reading this thread over the years.

But it probably only takes one or two bad experiences to form a really strong opinion on a place.

magicbastarder

hesker wrote: »

Haven’t cycled in Dublin since the 80s but as I said my opinion on Dublin is formed from reading this thread over the years.

what's the balance of cork to dublin posters here though? greater dublin has a population about 10 times that of cork, would be curious if we see a similar ratio of posters.