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

magicbastarder

i had a funny crash on that road years ago - cycling home from school, on the footpath (because it was snowing) and crossed the end of a driveway - but the path was sloped up to the driveway, so my front wheel slid out from under me, straight into my friend aidan's front wheel, and we both took a right old pratfall.

Seaswimmer

Coming up Grace Park road yesterday morning towards Collins Avenue. Not really room to pass but cars do attempt it when there is a gap in oncoming traffic. I has passed a large BMW 640 something or other at the lights further back and saw him in my mirror behind me.

Expecting the worst I took the lane but he sat patiently behind me and when there was a gap overtook me with plenty of room.

Passed him again at lights at Collins avenue but again after a few cars had squeezed passed me he was behind me. Again he waited and passed safely.

When I caught him again at Swords Road I passed him on his drivers side. He had his window open so I remarked that he was a very polite and courteous driver.

"Thank you" he said and we both went on our way feeling happy:)

ThisRegard

magicbastarder wrote: »

i had a funny crash on that road years ago - cycling home from school, on the footpath (because it was snowing) and crossed the end of a driveway - but the path was sloped up to the driveway, so my front wheel slid out from under me, straight into my friend aidan's front wheel, and we both took a right old pratfall.

Ha, classic Aidan.

Annie get your Run

Seaswimmer wrote: »

I has passed a large BMW 640 he sat patiently behind me and when there was a gap overtook me with plenty of room.
Again he waited and passed safely.

"Thank you" he said and we both went on our way feeling happy:)

BMW driver in courteous/good driving headline shocker :D

Fighting Tao

Annie get your Run wrote: »

BMW driver in courteous/good driving headline shocker :D

I think Audi is the new BMW these days.

Danjamin1

Fighting Tao wrote: »

I think Audi is the new BMW these days.

I think the Audi generalisation is misplaced

(Hides Audi keys)

Kaisr Sose

Annie get your Run wrote: »

BMW driver in courteous/good driving headline shocker :D

Not as rare as you think! (I have one )

Some people in mid-priced or economy brands of vehicles have a lot to learn on the courtesy and respect aspects of driving...

schemingbohemia

So, having waited since last Wednesday week for a Garda to ring me regarding the near miss on June 20th, I rang Traffic Watch back who said to get in contact with Blackrock. No record there but apparently that may be because no-one assigned to it yet. So a potentially dangerous driver driving around for an additional 10 days without the Garda talking to him. What his memory of the incident is likely to be now is anyone's guess - not that it would make much odds anyway.

Danbo!

schemingbohemia wrote: »

So, having waited since last Wednesday week for a Garda to ring me regarding the near miss on June 20th, I rang Traffic Watch back who said to get in contact with Blackrock. No record there but apparently that may be because no-one assigned to it yet. So a potentially dangerous driver driving around for an additional 10 days without the Garda talking to him. What his memory of the incident is likely to be now is anyone's guess - not that it would make much odds anyway.

Yeah it's shame alright. My Neighbour called 999 during the week when he saw someone breaking into another neighbours house. Alarm going off, actually saw the guy enter. Gardai arrived 1 hr later. They're really stretched so unfortunately won't prioritise road incidents like yours

magicbastarder

my opinion of the handling of incidents by the gardai is not exactly sky high - we arrived on the scene of an accident on a motorway a few years back - we did not witness the actual accident itself - and when the attending garda (later found out he was a super) asked me, i explicitly told him i had no reason to believe the motorist was speeding.
when we were called to make a statement several months later (in front of a different garda), the super had written down that we had told him we had witnessed the motorist driving at excessive and dangerous speed. which we'd been at pains to point out was not the case.

the garda we gave the statement to said the super had probably been hoping to build a dangerous driving case based on our statements, but we'd blown that out of the water. and didn't seem to think there was anything unusual in it.

Danbo!

magicbastarder wrote: »

my opinion of the handling of incidents by the gardai is not exactly sky high - we arrived on the scene of an accident on a motorway a few years back - we did not witness the actual accident itself - and when the attending garda (later found out he was a super) asked me, i explicitly told him i had no reason to believe the motorist was speeding.
when we were called to make a statement several months later (in front of a different garda), the super had written down that we had told him we had witnessed the motorist driving at excessive and dangerous speed. which we'd been at pains to point out was not the case.

the garda we gave the statement to said the super had probably been hoping to build a dangerous driving case based on our statements, but we'd blown that out of the water. and didn't seem to think there was anything unusual in it.

Made a statement years back about an armed robbery where I worked and they were trying to ham it up quite a bit. To be honest, the lads that robbed the place were quite nice about it which sounds odd, but I think the gardai needed proper "fearing for my life" quotes for it.

Anyway, sorry for pulling the thread off topic about Gardai, here's a video I spotted on reddit of a cyclist being undertaken. Cyclist has a great attitude and doesn't go mental, something I can struggle with a little

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n7zuYCGV6k

De Bhál

can't believe he pulled off that move at the end and included it in the video. Overtake into oncoming traffic to save himself a few seconds.

Fairly standard filtering for the UK.

Lumen

Deleted User wrote: »

Fairly standard filtering for the UK.

It's not called the "coroner's corridor" for nothing.

Hah, I'd never heard that before!

Almost hit by a white van in the Phoenix Park outside Farmleigh on Saturday. He was overtaking too closely and "completed" the manoeuvre before he had fully cleared me. There was oncoming traffic as well.

Not a near miss, but we had a car driving up the new two-way segregated track on Military Road as well. He kept saying "I know, I know". If you know you're in the wrong, why do it?

Alanstrainor

Deleted User wrote: »

Not a near miss, but we had a car driving up the new two-way segregated track on Military Road as well. He kept saying "I know, I know". If you know you're in the wrong, why do it?

Did he at least have his hazards on? :pac:

Chuchote

Deleted User wrote: »

Not a near miss, but we had a car driving up the new two-way segregated track on Military Road as well. He kept saying "I know, I know". If you know you're in the wrong, why do it?

Because you're bone selfish.

Alanstrainor

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Did he at least have his hazards on? :pac:

No, I'll let him know how to be a chancer properly next time. :pac:

buffalo

Deleted User wrote: »

Not a near miss, but we had a car driving up the new two-way segregated track on Military Road as well. He kept saying "I know, I know". If you know you're in the wrong, why do it?

I've seen that as well, with the driver giving a shrug that seemed to say, "sure what can I do?"

TheBlaaMan

Out at 7:30 for a spin before work, leaving my estate my route took me right at the roundabout at the entrance to my area. As I entered the R/A I could see a car coming from my left. No sweat, I think, sure he see's me. I was fully compliant with road position and used hand signals but this bloke simply didn't see me ........as I reached the first exit (ie his entrance to the R/A) I sensed he was going too fast but I was tight to the R/A, he hits the brakes, locks up, skids 15-20ft onto the R/A and I being to **** myself (not literally). I tried (and failed ) to bunny hop onto a low kerb that forms part of the roundabout and gentle tumbled as I also fail to unclip. He pulls forward and asks if I'm OK. I tell him not so politely to be on his way....

I doubt I would have escaped without a pretty serious injury if I had been taking the second exit to the R/A. He would have t-boned me on the LHS

Just another day on the road. fcuk.

Kaisr Sose

The Judiciary don't seem to care or understand the challenges of cycling and the dangers caused by aggressive drivers.

I was up in small claims court for damage to a mirror of a car that was driven at me (in 2015), rather than it being a close pass. He could have passed but was angry because I took the lane to prevent a close pass.

The judge did not want to know why the car was so close to me and actually was hostile to me for even attempting or suggesting striking the car was to defend myself. She appeared anti-cyclist and rather flippantly asked me in a leading way "when you hit the car, what were you trying to achieve - to push the car away? Why were you in the centre of the lane blocking it to other traffic. She was not interest in the RSA advice to cyclists (actually saying that). Conversely, the driver was never asked to defend his driving. She did not see his driving as being dangerous, yet found no problem in suggesting my cycling was poor.

Needless to say, she found against me dispite me producing a photo showing no damage to the vehicle/mirror and the driver failing to produce evidence of financial loss. The Judge agreeed the photo showed it was not broken, but accepted the drivers claim that the indicator lamp on the back was cracked. To succeed you are supposed to show you incurred a loss.

As regard the court process itself, I am left with questions as to whether a fair hearing took place. I was not sworn into evidence and I don't recall him being sworn in either, though the court clerk later said he was. In all the cases before, the judge allowed no evidence from anyone without them being sworn in. Furthermore, she started off by saying I am not sure if I can hear this case (jurisdiction I think) yet took the drivers word for it that he reveived advice from a solicitor that it could be heard in the Small Claims Court. As far as I am concerned, the whole thing was a beach of legal /court process and I don't even know how the verdict can stand.

The Garda who investigated this incident and came as a witness for me, thought I got a bad deal and asked if I would be appealing. If I do, I have to go to the Circut Court but may incur more cost than its going to save. On a point of principle, I would like to have the verdict thrown out due to the poor process followed in court. Any ideas?

Chuchote

This is exactly the kind of thing that brings the courts and the judiciary into contempt.

AndrewJRenko

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

The Judiciary don't seem to care or understand the challenges of cycling and the dangers caused by aggressive drivers.

I was up in small claims court for damage to a mirror of a car that was driven at me (in 2015), rather than it being a close pass. He could have passed but was angry because I took the lane to prevent a close pass.

The judge did not want to know why the car was so close to me and actually was hostile to me for even attempting or suggesting striking the car was to defend myself. She appeared anti-cyclist and rather flippantly asked me in a leading way "when you hit the car, what were you trying to achieve - to push the car away? Why were you in the centre of the lane blocking it to other traffic. She was not interest in the RSA advice to cyclists (actually saying that). Conversely, the driver was never asked to defend his driving. She did not see his driving as being dangerous, yet found no problem in suggesting my cycling was poor.

Needless to say, she found against me dispite me producing a photo showing no damage to the vehicle/mirror and the driver failing to produce evidence of financial loss. The Judge agreeed the photo showed it was not broken, but accepted the drivers claim that the indicator lamp on the back was cracked. To succeed you are supposed to show you incurred a loss.

As regard the court process itself, I am left with questions as to whether a fair hearing took place. I was not sworn into evidence and I don't recall him being sworn in either, though the court clerk later said he was. In all the cases before, the judge allowed no evidence from anyone without them being sworn in. Furthermore, she started off by saying I am not sure if I can hear this case (jurisdiction I think) yet took the drivers word for it that he reveived advice from a solicitor that it could be heard in the Small Claims Court. As far as I am concerned, the whole thing was a beach of legal /court process and I don't even know how the verdict can stand.

The Garda who investigated this incident and came as a witness for me, thought I got a bad deal and asked if I would be appealing. If I do, I have to go to the Circut Court but may incur more cost than its going to save. On a point of principle, I would like to have the verdict thrown out due to the poor process followed in court. Any ideas?

That's awful, but not hugely surprising. Just to be clear - the driver took an action against you for damage to his mirror? If so, how exactly did he get your details?

I'd imagine that you might have been better off having a solicitor on your side, who would hopefully have gotten a better hearing that you got.

07Lapierre

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Out at 7:30 for a spin before work, leaving my estate my route took me right at the roundabout at the entrance to my area. As I entered the R/A I could see a car coming from my left. No sweat, I think, sure he see's me. I was fully compliant with road position and used hand signals but this bloke simply didn't see me ........as I reached the first exit (ie his entrance to the R/A) I sensed he was going too fast but I was tight to the R/A, he hits the brakes, locks up, skids 15-20ft onto the R/A and I being to **** myself (not literally). I tried (and failed ) to bunny hop onto a low kerb that forms part of the roundabout and gentle tumbled as I also fail to unclip. He pulls forward and asks if I'm OK. I tell him not so politely to be on his way....

I doubt I would have escaped without a pretty serious injury if I had been taking the second exit to the R/A. He would have t-boned me on the LHS

Just another day on the road. fcuk.

I would suggest he wasn't looking, which is why he "Didn't see you". :mad:

(Glad your OK)

Arcade_Tryer

Chuchote wrote: »

This is exactly the kind of thing that brings the courts and the judiciary into contempt.

There are a lot of completely thick judges out there, all with a huge sense of entitlement. A US journalist once referred to them as students who mark their own exam papers. The problem of course is that they are allowed to get away with it due to lack of reform. And this suits both the good and the bad judges unfortunately.

Edit: Sorry for the rant. I've no advice. I'd say name and shame but they'd probably try and screw you with defamation.

Chiparus

07Lapierre wrote: »

I would suggest he wasn't looking, which is why he "Didn't see you". :mad:

(Glad your OK)

Actually he may have looked but often street furniture or even the A-piller blind spot may have obscured his vision.

Kaisr Sose

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

That's awful, but not hugely surprising. Just to be clear - the driver took an action against you for damage to his mirror? If so, how exactly did he get your details?

I'd imagine that you might have been better off having a solicitor on your side, who would hopefully have gotten a better hearing that you got.

Unfortunately, he got them from me! Lesson learned but I just did not want to be around this guy any longer than I had to. I had to subsequently report him for harassment and a decision is pending with the DPP on that. The Garda were very sympathetic and helpful.

Since last week, I have thought a solicitor would have been better but this court is supposed to be non-adversarial, easy accessible to represent yourself etc. Adding a solicitor on top would have outweighed the financial benefit of winning as you don't get costs.

I am more disappointed with the process. How can an award be made to someone that did not and probably could not prove a loss. Zero paper work. I doubt they got it repaired as it was not broken! How could a hand break a wing miror casing while at the same time keep balance? I have good bike handling but this level of force would have resulted in me falling off. It just crumpled. Like it was damaged already. The Judge did not want to know.

Kaisr Sose

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

There are a lot of completely thick judges out there, all with a huge sense of entitlement. A US journalist once referred to them as students who mark their own exam papers. The problem of course is that they are allowed to get away with it due to lack of reform. And this suits both the good and the bad judges unfortunately.

Edit: Sorry for the rant. I've no advice. I'd say name and shame but they'd probably try and screw you with defamation.

Thanks. Nothing to be gained from naming. It was a taxi so I may go to regulator. The guy should not be driving anything let alone a taxi.

07Lapierre

Chiparus wrote: »

Actually he may have looked but often street furniture or even the A-piller blind spot may have obscured his vision.

Yes...that's called: not looking correctly;)

Arcade_Tryer

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Thanks. Nothing to be gained from naming. It was a taxi so I may go to regulator. The guy should not be driving anything let alone a taxi.

I was actually referring to the judge! I have sympathy for you. It sucks.

If it's not too costly for you, perhaps seek some legal advice, and then see it it's worth an appeal. By the sounds of it, you experienced one of the many "bad" judges who make decisions based on their personal bias rather than even making any attempt at an objective verdict.