Near Misses Volume 2 (So close you can feel it)

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121681698#Comment_121681698

Any bus with a camera should be able to get the footage under GDPR. Not sure how compliant the smaller companies would be but once they know you are looking, it should be preserved and given to you in 30 days.

Pulling in on a kid takes some special type of twisted mindset no matter who you blame.

Pawwed Rig

Thanks lads I put through the GDPR request today so will see what comes of the whole thing.

Thankfully my son was a couple of metres behind me so wasn't as close to the bus as I was.

Don't understand the driver mindset though. He said he saw us but pulled in anyway.

Will post an update (if any) if it developes at all

tnegun

In fairness, I've requested footage twice from Dublin Bus and they were pretty prompt dealing with it, they wouldn't say what follow-up occurred with the driver other than it had been sent to the depot/manager but if anything I'm sure the driver knew I'd made some noise about it any might think twice before attempting to bully a cyclist with a bus again!

CramCycle

If the footage shows it clearly, I'd be going to the Gardai and ignoring DBs "internal disciplinary procedure". There is no situation it is right but once it is a kid, even remotely close, personally there is a line where a simple caution is not enough. Hopefully your kid didn't get spooked and you have let them know it is rare, most DB drivers are great but there are regrettably a few.

Ferris

Just to say that the system does work, well it did for me this week anyway.

before Christmas I was beeped, tailgated, close passed and then driven into the verge on the Malahide Rd by a driver. This gentleman then got out of his car, there was an kerfuffle and he threatened me. Most of this was all recorded on my cam. I raised the traffic watch report and thought no more would come of it.

last week however I was contacted by a Garda from Malahide station. Made a statement, showed him the video and he proposed a FCN for careless driving and I was happy enough with that. Garda rang me yesterday to say he called to yer man’s house and issued him with the notice which he accepted. The Garda concerned was excellent throughout and a pleasure to deal with and I couldn’t believe how quickly he dealt with everything.

Weepsie

I got a similar outcome with the one and only time I used trafficwatch, but I have the feeling he was known to the gardai so theyvwere happy to be abke to hit him with something. Said I could go to court too, up to me, but didn't give me the spiel of making it sound like hard work. Was happy enough with the actual follow up.

That sort of thing should be easy, and it shouldn't need loads of paper work

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121685110#Comment_121685110

That is what I am doing. I have no interest in Dublin Bus internal procedures. If the Gardai do anything it will fall on the driver anyway

wheelo01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121686397#Comment_121686397

Why not do both? As a bus driver for Dublin Bus, I think that crappy driving should be brought to the attention of A. The driver, B. Management, if for no other reason than there should be consequences for actions.

Even if (especially as) this driver tried to convince you that you were somehow in the wrong.

Seth Brundle

Witnessed (not a near miss but) an actual hit today on a club spin with a fairly large group. At one point near Donedea, we all pulled over into a property entrance as one of the lads got a puncture. As most of us were standing around chatting, we noticed a cyclist coming down the road towards us with a red VW Golf being driven close behind. Along the road outside every house entrance were the blue domestic recycle bins, clearly left in place after they were emptied.

Anyhow as the cyclist went past us, most of us were looking at the bike, etc (as you do), when the driver of the car right behind the cyclist hit the bin outside the house across the road and sent it flying in the air and it landed with a fairly loud bang. The driver kept going - didn't slow down at all - but this was probably because they didn't want to stop across the road from a group of lads busy laughing at such incompetence.

One of the lads moved the bin into a safer position but if you look hard enough at the above photo, you'll see that it wasn't wearing high-viz so maybe you wont see it either!

wheelo01

How could anyone be expected to see a blue feckin bin Seth??

AndrewJRenko

The young woman cycling in front of me was lucky that she wasn't a second or two faster, because the twat from S&G Property sure as hell never checked his mirrors before opening his driver's door.

https://streamable.com/wsgg0c

f1000

had a taxi perform 2 close passes this eve where he tried to shove me towards the kerb with the front of his cab.

Had taken the lane beforehand and moved in behind a car at a red, which was turning left and then pulled back in as I crossed the junction, heading straight on. The taxi was nowhere near me before taking the lane but was behind me as I pulled away on green 😐️

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716545#Comment_121716545

What bin?

Thats just a photo of somebody's driveway!

beggars_bush

Was nearly killed today, just 500m from home at the end of my cycle

Narrow secondary road, I had flashing front and rear lights (always do) and a prick in a range rover decided to overtake a car while coming towards me.

Gaz

Rather than wait about 3 seconds for me to pass the bus stop, this fool of a bus driver forced his way past me. This felt alot closer than it looks.

https://streamable.com/f7ojxi

Dr_Colossus

I'd have thumped the side of the bus there to alert him of my presence, was expecting words when you overtook and passed his window as an unbelievably stupid and dangerous move by the bus driver.

I find Dublin bus drivers on the whole very good but there are some desperate idiots on the roads. The other morning a driver overtook me into the back of a line of traffic at a red light, he had about 3m to gain and we reached the traffic at the same time. I congratulated him on his "great progress" and continued on filtering past the line of stationary cars while he started roaring something incoherent and then blasting his horn.

TheChizler

Got the Aircoach up to Dublin Saturday. On the Chapelizod bypass in the shared bus cycle lane the driver of the Dublin Bus up ahead didn't even wobble the wheel to overtake a cyclist in front, looked very close. Aircoach driver moved nearly fully into the next lane. Not sure if training is different or it driver was just more conscientious.

fiacha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787247#Comment_121787247

Video image quality is excellent. Been checking the price but can't bring myself to hit buy ! The value of bits on the bar is already near the value of the bike :)

I've given up and started just slowing and giving buses the lane when approaching stops. I always feel very squishy when they are alongside or behind me knowing that they will be wanting to turn in for the stop.

Certainly worth sending that video to Dublin Bus. Be interesting to know if you would hear back from them about it.

Gaz

Their online complaints form wont accept non-standard characters (eg: the / in a URL), i've submitted a complaint and asked them to contact me for the video. I'll update if I hear back.

Gaz

Got a response, hopefully they follow through and its not just lip service ...

I refer to your email regarding an incident with one of our drivers on route 27A, on Monday 19.02.2024 at approx. 08:56

Firstly I would like to apologise for the poor experience you had when dealing with one of our employees. Awareness and patience with all other road users and pedestrians forms an integral part of both our initial bus driver training and our on-going refresher training courses. Dublin Bus is aware of the role it plays in ensuring the health and safety of all our fellow road users. I have identified the driver involved in this incident and they will be interviewed and dealt with by the Depot Operations Manager here at Clontarf Depot.

On behalf of Dublin Bus, I would like to apologise for any distress that may have been caused to you, and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121796472#Comment_121796472

That's positive. I have to say, most DB drivers are good in my experience. I don't know what training they get in terms of being aware of pedestrians and cyclists, but they seem a lot better than some of the private bus companies and HGV drivers. You'll always get one or two who bring their own prejudices with them to the job, but I find DB drivers to be much more chilled out on the whole. They've a difficult job just dealing with the rest of the crap driving we see on the road, so credit to DB management for whatever courses they do run.

o1s1n

I would tend to agree that a lot are very aware of cyclists, but I find just with the sheer number of busses you have to deal with in your lane on a daily basis there's always going to be issues. The problem is more with the actual road infrastructure than anything else.

I was going passed Wesley Rugby club a few days ago, overtook a parked bus at the bus stop there and he started pulling out when I was level with his cab. Didn't see me at all. I'd say if I was milliseconds slower he would have gone straight into me. One of those moments where you can feel the breeze of death behind you as you whizz by 😲

The whole 'overtake and immediately pull in' that you see in Gaz's video happens to me all the time on my commute to different degrees. It's such a common occurrence in Dublin city centre that I've just come to expect it as normal as cycle defensively whenever busses are about.

Schorpio

Another one this morning. Van decided they wanted to jump me at the lights, just so they could immediately turn left across my path.

Unfortunately too common an occurrence here so I was ready for it.

It honestly baffles me that some drivers think there is anything to be gained by pulling stunts like this.

https://streamable.com/b0nh61

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798693#Comment_121798693

Contact numbers for the company here; https://watkinscatering.ie/

Citizen2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121785634#Comment_121785634

jesus Christ. Frightening. The roads are getting hazardous.

barryribs

MOD VOICE: Wrong thread

Kaisr Sose

Screenshot_1.jpg

Screenshot_2.jpg

Two close pasess in 3mins last Sunday The white car did not even try to cross the centre line, just squeezed past. The red van (which is officially a white van with a full red wrap = colour change not notified to Motor Tax) did not cross it either because there other lane had oncoming traffic, one of whom sounded their horn.

Both reported to AGS.

CramCycle

My new brand of concern in relation to cars are Mercedes. Coming uphill in a buslane, cars overtaking in the lane beside when an 08Merc estate came out of a side road in a pure leap of faith moment and just went for it. Didn't slow, didn't actually look, I was able to stop thanks to it being uphill and by some fluke there was a small break in traffic. Dropping the kid to school by the passenger in his car. 5 minutes later, a near identical incident with a newer Merc SUV, pulled out in front of me from a side road, to turn right. This time I was going downhill and was far out as I was turning right in 50m. Hauled brakes, swerved left and skid stopped about 20cm from his rear bumper (also dropping a kid to school). Neither flinched, I'm not sure either even noticed. The driver behind me in the second incident looked shook though.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801093#Comment_121801093

I find morning commute far worse due to the simple fact of school drops - whether its stressed parents trying to find every gap in traffic, lane hop, rat run, hop into bus lane etc, whether it's cars thrown up onto footpaths, stopped in cycle lanes, doors opened without looking, pulling out from illegal parking spots in a rush without looking... it's much worse than evening commute home. Ironically, if canvassed I'd say 90% of the parents engaging in that kind of driving would say there's no way they'd let their kids cycle to school because the roads are too dangerous.

Roads in general are made s**t of by the school run alone. Traffic tailbacks change overnight whenever there's a mid terms break/ holiday. If only there was something that could be done about it.

CramCycle

Yeah, the first one I have seen a few times now though and admittedly, not always a Merc. Just driving out blind, sometimes with their teenager in the car (great example), but overall no real demographic to speak of. It is just mind blowing. Not saying the driver who pulls out into a barely existent gap in traffic is acceptable but it is now a few times where there hasn't even been a glance, it is simply a leap of faith, at speed, whether they decide that statistically this is a quieter road, or they make an assumption that it is quiet, I don't know but it is incredible. I can accept it in a car chase in a movie as they are simply spectacles but in real life, it just blows my mind.