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

sullivlo · 24-05-2017 8:39am

A pedestrian stepped out in front of me this morning. Just full on stepped out into traffic without checking if it was clear. I had to swerve to avoid her, and in the process of trying to stop the bike without mounting the path/falling into traffic and causing more harm, I twisted my ankle trying to clip out. Pedestrian (tourist) and her friends toddle off like nothing has happened.

Then I crossed over the river onto City Quay and a car just pulled out across me like I wasn't there. Yes there is a cycle lane, but I go up Lombard Street so I have to use the traffic lane.

Cycling in the city is frustrating.

I love Sean nos · 24-05-2017 9:03am

Glonass wrote: »

idiot cyclists with in-ear headphones on full blast not hearing anything, taking up the whole cycle lane with headphone on

:rolleyes:

Glonass wrote: »

insecure Motorbikers with their loud roaring sound while filtering through traffic on Bicycle lanes

Glonass wrote: »

Jaywalkers crossing the Roads

There's no such thing, but whatever. :rolleyes:

Glonass wrote: »

Junkies/Drunk people jumping onto roads

Glonass wrote: »

Some ego fuelled tour de france wannabes speeding and braking hard on their cycle to work scheme Bikes while hiding behind Sunglasses

and :rolleyes:

Glonass wrote: »

Fat youngsters taking off at full speed in their modded Subaru Impreza etc.

:eek:

Glonass wrote: »

I think it's time to use my GoPro

I think it's time you stopped watching and reading Jeremy Clarkson. :rolleyes:

Pinch Flat · 24-05-2017 9:32am

This morning reaffirmed to me that there's an IQ and / or some sort of psychological test required before people are allowed drive a car.

Coming onto the quays at Park gate street having passed the luas tracks, I was aware of a car to my right - the quays were unusually quiet. Guy in mondeo seems to be speed checking me - I'm going a high 30's at a guess, he's drawn up along side me. This continued all the way down the quays, past the croppy acre.

Eventually, the urge to overtake got the better of him and, without warning, he sped up to my right, cutting in front of me left and across the cycle lane and drew up to the red lights to turn left up Blackhall Place. We nearly came in contact here https://goo.gl/maps/f7ePcdKhA342

He drew up to a red light. I decided to have a word.

Me - "Nice driving back there, you nearly had me off the bike. Are you in a rush to get to this red light?"

Him "It's up to you to look after your own safety!"

Me - "Ok, so does that include clowns like you who overtake and cut in front of me to get to a red light? I'd feel a lot safer if clowns like you weren't driving."

Window rolled up. Expletives mouthed. You've to to wonder. Cars take an awful toll on some peoples minds.

Chuchote · 24-05-2017 1:14pm

Glonass wrote: »

Back cycling after a long time and my god Dublin city is total mess!!!

Time to join http://cyclist.ie/ and agitate for proper infrastructure.

bikedude · 24-05-2017 5:22pm

Stoped at the traffic lights at Lambs Cross. Land Cruiser beside me start to inch forward and try to squeeze past before lights turn green.
Lights turn green, he accelerates like mad. After almost hitting me, he is still not able to overtake. Took the lane to avoid a close pass.
Road widens after the school, I go to the cycle lane, he stops at the next traffic light, some compliments are exchanged he goes his way, I turn left to Aikens Village.
WTF is wrong with people? Are cyclist just seen as inconvenient "things" on the road? To save 10s is worth the risk of killing someone?

Pinch Flat · 24-05-2017 5:28pm

bikedude wrote: »

Are cyclist just seen as inconvenient "things" on the road? To save 10s is worth the risk of killing someone?

In a nutshell, yes. His journey was obviously more important than yours.:rolleyes:

papu · 24-05-2017 6:14pm

Continuing straight along North Circular Road yesterday at 8pm, just at the junction at the top of the Mater I have green light, SUV coming from opposite direction decides to turn right across me at speed as I go through the junction. Wanted to go straight to Phibsboro station to report it, but my Go-Pro card filled up 1 minute before the near miss.

DanDublin1982 · 24-05-2017 7:30pm

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Eventually, the urge to overtake got the better of him and, without warning, he sped up to my right, cutting in front of me left and across the cycle lane and drew up to the red lights to turn left up Blackhall Place. We nearly came in contact here https://goo.gl/maps/f7ePcdKhA342

.

One of the worst parts of the north quays. That left turn is generally quite busy too. The cycle lane counts for virtually nothing there.

Kaisr Sose · 24-05-2017 8:23pm

bikedude wrote: »

Stoped at the traffic lights at Lambs Cross. Land Cruiser beside me start to inch forward and try to squeeze past before lights turn green.
Lights turn green, he accelerates like mad. After almost hitting me, he is still not able to overtake. Took the lane to avoid a close pass.
Road widens after the school, I go to the cycle lane, he stops at the next traffic light, some compliments are exchanged he goes his way, I turn left to Aikens Village.
WTF is wrong with people? Are cyclist just seen as inconvenient "things" on the road? To save 10s is worth the risk of killing someone?

I find it really bad along there. In the mornings with the school it's chaos. Vehicles pulling into and out of everywhere. Mounting the pavement to past a vehicle turning right (both stopped at the lights) or driving up on pavement to cut through past the shop to avoid the red heading to Lambs/Marley.
The other way at all times towards Stepaside (where you had your encounter) cars doing that and more than half of them have to stop for red at Aikens (if they stop). I have had them overtake me on the blind bend or force me into the kerb, just as you say for a gain of a few seconds.

Weepsie · 24-05-2017 10:34pm

Was cycling home from Blanchardstown when visiting family. Roads I'm very familiar with having lived most of my life near them.

Was coming up to a roundabout in Huntstown and took the lane. Sensed a van come from behind, I still had the lane. It drew closer. At this point there's an island in the middle of the road. The van squeezes right up beside it and me on the other side.

Looked at driver, phone to ear, chatting away looking only to their right. Complete and utter moron and doesn't deserve to be on the road.

Later approaching St. Margarets another van driver with his hands lazily draped over the top of wheel tapping away on his phone. He was crossing the white line. I had visions of the recent TV as. Another cretin who doesn't deserve to be on the road.

Yet people harp on about RLJing

cython · 25-05-2017 7:59am

Weepsie wrote: »

Was cycling home from Blanchardstown when visiting family. Roads I'm very familiar with having lived most of my life near them.

Was coming up to a roundabout in Huntstown and took the lane. Sensed a van come from behind, I still had the lane. It drew closer. At this point there's an island in the middle of the road. The van squeezes right up beside it and me on the other side.

Looked at driver, phone to ear, chatting away looking only to their right. Complete and utter moron and doesn't deserve to be on the road.

Later approaching St. Margarets another van driver with his hands lazily draped over the top of wheel tapping away on his phone. He was crossing the white line. I had visions of the recent TV as. Another cretin who doesn't deserve to be on the road.

Yet people harp on about RLJing

Funny you mention Blanch, I was cycling home westbound over the M50 between Castleknock and Blanchardstown yesterday evening and a car behind me goes to overtake on the linked section. Somehow missing the key constraint that there was a tailback of traffic less than 30 metres in front of me, so the space into which he could overtake was dwindling rapidly! Only when I looked back and made eye contact with an exasperated WTF gesture did he back off slightly. Geuninely have no idea what was going through his head, barring maybe a tumbleweed. Or maybe he's one of these drivers with an irrational complex that they need to get ahead of all cyclists on the road, no matter the cost, as they do seem to exist!

magicbastarder · 25-05-2017 8:16am

heh, i used to cycle to school across that section when they were building the M50 - the main castleknock road was closed to cars for months. could you imagine that now?

Danbo! · 25-05-2017 8:25am

Got a very close pass from a van on Monday evening, on a nice big wide road. He was closer to the kerb than the white line. Tutted to myself and continued on, it's so frequent these days I dont even bother getting annoyed. At the next junction though, I looked over at him, we were separated by a traffic island, and he's staring over with a big grin on his face as if he knew what he had done. Sent the footage to his company, but no reply yet.

Pinch Flat · 25-05-2017 9:24am

cython wrote: »

Funny you mention Blanch, I was cycling home westbound over the M50 between Castleknock and Blanchardstown yesterday evening and a car behind me goes to overtake on the linked section. Somehow missing the key constraint that there was a tailback of traffic less than 30 metres in front of me, so the space into which he could overtake was dwindling rapidly! Only when I looked back and made eye contact with an exasperated WTF gesture did he back off slightly. Geuninely have no idea what was going through his head, barring maybe a tumbleweed. Or maybe he's one of these drivers with an irrational complex that they need to get ahead of all cyclists on the road, no matter the cost, as they do seem to exist!

The "must get ahead at any cost" impulse can be strong in some drivers. That's on my commute as well, centre lane all the way from the roundabout before the M50 and across the bridge is the only way. Too many squeeze bys there, only for them to join the queue at Laurel Lodge.

selwyn froggitt · 25-05-2017 9:25am

Very close one yesterday evening, riding down Centrepark road in Cork. I take a traffic free roundabout and want to take the second exit to Albert road. A car coming down Victoria road (1st exit from Blackrock) nearly cleans me out of it. I had the roundabout, make eye contact with the driver of the Passat who still doesn't stop. I take evasive action, and narrowly miss hitting his wing. He knows he's fcuked up and darts off down towards Marina terrace to avoid a confrontation with a clearly scared and really pissed off cyclist.
I spot the same driver a minute later at the traffic lights by the South link road, am ahead of him in traffic but just pull over in case he tries to flatten me with his car, seeming as he missed me the first time around

bikedude · 25-05-2017 9:47am

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

I have had them overtake me on the blind bend or force me into the kerb, just as you say for a gain of a few seconds.

This is happens so often that I almost removed from my "what's a close pass" list. And it is literally just around this corner the road widens. With all the new houses been build it will only get worst overtime.

cython · 25-05-2017 9:52am

Pinch Flat wrote: »

The "must get ahead at any cost" impulse can be strong in some drivers. That's on my commute as well, centre lane all the way from the roundabout before the M50 and across the bridge is the only way. Too many squeeze bys there, only for them to join the queue at Laurel Lodge.

Exactly, and I was reasonably centre lane, but it didn't stop this chump going to the other side of the road before realising there was nowhere to overtake to - I mean I'll admit I'm a bit of a fatty, but not so much that I block out the full view of a line of cars in front, I'd have thought

:rolleyes:

BoardsMember · 25-05-2017 10:13am

Danbo! wrote: »

Got a very close pass from a van on Monday evening, on a nice big wide road. He was closer to the kerb than the white line. Tutted to myself and continued on, it's so frequent these days I dont even bother getting annoyed. At the next junction though, I looked over at him, we were separated by a traffic island, and he's staring over with a big grin on his face as if he knew what he had done. Sent the footage to his company, but no reply yet.

That's demented behaviour.

duffer247 · 26-05-2017 10:57am

Hi all
Not sure what thread to post this in. I saw on twitter the Dublin Fire Brigade attending a scene on Tuesday evening near the Hellfire Club/ Killakee road where a tree had fallen on a cyclist. A colleague of mine came across him and assisted, she said he was in a bad way. I haven't heard any further reports in news media just wondering if anybody knows if he's okay? It's a popular area for cyclists as many of you will know and frightening that this freak accident could happen.

NeedMoreGears · 26-05-2017 1:22pm

Another dumb pass attempt last night. I'm doing about 30-35 in a longish line of traffic about 5-6m back from the car in front. The car behind me goes to overtake and then realises there really isn't that much room to the car in front of me (how he couldn't see that already is beyond me). He stays sitting a meter to my right for about five seconds. I was dead centre in the lane (and closer to the car in front than I would particularly like) in an effort to prevent this precise form of stupidity, so he's basically driving down the wrong side of the road. He finally realises what his doing - perhaps prompted by me shouting "What are you doing?" - and backs off a bit. I accelerated a little and sat even further out, staying in the line of traffic for the next few hundred meters. He didn't pass me when the traffic picked up speed and I sat back to the left so he must have turned off somewhere.

I was annoyed on several fronts

(I) that he even tried to pass when I was clearly keeping up with the traffic
(ii) that he just sat there beside me on the wrong side of the road, possibly expected me to brake and leave him go
(iii) that I didn't just slow a bit and let him go. I was simply not having someone skip the queue like that but bike vs car considerations probably meant I should have from a strict safety perspective.

There seems to be an increasingly amount of this kind of low level stupidity on the roads.

Doctor Bob · 26-05-2017 4:31pm

Can this thread spare a bit of space of a Friday for a not-unrelated good news story of sorts? Hope so.

Emailed a haulage firm to say the lorry driver overtook me perfectly and respected space for cyclists. Got a reply saying he'll get a bonus!

https://twitter.com/JamesMarkHayden/status/867751491523706880

ED E · 26-05-2017 7:37pm

Doctor Bob wrote: »

Can this thread spare a bit of space of a Friday for a not-unrelated good news story of sorts? Hope so.

https://twitter.com/JamesMarkHayden/status/867751491523706880

On that note, was struck by how patient and safe a Panda Waste driver was last week. Gave him a fat thumbs up when he passed a good 200m further on. Need more of their ilk.

Unknown Soldier · 26-05-2017 7:44pm

Doctor Bob wrote: »

Can this thread spare a bit of space of a Friday for a not-unrelated good news story of sorts? Hope so.

https://twitter.com/JamesMarkHayden/status/867751491523706880

That's great.

We know that a number of people on bikes are asshats and give us all a bad name, and we should remember that it's the same with a lot of other traffic. Asshats be Asshats.

I always acknowledge, with a "culchie wave" good passes and nice road behaviour, I think what your man did above is quality.

It's the ickle bits in life that count.

Chuchote · 26-05-2017 7:53pm

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

We know that a number of people on bikes are asshats and give us all a bad name

Speak for yourself. They don't give me a bad name, only themselves.

duffer247 wrote: »

Hi all
Not sure what thread to post this in. I saw on twitter the Dublin Fire Brigade attending a scene on Tuesday evening near the Hellfire Club/ Killakee road where a tree had fallen on a cyclist. A colleague of mine came across him and assisted, she said he was in a bad way. I haven't heard any further reports in news media just wondering if anybody knows if he's okay? It's a popular area for cyclists as many of you will know and frightening that this freak accident could happen.

Saw this:

http://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/cyclist-hospitalised-after-being-struck-13082372#ICID=sharebar_twitter

Unknown Soldier · 26-05-2017 8:15pm

Chuchote wrote: »

Speak for yourself. They don't give me a bad name, only themselves.

Yes they do, not your actual name, obviously.

Don't be pedantic.

Saucer of milk for one of us.

Kaisr Sose · 26-05-2017 8:27pm

Chuchote wrote: »

Speak for yourself. They don't give me a bad name, only themselves.

Have to agree with Unknown Soldier here. To many motorists - all cyclists are the same. The optics are one cyclist breaks a red light, we all break them. You can disagree if you wish but their perception is their reality.

VW 1 · 29-05-2017 8:56am

Had a lovely run in with a taxi driver this morning as I was coming along Kevin Street, he pulled out of a side street, across a yield sign and the cycle lane.

Swerved to avoid him and he was so close I knocked on the window to let him know I was there to stop coming on top of me, at which point he swerved the car at me.

He stopped rolled down the window and told me he'd sort me out if I ever touched his car again. I was asking him had he not seen me why did he pull across a cycle lane and not stop at the yield sign. His explanation was that he has to look out for trucks and cars as well he can't be expected to see everything

His windows were completely steamed up and I told him maybe that getting rid of it would help his vision. At that point he said sure your not wearing a helmet anyway so its your own fault if ya get hit.

In my anger at the whole thing I didn't even take his taxi number never mind his reg. Waited a few minutes for him to come by halfway up Stephens green but he must have gone a different direction.

Rage.

VW 1 · 29-05-2017 8:56am

Had a lovely run in with a taxi driver this morning as I was coming along Kevin Street, he pulled out of a side street, across a yield sign and the cycle lane.

Swerved to avoid him and he was so close I knocked on the window to let him know I was there to stop coming on top of me, at which point he swerved the car at me.

He stopped rolled down the window and told me he'd sort me out if I ever touched his car again. I was asking him had he not seen me why did he pull across a cycle lane and not stop at the yield sign. His explanation was that he has to look out for trucks and cars as well he can't be expected to see everything

His windows were completely steamed up and I told him maybe that getting rid of it would help his vision. At that point he said sure your not wearing a helmet anyway so its your own fault if ya get hit.

In my anger at the whole thing I didn't even take his taxi number never mind his reg. Waited a few minutes for him to come by halfway up Stephens green but he must have gone a different direction.

Rage.

Pinch Flat · 29-05-2017 9:20am

Not really a near miss, for me anyway, but a rather unpleasant incident I witnessed in central Dublin yesterday. Haven come back from my Sunday morning spin and suffered a mechanical which delayed me, I'd promised Mrs. Pinch Flat & Pinch Flat junior that we'd head into Dublin Castle for a visit - on our list for ages. Due to time constraint, elected to drive and park at Francis Street and walk down.

As I was parking, I noticed a Stayin' Alive at 1.5 sign on the back of a car, so decided to take a picture and post it on their FB page. As I was doing this, there was a commotion - a car came into Francis Street from Thomas Street, beeping at an elderly cyclist - the chap on the bike was around 70 if a day. Anyway, as the guy on the bike headed down Francis Street, the car continued to swerve at him, the driver hurling verbal abuse from the rolled down passenger window. The car eventually cut in front of the cyclist, causing him to stop suddenly and almost fall over just at the Liberty Belle pub. To be honest, I waited around to see how this panned out - I was sure the motorist was going to get out and deck the cyclist. Car drove off, beeping and leaving a rather shook elderly gentleman at the side of the road, who continued on his way. Absolutely shocking treatment and complete lack of disrespect for him as an elder and cyclist.

All this happened on a quite, wide one way side street on a Sunday afternoon. Truly shocking that there are such utter scumbags in cars. Have the cars details, but not sure If I'm entitled to make a complaint to Traffic Watch / Gardai? I'd be quite happy to follow this true and let this w@nker have his day in court.

jive · 29-05-2017 10:17am

Pinch Flat wrote: »

All this happened on a quite, wide one way side street on a Sunday afternoon. Truly shocking that there are such utter scumbags in cars. Have the cars details, but not sure If I'm entitled to make a complaint to Traffic Watch / Gardai? I'd be quite happy to follow this true and let this w@nker have his day in court.

Report it, worst case scenario is nothing happens which is exactly what happens if it goes unreported.

The more people that get reported for bad driving / behaviour the better. Seeing as the traffic laws in Dublin are a distant memory for cyclists and motorists alike it's the next best thing.

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

Comments