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

Hope you are ok. At least you have it recorded front head and rear! Don't be shy going to Crumlin Gda Stn!

It ironic, on the way home, one of the same liveried vehicles was parked on the cycle lane on Castle Street. Causing chaos for busses unable to pass if there was traffic coming down the hill. The driver was in the shop!

amcalester wrote: »

I usually give KN Group branded vehicles a wide berth.

In certain circles they're referred to as Kentucky Fried Networks.

magicbastarder wrote: »

maybe the impact knocked him into the future.

Unknown Soldier, are they still using rim brakes in the 22nd century?

Did he have to hit 88mph to get there?

Chuchote wrote: »

(Like the famous Bangalore scheme that ended dodging bus fares by running a lottery on bus tickets.)

That's pretty clever.

magicbastarder wrote: »

maybe the impact knocked him into the future.

Unknown Soldier, are they still using rim brakes in the 22nd century?

Yes. Vintage Canyons are much sought after. Worth more than they were in the early part of the century. The common thought that bikes just go down in value was turned on it's head by me in a post in 2020 when I sold a Canyon for more than I paid for it, Ferrari style.

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

I missed that. Assuming it's 2015, there is little point in going the Gda Route. And knowing you are blitzing it up and down Gunny Hill, you are well mended!

Yes it was 2015, and I am well mended. What really hurt was lying on the walkinstown roundabout for the guts of 10-15 mins as no one would let me up, half of Dublin must have went past me, and did I get a "man down" thread here? No! Yet some dude a week later fell of his bike in Sligo or somewhere and he got one!

It did get the "fear" PTSD stylie. That's why I go cycling at stupid O'clock when I can, rather than commute to work, which I did a lot.
It cause me a huge amount of mental anguish, as I am not prone to be afraid or cowardly. I was gifted with the "stupid" gene which overrides things like that.

It did however educate me, the farmer culchie type, other ways. If someone got seriously assaulted on a night out, down a dark ally, and developed a fear of going out at night by themselves, you'd get that, or I would anyway. But if someone had their house broken into and then didn't want to live there anymore, the old me would have thought they were going a tad overboard but I get it now. We are just that grey lump in a skull, and that lump can be shock-wired, as well as all the other lovely things.

Once the insurance stuff and all that was sorted, I kind of did rewire my brain and started commuting again. It was hard going at first but I more or less got there. Just went out early and avoided most of the traffic.

And then a twat nearly hit me on a roundabout again. Kaiser probably remembers the video. Bar putting a f$$king lighthouse on my head I couldn't be more visible. I'm practically a poster boy for safe cycling! I still use my front and rear light now, during the daylight.

Anyway, I'm back to ground Zero for commuting but will get back into it, still re-wiring grey matter.

On a side note, when it comes to insurance companies and what an "accident" costs you, do think carefully. By default of the above mentionings, because I didn't want to think about it or be reminded of it, I spent 18 months not thinking, eh thinking. I started using a company car, for example. BIK was a cost, along with fuel.

My list of "costs" ended up being quite long but genuine. They don't refund excess smoking and drinking btw.

Sorry for the long post, but someone, sometime, might benefit from it. Possibly in 2105.

papu wrote: »

This was a great post, thank you for taking the time to write it, the repercussions of getting knocked down are rarely talked about.

It was the same for me. Accident last June. Over €2k of Med bills (and not finished), over 6 months of commuting cost and a couple of extra kg (though kept it under 70) . The unquantifiable is the countless 'lost days' feeling spaced out and weeks of dreadful sleep. You can't put a price on quality sleep!

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

It did get the "fear" PTSD stylie. That's why I go cycling at stupid O'clock when I can, rather than commute to work, which I did a lot.
It cause me a huge amount of mental anguish, as I am not prone to be afraid or cowardly. I was gifted with the "stupid" gene which overrides things like that.

The road I was hit on is near the parents place. Five years later and I still get off onto the footpath rather than await the right turn. Really doesn't leave you.

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Even if it doesn't result in significant changes to driver behaviour, the campaign could at least create a discourse whereby cyclist safety is at the centre of the discussion. The current debate needs to change drastically from drivers v cyclists, to cyclists being vulnerable road users who are in significantly more danger from drivers than vice versa.

Sorry, Arcade_Tryer, didn't notice your reply till now.

I think people are quite aware already that cyclists are vulnerable. The hatred directed towards cyclists is mostly a way of rationalising awful behaviour, rather than generating the awful behaviour, which arises really from impatience and a sense of entitlement.

I'm not saying that no campaign can help with this issue, but a campaign showing cyclists being run over will just result in people giving up cycling.

Telling people that they'll gradually sink into ill health if they don't eat right doesn't work. Nor do appeals to the young to give up smoking. They lack immediacy and viscerality. But graphically showing cyclists getting butchered will reduce the number of cyclists being killed on the road ... by persuading a large number of cyclists to find an alternative mode of transport.

Cycling to work in Dublin this morning, it's really hard to see how people can have such a blinkered view to rulebreaking on the road when it comes to cyclists. Cars & bikes breaking lights in equal measure.

Had a very near miss over the weekend, though it was in my car rather than on a bike. Was driving to Mayo and coming up to a blind bend two vehicles behind me came roaring up doing roughly 150kmh at a conservative estimate, the lead vehicle tucked in behind me but the following vehicle overtook us both on a completely blind bend at that speed. He was on the right hand side of the road going round a near 90 degree turn! This is what we share the roads with, it f**king madness!

I think I've gotten so used to close passes on the bike I don't consider them near misses these days.

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

That's part of the problem. Driving like this is not checked early enough and becomes ingrained ...then it's a free for all. The amount of times I have seen an L or N plated car whizzing through red or turning without indication (to name just two issues) is unreal. Due to the age profile, these are a future snap shot of driving behaviour

We have fingerprint technology for unlocking our mobile phones and the majority happily uses it for its convenience and security, whatever about the potential infringement of personal privacy.

The same technology should be mandated for all modern cars with a view to properly regulating things like unaccompanied L and N drivers. The fingerprint of a designated Full License Holder should be required to unlock the car for the L/N driver's use.