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

I got up close and personal with a private coach making a left turn yesterday.

I was travelling southbound on the cycle track on Nicolas Street/Patrick Street (Dublin 8). The coach passed me on the right and, when I was about half way alongside it, the driver began turning left onto the laneway beside the cathedral. I slapped the side of the coach but he didn't react and continued the turn. I managed to move forward a bit more and had to make the turn with him to avoid being taken down.

Tourists on the coach seemed to have alerted the driver at this stage as he stopped suddenly. I was a bit verbally aggressive with him due to adrenaline which I regretted a few seconds after. He offered no apology but just said he had his indicator on.

Not a pleasant experience.

(Thanks to the female druggie who witnessed it and asked me if I was ok. She also gave the driver a bollocking! )

This morning.

I see this far too often and it's incredibly frustrating.

Stuck at lights, most people line up single file at the lights. There is always someone who thinks the line is gonna take them too long and skips right to the front.

This morning it was some lad who looked like he was ready for the Tour de France. Head to toe in sponsorships.

Light's go green and this dude can barely cycle, he's incredibly slow and everyone starts flying by him.

Next set of lights and BOOM, who decides to come right to the top! Only this time he sits behind person at the front. As he takes off the top person is incredibly slow, so he get's frustrated and cycles around them, waving his hands in their face....only to hit a pot hole.

He comes straight off his bike, knocks the lady beside him off her bike and forces everyone out into traffic. A bus nearly ploughs through 5 or 6 people. It was mayhem.

notmypants wrote: »

Stuck at lights, most people line up single file at the lights. There is always someone who thinks the line is gonna take them too long and skips right to the front.

This drives me ****ing mad... always the slowest people that do it, so you pass them 20m later... stop at the next light and they just jump the queue again.

mloc123 wrote: »

This drives me ****ing mad... always the slowest people that do it, so you pass them 20m later... stop at the next light and they just jump the queue again.

If I have to pass them a third time, I generally ask them not to make me pass them a fourth time.

CramCycle wrote: »

My partner had a not near miss. Walked out of a shop and a guy on a BSO slammed into her. He cycled off but then came back a minute later to inform my other half that she didn't look where she was going. She offered back that she was a pedestrian. To which he replied, suppose so, my brakes don't really work either so I should get them sorted and off he went. no sorry, nothing. Alot of people could have fallen quite badly.

Sorry what’s a BSO?

mloc123 wrote: »

This drives me ****ing mad... always the slowest people that do it, so you pass them 20m later... stop at the next light and they just jump the queue again.

This really gets my goat also. I will never do a punishment pass (it's not just cars that do this and it's just a d1ck move, don't do it.) but if it's persistent I'll make a point of saying it to them at the next opportunity, however often I get an ignorant response in reply.

Weepsie wrote: »

This morning I was witness to one that was entirely the cyclists fault (IMO)

I was waiting for the filter light to go left from Amiens street at the Five lamps. Car beside me was clearly waiting too and indicating and some people behind me waiting. Some moron, decides to plough on through when the lights have gone green, and nearly got himself hit. The driver was quick to react. I nearly wanted to apologise to him as it's that kind of stupidity that gives folk the impression that allo on 2 wheels are eejits.

I pass that junction everyday on my commute. Sadly, there is alot of bad cycling behaviour at that junction. There are times I'd slow down knowing the car ahead has the right of way to turn (got to the junction first) but then a muppet cyclist flies by me and straight through the junction. Happens all the time!

cython wrote: »

Bicycle Shaped Object. Think what you might pick up in the likes of Smyths Toys in many cases, or indeed in large Asda or Tesco stores in the UK for adults.

Aha! Thanks!

Weepsie wrote: »

This morning I was witness to one that was entirely the cyclists fault (IMO)

I was waiting for the filter light to go left from Amiens street at the Five lamps. Car beside me was clearly waiting too and indicating and some people behind me waiting. Some moron, decides to plough on through when the lights have gone green, and nearly got himself hit. The driver was quick to react. I nearly wanted to apologise to him as it's that kind of stupidity that gives folk the impression that allo on 2 wheels are eejits.

IMO advisory "wishful thinking" cycle lanes encourage behaviour like that.

helimachoptor wrote: »

it's the daily fail, but this is shocking

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5957869/Shocking-video-shows-driver-81-ploughing-cyclists.html

Even the anti cyclist brigade in the comments have sympathy for the cyclists...that shows how bad it was and how little justice was served.

jon1981 wrote: »

Even the anti cyclist brigade in the comments have sympathy for the cyclists...that shows how bad it was and how little justice was served.

One commment I read on the Daily Fail FB page seems to fault with the cyclists. Suspect hi vis, “road tax”, insurance and red light breaking will appear in further comments as further motorists become triggered.

Brits out testing eyesight. AFAIK theres no process for AGS to do the same.
https://twitter.com/TISPOLorg/status/1019172645634535425

Deleted User wrote: »

Graph is non sense to be fair. Less than 10% of a second difference top to bottom, and scaled to make it look shocking. Old people are probably not going as fast any way.

TBH I used the wrong one, the proper one had issues with hotlinking (scaled like crazy). If you look at the studies though the delta is significant.

John Hutton wrote: »

He's not being sarcastic at all.

I try and leave at least a metre to my left when cycling so I am about in the middle of my lane.

This way if a car is to overtake me they have to actually overtake me in the same manner they would a car. Much safer.

I would agree here, generally it should be the centre of the lane in between the verge and centre line. But this can be variable and if you have a consistent route you'll figure out the best positioning soon enough. Too many cyclists cycle to the absolute left of the lane, leaving them open to close passing and without space to maneouvre around obstacles such as potholes and debris.

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I would agree here, generally it should be the centre of the lane in between the verge and centre line. But this can be variable and if you have a consistent route you'll figure out the best positioning soon enough. Too many cyclists cycle to the absolute left of the lane, leaving them open to close passing and without space to maneouvre around obstacles such as potholes and debris.

I think when you are seen as blocking a lane by a motorist they are much more likely to punishment pass. See it regularly happen to people. Depending on the road it is a good idea to either be close to the curb or in the middle of the lane. if there is no room to pass position yourself to take the lane. It really doesn't take much to antagonize motorists but best to avoid it where you can whether right or wrong.