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

09-04-2019 10:55AM

Yeah, an awful stretch of road. I try not to use the off-road lane outside the old Strand Bowl just before that if I can, but sometimes it's easier and safer than squeezing up the outside of that wall.

I nearly got creamed one morning by a delivery truck reversing onto the footpath. He'd driven past the gap in the wall that is designed to let traffic into/out of the apartment car park, and was reversing back into the space here: https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3575844,-6.2431,3a,75y,160.32h,66.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEnkHFnzFIyvw6YbTEKR1tQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I had to dismount and scurry backwards so I wasn't squished. When I knocked on the window to have words with him, his response was "What am I supposed to do?".

Ray Palmer · 09-04-2019 11:30AM

The route on North Strand road is terrible and dangerous. A big issue is the old wall which while very nice to see causes a massive pinch point. The reality is it should be taken away due to safety issues. It would give enough space for a decent cycle lane.
No idea what way they think the new bridge for cyclists is going to do. The bus stop layout needs to change too.

Greentree_uk · 09-04-2019 11:43AM

I was hoping that bridge was for pedestrians so they could widen the road for a cycle lane.. seems absolutely pointless otherwise

Duckjob · 09-04-2019 11:47AM

jive wrote: »

Had some eejit in a 'PCB' minibus beep and point at the shared cycle lane on the road coming up to leeson bridge as I was ~1m outside of the cycle lane. You might think to yourself 'so what? use the cycle lane there, it's grand' and yes it is. I was overtaking 2 cyclists (who were in single file) as he beeped and pointed to the cycle lane, the mind boggles. Ya can't help but laugh sometimes

All of those sort of comments / abuse are rooted in the "You're getting in my way, on my road" toxic mentality that comes from that self-entitled "i pay road tax" mindset.

Best to smile and wave, or else just carry on as before to let them know there opinion is of no relevance to you. Ignorance is often best ignored.

jive · 09-04-2019 01:34PM

Duckjob wrote: »

All of those sort of comments / abuse are rooted in the "You're getting in my way, on my road" toxic mentality that comes from that self-entitled "i pay road tax" mindset.

Best to smile and wave, or else just carry on as before to let them know there opinion is of no relevance to you. Ignorance is often best ignored.

Yeah it used to bother me but after a couple of years commuting in Dublin I have been 'vaccinated' to it as another user posted the other day.

I like to look at it from the perspective of the driver, frothing at the mouth and leaning on the horn because of a minor inconvenience; what an existence.

09-04-2019 03:38PM

seamus wrote: »

Looking at it on Google Maps, it's a complete mess. I'd advise that you stay in the bus lane, don't bother following the cycle lane.

As a general rule I don't follow off-road cycle lanes unless I know them already and know they're safe.

I rarely use the cycle lane there, except this morning the bus lane was particularly backed up so I thought I'd chance it. Won't be using it ever again.

I did send an email to Councillor Ciaran Cuffe about the bad layout of the cycle lane and bus stop and he just responded saying he has written to Dublin Bus about moving the stop. Won't hold my breath but watch this space.

Fighting Tao · 09-04-2019 04:08PM

downtheroad wrote: »

I rarely use the cycle lane there, except this morning the bus lane was particularly backed up so I thought I'd chance it. Won't be using it ever again.

I did send an email to Councillor Ciaran Cuffe about the bad layout of the cycle lane and bus stop and he just responded saying he has written to Dublin Bus about moving the stop. Won't hold my breath but watch this space.

I only used the cycle lane once on that road and won't go near it again.
Ciaran Cuffe is one of the best councillors in the locality for chasing things up, so here's hoping.

Chris871 · 09-04-2019 04:14PM

Two bad ones in as many days for me.

First one yesterday morning coming through Stepaside village and a Yaris passes me by with about a foot to spare, no cars coming towards us either so they had all the room and time in the world to safely pass me by. As they passed I noted the co-pilot engrossed in a map and realised it was a Europcar rental, so I spared them the abuse at the next junction.

Far worse one this morning, probably the closest one yet for me. Coming through Ballsbridge, on the Pembroke road heading straight on towards the city. Theres two straight lanes here, I'm in the left lane. Out of nowhere a lovely 'NCPS' van decides he wants to take the left turn and cuts across me and from the right hand lane, missing me by inches. He was totally oblivious to me even being there. Heres the junction i'm referring to https://goo.gl/maps/QD6yFLpuysy

I never use a cam on the road bike but really wish I did have footage in this case, would have certainly been reporting him. The only thing that stopped a collision was that the light ahead had gone red and I'd started to ease up/brake.

AndrewJRenko · 09-04-2019 09:47PM

jamesjustjames wrote: »

But the rules of the road require cyclists to keep left except where taking up position to turn or approaching a roundabout.

The Rules of the Road are not law. It is advice from the RSA.

Incidentally, the RSA also give the following advice to cyclists in their Cyclist Safety - Sharing the Road video;

Ride well clear of the curb. You have as much right to your road space as any other road user, so ride with confidence and command your lane. Riding clear of the curb will make you more visible to drivers and help prevent unsafe overtaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXhsiJD_Gjo

sy_flembeck · 09-04-2019 11:15PM

I have dashcam footage of a woeful left hook in Kilmacud last night about 7pm if it was you? Clearly the driver of the car who exited across the road from, and then drove straight towards the cyclist, then forced him almost into the kerb, before left hooking him to enter the Texaco garage, didn't manage to see his two flashing front lights or his two flashing rear lights. I couldn't believe what I was looking at but when I let the window down to see was he alright he didn't see me. Shocking stuff.

Ferris · 09-04-2019 11:42PM

Not quite a miss here earlier. Annoyed that I didn’t see the open doors as I passed but the driver shouldn’t have left the passenger off here. I apologized to the poor gent and proceeded to run amok at the driver who was in no way contrite, hence the muted vid.

Then to top it off I had this tulip try to muscle past me at the Merrion gates. Prob should’ve taken more of the road but this was still bad.

10-04-2019 12:27AM

Ferris wrote: »

Then to top it off I had this tulip try to muscle past me at the Merrion gates. Prob should’ve taken more of the road but this was still bad.

How much road should you have taken to avoid that one? All of it from the look of it , jesus you were in the spot I'd say most of us would have taken there, just left of center? Well out.

Rechuchote · 10-04-2019 09:02AM

Amazing that the bus driver opened the door for the passenger to get out. They normally absolutely refuse to do that, and rightly. I hope you're giving a copy of the footage to Dublin Bus (and of course Filling Out Our Webform)?

Ray Bloody Purchase · 10-04-2019 09:33AM

Rechuchote wrote: »

Amazing that the bus driver opened the door for the passenger to get out. They normally absolutely refuse to do that, and rightly. I hope you're giving a copy of the footage to Dublin Bus (and of course Filling Out Our Webform)?

The driver probably knew the lad he was letting out or something ridiculous like that.

Excellent reflexes to avoid it though.

Send that footage into DB.

AndrewJRenko · 10-04-2019 10:04AM

Weepsie wrote: »

Who are Dublin bus's insurers? I'm starting to wonder if contacting them and in general the insurers of drivers is the way to go if you can get a pic of the disc, and their licence plate.

Even the threat of doing so might make some people cop on.

They self-insure, or certainly the wider CIE group used to self-insure last time I looked a good few years back. They lodge a wodge of cash in the Court to cover their potential liability.

Ferris · 10-04-2019 10:39AM

Yep, I filled in the customer complaint form and included the link to the video, I won't be holding my breath but.

mr spuckler · 10-04-2019 11:07AM

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

They self-insure, or certainly the wider CIE group used to self-insure last time I looked a good few years back. They lodge a wodge of cash in the Court to cover their potential liability.

I know that they used to insure their company cars third-party and essentially take on the risk themselves of damage to their own vehicles. not sure if that applied more widely to their buses etc.

average_runner · 10-04-2019 11:15AM

Duckjob wrote: »

All of those sort of comments / abuse are rooted in the "You're getting in my way, on my road" toxic mentality that comes from that self-entitled "i pay road tax" mindset.

Best to smile and wave, or else just carry on as before to let them know there opinion is of no relevance to you. Ignorance is often best ignored.

In fairness, there is alot of bad behaviour by cyclists on that bridge and before it. Some over take other cyclists without looking behind them first. Others undertake on the inside lane when its clear the car is turning left.

And the best one yet was at Ranelagh bridge last week, a cyclist going over the bridge in the cycle lane, decides to take a right hand turn across the road without looking and almost takes the cyclists out beside him. What she said to him, clearly showed she wasn't impressed.

CramCycle · 10-04-2019 12:00PM

They still self insure AFAIk as they have enough money in the bank to cover it legally.

Duckjob · 10-04-2019 12:22PM

Not a near-miss as such, just another needless bit of unpleasantness this morning.

Near home, coming through one of my local estates towards the entrance/exit , and a silver car like a Prius or Honda Insight pulls out of on of the side streets behind me with a serious sense of hurry about it.

I'm approaching the exit, and there's cars parked outside houses on the other side of the street, so not much space. Also, bearing in mind, its a housing estate, I was already doing about 30kph, so he shouldn't need to overtake me there, but no, he's a classic MGIF.

So as he tries to gun past me, <50 yrds from the exit where he has to stop anyway, I put out my arm and motion him to wait. He passes anyway, not so close, but completely pointlessly, as I pass him at the exit where he's stopped and looking enraged at me.

I decided not to engage anymore, just turn left out onto the main road, him now behind., and I just continue on down the road, 200 yards on, he gets the opportunity to pass me again, and instead draws level with the passenger window down and shouting abuse (while driving on the other side of the road). I pointed out that he shouldn't be stopping to talk if he's in such a hurry, and to just try not to kill someone in his car today.

The funny thing is, although I don't think he recognised me, I'm about 80% sure he's the local tradesman that I hired to do some jobs in my house a couple of weeks back. Back then, it was all chatty chatty, palsy-walsy then, but, assuming it WAS him, when we met on the road i'm just one of those "f**king cyclists". Just shows the de-humanising filter some people have when they see a person on a bike.

check_six · 10-04-2019 12:56PM

Duckjob wrote: »

The funny thing is, although I don't think he recognised me, I'm about 80% sure he's the local tradesman that I hired to do some jobs in my house a couple of weeks back. Back then, it was all chatty chatty, palsy-walsy then, but, assuming it WAS him, when we met on the road i'm just one of those "f**king cyclists". Just shows the de-humanising filter some people have when they see a person on a bike.

Or indicative of providing low quality tea break biscuits when he was working on your house?

Duckjob · 10-04-2019 01:09PM

check_six wrote: »

Or indicative of providing low quality tea break biscuits when he was working on your house?

"I hear dem cyclists only offer you Rich Tea as well..."

Rechuchote · 10-04-2019 04:28PM

Duckjob wrote: »

The funny thing is, although I don't think he recognised me, I'm about 80% sure he's the local tradesman that I hired to do some jobs in my house a couple of weeks back. Back then, it was all chatty chatty, palsy-walsy then, but, assuming it WAS him, when we met on the road i'm just one of those "f**king cyclists". Just shows the de-humanising filter some people have when they see a person on a bike.

Oh, gosh, what a pity you missed the chance to say "Is that you, Bert? How's it going?" and completely and horrifyingly wrong-foot him

Pinch Flat · 10-04-2019 11:28PM

I frequently have neighbours that leave in their cars from the same estate close pass me, or left hook me at the first roundabout near my house. I genuinely think there’s no malice in it - they just see me as an object like a traffic cone or wheelie bin to be passed, no matter how close just as long as you don’t hit it. They’re in a hurry after all!

Mc Love · 11-04-2019 08:00AM

Bloody blue Audi A5 driver again this morning on the Rosbrien Road - I swear they are trying scare the sh|te out of me! This morning again I was riding to avoid the drains on a 50km/hr stretch of road with bumps, and they came within a two feet of me, and i shouted after them only to get two fingers and then they sped off like the nice little boy racer they are. It's a pity the AGS cant prosecute for close passes, because that pass this morning even at that low speed, was scary!

Sorry no cam but if I was to get one, is it better to get one on the helmet or mounted on the bike. I've heard the cycliq light/cam are good but they are damn expensive especially if you go front and rear in one go.

Seth Brundle · 11-04-2019 08:45AM

Mc Love wrote: »

It's a pity the AGS cant prosecute for close passes, because that pass this morning even at that low speed, was scary!

There is a difference between "can't" and "couldn't be arsed".
They could easily prosecute for driving without due care (or whatever it is called). They generally couldn't be arsed though.

Ferris · 11-04-2019 09:27AM

I think any Guard would take an extremely dim view of repeat offenders if the complaint was made in good faith.

Ray Bloody Purchase · 11-04-2019 10:17AM

Mc Love wrote: »

Sorry no cam but if I was to get one, is it better to get one on the helmet or mounted on the bike. I've heard the cycliq light/cam are good but they are damn expensive especially if you go front and rear in one go.

I've a GoPro Session on the handlebars, it's handy enough. I'm in slow moving traffic a lot, so i think that's the best place for it. I'm thinking of moving the Gopro to the back and getting the Cycliq Fly12 for the front.

The Cycliq Fly 6CE rear camera gets fairly bad reviews, so i wouldn't be going for that.

I'd be happy enough with having them mounted on the bike, dunno about the helmet cam. On one hand it might make drivers more wary of you or on the other, it could be putting a target on your back.

CramCycle · 11-04-2019 10:25AM

I have a Cycliq on the front and a Drift Sleath on the back (interesting fact, they slide in perfectly between the rails of a Fizik saddle). I used to have a helmet mounted one, better videos as it sees what you want it to see but I just couldn't be arsed with the weight on my head, and being a self conscious prat, I thought it looked a bit stupid.

mr spuckler · 11-04-2019 11:07AM

had a motorist overtake me coming up Haddington rd towards Mespil rd this morning and then immediately pull into a parking space on the left, forcing me to slow down and swerve out. my gesture to him as I passed left him looking completely at a loss as to what he could have done wrong.
next thing I hear someone shouting at me from my right and braced myself for some misdirected abuse. in fact the motorist who'd been behind him had pulled alongside me with his window down shouting something along the lines of "some motorists really are fvcking idiots aren't they?". cheered me right up

yesterday evening a motorcyclist stopped at lights beside me on Alfie Byrne rd outbound shouted over that he didn't envy me on a bike and fair play for having the balls to cycle in that traffic. I just said to him that we were both better off as we were than being endlessly sat in cars in traffic. 2 positive random motorist interactions in 2 days!

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

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