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

Nothing involving traffic but last night heading home along the cycle lane outside Guinness on the Dublin quays, I picked up this coach screw embedded in the back tyre, straight through and hitting the rim. Thought at first I'd broken a spoke that was hitting the frame on each revolution with the racket it was making before stopping. Tyre didn't blow at least so it was a change of tube and tyre boot to get me home.

Cycle lane on the quays before O'Connell bridge covered in glass which I'd seen and avoided but never noticed the screw further on. Cycle lanes hardly ever swept so you have to keep your eyes peeled for all sort of obstacles and not just traffic trying to harm you.

That one is, but this one ain't: http://www.eplanning.ie/KildareCC/AppFileRefDetails/20157/0

An odd one tonight. I was coming down Mobhi Road in Glasnevin doing about 43-45 km/h, in the bus/cycle lane. A car was driving in the general traffic lane beside me. As I passed the left turn for Home Farm Road, the driver let rip with the horn. I didn’t see the car again afterwards. There wasn’t much other traffic around. I can only assume he/she was attempting to overtake and left hook me, but had misjudged my speed, and then got annoyed when he/she realised their manoeuvre was going to be physically impossible to do while also slowing down to take the corner.

I went through the Acts as best I could a while back, and a driving lane is specifically referred to as a "lane" (likewise a bus "lane"), as defined by road markings, etc. A cycle track is only ever just a "track".

All relevant overtaking, yielding, changing lane, etc. legislation refers to "lanes". A dashed white line indicating a cycle track gives you no extra legal standing - you are still overtaking on the left. Ditto a solid white mandatory line, even with wands.

Paint is not infrastructure, it will not protect you physically or legally.

(The situation above where a driver does not indicate before a cyclist has started overtaking on the left is not relevant to this discussion, that's covered by a cyclist' right to overtaking on the left given that the driver has not indicated an intention to turn. Driver totally in the wrong there.)

It's one of those situations where it will depend on what Garda you end up dealing with. Your video arguably shows no indicators, but it's only a momentary view.

I'd say you'd be very lucky to get a Garda sympathetic enough to do more than get the driver's side of the story, and if they dispute any aspect, then it would end there. I hate to be discouraging, but that's my experience.

Legally a cyclist is perfectly entitled to overtake on the left, except in certain situations none of which were occurring here according to the only witness we have.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/112384088/#Comment_112384088

Side swiped/left hooked this morning by a grey Renault Traffic van at the junction of Arran Quay and Church Street. When facing a red light would cross the three lanes of traffic and continue on the segregated cycle lane but when the light is green I continue on straight and cross at the next junction. Clipping along at about 30km/h with a green light the van comes parallel and pulls across me (no indicator either for that matter), no option but to turn with the van or I was down and under. Two rear lights and covered in the fabled high vis of no use if as I suspect the driver was on the phone or just a moron. Clipped my hand and despite a roar and slapping the side of the van he still turned left and drove on up the road without stopping.

Call logged now with traffic watch with the reg details whatever may come of it. Have cycled that section of road hundreds of times and never a problem previously specifically there, occasionally the odd Bus Eireann driver tries to intimidate once past the Church St junction when taking the bus lane.

I’ve always found Dublin 15 to be one of the worst parts of Dublin for volume of traffic. I think drivers get frustrated and angrier in general as a result.

I was close passed earlier by a fella who evidently had left his Christmas shopping a little late this year. He overtook me at speed in the bus lane going past DCU inbound on the Ballymun Road. He then rejoined the main lane and proceeded to do the same average speed as me the entire way to Phibsborough, where I overtook him and didn’t see him again. Only he did it by tailgating the car in front of him and sitting on his brakes the whole way 🤷🏻‍♂️

Merry Christmas everyone, be safe!

The drivers that honk at you are the sh*t ones. They're angry because you've disrupted their normally sh*t driving and momentarily forced them to act like a decent driver would.

Competent drivers won't be put out at all by what you do.