Dummy opening post
I know its a different jurisdiction, but I've never forgotten this case of the Irish EMS driver in New York. It seemed the case hinged on whether it was an emergency, which I would guess would be similar to be in pursuit of their duties here. Its crazy to me that this was 1998 😮
I also wonder would a case be taken here in a similar circumstance, though I also appreciate that the legal system in the U.S. is a lot more cut throat, with cases taken to improve a D.A's political standing.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/derry-born-ambulance-driver-faces-manslaughter-charges-1.212789
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/guilty-plea-to-negligent-homicide-by-driver-of-ambulance-1.236598
I had a bit of a final destination day today. Looking at the videos I could have probably reacted sooner but of course, I have my excuses! I was almost doored by this guy my attention was on a driver just out of shot who was on their phone and hadn't seen me making sure they didn't encroach, this taxi simply didn't give a fup he could have stopped halfway into his turn but kept going sure it's just a bike and I actually thought this guy had seen me and would keep right but looking at the video he didn't even look to his left!!
Not sure i'd be too peeved at the taxi driver there in fairness, he was better off continuing the turn to clear you.
The last one though, bloody cyclists!! :-)
Hopefully the door guy has learned a lesson.
Not a huge issue but the taxi should have stopped. The bigger issue there is the laziness of apartment residents parking on the road to be right outside their front door rather than the underground parking.
Just got a lift from my other half. OH used to he a good driver. Now doesn't seem to signal, anticipate lights/pedestrian/cyclist movements. Definitely has driven a lot less during lockdowns. I wonder is that a significant part of the issue, bad habits from not driving regularly. Admittedly a small sample size of 1 for my theory.
Yup agreed with the taxi I'd not have posted it only for I was looking for the other two incidents on the camera. He didn't even acknowledge my presence or that I had to move left to pass him I thought he could have at least come to a stop.
Another note, aside to this. A Garda is always a Garda, but they are not always on duty. They can however perform their duties while "off duty". Therefore a garda can't speed, RLJ etc. while off duty but if they have to perform their duty they can. The same as when they are "on duty". I think the nuance is in that the word can mean too different things. "On duty" refers to being at work, performing their "duty" is the active act of being a garda enforcing or preventing criminal acts.
In a court of law, I imagine it would be a decent argument but the spirit of the law (IMO) clearly refers to duty being two different words in regards being "on" and your actual duty.
One of those when the lack of acknowledgement is more annoying than anything else, like when you let someone out and they just drive on and ignore you, and you just go 'w&nker'
I always give them a big obnoxious Mr Bean style wave. Sadly this makes me look like more of a twat than them. It does grind my gears though, who raised these uncivilised cretins.
There was something in the air this evening with several passes into oncoming traffic causing the traffic to take some avoiding action. Here are two of the stupidest both in quick succession and in a race to a red light. The first guy caused the learner to come to a complete stop and the second caused the oncoming traffic to move out of the way. The white van then followed up with a dive to the curb to prevent me from passing on the inside he then drove straight through the junction and turned right behind me!
i used to enjoy this a lot on strand road when motorists would overtake and find themselves heading straight towards a traffic island.
It really is a race to the destination. I had someone undertake me in a bus lane when in the car so they could turn left at a light and stop outside a school just after the junction. We were maybe 30 seconds away from the junction but this person decided to undertake, speed and use the bus lane. Just to park up.
It's a road I'm undertaken on almost every time. The mentality these days is that you have to catch up to the car in front so everyone does 10-20 over the limit if the road is clear up until they catch up and follow the car ahead, even if it means using a bus lane and undertaking. Just to get to traffic or a red light. It's ridiculous but it's what we get for having zero road policing. I've had people throwing their hands up in the car behind me for doing the speed limit because there's space in front of me and I should be speeding to catch up to traffic...
Yes it is a nonsense, once you're on duty you're essentially performing your duty no matter what you're doing, it's basically a get out of jail free card. Why are guards exempt from the law regarding the use of mobile phones while driving, are they trained not to get distracted?
I knew a lad who joined the Garda reserve and would go out on patrol in the squad car occasionally, one patrol consisted of going to Woodies to collect some garden furniture for the guard's home. He learned fast though in fairness to him, the reserve badge is identical to the real one so there was no queuing at Coppers or paying for train tickets.
As for hierarchy, the whole civil service is more militant in it's application than the army!
I’ve never posted in here before as I really only get the run of the mill close passes but today was the closest I’ve ever come to not coming back from a cycle. Heading from Ashford towards Rathnew I entered the roundabout and was about 3/4s of the way through when a fcuking idiot came up off the slip road. I usually keep an eye on who’s coming onto a roundabout and this was no exception. However this guy was so far back I didn’t even see him as a threat. But he just kept coming, at speed. I’d say he was millimeters from completely taking me out and I really don’t know how he stopped! I remember looking down at my bottom bracket and I could see his bumper! I continued on and he held back, presumably a bit shook himself as when he eventually passed me he rolled his passenger window down and apologized. I would normally give someone like that a bollocking but I was completely unable to say anything and just kept going. I’ve never been that close to being taken out and it was fcuking terrifying.
My GoPro gives about an hour charge, but it's been a bit less lately due to the battery degrading. I sometimes carry two. But I find I have to charge it when I get to work, or it'll often die on the way home.
Jaysus, had to head into Dublin Town on Thursday. F'in hell I forgot what a sh1tshow driving can be in certain parts. A few (and these are only a small number of things) small examples:
Between mobile phone users and a certain age demographic who seem to have given up caring about anyone but themselves, it was one of the worst hours on a bike I have had in a long time. I'd hate to be a cyclist who was a bit slower on the reaction times as it must be terrifying. Finally got home that evening to a car who swung across traffic to enter a one way system at the train station from the wrong side, and then roll eyes at me as I had to stop as he came straight at me. He then pulled in and parked on the Bus Eireann collection point. I left before finding out what wonderful maneuvre he used to get out of there. Then 30 seconds later a Crimewatch van overtook me to left hook me at a traffic light he had a red for (because the train was coming), I presume they now have some legislative power equivalent to the Gardai and it was in the course of his duties.
F* off world.
Had a car pull out left from a roundabout in front of me in the phoenix park earlier. Nothing unusual about that you might say except the motorist had driven up the bike lane at the Wellington monument. 2nd time I've seen that in the past couple of weeks.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/nhExrjD5uwPaWBNE6
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Two incidents this morning both before 9.30am on a Sunday. The sad thing is both drivers were with young children - presumably sons - each around 10 -11 years of age. Some great parenting examples on display.
Incident 1
Coming through rathoath village on the way to the club meet up. Car coming against me. Car behind continues on, brushing past me On a really narrow road. Driver pulled into the car park where we meet up. I decided to have a polite word. "hey you came really close to me there made me wobble" i said. " fcuk off or I'll wobble you again". Charming. I'm guessing he took nothing from our interaction.
Incident 2
Four of us set off towards dunshaughlin. As we got to the village, we had a fast and close pass from a bmw x5. Puzzling move, because he was turning right and we were in the left lane going straight on - he had served over to close pass us. Anyway, he's got his passenger window down when we pull up to the light.
"You should all be riding solo" says he. We're trying to remind him that cycling two abreast is perfectly legal and that he shouldn't be using his vehicle to intimidate cyclists. Again, totally lost on him. We pushed on. The light went red again and he got stuck there. Bizarre.
hang him high.
no way that was 90km/h though
Looks to be the Castletown road I think. Absolute scum.
Had a near miss on Sunday, but I was driving.
Happened here:
I was coming up from Sandyford, and in left lane to join M50 southbound. Cyclist going up the shiney new cycle lane out of town. He reached the lights (Which were green for the traffic) and swerved onto the road and straight in front of me. (I'd to swerve into the other lane to avoid him as he was literally right on my front left wing when he dropped off the kerb).
My understanding was that he would have been bound by the (red) colour of the pedestrian lights given the angles of everything at that point, but he (i think) was of the understanding that the cycle line simply terminated and he continued "straight" through the junction? There is a yield sign on the cycle path, but that seems to be indicating a requirement to yield to pedestrians on approach to the lights from cycle lane?
So, in summary, not sure if cyclist was right or wrong, but either way I got quite a fright!
Any thoughts?
He wouldn’t be bound by the pedestrian lights as they’d only apply if he was crossing but the onus would be on him to yield and merge safely into the traffic lane
Well he definitely didn't merge safely, assuming that if it's not safe to merge (because I was approaching) then he should have yielded and stopped.
It's (another) really poorly laid out part of infrastructure, because I know that following the cycle lane means crossing 4 roads, rather than just merging and swinging up on the road itself. But this is another level of confusion, and that point is a particularly an awful spot to merge as a cyclist with 2 lanes of cars sweeping toward the M50 and the cyclist coming from an unsighted area (i.e. "off" the road) to many motorists.
yeah, the bad infrastructure is not a help, it doesn't facilitate merging, and whoever designed it clearly doesn't want cyclists proceeding straight on.
No matter how you look at it, there is no way a cyclist with their eyes open could have considered that a reasonable manoeuvre. I often merge at the junction for M50 service vehicles just prior but you need a bit of confidence and road reading ability.
I cycle that way reasonably regularly and some of the "upgrades" they have done are poor. In this case I would think the should have yielded though
without a doubt the cyclist should have yielded as they were entering a lane, they should yield to whatever is in that lane.
Yep that infrastructure is purely for crossing to where the cyclist is in the pic, any cyclist going straight on should be on the road before the left filter lane occurs so they can be in the middle lane at the junction.
Kamikaze stuff from the cyclist and the sort of behaviour that only encourages the anti cyclist brigade.
Yeah I don’t know the actual area well myself but it looks like they should’ve had some form of flyover for pedestrians and cyclists, as opposed to multiple crossings of 3 lane roads.
I swear anyone who designs any infrastructure like that never actually thinks what happens to cyclists at the end of the path, it’s the ‘figure it out yourself’ plan once you get to where they’ve planned
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