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

That is what I am doing. I have no interest in Dublin Bus internal procedures. If the Gardai do anything it will fall on the driver anyway

How could anyone be expected to see a blue feckin bin Seth??

had a taxi perform 2 close passes this eve where he tried to shove me towards the kerb with the front of his cab.

Had taken the lane beforehand and moved in behind a car at a red, which was turning left and then pulled back in as I crossed the junction, heading straight on. The taxi was nowhere near me before taking the lane but was behind me as I pulled away on green 😐️

Got the Aircoach up to Dublin Saturday. On the Chapelizod bypass in the shared bus cycle lane the driver of the Dublin Bus up ahead didn't even wobble the wheel to overtake a cyclist in front, looked very close. Aircoach driver moved nearly fully into the next lane. Not sure if training is different or it driver was just more conscientious.

Another one this morning. Van decided they wanted to jump me at the lights, just so they could immediately turn left across my path.

Unfortunately too common an occurrence here so I was ready for it.

It honestly baffles me that some drivers think there is anything to be gained by pulling stunts like this.

jesus Christ. Frightening. The roads are getting hazardous.

Two close pasess in 3mins last Sunday The white car did not even try to cross the centre line, just squeezed past. The red van (which is officially a white van with a full red wrap = colour change not notified to Motor Tax) did not cross it either because there other lane had oncoming traffic, one of whom sounded their horn.

Both reported to AGS.

I find morning commute far worse due to the simple fact of school drops - whether its stressed parents trying to find every gap in traffic, lane hop, rat run, hop into bus lane etc, whether it's cars thrown up onto footpaths, stopped in cycle lanes, doors opened without looking, pulling out from illegal parking spots in a rush without looking... it's much worse than evening commute home. Ironically, if canvassed I'd say 90% of the parents engaging in that kind of driving would say there's no way they'd let their kids cycle to school because the roads are too dangerous.

Roads in general are made s**t of by the school run alone. Traffic tailbacks change overnight whenever there's a mid terms break/ holiday. If only there was something that could be done about it.

4 weeks now. Not a whisper from Gardai or Dublin Bus.

Can't say I expected anything to happen ☹ but disappointing none the less considering a father of 3 was killed on the same road while out cycling last week

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/dublin/2024/02/19/cyclist-killed-in-dublin-is-second-member-of-ucd-cycling-club-to-die-on-roads-in-a-year/

Lots of distractions in cars nowadays. While it’s most likely the driver being inattentive, they could be talking on a hands free phone, or following instructions from a sat nav etc. combine that with the fact that most drivers are simply looking out for other cars, not cyclists, motorcycles or pedestrians.

Not sure if this is the correct thread, however I have seen this type of situation discussed here before.

I was driving this morning and had an interaction with a couple of cyclists and I want to see if I was in the wrong. This is a junction I turn at daily so I would appreciate any response. It is also busy with cyclists, but this is the first time this has happened where verbals were exchanged.

Turning left from Merrion road onto Ailesbury road and was stopped at the lights, second car from the front. I had my indicator on and was positioned in the middle of my lane.

This is a left turning lane, but would also have a painted cycle lane, boarded by a broken while line. There is also a bus lane ending approx 50m before the junction and continues on after the junction.

I was in front of all cyclists from the point I turned into the lane. First cyclist came up from behind, banged on my car and rolled up to the window shouting that I was in the cycle lane, which was repeated by another cyclists.

Now it is my understanding that I am allowed be there if I am turning left and clearly indicating that that was my intention, and cyclists are supposed to wait behind until I have turned. I don’t think I can do anything different, but would rather not have a similar confrontation again. Below is an arial picture of the junction. I was in the same position as the white van.

Thanks for the response and this is why I asked the question.

On your first point, I always thought that a cyclist cannot pass on the left if a car has indicated to turn prior to them arriving. Is that not correct?

I also can’t leave the cycle lane clear. The bus/cycle/car lane isn’t wide enough. So by just being in the lane I’m “blocking” the cycle lane. The light was red, so are both stopped.

Even though you say you’d be annoyed, you actually describe what I thought should happen. I indicate left and position myself so and would have expected the cyclist to pass me on the right. If no room, wait.

And finally, and I guess this goes back to the first point. Who has right away? if one cyclist squeezes by, given the time of the morning, you could have a lot following, while I just sit there, despite being there first.

As this is a busy road and there was only one car in front of the OP at the red light, I would guess that the light had not been red for long and could reasonably expected to remain red for some time. So the cyclists were going to have to stop shortly regardless of whether the OP passed them.

If the OP had passed the cyclists and then immediately braked, forcing them to brake as well, then yes, I could see them being vexed, because that's dangerous rather than merely inconvenient. The appropriate thing to do in that circumstance would have been to wait for the cyclists to pass and then (if safe to do so) move into the left-turn lane. Of course, this would probably mean some jackass behind them blasting the horn and using the left-turn lane to overtake. But you can't drive other people's cars for them.

However, if the OP passed the cyclists some distance from the junction and gave them plenty of room before pulling into the left-turn lane, I really don't see what the cyclists were complaining about. The light was red, so they were going to have to stop anyway. So they were held up by the length of one car. It's not a big deal.

EDIT: OP, would it have been possible to just wait behind the cyclists in the same lane?

In this instance the cyclists should have waited, car was ahead, indicating, and had moved to the left before they got there.

They didn't know the rules about not filtering up the lhs of a car doing so nevermind that a dashed cycle lane isn't a cycle lane, it's a shared lane so the OP was entitled to be in it.