Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

nomdeboardie · 09-01-2019 8:20pm

Leroy42 wrote: »

No, you were right. Look how far the vehicle is out on the rear view, before he moves in on you.

So they know you are there, they were giving you plenty of room prior to that. But when faced with oncoming traffic decided to sqeeze the room rather than slow down and wait.

This happens all the time and is incredibly dangerous and scary for the cyclist. The driver thinks nothing of it though.

I always ask would they do the same if it was a horse instead of a bicycle.

+1 again

This sort of crap is why I have it on my to-do list to ask the RSA to remind drivers that seeing themselves at a safe distance through their front window as they pull level with a cyclist is not enough - their vehicle extends behind them for a few metres AND the cyclist is usually (/hopefully) still moving forwards also!

Definitely a call for giving that car a nice clip on the paintwork in passing with an iron-shod hoof :P

CramCycle · 09-01-2019 9:00pm

nomdeboardie wrote: »

+1 again

This sort of crap is why I have it on my to-do list to ask the RSA to remind drivers that seeing themselves at a safe distance through their front window as they pull level with a cyclist is not enough - their vehicle extends behind them for a few metres AND the cyclist is usually (/hopefully) still moving forwards also!

Definitely a call for giving that car a nice clip on the paintwork in passing with an iron-shod hoof :P

I see on the local facebook page someone put a dent in their passenger door to wake them up. A polite word would have probably done more but alas whoever done it probably just reacted to the moment.

nomdeboardie · 09-01-2019 9:14pm

CramCycle wrote: »

I see on the local facebook page someone put a dent in their passenger door to wake them up. A polite word would have probably done more but alas whoever done it probably just reacted to the moment.

? Same car?

CramCycle · 09-01-2019 9:23pm

nomdeboardie wrote: »

? Same car?

I presume so, I recognised it from the description of the cyclist who hit it.

Mc Love · 09-01-2019 11:00pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Feel free to criticise my cycling here, at the time it felt like they pulled in on top of me but the video doesn't make it look nearly as bad, perspective is a funny thing.

The Volvo SUV definitely closed in on you for no reason. Nice front camera btw

CramCycle · 09-01-2019 11:01pm

Mc Love wrote: »

The Volvo SUV definitely closed in on you for no reason. Nice front camera btw

Cycliq Fly 12, the rear one is normally alot better but I some how changed the settings and also loosened the mount, all at the same time.

Mc Love · 09-01-2019 11:11pm

Holy crap - no wonder its that good for the price!!

CramCycle · 09-01-2019 11:34pm

Mc Love wrote: »

Holy crap - no wonder its that good for the price!!

Mine was 140euro, comes with a fairly decent light (although not shaped well so I don't like that). So that took some of the sting out. A full charge with the light on a lower setting will last a few days unlike many other cameras. It is bigger than others though and you could not wear it as a helmet camera.

Thud · 10-01-2019 12:38pm

Where they fiddling with their headlights (1.29 in first video they flash on then off)?
Possibly looking down and distracted:rolleyes:

CramCycle · 11-01-2019 5:40pm

Thud wrote: »

Where they fiddling with their headlights (1.29 in first video they flash on then off)?
Possibly looking down and distracted:rolleyes:

Well spotted, missed that, doesn't make me feel better about it other than it wasn't intentional.

magicbastarder · 15-01-2019 6:26pm

based on an extremely limited sample size, i have reached the conclusion that people driving northern reg cars are angrier than people driving southern reg ones. in the context of a cycling drawing their attention to an issue with their driving.

cdaly_ · 15-01-2019 6:51pm

OTOH, I've felt so comfortable in busy, bank-holiday weekend country road traffic in NI. Much more so than in ROI.

Nobody felt the need to overtake me unsafely, everyone appeared happy to wait until they could cross the centre line of the road first, even as I crawled uphill to Spelga Dam...

CramCycle · 15-01-2019 7:39pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

based on an extremely limited sample size, i have reached the conclusion that people driving northern reg cars are angrier than people driving southern reg ones. in the context of a cycling drawing their attention to an issue with their driving.

They are on edge because they haven't paid their VRT, and they are worried you will highlight them to revenue. Seen a few local businesses, living local, based out of nearby, and they have .ie websites on the van but running english plates for months. Absolutely crazy they get away with it, makes me foolish for paying mine.

magicbastarder · 15-01-2019 8:37pm

the chap today was definitely from ulster. he sounded like ian paisley snr in full flow, to the point where i didn't actually understand him.
however, i *think* he was shouting at me that he needed to look at his phone while driving in order to be able to figure out where he should be going.

JMcL · 17-01-2019 4:28pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

however, i *think* he was shouting at me that he needed to look at his phone while driving in order to be able to figure out where he should be going.

Keep going til you get to the backstop, then veer right until the water comes up over your head?

Eamonnator · 17-01-2019 6:15pm

CramCycle wrote: »

They are on edge because they haven't paid their VRT, and they are worried you will highlight them to revenue. Seen a few local businesses, living local, based out of nearby, and they have .ie websites on the van but running english plates for months. Absolutely crazy they get away with it, makes me foolish for paying mine.

You could report them to Customs.

CramCycle · 22-01-2019 12:43pm

Eamonnator wrote: »

You could report them to Customs.

I probably should, I certainly will for any of them that are poor drivers IMO, may seem petty but better than confrontation.

CramCycle · 22-01-2019 12:47pm

8 seconds after the light went red an 04 Honda Accord went through across 6 lanes of traffic. I hadn't even copped it until it was halfway across. Cars and MB beside me got a shock as well. A few actually stopped to double check the green light it was so unbelievably late.

magicbastarder · 22-01-2019 12:57pm

i saw two examples of shockingly late red light running this morning. one at a junction which i recently started paying more attention to (i'd usually go through it early enough that traffic is light and it's not as obvious) - where griffith avenue meets the malahide road.

Pinch Flat · 23-01-2019 8:06am

Coming to Park Gate street from chapelizod past the bus garage is my favourite. Laughable red light breaking here daily. Current record counting in my head 7 or 8 seconds, but I’ll make 10 seconds some day please god

magicbastarder · 31-01-2019 4:48pm

well, that was an interesting trip home. got passed by a cyclist at red lights three times - dangerously so at one set, but at the third he came to a juddering halt as a car was entering the junction from the side as he entered it.
as soon as the cyclist started F-ing at the motorist - god help me, for i could not help myself - i blurted out 'oh you f***ing ****'; obviously loud enough for the cyclist to hear me, which led me to mimic the 'yes, you' gesture at him.
next thing, he's throwing the bike down and doing the 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' routine. we swopped places twice after that and i got a stream of 'i will f***ing bust you up' and 'you f***ing f****t' and variations thereof, each time.

what could have added injury to insult was that a few hundred metres after i passed him for the last time, a car pulled out on a roundabout in front of me and i locked up my rear wheel braking, thinking 'oh good christ the last thing i need if i end up in a crumpled heap across this bonnet is that prick catching up with me'. thankfully the motorist slammed on just in time and i managed to slip past.

Chips Lovell · 31-01-2019 5:35pm

The two questions you need to ask yourself when considering whether you fight another cyclist are:

1. ) Am I wearing cleats?
2. ) Are they wearing cleats?

magicbastarder · 31-01-2019 5:37pm

that only struck me afterwards. i think he was on flat pedals (didn't actually see his footwear), i was using SPDs.

doozerie · 31-01-2019 6:59pm

The UCI-approved guide to how a cyclist should fight (from 1m44s in):

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

doozerie · 31-01-2019 7:36pm

I've had a few occasions over the last few weeks where I found myself at a loss for words in response to the behaviour of a few motorists. They can all basically be boiled down to an attitude that says "cyclist = obstacle, obstacle = delay, delay = unacceptable, acceptable = drive over/through cyclist".

It's an appalling attitude, such people literally shouldn't be allowed out, but until the laws change to allow them to be legally dragged out of their cars by their ears and nailgun'ed to a collective naughty obnoxious-toe-rag step, they'll continue to be a blight on society.

I can't say that I've come to accept that attitude, it still appals me every time I encounter it, but I continue to be slightly more shocked by that same attitude when it is demonstrated by other cyclists. One of the examples of that is cyclists that shove past on my inside while I'm stopped at a red light.

People going around me at red lights is so commonplace that I'd almost miss it if they stopped doing it, but squeezing between me and the curb has become almost as common. It creates an interesting dilemma, I usually occupy the lane so that cars don't try to squeeze past me on the right while stopped at a red light, but that just invites a swarm of cyclists to shove past on my left, and they are equally as "considerate" and "spatially (un)aware" as obnoxious motorists. I reckon an appropriate collective name for such cyclists and motorists alike is road-ents.

Worse still is when it happens in moving traffic. It now happens frequently when I'm cycling in a cycle lane, a slow moving line of motorists to my right, and I close on a slower moving cyclist ahead of me. Usually there isn't enough space to overtake them safely so I stay back and wait for an opportunity to do so. Cue some road-ent on a bike trying to force their way past, squeezing through the insufficient gap between me and the car to my right or, worse, between me and the curb while pushing me towards the cars.

I just don't understand how people can justify such behaviour to themselves. Maybe my mistake is in assuming that there is anything between their ears besides air and tumbleweeds. Bring on the zombie apocalypse, it would bring more considerate behaviour than the current road-ent invasion.

magicbastarder · 31-01-2019 10:26pm

i'm usually in the office by half seven when i do commute (i've been going in two days a week recently) and don't go into the city centre, so i don't usually have much by way of interactions with other cyclists, certainly not in the morning.

actually, with all the fuss with that chap earlier, i forgot that i actually had to jam on three times today on the way home. one was a car changing lane without indicating while i was alongside, another was the one on the roundabout mentioned above, and a third was a car indicating to pull in; the driver stopped the car without actually pulling in and seemed to acknowledge me, so i went past, but just as i was about to draw level with the front passenger door, it opened. i should have known better, i guess.

all this with me conscious that my brakes weren't performing at 100%, i think they picked up a load of crud on the commute in this morning.

Mc Love · 01-02-2019 9:44am

Most of my incidents with road-ents happen on the way home weirdly enough. Cars overtaking me because I'm in the way but actually putting themselves in danger by doing so, see's oncoming car, accelerates to get past me (taking the lane) and nearly causing an accident with the oncoming car, except waiting for a few seconds on a 50km/h stretch of road and then safely overtaking.

Only cyclists behaviour I see is the driving straight through red lights when i'm stopped at them, and there seems to be this group of scumbag kids that think they own the road, driving on the wrong side of the road, and crossing the road in the path of oncoming cars.

magicbastarder · 07-02-2019 9:56am

so, the second time in less than a week i've been profane in relation to another cyclist.
this morning, sitting at lights, and they went green - just as i'd clipped in and was just moving off, a cyclist came up from behind me on the left, and swung hard to the right across my front wheel. missed me by less than a foot. i had a minor wobble in surprise and cussed at him as much as a reflex action than anything else.

Mc Love · 07-02-2019 10:34am

Glad it's not just you magicbastarder. Similar story this morning, lights go green, I'm just about across the road when a road-ent decides he's not stopping at the red light, and it looked like he was going to cut across me and other traffic, I roared its a red light and he just looks at me and goes around me, narrowly dodging the car behind me.

CramCycle · 11-02-2019 11:04pm

Well I didn't shower myself in glory this evening. Cyclist overtook me but was only just ahead. I hung back enough that I wasn't riding up his arse. Anyway coming through Shankhill at the lights before the roundabout (from the N11 side), The car just beside him pulled in on him, he just made it through but I was pinched against the kerb. I let a yelp but no response. The car continued and as I passed it I belted the wing mirror and dead eyed the driver, who it turns out was elderly in nature and horrendously confused as to why I had assaulted their car. They followed me for a bit, not overtaking when it was clear, I thought for either fear I would attack again or in a plan to run me over. Since it wasn't clear, I eventually pulled in. They pulled in too beside me, almost crushing me again and wound down the window. Before they said a word, I looked in, and said "your wondering why I hit your wing mirror?". "Well, yes", they replied. So I recounted how only two minutes previously they had nearly hit the cyclist in front of me and nearly knocked me clean off the bike. They replied quizically, "did I?", then, "No I didn't", then, "eh sorry", and drove off, with that look of confusion that filled me with fear as since they hadn't noticed the first time, they couldn't quite imagine what I was saying was possible and I imagine her mind was working through a puzzle which would be a cross between a Christopher Nolan and M Night Shyamalan movie script, if you were half asleep but unwilling to turn away.

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 10:53am

Gardai in the bus lane this morning. I was out of the bike lane and in the bus lane as the next junction is a danger. Gardai pulled me over and told me to get into the bike lane, I politely explained I was only in it as the bike/bus lane is packed at the next junction and it was dangerous to stay in the bike lane. He had a tone, and informed me that's why they were clearing it for "youse". I of course got to the next junction and the other garda had blocked the cycle lane by pulling in all the unaccompanied and untaxed cars. If the first one just fined them instead of waving them back in it would have made more sense. They drove straight upto him before moving back into the driving lane, but only after being waved out of the bus lane.

Leroy42 · 12-02-2019 11:31am

Are we required to use the bike lane at all times? I was under the impression that bike lanes were not mandatory.

magicbastarder · 12-02-2019 11:49am

no, the only cycling infrastructure you are required to use are contra flow cycle lanes on one way streets, and in pedestrianised areas.

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 11:51am

Leroy42 wrote: »

Are we required to use the bike lane at all times? I was under the impression that bike lanes were not mandatory.

Not at all but he already seemed in foul humour so I wasn't going to be one of the warrior types to exert my rights in this regard. As predicted, I had to move to the bus lane shortly afterwards regardless but I choose the better part of valour and just nodded. I did say it would be handier and quicker if you just fined them, as I cycled off but I have no idea if he heard me.
Also my understanding is so long as a Garda does not direct you to break the law, you should follow their directions while a part of traffic, but i could be wrong.

doozerie · 12-02-2019 11:53am

CramCycle wrote:

He had a tone, and informed me that's why they were clearing it for "youse".

That's "our finest" right there... ...we're kinda doomed, it seems

magicbastarder · 12-02-2019 11:58am

theory: someone in garda management has decided that they've had enough negative publicity about motorists in cycle lanes, so they're targetting the N11. because that's where the majority of the reports come from...

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 12:01pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

theory: someone in garda management has decided that they've had enough negative publicity about motorists in cycle lanes, so they're targetting the N11. because that's where the majority of the reports come from...

Won't work, he wasn't fining the ones he was catching early and loads were finding it way too easy to pop out and go around. I had to laugh at the few who pulled in to the bus lane after the Garda was in plain view, that deserves a fine for lack of observation

Leroy42 · 12-02-2019 12:01pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Not at all but he already seemed in foul humour so I wasn't going to be one of the warrior types to exert my rights in this regard. As predicted, I had to move to the bus lane shortly afterwards regardless but I choose the better part of valour and just nodded. I did say it would be handier and quicker if you just fined them, as I cycled off but I have no idea if he heard me.
Also my understanding is so long as a Garda does not direct you to break the law, you should follow their directions while a part of traffic, but i could be wrong.

You should never give up your rights. He will continue doing it and obviously has never been set straight.

I mean I know what you're saying, and have done the same in the past myself, but these days I has less allowance for this type of ignorance. That his fecking job after all. If he doesn't know the law he shouldn't be out there.

Pulling you over for sheer ignorance of his part of not acceptable. I would have asked him what law you were breaking. What danger you were creating by, lawfully, being in the buslane?

BTW, this is a not a rant aimed at you, it more a general rant aimed at the ignorance of the very people that are supposed to know this stuff.

magicbastarder · 12-02-2019 12:09pm

Cram, are you on twitter? i would be curious how the garda twitter account would respond to a 'what should i do when a garda mistakenly tells me i am required to use a cycle lane' question.

Fian · 12-02-2019 2:11pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Also my understanding is so long as a Garda does not direct you to break the law, you should follow their directions while a part of traffic, but i could be wrong.

I believe you are obliged to follow the lawful directions of a garda in these circumstances. Similarly you can't just drive through a junction when a garda is marshalling traffic and directing you to stop, even if you have the green light.

Leroy42 · 12-02-2019 2:26pm

Fian wrote: »

I believe you are obliged to follow the lawful directions of a garda in these circumstances. Similarly you can't just drive through a junction when a garda is marshalling traffic and directing you to stop, even if you have the green light.

But a garda has no right to stop you for no reason. He was not directing the person, he ordered them to stop and then told them they were wrong in their actions.

There is a big difference between the two.

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 2:40pm

Just to make it clearer, it wasn't clear to me. As I approached the garda in the bus lane, he was standing in the bike lane. A car had decided to come out into the bus lane behind me. He stepped out and pointed to the bike lane/side of road. It was not clear to me if he was directing me or the car. He then told me, could have been asked but sounded like I was being told. In essence, pulled over was probably the wrong terminology as I stopped due to lack of clarity.

As it turns out the pointing was for me, pretty much just saying get in there, as the car behind was waved back out into traffic.

Miklos · 12-02-2019 2:51pm

I wonder what would have happened if you just kept going?

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 4:28pm

Miklos wrote: »

I wonder what would have happened if you just kept going?

I imagine the fuzz would not have taken to kindly to it

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

Miklos · 12-02-2019 5:10pm

That's that stuck in my head for the rest of the day. No bad thing!

magicbastarder · 12-02-2019 6:15pm

on the way home today, had a motorist enter a roundabout right in front of me when she clearly should have given way. what made it slightly unusual was a motorist entered the roundabout in front of *her* causing her to slam on in front of me, and causing me to have to brake. i was wondering if conditions were right, could (on a four entrance roundabout) you end up with a stalemate with four motorists gunning it onto the roundabout and each having to brake for the person doing the same at the next exit up?

also, spotted on alfie byrne road - a cyclist on the footpath ringing her bell at pedestrians in front of her to get out of the way. i genuinely wonder if she knew it's not a cycle path where she was? it's kinda hard to make that mistake.
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3609599,-6.2289765,3a,75y,29.38h,85.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sX0PaMo6umXQZV2jkvM3I1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

CramCycle · 12-02-2019 6:36pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

also, spotted on alfie byrne road - a cyclist on the footpath ringing her bell at pedestrians in front of her to get out of the way. i genuinely wonder if she knew it's not a cycle path where she was? it's kinda hard to make that mistake.
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3609599,-6.2289765,3a,75y,29.38h,85.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sX0PaMo6umXQZV2jkvM3I1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

There was a prat on the N11 cycle path yesterday evening with a giant orange puffy jacket, ringing his bell at everyone and all in all, just being a rude pr*ck. Ringing it when there was no space to overtake, ringing at pedestrians who were nowhere near him, and then coming round people at the lights. I stopped to help someone with a dropped chain so I got to bite my tongue. There is a small percentage of really ****tily mannered cyclists on the N11, who insist on shouting at others to move in at pinch points, going round people at lights and just generally being removed from such basics as a minimum standard of manners

Mickiemcfist · 13-02-2019 11:00am

CramCycle wrote: »

There was a prat on the N11 cycle path yesterday evening with a giant orange puffy jacket, ringing his bell at everyone and all in all, just being a rude pr*ck. Ringing it when there was no space to overtake, ringing at pedestrians who were nowhere near him, and then coming round people at the lights. I stopped to help someone with a dropped chain so I got to bite my tongue. There is a small percentage of really ****tily mannered cyclists on the N11, who insist on shouting at others to move in at pinch points, going round people at lights and just generally being removed from such basics as a minimum standard of manners

I would say it's more than a small percentage on the N11. I don't mind people overtaking me at traffic lights as long as they're clearly faster than me. I go absolutely mental at ones that I have to overtake on cycle lanes, then stop in front of me at every set of lights so I have to repeat the process. I'm usually faster than most but not the fastest, so i sit one bike length from the traffic lights so the real fast guys don't have to awkwardly overtake me, they can just do it at the lights & fade away into the distance!

Ray Bloody Purchase · 13-02-2019 11:04am

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

I would say it's more than a small percentage on the N11. I don't mind people overtaking me at traffic lights as long as they're clearly faster than me. I go absolutely mental at ones that I have to overtake on cycle lanes, then stop in front of me at every set of lights so I have to repeat the process. I'm usually faster than most but not the fastest, so i sit one bike length from the traffic lights so the real fast guys don't have to awkwardly overtake me, they can just do it at the lights & fade away into the distance!

It drives me mad when they wobble up to the front of the queue at traffic lights after being over taken. It's even worse when they break the red lights and continue through slowly.

magicbastarder · 26-02-2019 10:54pm

big ups to the young lad we spotted about half an hour ago, just after i collected my wife from horseriding. cycling on a completely unlit country road with no lights at all. i genuinely don't know how he could see where he was going.

Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

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