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

Kissy Lips wrote: »

Thanks for all the feedback. I will try to apply the advice.

The GoPro is good craic. Caught the beginnings of a car chase through Tallaght on Friday. 3 lads in a car sped out of a motor factors. The Gardai had stopped some other chap, caught wind of the lads and sped after them. The lads drove on the other side of the road and ran up and through the pedestrian crossing and down the Belgard road. Garda chopper was out 2 minutes later.

Another near miss, this time a helicopter...:-)

Not a near miss but I had a lovely chap speed past me on Cypress Grove Road this evening so he could beat me to the back of the line. He cut me off from filtering & leaned on the horn as I went past him gesticulating at the cycle lane. Wouldn’t open his window when I went back to ask him what was wrong. He didn’t see the irony of complaining about me using the road when it didn’t impact him in the slightest & the only one of us doing anything wrong was him.

Danjamin1 wrote: »

Not a near miss but I had a lovely chap speed past me on Cypress Grove Road this evening so he could beat me to the back of the line. He cut me off from filtering & leaned on the horn as I went past him gesticulating at the cycle lane. Wouldn’t open his window when I went back to ask him what was wrong. He didn’t see the irony of complaining about me using the road when it didn’t impact him in the slightest & the only one of us doing anything wrong was him.

You get the odd person for whom the daily commute has sent them potty. Sounds like you came across one.

oxygen wrote: »

A near miss this morning, nothing major. My shoulder and shoulder blade\back are still a little iffy.

I came off the bridge just by hueston station turning right onto the quays. There was 3 buses on the outside of the cycle lane and 4 cyclist behind me. The bus beside me slowed down, an indication I took that it wanted to pull into the next bus stop, and couldn't cut across me. However it was slowing down because the car, I had no visibility of, in front of it wanted to turn left cutting across the cycle lane. I only saw the car as it was turning (it was a small turn off not a major one).

I pulled both the breaks but the bike just skid on the ice. The bike went from under me, and I ended up sliding on the ground, I'm lucky I didn't end up under the car.

The car which stopped mid turn was gestating at me in a "what do you think your at" manner as I was picking myself up off the ground. Since there was no one really at fault I just suggested that he move it along since there were 3 buses and 4 cyclist looking to pass. In hindsight, there are plenty of advertisements on the TV to look in your left mirror for cyclist in a cycle lane, he clearly did not...

sorry to hear about your fall but am wondering; if you couldn't see the car before he turned then how is the driver is supposed to have seen you in his mirror?

oxygen wrote: »

Because I'm assuming the range of view in a mirror would be greater than my obstructed peripheral vision. Also I did say there was no one really at fault, but he should have been aware of cyclist, especially in the city center especially cutting across a cycle lane...

my simple point is that if you can't see his mirror then he can't see you

Alanstrainor wrote: »

But if the car couldn't see the way was clear then they should not have proceeded. The turning car is completely at fault here. Although I appreciate that rush hour traffic, and the bus "letting them go" played parts in this, it doesn't mean they could just plough across the cycle lane.

Hope you're okay OP, I don't know if I'd have been so nice.

but if his mirror was clear (per my above assumption) then what else can he do? I will always fall on the side of the cyclist (no pun intended) but I don't see, based on what's been described, what else could have been done other than proceeding up the inside of the bus with more caution.

Wheety wrote: »

Sorry for what happened but this made me laugh. The car going to give birth to a smaller car?

Hah ha, didn't spot that there, I meant "gesturing"

TheChizler wrote: »

They should have exercised caution but it sounds like you were about to overtake a vehicle indicating left on its left (guessing it was indicating as the bus was slowing down for it)?

Glad it was only a bump.

It depends on the type of cycle lane,
if it was solid then the drive crossed the lane,
if it was dashed the lanes had merged and the cyclist was passing on the left when the traffic was moving.

Had a bad one half an hour ago.
Was cycling back home with my girlfriend; following her at 4/5 meters, after a traffic light (in Rialto) I hear a motor coming close to me; a matter of seconds, I see the frame of his van at 10 cm from my shoulder. I froze, I immediately moved left avoiding him. After me, he moved up to my girlfriend passing her at 20 cm (she is uses to keep left on the road, while I try to take space and make them realize I exist too on the road too).
I got pretty disturbed, I accelerated and follow him to speak to him, he stopped at the traffic light.
With no exaggeration, it was the closest pass I have ever had - not the fastest, but definitely the closest (and over 30 year cycling). I could not believe how could this happens.
I asked him to open window, I was infuriate inside but calm out; I asked him "why are you passing me so close?" He pretended not to hear me. "Why did you pass me so close? Could you take care next time you over take a person on a bike please?"
He started to smile, he said "I will not"
Then I asked "What are you saying? You know you have a 2tons van and you could kill me?"
Then he says "so what do you want? What are you gonna do now?"
So I told him "Why did you do that?"
And he said "I did do it on purpose, now what do you want?"
"You did that on purpose?"
"Sure, I did that on purpose. What are you gonna do now?" light went green, he left.
I was astonished.

It is long period after moving in Dublin, I am trying hard to keep pedaling - I just realise how, unconsciously, I do not feel like doing it anymore. It is not about statistics, as many would say. I know there is less chance to get killed on a bike than on a car. It is a matter of enjoying the ride -- I do not enjoy anymore. It does not matter if I am out there fast, slow, countryside, city centre, alone, in group, at night, in the morning - nothing matters anymore: there is always a situation, always a jerk, always a distracted one, always a van, always a truck, always a phone typer, always a situation. Always. It is three years I am cycling here, I do not remember once (ONCE!) I came back home without a miss (near or nearest, always a miss)
What was always a pleasure, a joy, it is not anymore.
Now it is only a matter of rage and risks.

Working hard, very hard on it - try to choose the correct time slots, the correct roads, make the movement which would "disturb" them, the drivers, the least as possible.

I have his reg., I have dozens of plate number on my list. And I also know it will not work to report it.

Sorry for all this,
cheers.

Raffaele.

Report it. Its slow, and does take about 20 minutes of your time to drop in and give a statement, but then its points on his licence.

And if a character like that has say 3pts, and he gets another 3, then his insurance next year will be lots of fun. That might make him think twice.

Type 17 wrote: »

If you don't report him, I'll report you

Seriously, that kind of sh1t cannot be allowed to stand...

Here's the info you need: http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=111

That was awful. Report him. He is a prick! He is looking for trouble and thinks he is the big man /trying to start a fight. Typical brave and stupid fool. He tried to hit you - now you hit back with the full force of the law. He will of course tell lies, balance you etc., but it should get marked up against him.

I had a car do similar to me coming down from Lamb Doyle’s to the cross. Blind bend, overtake, meets on coming car and dives out of harms way down on top of me again. I said that was a dick move at the lights and he blamed me for being in the lane. He denied there was an incoming car and said it was a safe move as nobody got hurt!

Some people have no moral compass or empathy.

Was in the cage myself this morning, however if you were the cyclist that got a fast and close pass from a blue Daihatsu van @6:45 on the Merrion Rd. I saw what happened, here's the salient details for the prurient entertainment of our fellow cyclists:

Heading South the van dives into left turn lane for Sandymount Ave. at Simmonscourt junction, undertakes the traffic across the junction and continues to undertake traffic on Merrion Rd inventing a lane from the hatched section of road and the cycle lane.

I could see a cyclist ahead and pulled up, our van driving friend swings out in front of me and then pulls left and does a U-turn in Shrewbury Park.

Reckless driving with no concern for other road users.

Saw one yesterday. Was driving down Orwell Road towards Dartry. Bike in front of me, car in front of him as we came to the lights which were just about turned red. Cyclists overtakes car in front and sails through the red light. Car in front stops at lights and beeps cyclist as they make their way off.

Me and the car in front eventually catch the cyclist just after the 9 arch bridge. I had a feeling the car in front still had a beef with the cyclist. The cyclist is in the red bicycle lane, solid white line cycle lane, and Just as the driver passed the cyclist he swung in in front of him, almost touching the curb, stayed in the lane for 20 metres or so, then moved back out.

I blew my horn repeatedly and flashed him. I was turning right up towards Dundrum, he was going straight towards Milltown, so we never "discussed" it. I wish I had a camera in the car. I kind of knew something was going to happen and was thinking of firing up my phone camera. Very scary mentality by the car drive, teaching the cyclist a lesson by trying to scare him. The cyclist would have been completely unaware of why the driver had done it.

Macy0161 wrote: »

Great idea calling out the reg - must try that with the Aldi light/ camera combo, and with my €7 car dashcam, both of which claim to record sound!

Yeah the aldi one is not great on sound. In saying that, it picked up me tapping on the window and having a chat with a motorist who nearly had me off the bike at a roundabout in the bad rain we had during last week.