I make no apologies for the capital letters and I hope you'll agree why. The following could have gone in "Today's Rubbish Driving" but I think it's too serious to get lost in there in a couple of days’ time. Be alert for the above car.
At approx. 8:45pm, I was riding westbound along Ellersly Road, around 1/3 of the way out from the kerb and certainly no more than halfway (not that it should be relevant) when the Merc (top down at this stage) passed me with inches to spare, despite the road being completely empty in both directions apart from the two of us. Of course, it got stuck at the lights at Western Corner.
I had hoped from the type of car that it was being driven by some retired man who might be capable of reason, so I pulled alongside. Instead, I saw a guy, probably late 30s/early 40s, stubble and a faded-style baseball cap. Even before I said anything, I could see him start to scowl at me. The conversation:
"Excuse me, but you need to give a cyclist as much room as a car when you pass them. <his mouth opens to respond, so...> It's in the Highway Code"
"You were in the middle of the road! What gives you the right to be on the road? I pay Road Tax!" <Yes, he really did pull that one out!>
"No you don't." <Me, still calm; him looking confused, then angry. He then amazingly appears to be reaching for his tax disc or possibly his licence!>
"It hasn't existed since 1937 when it was abolished" <I know, I'm flogging a dead horse by this point>
He then starts to rant and swear before saying, "Do you want me to run you off the road?!", as the lights change. Unfortunately, we're both going straight ahead onto Saughton Drive. Perhaps I should have turned onto Corstorphine Road but I felt safer staying on residential streets even though we were "sharing" them. He raced off and I thought that was the last of it. But no, he was waiting for me (roof up now), just after the Balgreen Rd roundabout (where the old Wheatsheaf Inn was), standing and shouting, "Get off the bike!" I'm not that stupid, so I carried on.
He pulled up behind me at the lights and proceeded to tailgate me westwards along Gorgie Rd, refusing to overtake when I signalled and called him to do so, till I decided to turn up Robb’s Loan at the last second. He thought he could cut me off at the other end but didn’t reckon on the bollards there and I was able to elude him. I doubled back part of the way and asked a pedestrian if he’d seen the car. He’d seen it race past, which told me he was still on the hunt. The pedestrian correctly guessed what the driver had used to “justify” having a go at me and kindly said he’d take a note of the reg number if he saw it again.
And with about 25 minutes of my ride ruined, I continued a shortened run.
So, if anyone sees this car a) please be careful as he’s a headcase and b) get his reg number so I can be prepared if I have bother with him again.
Thanks.
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