CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Low standards of driving abound in 2011

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  1. LaidBack
    Member

    So I decide to take my bike across town to St Andrew Square...

    I'm on a 'normal' bike so invisible to forumers - but also motorists it seems.

    I have my TBC RSP very bright rack light on.

    I get overtaken and cut up on corner of George St into St Andrew Square.

    I see the driver mouthing off at me so decide to speak with her as she has now joined a long queue of traffic. As a forum member my language is moderate.

    On return I am cut up again on corner of Mound crossing the track. I have taken centre line in ASL but red Micra decides to go head to head and chicken out by cutting me up. I catch her at top of Mound. I don't speak but purposely glare at her. Her face looks red - but this is maybe just my rear lights!

    They are good but I wonder if their brightness has made me a target?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. wingpig
    Member

    The visible cyclist is like the polite, law-abiding cyclist; they become a target for those who wish to be able to claim that all cyclists are invisible red-light-jumping terrorists. By making yourself too visible you're getting up the noses of those who feel that a visible cyclist pre-scuppers their "I dint see nuffink yeronner" defence. They feel compelled to exaggeratedly threaten you in inverse proportion to your invisibility, so that you are compelled to reduce your visual obviousness, so that they can return to using their favourite excuse.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Stepdoh
    Member

    My morning commute was a bit unusually hairy with the traffic this morning too, and I was wearing an orange waterproof rather than the dark navy top I usually wear.

    It felt like if people could see me they made a real effort to overtake me dangerously.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Min
    Member

    There has been some anecdotal evidence flying about the forum that the more visible you try to make yourself, the worse driver behaviour gets, ie having a bright rear light or wearing a high viz jacket. There was some stuff about it here.

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1546#post-14858

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Today I had my waterproof on for the first time all winter. It's white, but doesn't have much retro-reflective on it. For the rest of the winter I've had yellow/black fleece on, with RR piping and logos.

    I think today I was more visible but less "bright" if that makes sense.

    I was just happy to get to work without a puncture.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. LaidBack
    Member

    Min the more visible you try to make yourself, the worse driver behaviour gets

    Yes... said drivers come out with lines like "are you looking for an accident pal?! "

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. Dave
    Member

    I am also finding it quite trying, riding on the hardtail with a weaponised lighting system is still a lot more stressful than riding the 'invisible' bike.

    The mantra to bear in mind regarding all road altercations: "It's not because you are hard to see."

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. Min
    Member

    "It's not because you are hard to see."

    It's because you are there.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. Stepdoh
    Member

    yep, usual bike ninja gimp garb today and no aggressive driving. Despite taking EXACTLY the same route.

    Bloody icy at RBS though few fishtaily oh-Sh*t moments.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. wingpig
    Member

    Not sure of the cause (full moon? day-after-media-fake-depression-day?) but for some reason lots of drivers seemed a little belligerent this morning. An LRT bus came at me on a roundabout, three vans passed within thumping-distance (only one got thumped, and he was then endangered in turn by someone who changed their mind about heading down Horse Wynd and swerved up the Canongate instead) and at least ten cars came close enough for it to have only been the height difference between my elbow and their wing mirror which prevented one scraping the other. It was full daylight by the time I left but I was still exhibiting a rear steady and a rear blinker, though it seems these must have just drawn attention to me.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. ruggtomcat
    Member

    What does everyone think of the little flags people used to use?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. Stepdoh
    Member

    Gave a truck driver the finger this morning as he was beeping at me at western corner, then he careered past me (if I'd been a metre furthr ahead I'd have been bus/truck sandwich).

    Met him again at the PC world roundabout. He beeped and gesticulated, so I yawned, smiled and waved, then left him for dust.

    I'm turning into a really horrible cyclist at the moment, but think karma got me, as I came off turning into my work compound, back wheel just slid away from me.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Something (my bones or my waters or something) encouraged me to avoid the daily jousting and cut off the main road at Murrayfield and take the back streets. At first I thought I had reached new levels of awesome power and was getting wheelspin off the line, turns out it was just slightly frostier and slidier on the back streets than I had imagined.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. SRD
    Moderator

    What does everyone think of the little flags people used to use?

    I used to have one of these on my bike and dug it out recently with the idea of attaching it to the tandem, which I think would benefit from something to ensure the drivers realise it is longer than a standard bike. Will let you know how it works.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. kaputnik
    Moderator

    When Royal Navy ships go into battle, they hoist an extra large flag from the main topmast - where it is extra visible in the fog of war - called a battle ensign. Perhaps urban commuters need battle ensigns too. Although we'd need topmasts first. The number of cannonball holes would be a source of pride and could be counted towards ones top trump card.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. wingpig
    Member

    It'd probably just render us vulnerable to a new van-driver sport in which points would be awarded for the number of captured cyclists' flags accrued over a specified period, with bonus points available for any flags to which a portion of cycle had remained attached throughout the grabbing process.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. Min
    Member

    I saw a driver barging through a red light + pedestrians crossing at the pelican crossing at South Bridge this morning. People were having to run and jump out of the way. At least he didn't sound the horn while he was doing it I suppose..

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. recombodna
    Member

    Last night I had a car overtake me then swing left into the kerb cutting me up only to then uturn right (no indicators) almost hitting me again....

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Cyclists must be going slowly, they are cyclists. Ive ridden a bike, bikes are slow.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. recombodna
    Member

    ......yeah you're right we deserve it for being cyclists!! ;-)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. wingpig
    Member

    No better in the evening. Is there any sort of facility anywhere online for checking taxi registration details and cab license numbers? I want to confirm that SF60 HLD is definitely cab #1048 before reporting it for aggressive/threatening driving and coarse language.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Me; male, cyclist, westbound, Gorgie Road at Chesser junction, lots of lights, moving rather fast.

    You; female, driver, trying to turn right off Gorgie road into Balgreen Road, BMW X-something-or-another, not paying attention.

    You followed the car infront of you in making the turn without checking if there was anything coming, right into moving traffic. Our eyes met and for one brief moment there was a look of panic and confusion as you tried to remember which one was the brake. My heart skipped a beat yet I knew deep down that your move was fate and was already stopping in my tracks for you.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    "My heart skipped a beat yet I knew deep down that your move was fate and was already stopping in my tracks for you."

    That's SO Mills and Boon.

    Glad you had your wits about you!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. chdot
    Admin

    "Not sure of the cause (full moon? day-after-media-fake-depression-day?)"

    http://www.fullmoon.info/en/fullmoon-calendar.html

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. Dave
    Member

    This morning I was made nervous by two separate drivers turning right out of two separate garages on my side of the road.

    But then, I forgot to put a mirror on before taking the lowracer off the turbo, so was feeling pretty 'twitchy' the whole way in :(

    Traffic 'following through' is one of my big hates.

    There are artificial pinch points near the office which are fine to ride through provided you're just headed towards a car and can each figure out who has priority. The problem comes when the lead car has plenty of time to get through, so (fair enough) they go for it - but so do the five vans, taxis and assorted muppetry who are tailgating blindly...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    That's not just a bike thing - happens all the time in the car as well, and possibly more annoying as there's less room for manoeuvre to get out of the way. Even more annoying when I realise that I'm in the car and not on the bike and feel lumpen and slow....

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. amir
    Member

    Relative calm for a number of weeks then two incidents in the same commute.

    First is described in the complaint to Southern Heating and Plumbing below. The second was when a scaffolding lorry cut me up from behind when we passing roadworks. He didn't hit me but it was close. Because of the first incident (3 miles before!!), I was riled up enough to tell the driver at the lights that he had nearly hit me, to which he respond that I should have looked where I was going. I normally would only have muttered to myself.

    Here is the complaint to SOUTHERN HEATING AND PLUMBING.

    "I would like to complain about the poor behaviour of one of your employees.

    I was cycling to work this morning, when by the roundabout at Dobbies one of your vans swerved towards me and the driver started waving his arms around. Apparently he was remonstrating (vigorously) that I should cycle on the pavement (which is a shared use path). As well as swerving he braked and accelerated erratically.

    1) This was dangerous driving. The driver should have full control at all times.

    2) I found this insulting and threatening.

    3) He was incorrect. I have every right to cycle on this piece of road. In fact at the speed I was cycling at, the DoT recommends cycling on the road. It was also icy on the pavement.

    You should take this complaint seriously. Your company's name is clear on the van, and poor driving behaviour is not a good advert. I would consider not using your company the next time I have call to."

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. cb
    Member

    Turned right yesterday evening off Gorgie Road into Robertson Avenue (buses, taxis, cyclists only). There was a vehicle behind me which I thought was a taxi but turned out to be a van. I think the Golf with the broken rear light which followed also turned right illegally.
    Apart from that the van was driven rather well. He overtook me for the last time on Myreside.

    As I was turning right off Slateford Road into Ashley Terrace (I was at the front of the queue when the lights changed) a young guy in a small red car cut round in front of me at high speed from the left hand (straight-ahead) lane.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. Min
    Member

    Jings Amir, that is ridiculous behaviour, both sets. Let us know if you get a reply from the plumbers. I have found whenever I have had cause to make a complaint that most companies are very good. With the exception of a well known bus company that does NOT rhyme with Clothian Pluses.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  30. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Turned right yesterday evening off Gorgie Road into Robertson Avenue (buses, taxis, cyclists only).

    I go that way most days on my way home, same thing happens nearly every day. It's one of those corners where the vehicle behind often tries to out-accellerate you round the corner, then finds it can't go fast enough. Then there's always the two cars parked in the middle of the road (as per previous rant) because of the layout of the "traffic calming" and yellow lines, which results in a situation where the car behind is trying to cut past, the cyclist is floating out right so it doesn't ride into the parked cars and the 38 bus is usually coming down the hill.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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