Meant to add - glad in this case that they didn't just creep up then blast the siren and scare the wotzit out of you!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
Good Driving
(272 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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In amongst the odd conspicuous criminally dangerous idiot (dark coloured ford scorpio with a middle aged driver on the Lanark Road Thursday morning I'm looking at you), the weather also seems to have brought out a rash of friendly and courteous drivers, I'm delighted to say, too many to list here! :-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
Heading down Clermiston Drive this morning, I'm on the other side of the road due to parked cars when I notice a car coming towards me, but I see a gap in the parked cars and pull into it to let the car past. Instead, he stops, and flashes his lights at me. Stunned at this, I look behind, expecting to see a car behind me, but no, he's flashing at me to come through, despite the fact he's got the right of way and I'd already pulled in. I waved to thank him, and he waved to acknowledge the thanks. I nearly fell off my bike in surprise.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@mkns
I have also had similar occurences on Clermiston Drive. More than once, very pleasant.Posted 11 years ago # -
La Favorita driver very good, very courtious. :D
Posted 11 years ago # -
Am I the only one who gets annoyed with drivers who move out the way and flash you to come on after you have already moved out the way for them?
Admittedly this tends to happen more on narrow country roads when I'm driving too.
Interesting to hear about a courtious La Favorita driver. I've been finding them to be a bit of a menace and they certainly don't bother heeding any speed limits.
I tend to let them off because their pizzas are so good.
Posted 11 years ago # -
re La Favorita drivers. Mrs Dna was stopped by one who was really interested in her bike and said he wanted to get one just like it and start cycling more. Personally I've had experience of them driving way too fast around Merchiston and one of them came flying round a corner and nearly hit the front of my van.
I do love their food though and the restaurant on leith walk is great for the kids.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Am I the only one who gets annoyed with drivers who move out the way and flash you to come on after you have already moved out the way for them?"
Glad it's not just me. I don't understand the thought processes whereby a driver sees an oncoming vehicle pull in and stop then comes to a halt themself, meaning that the oncoming driver wasted his effort. Often happens even after being stopped for a fair time as opposed to a sudden braking.
And don't get me started on those who don't acknowledge the stop with a raised hand as they pass.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yesterday at around 6ish in fairly heavy traffic I cycled along Brougham place and crossed Earl Grey street into West Tollcross and headed towards Fountainbridge. I took primary once I had to pass the parked cars in Brougham place - indicated and pulled out in front of a fancy silver Merc. Said Merc stayed a good distance behind me all the way to just opposite Loudons where I joined the bike lane and went into the ASL. I even moved over into secondary on West Tollcross, thinking they might want to pass, but they didn't - they had a long line of traffic close behind them so they ultimately protected me - very patient I thought, almost as if I were a car.... I tried to thank them by giving them a thumbs up - I hope that was construed correctly!
Posted 11 years ago # -
In amongst all the people who got the go-a-bit-further-out signal there was a nice wee grey car which slowed up behind me going uphill around a low-visibility bend on Linburn Road this afternoon. I gave the signal for "hang back whilst this big lorry full of gravel comes past" shortly followed by "thanks for waiting, it's safe now" and a wave as they passed. They flashed their hazards at me, which I took to be acknowledgement.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I gave the signal for "hang back whilst this big lorry full of gravel comes past"
What did you do to signal that, out of interest? I've never tried it because I've never figured out what would be appropriate.
Posted 11 years ago # -
the Parcelforce van driver who stayed behind me along Cultins Rd before I signalled and turned right at Ed Park station. Often people try and floor it past. Might have been something to do with the new speed bumps though...
Posted 11 years ago # -
The taxi driver who waved a "thank you" after I let him through a tight space first.
Posted 11 years ago # -
...followed the next day by a White Van Man who also waved a "thank you" after I let him through a tight space first. Unbelievable. I think I'm getting the good drivers to offset the bad ones Wilmington's Cow is getting in the "bad driving" thread this week.
Posted 11 years ago # -
As I was approaching Dundee train station on the ringroad on Sunday evening, I heard/felt a juggernaut behind me in the same lane at a set of lights. This wasn't ideal, but worse was the fact I always forget which lane I'm meant to be in around there, and have never known how to get onto the bike route from the road, so I was nervous about needing to swap lanes with 40+ tonnes behind me.
To my pleasant surprise and relief, the driver gave me an absurd amount of room; not just by stopping so far back he could always see me, but waiting for a few seconds to give me a good headstart before he moved on. Did this for another two sets of lights, so at the point I stopped to get into the station, I turned round and gave a heartfelt thumbs up to an empty seat.
Turns out the truck was German, which took a bit of the sheen off, since I'd hoped it was a local boy made good, rather than someone programmed by strict liability and general continental stuff.
Could have been a UK driver in a German truck, of course, and I might well have had the same treatment from one in the same circumstances; this just happened to be the first time I've been on a multi-lane multi-junction that I'm not familiar with whilst a juggernaut jugged behind me.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Coming off a roundabout - there's a reasonable amount of room to start with and then the lane narrows. First two cars bheind me go by without issue, but the driver of the wee black car behind them doesn't follow them blindly, oh no, she sits well back, waits for the oncoming traffic to clear, and then pulls a nice wide overtake. I give her a wave and thumbs up and she waves in return.
(I wave at lots of drivers but don't get many acknowledgements - which is fine, but I wonder if that is because I'm not waving at the point when they're looking at me, or if they're just not looking at me...)
Posted 11 years ago # -
ST61 LNW Arthur Mackay van.....
Waited patiently behind me from near Saughton Park all the way to Roseburn.
There were places to pass but he was just not in a rush at all
Posted 11 years ago # -
Heading east along D. Mains Main Street, I usually turn left down Silverknowes Road. For following cars this is usually a cue for a high speed overtake on the other side of the road, into a blind bend. Tonight car waited patiently, not crossing white line at all. Excellent driving.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Brilliant day out on Sunday doing the Wild Wales Challenge.
Reflecting with companions over a pint at a pub near the finish line, we agreed that the behaviour of drivers around us had been noticeably good. Plenty of room left when passing. No barging through, even on the sometimes very narrow lanes. Patiently waiting for a safe place to make a pass. On one of the climbs there was a woman coming the other way who seemed to have simply switched off her engine while waiting for the stream of cyclists coming up towards her to finish, rather then trying to squeeze through.
Of course there was one exception. Imagine that you're driving, at this point. You're coming into a small village, through which the road curves to the left. There's a sign warning of a playground. Add a group of about 40 cyclists into that Google Streetview picture, all signalling to make a right turn ahead. What would you do?
Now try to imagine you're driving a German-built luxury saloon car in the same scenario?
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Dear Dalton's Demolition
I was riding my bicycle past your Gogar site at about 0745 this morning. I stopped to let a large lorry out of the site. After a bit we both realised that he wasn't going to get out because of oncoming traffic, and the driver waved me past.
I carried on my way along Gogar Station Road. The lorry did manage to get out shortly afterwards, and soon caught up with me. I am an experienced road cyclist, but nevertheless I still don't like being passed by a large lorry on that road, because it's narrow and uneven and the lorries can come very close. I suspect that the drivers often aren't aware of how intimidating the large vehicles are to someone on a bicycle.
On this occasion that didn't happen: the driver stayed well back and allowed me room to navigate around the dreadful potholes on that road. He did not pressurise me and seemed content to give me space and wait for a really good opportunity to overtake rather than try to squeeze by.
I've attached a picture of the lorry as it left your site, so you should be able to see if it's one of your vehicles. If it is, please could you pass on my thanks to the driver for his courtesy and professionalism."
Some of the Dalton's trucks are like something out of Mad Max: 4-axle monsters, with huge high skips on the back. They are, frankly, terrifying when they come too close.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Greenroofer, nice constructive way to give feedback
Inhave noticed a fair bit of decent driving lately. Could be nice way code but tend to think just random as normal mental driving still very prevalent
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yesterday's commute home through Duddingston Low Road had me astounded with a driver actually, genuinely, no REALLY going within the speed limit.
Can I just repeat that:
WITHIN the speed limit.
I nearly wept.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@gdm you think that's shocking? Last week I was behind a car driving within the speed limit round Queen's Drive. 20mph! Had a nice tailwind so I was actually being held up!
Posted 11 years ago # -
White Nissan Nivara with Alexfnoble.co.uk on the back give us a very wide berth as we cycled from Dalmeny to the T of the old A90. Nice as usually drivers storm up there beeping their horn. Its a quiet country road where we can ride 2 abreast which occasionally results in close passes.
Nice one AlexFNoble! [thumbs up]
Posted 11 years ago # -
Ravelston Dykes tonight, ADM Flour Tanker, patient & considerate, in midst of writing complementary email to ADM
Posted 11 years ago # -
In amidst a generally normal commute, solid canary yellow taxi 166 stuck out as a great example of considerate driving.
I'd bombed it down Craiglockhart Avenue from Colinton Road and with my extremely pathetic brakes I misjudged the right hand lane of traffic sat waiting at the lights at the bottom of the hill and came screeching into the ASZ from the left hand lane. Rather than be impatient with me from the lights to the Asda junction, the taxi driver hung right back round the nasty S-bend under Slateford railway bridge and gave me plenty of room when he did pass.
Very impressed.
Posted 11 years ago # -
A ludicrous number of good drivers this week for me. I've even had vans giving way to me when they had the right of way, and then thanking me too for some bizarre reason (I had to turn around to make sure there wasn't someone behind me they were waving at). I totally appreciate that it all comes in bursts, and of course many of you are posting on the bad driving thread as I regularly do, but this week has been pretty good for me. I might even have a go at finding the video of that van driver... just to make sure I didn't dream it.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Possible explanations
Random
NWC
Other explanations
Definite increase on. People posting here about good driving but that could be random too, ie the good driving as been out there but now as momentum for posting has increased we are all at it, posting about good driving. Still getting lots of poor driving but also noticing fair amount of good stuff.
Personally The NWC was a we, campaign so I cannot see that as the reason but I am biased.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Possible explanations
...
NWC
Just checked, and you're almost six months late with that one ;-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
Oh, I forgot to nip MeepMeep heid: get a better front brake, you silly, silly Meep.
I got the Ultegra on the stiff little fixer for £46 off of Wiggle, and it equals the BB7 discs on the Croix for dry-weather grabbiness.
It's only seen drizzle, so I can't attest to proper rain performance. If the reduction is on par with what I get off the Tiagra-level long reach frontie I have tested in downpours, then it'll still be pretty burly.
Posted 11 years ago #
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