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Today's rubbish driving...
(11258 posts)- Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
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Posted 9 years ago #
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Another day, another bad taxi driver:
I caught up with this one very quickly. When confronted his response was "I didn't hit you, did I?"
He failed to understand my anger!
Posted 9 years ago # -
CJC... if it looks this close on a wide angle lens then far too close.
Of couse the obligatory on pavement cyclist appears earlier not that it's any excuse to cut you up.
Darkerside. Underboom mount position is good if it can be isolated.
WC - he just had to spoil your run. Cyclist behind you probably had him sat there. Or risk is that someone waved him on to join the queue.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@wilmingtons cow that vid could be straight out of the hazard perception test. I'm watching a lot of those at the moment as in taking my HGV test.
On the subject of Taxi drivers..... As I sit in my van I rekon I see more taxi drivers RLJing than cyclists these days.Posted 9 years ago # -
Has anyone ever escalated a complaint against an Edinburgh cabbie, above the usual email to Anne Chandler's office?
I've just received a most unsatisfactory response to a complaint I made a month ago.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Nearly punted by a people carrier overtaking me in the inside on Leith Walk just now. I was keeping pace with traffic which in all fairness was probably going too fast for the conditions. This numpty nearly rammed a bus in the enthusiasm to pass me and shot off into the distance. I'm still shaking and furious. Someone nearly injured me extremely badly and they probably didn't notice. I am so sick of this.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@Bikeability - I got more positive responses in the past. Recent responses have been less helpful, and verging on the victim blaming...
Robert
Posted 9 years ago # -
@Laidback - yeah, very close. I thought he was actually going to side swipe me!
@Bikeability - I've only contacted Anne Chandler's office. The responses were reasonably positive but they still didn't seem to take any action against the driver except talking to them.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not sure what was in the air last night (apart from wind and rain), but I had the same daft manoeuvre pulled on me 3 times in 3 different places by 3 different sets of eejits.
The basic modus operandi is where I am going along a 2-lane stretch of road in a bus lane, car in the other lane moves to pass me, comes along side and then begins to indicate to move into the bus lane to make a left turn up ahead. Not wanting to be left hooked, I step off the gas to try and give the car room to move across, only to find that the car begins to slow at the same pace as me, still sitting along side and still indicating. I decided given the conditions I was entirely unwilling to risk going up the inside of the vehicle to undertake it as if it suddenly pulled over my brakes aren't in a position to slow me at the same rate as car brakes. This resulted in a game of chicken where we both were slowing down to the point where the vehicle attempting to simultaneously pass and turn across me came to a dead stop half way in the bus lane and half way in the t'uther. It took a considerable amount of yelling (lost in the wind) and gesticulating in the dark on my part to get the vehicle to move on.
I can't for the life of me figure out why you'd try and overtake a cyclist at the same time as trying to turn across infront of it and yet actually be totally unwilling to complete the move? If they were naturally cautious and unwilling to turn across infront of me then why did they attempt to overtake first, come alongside and then begin the turn?
Perhaps it was the gale in my back and I was moving much faster than they assumed (inability to read their own speedometer on the drivers part?), perhaps they assumed I would be willing to effectively undertake them by speeding up when I saw their signal (I was already going pretty fast and wasn't comfortable with going any faster in the dark and wet).
And frustratingly the move repeated itself on two further occasions in quick succession.
Posted 9 years ago # -
They should be waiting behind you. Would they pull a similar stunt on a slow moving car?!
Posted 9 years ago # -
I regularly have similar issues heading east along D Mains Main Street, (no left turns thankfully) but cars overtaking me just as the road narrows, kicks slightly and is a blind summit, would they do that to a slow moving car?
Posted 9 years ago # -
I always like to think to myself "would you do that to a JCB?" - the answer is obviously "no because my car would be torn to shreds like so much damp newspaper in the wind".
Posted 9 years ago # -
Last night, c. 5.30 i was heading out of town on Gilmore Place, approaching the pinch point where the road turns, but not yet taking the lane. Small greyish hatchback lays on the horn, sounding steadily as he blasts past me at speed. no idea what was going on. half expected to see a cop car chasing him.
very odd indeed.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"very odd indeed"
Not at all.
You were on a bike.
In his(?) way.
Probably thought he(?) was doing you a favour warning you...
Posted 9 years ago # -
This video is not from today, but rather about 4 months ago. I thought it was worth sharing, because it is the first incident I've reported to the police.
As described before, it was a low speed hit which resulted in some damage to mudguards and required me to fully service the bike "just in case" but I think it was fully intentional.
The video is annotated, so explains what is happening and what I am thinking. Basically, the driver is too close then drives into the back of me. He doesn't get out of his van and eventually drives off - at this point I call 999.
The police didn't really care. They assigned someone to look into it, who said he attempted to contact the witness (didn't get a response) and eventually the driver (who said he was there but denied driving into me). They said the video evidence and my statement were not good enough evidence to take to court. They never came to visit me nor invited me to a station to meet them.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not sure who was at fault between the mini-bin/skip truck turning right out of Bothwell Street and the white van heading south on Easter Road, but as the truck was taking a long time to carefully edge across it was probably mostly the van, trying to swerve round the front when the truck driver was being let out by the driver of the proximal northbound car, which was almost rammed by the van driver as the van screeched to a halt in front of the truck, which was also being screeched to a halt from much lower speed.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Just been knocked off by a chump who drove into my side as he turned right onto Albion Road after insufficient observation. Driver remained on the scene, supplied his number and said "SMIDSY" ro the police. Where's good for taking a bike for a damage/repair assessment?
Posted 9 years ago # -
@wingpig - really sorry to hear that. Hope you're ok…. bicycle works is always where I'd go, but the cycle service comes highly recommended too. I can lend you a bike if you need it in the mean time….
Posted 9 years ago # -
If you are happy for us to shame the bad drivers you come across please send us your channel url.
We normally re-upload the videos to our own channel to protect the identities of the footage owners, but please indicate if you are happy with this, or if you simply wish us to embed your videos into our site.
Thank you :-)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Final damage tally (of non-self-regrowing bits) from Friday's SMIDSY side-thwack: gloves, rear rack, rear tyre, at least one rim and the frame, which is mightily irritating as you can't get a Kaffenback with rear canti bosses any more.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@wingpig - I'm taking it that the regrowing bits are minor injuries?
I'm sorry to hear of the bike threatening ones - if it was a flesh and blood steed, it would be put down...
Perhaps the insurance will pay for brazing of bosses on a new frame (like for like)?
Robert
Posted 9 years ago # -
En route Gyle to Cloisters last night.
Stenhouse Cross roundabout, I was going straight across, in a strong primary - not strong enough for white Fiesta SL59 *** which rather spectacularly left hooked me.
Thing is, this was 100% deliberate as I was faster than him entering the roundabout and I can only assume his macho stupidity required some "retribution" against the silly man (moi) on the childs plaything.
Only thing that saved me was experience - it was so obvious he was going to do it I mitigated the risk and saved being run over. Incredible I have to say that.
Think he works in the office actually - will be paying a visit early January to discuss.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@nelly you could say to him I will See You Next Tuesday?
Do cyclists have a sixth sense? Or do we cycle expecting mad driving and when it happens we then interpret it as a feeling we had?
Hope we all have a safe christmas out there in the jungle of the roads of embra
Posted 9 years ago # -
@gembo - he already got that message !!
Sadly I think we gain experience of poor driving and anticipate the numpties - mind you thats no different to when I am behind the wheel, you can spot poor drivers a mile off and act accordingly.
Thats me off the bike til january now.
Posted 9 years ago # -
There's a bit too much demob-happiness and not enough vigilance for the conditions for my liking. Nearly hit side-on by vehicle entering the roundabout at Picardy Place.
I try to take the right-hand lane when on that roundabout because there's altogether too many vehicles who will not bother to give way if joining from Broughton Street/York Place and heading down to Leith. In this case it gave me enough room to manoeuvre so that I didn't end up a Christmas Eve A&E visitor.
The second one was further down Leith Walk. Being tailgated so close there was no safe space to slow down for a zebra crossing. The street is currently waaaay too fast to safely step onto them.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not cycling related but maybe I'm more sensitive to bad driving because I do cycle.
Today at the supermarket with the family for a quick shop for last minute Christmas dinner bits. Loading the car afterwards the trolley and my 3 young kids were at the back of the car for a couple of minutes while we lifted the half dozen bags in. Too long for one driver in a huge 4 x 4 who was parked across from us, he reversed slowly straight towards us. Paused and had obviously seen us then just started reversing again. I had to yank my 5 year old out of the way before he was hit. Needless to say I completely lost it and banged rather hard on on the drivers window and asked what the hell he was thinking reversing into kids. His response was that we should have moved the kids out of his way and that if I touched his car again he would call the police. Unfortunately I was too gobsmacked with his unapologetic response and not thinking clearly with rage to take him up on that offer as I'm sure the officers of the law would have a slightly different view of his behaviour.
Absolutely unbelievable attitude especially considering this guy had his family with young kids with him.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Serious dingbats in both directions on the road to Straiton: mostly close passes with unnecessarily swervey pulls-in afterwards.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@SSR
If you got his plate, I'd be recounting that story to the police just as you have told it here. He shouldn't be allowed in charge of a car.Posted 9 years ago # -
Wingpig, I got the same on Monday at ~3pm. I tend to avoid Straiton because it's ugly rather than scary, but it was weighted heavily to the latter on that run.
Posted 9 years ago # -
There has been no rubbish driving in 4 days
Posted 9 years ago #
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