CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
stickyWhite van parked half on the pavement/half on the road at the bus stop opposite Haymarket (at the new hotel). Meant that buses were having to drop passengers from the outside lane, causing traffic to build up well last Haymarket Yards.
Also several cars who, as so often, ploughed through fro Morrison St despite there being no space for them after the junction, meaning traffic from Dalry a Road couldn't get through.
Lothian Buses Service 27, which overtook me on Gilmore Place this morning as I cycled west in about as strong a primary position as it is possible to be in - this might not have been so bad were it not for the fact that I was approaching the turn off onto Lower Gilmore Place. As I heard the engine of the bus approaching from behind me I indicated that I was about to take a right... The driver either didn't see my hand signal or just didn't care and kept on going, forcing me to brake to avoid overshooting.
@on_lothianbuses service 27 overtook me as I cycled west on Gilmore Place at 8:35 despite my signal to turn right - unnecessary & dangerous!
@jdanielp Morning Daniel, sorry to hear this. A link is attached for our Customer Services Department. http://yourb.us/T4CQEX
IMG_20150829_113202372 by wingpig, on Flickr
Passed this morning as well Wingpig.
You can always rely on the Restalrig path to provide reminders of the grittier side of life...
I was waiting on a central island to cross St John's Road this morning. Big queue of traffic approaching and the car at the front starts to slow down, but not stop. I didn't try to cross as I didn't know what he was going to do, so as he then speeds up again he shouts "w****r" at me. Nice.
We really need that signalled crossing at Kaimes Road. It can take several minutes to cross St John's Road at busy times, and that involves standing in the middle of four lanes of traffic on a small laughably named refuge island.
I had a closer and faster than necessary pass from a 27 on Saturday at almost the same place.
Heading NW down Morrison St this morning (I'm trying out the new red paint lane before writing to CEC to tell them how crap it is)
LRT 44 steams down the inside lane very, very close to me. Once past, he cuts into the bike lane (taking up 1/3 of it) presumably so he can take the left into Dalry RD at speed.
I have lots of faith in LRT's training programme, but I have no faith in their disciplinary regime. Driving like that deserves a suspension.
I will email. Again. Only 2nd of the year but that is definitely due to me tolerating more rather than standards improving.
"definitely due to me tolerating more rather than standards improving"
I don't think I tolerate any more, but I have not been impressed with the responses to the two complaints I did in the last year.
Yes, I've made two complaints (driving through a red light & driving too close to a cyclist in front). I received a generic "we take our driving standards seriously" reply, but no notification of the outcome of either.
I have yet to hear back after filling in the form that I was directed to by @on_lothianbuses as copied above. All I received was a confirmationary email after submitting:
"Thank you for completing our contact form. We will be back in touch as soon as we can. In order to make sure your query is resolved, we will need to direct it to the right person or team within Lothian Buses. We'll be in touch as soon as we have done this." and so it goes on.
"I have yet to hear back after filling in the form"
How long ago?
I've just emailed to see if there was any resolution to my complaints. The LB reply to the first incident was from 8 April; reply to the second incident was 6 July.
That was quick...response to the red light running incident:
"As described in my previous email, CCTV footage from the vehicle in the area at the time provided was requested and unfortunately an incident could be seen taking place.
The details of your complaint together with the CCTV footage were referred on to the drivers line manager. Action appropriate to the circumstances will have been taken and as a responsible employer, it is our policy not to divulge the outcome of such action as this may have involved formal disciplinary proceedings. By the same token, we would not pass on any customer details to staff.
Please once again accept my apologies for your experience and thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us."
TBF, after a complaint a couple of years ago I received a response apologising for the "appalling" standards of driving, and was assured they would be addressed.
I had not described any incident to them or given them any opinion, simply asked them to review the buses CCTV footage.
That standards are not improving though, I'm guessing not too many drivers are suspended or dismissed. A bit of re training on full pay might seem like a cushy number to some?
There's something about the tail-end of summer that seems to embolden the callousness of yer average domestic road warrior.
I've had a ridiculous number of close shaves over the past two weeks, some with a gratuity of follow up swerves or sudden halts just to fully emphasise that they really don't give a monkeys.
Yet they are never quite so bold should you catch them further down the road... cue cowardly high speed exits down residential side streets to avoid being held to account.
Always keep your brakes in tip top form... sometimes that's truly the only thing stopping me from full SMIDGAF wipe out.
@chdot only 5 days and that is over a weekend, but still.
"
Please once again accept my apologies for your experience and thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us."
"
That's more like it used to be, so perhaps it will be ok again - in terms of getting feedback.
"as a responsible employer, it is our policy not to divulge the outcome of such action"
I'm sure 'we' understand and respect that and are confident that some suitable action is taken by LB (we may be less confident about some other companies).
"standards are not improving though, I'm guessing not too many drivers are suspended or dismissed"
I suspect that is something of an unknowable, but in view of two series incidents on Princes Street in just over a week - and the Glasgow bin lorry - I'm sure there will currently be a lot of looking at training and other procedures.
Perhaps it's time for some external review too?
Maybe all the internal management squabbles have actually resulted in safety standards slipping(?)
Coming down Buccleuch Street tonight - doing a fair pace in the rain - ill-advised maybe, but I was taking primary due to parked cars and keeping up with traffic speeds. A silver honda civic didn't see me and turned right into Gifford Park, missing me by mere millimeters - I swerved a bit and stopped shouting some fairly rude things - apologies to nearby cyclists on the cycle path. The driver stopped and got out to wave apologies, which was pretty decent. It was a bit dim to be fair, and I had no front light (it was 5:30), and I wasn't wearing any hi-viz... I think the rain really contributes to this - it's quite possible that I would have been visible only through a rain part of windscreen...
Decided to take 1km off my commute this morning by going down Lanark Road instead of joining the canal at Wester Hailes. All was going well until I was approaching a pedestrian island at Dovecot Park. I could see the car behind was going to try and pass me at the pedestrian island, forcing me very close to the parked cars which I thought was fine as there looked to be enough space. Then the car parked just across from the pedestrian island opened its driver side door. Fair to say I pooped myself just a little. Does that happen often to anyone else? I guess it isn't too wise relying on parked cars not opening their doors in order to not end up in hospital, because I guess some people do get out of cars sometimes and usually use the doors.
Car doors, right hooks, traffic islands all problematic.
@iweir, the overtakes at those traffic islands did drop a little as that is where the chap from balerno was killed.
Everybody take care (I came off last night turning from George St into Charlotte sq but was going so slowly that I was walking as the bike was sliding) Quite slippy rain last night I thought.
On the subject of slippiness, I almost fell over crossing the Grassmarket by foot and saw another pedestrian actually fall on King's Stables Road (on the pavement under the bridge) on Monday evening while heading to see the fireworks. I suspect spilt fuel/oil as well as a little rain.
iweir, I take primary in the outside lane all the way down that hill. I'm doing 20 - 25 mph I guess, and I'm not going anywhere near parked cars at that speed. People can wait. As Gembo says, that's where Andrew McNicoll was killed.
per Fimm and Gembo always take the lane there your likely to be going too fast to stop for morons you can easily get over 30mph. I don't really understand why that road is still a 40.
Do CityLink vehicles have CCTV? If I gave them a number plate (LSK 879) and a location (George/Frederick) and a time (08:20) would they be able to identify a driver in order to tell him to 1: give way to traffic approaching from the right on a roundabout and 2: LOOK for approaching traffic before pulling out over a give way line?
"@Pols80: If you're the cyclist who was almost run over, and then verbally abused, by the Vauxhall on Ferry Rd #Edinburgh at 2.20pm today, I have a Photograph of the car involved and will happily pass the reg number to the police"
Tweeted yesterday (01/09)
Stickman, who tweeted that? Sounds like one I was at the receiving end of. Right place, right time.
Tweeted by @Pols80
(Don't know who that is; someone retweeted it)
Cheers, i'll look into that.
Dunno if i can be bothered trecking to an Edinburgh police station to converse with a disinterested desk sarge, tho.
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