@Luath
That's a shocker. You handled it well though.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11330 posts)- Started 13 years ago by Stepdoh
- Latest reply from fergus
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Posted 9 years ago #
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Was left hooked by an impatient car this morning while approaching a give way line at a crossroads.
All was going well with him staying well back for a hundred yards or so while oncoming cars prevented an overtake.
Just as we get to the junction I move out to primary as I'm going straight across and he suddenly roars past whilst simultaneously indicating left. He made it round me but as the junction is notorious for oncoming cars turning right at speed into the road we were exiting my heart was in my mouth.
As a result of this interaction I had to explain to my kids what an Idiot was.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Motor-bicycle SP06 FOD's driver was turning right out of Lady Lawson to head east along West Port whilst not bearing rule 180 in mind, cutting the corner AND not leaving a safe gap between him and the oncoming vehicle. Fortunately his visor was up so he might have heard me.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@Arellcat there are temporary traffic lights on Slateford Road near Taste Good which I think explain some of the queues. But I agree that there's been a lot of traffic on Gorgie Road too - we've been saying that there must be more temporary lights somewhere but I'm not sure where. Are they still working on the Western Approach Road?
Posted 9 years ago # -
So in a narrow side street, some SUV idiot performed a crazy MGIF on the lady on the bike opposite and nearly took me out head on. There was no way they could accurately judge how near or far away I was as it was dark. Scary how impatient people are, and how easy it would be to be killed or seriously hurt if I was just a wee bit further ahead. The peep noise you hear is my Airzound being deployed in anger. It sounds louder IRL, honest.
Posted 9 years ago # -
West Approach road is shut, traffic lights on Slateford, centre of town is nothing but temporary lights. Whole place is mess.
Not sure what was going on with the approaches to the gyle but most of the routes were busy but the Gyle Approach road was quiet.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"@Richard_Dixon:
Hit & run driver deliberately knocked over cyclist this am on Leith Street. Don't worry we got your number SH09 HKN. Best hand yourself in"
Posted 9 years ago # -
Jeepers, that is horrible. Leith Street is even more horrendous for cycling because of the roadworks. I am glad someone got their plate. I hope the cyclist is okay.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The cones around the ped x-ing disappear every weekend leading to 'just enough' room to make a dangerous overtake like I encountered a few weeks ago.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Saw a cyclist talking to two polis this morning at the Calton Road junction. Road works makes the problem of cars coming on your right and then on your left to get to Calton Road much worse. Important to take up an early and assertive primary position for the remaining 2/3rds of a lane heading up towards Princes Street.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Hope that cyclist was ok. Does anyone know anything more?
South bound through the road works feels very dangerous to me. Lots of close passes if keeping to the kerb or tailgating drivers if keeping primary. I regularly have to signal to following drivers to keep back, not that it tends to make a difference to their driving style.
I asked the council to put up "do not overtake cyclists" signs, like I've seen on London road works. They said they would pass it on to the correct team - nothing happened yet.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I've appreciated being able to get out of Calton Road and join northbound carriage immediately, something that has been impossible until now with the dividing metal railings. Hopefully they are gone for good?!
EDIT: Or maybe they are still there but between traffic and roadworks now? That would be sad.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Small smart car type electric polis car drove the entire length of Middle Meadow Walk from Melville Drive to the Forest Road junction. Blues flashing, silent. Just seemed to be a hansy short cut. Wierd.
Posted 9 years ago # -
SM15 UXS's driver, who almost failed to register me heading north on Easter Road past Montgomery Street, out of which she was attempting to turn with a glowing phone screen clearly held to her ear with one hand.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The driver of the black cab who failed to react at the pedestrian crossing at the main entrance to Fountainbridge as I was crossing. I was close enough to slap the passenger window hard as it passed by but the driver showed no sign of bothering to stop despite this. Didn't get any details.
Posted 9 years ago # -
As I headed East across Haymarket from Haymarket terrace my lights changed from green to amber. The Range Rover heading in the same direction as me but coming from Morrison Street got green as I passed and took this to mean I had gone through a red light. This apparently justified a revvy close inside pass - I was in the right lane to turn up Torphichen Street.
I tried to explain that I hadn't done as their prejudices led them to believe, pointing out the width of the junction, but they were having none of it. The passenger advised me stop in the middle the junction and wait if I see amber on going through the lights.
Posted 9 years ago # -
sadly two posts in two days at Haymarket. This time coming from Dalry Road going up towards Torphichen street, I take primary in the left lane going across Haymarket (as advised by Kaputnik), which means doing a bit of a sharpish right after the tram tracks - all stil within the confines of the left lane however. White convertible brand new Mercedes tries to overtake as I'm crossing the tracks, and then immediately goes to turn left down Grosvenor Street, screeching to a halt as do I resting on her bumper. She shouts various obscenities clearly convinced I am in the wrong.
Any advice on how to avoid such difficulties? This one was really scary. Someone here recently advocated "Do not pass cyclists" signs somewhere - I would advocate their use here...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Spotted a police car with no lights on yesterday on Porty High St, at about 6pm. Leading by example...
This morning's shocker was courtesy of Harvey & Brockless:
This morning as I cycled along Haymarket Terrace towards Haymarket in Edinburgh, I was treated to a display of threatening, dangerous driving by the driver of one of your liveried vans (numberplate looked like WR63 ZKM).
There was no room to pass safely, but instead of hanging back, the driver was right on my back wheel as I was passing a line of parked cars/taxis. He left no room for error - if I had to pull out for an opening door, he would have hit me.
I imagine making deliveries can be a stressful job, but he gained nothing from putting my life at risk. I'm just trying to get to work!Posted 9 years ago # -
Not bad driving as such as everyone was moving quite slowly etc, but definitely inconsiderate. One car (yesterday) and a trade van (this afternoon) parked on the shared path outside the cricket club on Leith Links. Not the most dastardly of crimes, but there is a spot not ten metres away where they could have parked up and left the path clear for peds and cyclists. Oh, but they had hazards on, so that's fine.
Also a bin lorry that drove along the path past the primary school along same stretch this morning. Assuming they were actually emptying the bins in the park, they could have made their escape back the way they came like the previous two. If not, it was the most pointless short cut in the world - the road would have been quicker.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The white van driver (of course) who decided to overtake me on South Bridge heading southwards on Friday night. I was in the second lane as passing buses and about to head right on to Chambers Street. He was fully on the wrong side of the road whilst passing (at least he gave me space) but with no regard to oncoming traffic or pedestrians trying to badly cross road at rush hour. He must have saved at least three seconds with his overtake.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Young male driver who shouted profanities at my 8yo coming home from school with MrSRD. I suppose it makes for a good 'teaching moment'.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@algo I composed a long rant about trams, including that Haymarket manoeuvre...
Monday evening (how could I forget about this?) I was going along Dundee Street to turn right into Gilmore Park. I'd signalled right, checked, and pulled out into the middle of the lane when I heard a car accelerating behind me. For a moment I didn't know whether to move left or right (which side was the driver more likely to go?). Convinced I was about to be mown down from behind, I let out a scream/yell of terror, moved left and the driver passed me on my right, sounding the horn as they went.
Goodness knows what any pedestrians in the area thought, but I genuinely thought I was going to be hit.
I don't know if the driver didn't see me at all, only saw me late, or didn't care. I have two decent rear lights, but only the reflectors on the bike, not on me (though yesterday I did add two reflective armbands, which I have not worn for a long time).
Posted 9 years ago # -
The chap who narrowly missed t-boning me as he came onto the roundabout outside work as I was passing his lane, then continued driving millimetres from my rear wheel until the first speedbumps on the road into the work car-park. I unleashed a good few loud obscenities when he nearly hit me, and glowered at him as we entered the car-park, shaking my head.
He completely avoided looking in my direction, and stayed sitting in his car until after I left the car-park.
Good. I could've wandered over for a chat, but given how angry I was and how much adrenaline was still pumping through me after the fright, I wisely thought better of it. An apology or admission of his error would have been nice, though.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I was aggressively mudguarded by a car for the first few junctions after leaving the car park on Thursday or Friday last week. I did scribble the registration on my arm for later reference but it had washed off by the time I remembered to retrieve it.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Waiting for the bus this morning I counted 26 cars go past, all but three of which were single-occupied. Of those 26, 4 drivers were on their phones.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Emergency roadworks on West Maitland Street mean that the inside lane is blocked. What doesn't help is that drivers still ignore the yellow boxes, meaning worse hold-ups. Of course, the bikes I saw just filtered past them all.
Oh, and top marks to the driver coming from Dalry Road who had stopped across the pedestrian crossing and then decided to keep going through on red, despite people crossing with the green man. He gave the finger and some verbals to someone who dared complain (me).
Posted 9 years ago # -
Is it just me, or are drivers more stupid at the moment. This morning was idiot after idiot. Don't they get it that we are vulnerable on bikes? Feeling p***ed off this morning - going to ride primary all the way home tonight!
Posted 9 years ago # -
"
.@AlisonJohnstone - we need to address single occupancy cars - take up too much space #walkcyclevote"
https://mobile.twitter.com/walkcyclevote/status/664547791230910469
Posted 9 years ago # -
Worryingly, I'm seeing far too many drivers flooring it when they see the lights going amber from some distance off, so they're belting through red lights at high speed, often after the green man has come on.
Worse when drivers do it in a chain, so they're still coming through en-masse when the green man has been on for 3 or 4 seconds.
New traffic light rules appear to be:
Green - Go!
Amber - Go faster; exceed the speed limit if you can
Red - keep going; why should you wait if the cars in front of you went through on red too. Sod that pedestrian crossing on green; he should work harder and buy a car!Posted 9 years ago #
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