Bully in a wee white van sounding his horn at me for not riding through the ENORMOUS potholes and into the back of a parked car on Dalry Road earlier. In the pissing rain and wind too.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11258 posts)- Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
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Posted 8 years ago #
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Klaxon, fimm, oddly I've had a car driver in recent days overtaking me whilst laying on the horn. It's happened twice, and I've seen the car three times (but still haven't got the reg). It really does psyche you out.
Posted 8 years ago # -
All sorts of impatientist nuttery on Princes/Charlotte/Queen Streets and London and Easter Roads yesterday evening, exacerbated on the last by some of the motor traffic being impeded by inebriated and erratic foot-traffic on its way to spectate at the shoutball performance.
Posted 8 years ago # -
If I'd been in full lycra mode with clipless I'd have probably chased the <person> down and slapped his van, just to give him a fright. Thankfully, although he had to stop at a red light, he moved off again before I caught him up (chasing down motorists and shouting at them is never a good idea) and I managed to get my adrenaline levels back down to normal.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Is there really much justification for cars having horns? I wonder how often they are actually used legally and effectively?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Is there really much justification for cars having horns?
We'd have a lot less aggressive and unnecessary hornings if it was interlocked to the application of the brakes. This should get around the current trend for drivers to just hit the horn and carry on (or even accellerate) if a pedestrian should date to be (quite legally) crossing the road in their path of travel.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I've sometimes idly thought that it would be amusing and more agreeable if cars were fitted with comedy clown horns as standard.
People would honk less if it made them look stupid, and angry drivers who insist on inappropriate honking wouldn't be so threatening.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Arellcat I had some drivers using the horns before overtaking too, sometimes aggressive but sometimes also on a wide road when they actually gave me loads of space.
I had a discussion on Twitter with somebody who had the same experience and we wondered if it was an older rule that you should warn slower vehicles before overtaking, just like cyclists ringing a bell to warn pedestrians.
Older drivers may actually have learned this in driving school and think they're doing the right thing. Does anybody know if this is the case?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Highway code rule 112:
"The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. You MUST NOT use your horn
•while stationary on the road
•when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 amexcept when another road user poses a danger."
I love the idea of interlocking use of the horn with application of the brakes.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I have never heard of such a thing Stephan.
I also like the idea that a car horn should sound just as loudly inside the car as it does outside. That should put them off.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I was referring to old rules...
Like: "For example, in 1931 (...) drivers were advised to sound their horn when overtaking."
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060214054124/arrivealive.info/category.asp?cat=385
When was this changed?
Posted 8 years ago # -
There's a passage in Dorothy L Sayers' "The Nine Tailors" where a friendly clergyman, who is giving Lord Peter a lift, repeatedly sounds his car's horn, explaining "I always sound my horn here because..." it is a bad bend, a junction, to let his wife know he has arrived.
That is set in the 1930s. This character is using his horn as per the highway code.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Apparently sounding the horn when overtaking is law in New Jersey:
"The driver of an overtaking motor vehicle not within a business or residence district shall give audible warning with his horn or other warning device before passing or attempting to pass a vehicle proceeding in the same direction."
http://www.njlawman.com/new-jersey-traffic-laws/improper-passing-39-4-85.htmPosted 8 years ago # -
I've sometimes idly thought that it would be amusing and more agreeable if cars were fitted with comedy clown horns as standard.
I have been amused by a taxi driver's asthmatic horn, it was so weedy and ineffectual, that it seemed kinder to ignore him...
Robert
Posted 8 years ago # -
@fimm Interesting!
Posted 8 years ago # -
There's a "toot corner" near Abbey St Bathans where drivers are encouraged to sound their horns.
I wouldn't mind hearing a car horn from some distance back on windy days when you can't hear what's coming up behind on narrow roads when it would be preferable to an unexpected close pass.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Fimm - from what I remember of the book, that clergyman was intended as a comically bad driver (at least that's how I read it) and the sounding of his horn at the bend was part of that. But I must go back and read it again because it's one of my favourites.
I have been honked at before being passed here but it usually turns out to be a neighbour saying hello
Posted 8 years ago # -
There's a humpback bridge where the road narrows from double to single track on a blind corner with a T-junction just beyond it over the Union Canal near Roddinglaw. Definitely a good place to slow down, toot, and then proceed with care
Posted 8 years ago # -
I wouldn't mind hearing a car horn from some distance back on windy days when you can't hear what's coming up behind on narrow roads when it would be preferable to an unexpected close pass.
I already do this on single track roads CM. Although I have only ever heard it once while cycling myself I thought it was a great idea. Though I suspect trying to encourage a pip at a polite distance would only encourage drivers to insert themselves into your rear mudguard and hold the horn down. :-(
Posted 8 years ago # -
The humpback bridge with tight corner over the WoL at Warriston still generates a few toots from drivers who aren't prepared to slow down sufficiently.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I've not posted here for a while. I seemed to be avoiding bad driving. Until today...
I was cycling past the Festival Theatre heading in to town. I was in the greenway in primary, First Bus in the outside lane heading the same direction. First bus slightly ahead of me. I am about 1/3 of the way from the front of the bus.
First bus driver decides to start pulling in to the greenway without signalling or apparently checking his mirrors / blind spot. Not that unusual for a First Bus driver, in my experience. I shout to get his attention and move so that I am visibile to him and out of danger, driver looks at me with a "get out of my way" stare. He then proceeds to slowly edge his bus closer to me whilst slowing down.
I don't know what he is actually trying to do, so I move to the kerb and stop. He drives further in to the greenway, stops and opens his door. Shouts at me to "let him past so he can pull in".
At this point a passenger gets off and shouts abuse at me for "holding up the bus". I ask the driver what he is up to and let him drive off - I feel unsafe stopped here.
He stops to let passengers off on South Bridge at which point I pull in front of his bus and take out my phone to photograph his registration, bus number and his face. My bike-camera battery went flat before this all started :(
He gets off the bus, begins shouting that I am holding up his passengers and tries to take down my name and number. I refuse and ask him for his, he refuses and points to the bus number.
Many of his passengers get off and accuse me of making them miss their train. One kind lady offers to be an independent witness. Unfortunately I don't manage to get her details - no pen & paper and now phone battery has gone flat too!
I decide to leave. The driver won't have a conversation with me without him shouting "you are holding me up". No point in staying any longer.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Sounds very unpleasant CJC. I hope you report it to First Bus. They probably won't do anything but it might stay on file somewhere until there's some much evidence they have to act.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Might be some CCTV round there.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Following recent incidents involving bin lorries and the scale of damage and destruction they can cause, all bin lorry drivers are going out of their way to prove how careful and professional they are, right? Wrong.
http://www.naden.de/blog/bbvideo-bbpress-video-plugin -->[+] Embed the video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6CsiSFWde8&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Video Download Get the Video Widget I don't know if didn't see me (and the cyclist alongside me, both of us in hi-viz), or did see me and just didn't care.
Posted 8 years ago # -
On horn sounding prior to overtaking:
I've had a few of these in the past few months. All, I think, when out with a group, and most a very short parp which suggested to me it was a "hello, I'm behind you and about to try to overtake" rather than a "out of my way, peasants", which I would expect to be a much longer blast, usually maintained or repeated with accompanying redfaced gesticulation as the vehicle passes by.I'm all for the former.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@CJC sounds like a horrible experience, not to dissimilar to a couple I've had with Worst Buses on Princes Street, although none so bad as to have passengers get off and have a go.
For what it's worth I'd definitely be reporting that to First; don't expect much off them, but well worth following up if you get the stock cover letter promising action and never hear from them again.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@kaputnik @Luath. Do you know how to report?
I tweeted @FirstScottish but there doesn't look to be a lot of activity on that account. The contact form on their website requires me to provide my full address, etc, which I'm not too keen to do. I could always provide a false address...
Posted 8 years ago # -
There's certainly an email address FirstGlasgow.CustomerServices@firstgroup.com which I've used to successfully report bad driving before. You could probably guess at an Edinburgh version...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Definitely report it, CJC. I've had cause to glare furiously at First Bus drivers on Princes St recently - and that's the extent of Princes St from South St David Street to North Bridge!
and now phone battery has gone flat too!
I recently bought one of those huge big batteries from Camelion (no, not the place near Falkirk) and my phone now runs for days and days. It's twice the thickness, too.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The [redacted] [redacted] who nearly took my [redacting] elbow off and then smiled and laughed when I told him he was too [redacted] close, then told me to stay in to the side of the [redacted] road.
And the [redacted] who started leaning on the horn while this discussion was happening. You can go [redacted] too.
I don't even know why I bother with this any more. I try to be polite, to be courteous - and all it gets is physical endangerment and abuse.
Posted 8 years ago #
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