yesterday 29th march princes st edin two Lothian buses went through red lights at 920am- I was behind them heading towards west end. I did a hands wide and shook my head and the bus driver of a Lothian bus behind did the same. I though these drivers were reasonably OK. My error in thinking.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11333 posts)- Started 13 years ago by Stepdoh
- Latest reply from wishicouldgofaster
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Posted 8 years ago #
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The taxi driver who took the opportunity to be waved out into a gap in the traffic queuing at Teviot Place despite the fact that I was making progress along the cycle lane and was just about to pass the mouth of the junction. I ended up swerving to the right of the taxi which left me in the cycle lane for Forrest Road rather than Lauriston Place. I then had to overtake the taxi (raising my left hand up at the driver's window as I passed) before I was able to move across in front of it and resume my position.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Large touristy coach pulling a ponderous U-turn from Queen Street eastbound to westbound at the Elder Street junction yesterday evening.
Posted 8 years ago # -
About 10 cars driving down Sciennes outside the primary school at around 8:45 this morning, including an MKM HGV. I told the driver about the restrictions, who didn't seem to know - he had turned right out of Livingstone Place so it is feasible he didn't see the signs and lights. Still pretty scary seeing it lumber around with so many kids around on the street.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Smashed into the side of a car pulling out of a parking space on a narrow street this morning. They were facing the same way as me but parked on the right (narrow street). Luckily the bike skidded sideways parallel so I took out the wing mirror etc. but bike was fine. Going to have a big bruise tomorrow though!
Classically, didn't have my headcam with me. Just gave them a flinty stare and rode off in silence.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Taking primary on the way down Dundas St last night, I was nonetheless aggressively overtaken by a small car - I caught up with her at the red lights at the bottom of the hill. Completely pointless.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Aggressive 4x4 driver who, rather than wait two seconds, sped up in order to turn right across me.
This was on the "safe, quiet, traffic-free" Roseburn Place.
He cut the corner on to Roseburn Gardens so badly that he was halfway up before he was on the correct side of the road. Anyone coming in the opposite direction would have been hit.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Taxi driver that used my juke to the left (as a set-up to more safely cross the tram tracks) as an opportunity for an overtake. He passed me too close as I was trapped between two tracks then stopped at the red light straight away.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Going along Henderson Row this morning and there's a bin lorry in front which stops to empty the street bins.
The car driver in front of me after waiting 30 secs suddenly decides not to wait any longer and almost causes a head on smash.
Ironically the bin lorry finishes just after and is just behind the driver in the red light queue.
Posted 8 years ago # -
A desperate-sounding revving behind me as I went along Marionville Road past Cambusnethan Street turned into a long dark blue estate car, which may well have been quite wide as it overtook me but then had to reduce the gap markedly in order to not go over the traffic island and then went left, into the queue of stopped cars at the lights to go west along London Road. I assume it was the same car which was then inches from my mudguard in the remains of the bus lane and which then appeared to be slowing to stop or park a short way up Montrose Terrace.
Posted 8 years ago # -
This morning, several sheep pulling out of here without looking right for traffic in the left lane (right lane was backed up). Thankfully I was on the ball (not the first time its happened here) and only had to brake moderately to avoid a collision.
Also, not sure if this counts as rubbish but I've been noticing quite a few people performing U-turns outside my office which is next to a busy junction. Presumably a left-u-turn-straight-on manoeuvre in order to avoid a queue of right turning traffic.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Erob: thought you might have been referring to there before I clicked the link, always a bit heart-in-mouth. Somewhere a short, painted, red bike lane (or any lane markings at all!) might actually help.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Erob: I thought you meant literal sheep, and this was maybe "today's rubbish sheep driving". But I guess the urban context suggests figurative sheep.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Not sure what people were taking in their breakfast cereal this morning but the standard of driving on my commute was horrific. I've several stand-out incidences across just 3 miles this morning, which is unusual because since the New Year I've mainly had hassle-free commutes, but the below is the most concerning.
A single-decker Lothian Bus (I've unfortunately forgotten the carriage number) attempted to overtake me on South Gyle Access when there was a slowing queue of traffic in the right-hand lane and a red light at the pedestrian crossing. The driver can't have been driving in anticipation of this and when he realised too late that he was approaching a stationary queue of vehicles, he started merging back into the space I was occupying.
What made it worse was that the lights changed before the driver had to stop completely and he pulled into the bus stop immediately after the lights, leaving me fuming at his move and my positioning on what is a horribly pitted road compromised.
Posted 8 years ago # -
If you know the time reasonably accurately, LB will be able to identify it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Thanks, chdot.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Was the Mercedes moron who overtook the bus I was on just before a blind bend, and nearly had a head-on with the car coming the other way.
Of course, the moron then decided that it was the bus driver's fault, and pulled to a stop in front of the bus, making frantic gestures of the Gareth Hunt 'Nescafe' beans variety. He then set off slowly, continuing to make the gestures before speeding up and pulling further ahead. But he wasn't finished - he then decided to brake-check the bus, and I practically went nose-first into the window as the bus driver had to stamp on the brake(I was upstairs, in the front seat).
Mr Mercedes then roared off, and was later seen coming towards us just outside the RBS building in Edinburgh Park, flipping the middle finger at the bus driver. I suspect he'd dropped someone off at work in Ed Park and was heading back the way he came.
So, beware of a silver Merc around the Broomhouse / Gyle area, reg starting G14 (or GE14), driven by a gentleman of Middle-Eastern appearance with a large, bushy beard. He's willing to risk being rear-ended by a bus, so I expect he'd have no compunction in doing something equally stupid & potentially catastrophic if he felt unjustly angered by a cyclist.
Posted 8 years ago # -
threefromleith: You should contact TfE and let them know you are willing to be a witness if the driver was to complain.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The woman in the red pseudo-4x4 thing driving into and across Sainsbury's Murrayfield car park with a phone clamped to her ear. All with a young child in the back seat.
Posted 8 years ago # -
This morning, the motor scooter rider who attempted to use the right-handmost lane and associated ASL on North Bridge as a shortcut to Leith Street. It would've worked if it hadn't been for the police motorbike rider behind him, on a big Yamaha FJ1200, who noticed the 'enthusiasm to progress', and pulled the rider over at the entrance to the St James Centre car park.
I watched it all unfold in my mirrors.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Arellcat excellent, well overdue
Posted 8 years ago # -
Almost mown down by an eejit in a black mini coming out of Dalry this evening. He was fully in my lane as he passed on the bend so not certain he even had his eyes on the road. I Caught up with him and the junction and asked him if he had seen me. He didn't bother answering but given the nicoteen smoking away in his hand imagine he wasn't fully concentrating on driving. I thought the number plate was BJ08YJM bit apparently that's a Saab.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Driver of small white van branded "Romec" KP63 JXX (or KP63 JSX) on his phone while turning right from Slateford Road into Chesser Avenue about 7:10 this morning. He put it down quickly when I started gesturing at him...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Romec part of @RoyalMail.
Worth contacting if you're on Twitter -
Posted 8 years ago # -
The driver of the CEC bin lorry, exiting their site on Bonnington Road. He drove left out of their site without looking right, straight into my path, forcing me to stop.
I was going to let it go, many other things to worry about, but then on catching up with him in traffic I could see a phone in his hands. I spoke to him and told him to get off the phone, he repeatedly shouted "I'm not on the f****** phone". He drove off without giving me any room.
Reported to CEC on twitter.
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Additionally, the driver behind began angrily blasting his horn. As the bin lorry drove off he attempted to intentionally drive in to me. I slapped his door mirror to make him aware how close he was. That didn't help the situation. I had to leave because he was getting a bit threatening.
Posted 8 years ago # -
As the bin lorry drove off he attempted to intentionally drive in to me
I'd call that attempted murder
Posted 8 years ago # -
Less bad driving and more bad manners? Heading east on Queen Street to turn left down Queen St Gardens East about quarter past five. Lights go red just as I'm about to move into the turn, so I stop; I'm at the front of the queue of cars in the inside lane, with a car to my right and a bus behind it in the inside lane. I reckoned it might be a while before we were on green again given the sequence at that juntion, so I stepped off the bike and wheeled it onto the pavement, stopping to let some folk walk past me on the outside so I could pass behind the folk waiting on the green man. And the bus honked its horn. I looked back to see what they were honking at - and the driver made eye contact and honked again. I just looked at him in bafflement and went on my (pedestrian) way round the corner and down away from the corner. Lights still red, got back on the road an headed home.
Thing is, still a bit puzzled as to what the bus driver thinks I was doing wrong? I wasn't going through a red light, I wasn't cycling on the pavement, I hadn't dropped something (I briefly thought it might be a "helpful" honk) - so I can only assume he objected to the fact that Bikes Are Quite Flexible Really?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Several people didn't understand that a solid line of stationary buses on Atholl Place might prevent them from being able to leave Manor Place without ending up stuck over the tram tracks, eastbound lane or pedestrian crossing.
@unhurt Even if it was a helpful "you've left your lights on" or "there's a tarantula on your right shoulder" it was still coming from a stationary vehicle. Was it the sort of bus whose operators respond to queries/complaints or just a CityLink or Stagecoach?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@unhurt I did once have a bin lorry driver perform a very complicated series of hand gestures at me that I though were directing me around where they were working, until I realised he was a fellow member of the community council, waving hello. Do you know any bus drivers?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@unhurt i had a lothian bus honk at me very aggressively after i crossed on foot in front of the King's theatre. i complained and seemed to have gotten taken seriously. might be worth reporting - they need to impress upon their drivers that the horn is not there to reprimand cyclists (especially those who have done nothing wrong).
Posted 8 years ago #
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