I had two cars close pass me on Leith Street yesterday, before scuttling past the "Road Closed" sign and into Calton Road. They were then faced with a car coming the other way along the single land next to the smashed up wall, and had to screech to a halt.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11258 posts)- Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
- Latest reply from chdot
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Posted 7 years ago #
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There is a half-hearted barrier on the road at the New Street end but didn't notice any 'road closed' signs.
It IS the road to the back of the station (now with lifts), so there shouldn't be a barrier anyway.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Drivers (that I have spoken to) seem to believe "access only" refers to access to the station. If you can "access only" from both sides it's not really closed is it?
For the avoidance of doubt the council website still lists Calton Road as closed.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@chdot
The "Road Closed" sign at the Leith Street end is attached to an existing sign post, so as not to get in the way of cars that are ignoring it. It's not very eye-catching.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"For the avoidance of doubt the council website still lists Calton Road as closed"
But it's not.
How difficult is it to completely block the Leith Street end (assuming there's a reason for it to be shut at all?)
Would make Leith Street safer for pedestrians and cyclists under current road work conditions!
And be open at the other side with signs at New Street saying 'local access only - including Waverley Station'.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"...assuming there's a reason for it to be shut at all..."
I think someone on another thread was told "ambulances" by the council.
EDIT:
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15984#post-214593
chdot:
"
CityCentreLeith Team (@CityCentreLeith)
17/03/2016, 11:07 am
@CyclingEdin Emergency access & egress requires to be maintained & closing rd completely is not possible. This is a Roads Traffic offence.^J"
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Emergency access & egress requires to be maintained"
I suspect that means 'in case of emergency' (presumably related to Waverley) rather than 'it's a route to a hospital'
There are plenty of streets in Edinburgh that are shut (permanently or temporarily).
In this particular place it seems that CEC has given up putting cones or barriers in place as they keep being moved by 'the general public' rather than emergency services.
Clearly needs some 'enforcement'...
Posted 7 years ago # -
I forgot to note the livery on the large Transitty truck which yesterday went through the red from Albion Road so late that it had gone green for southbound Easter Road traffic then wandered blithely through the red at the next pedestrian crossing before disappearing along Brunswick Road.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Use this route every day and every day the barriers are moved a little more and more towards the side of the road.
The New St end used to have well observed 'Road Closed' 'Diversion <-' signs on it but these have been removed as well leaving just the shell they stood on.
There's clearly an ongoing effort to make sure this road doesn't go away, and if I was a taxi driver wanting to keep my little Leith St -> Market St rat run open it wouldn't be a hell of an effort at 4am to do so.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Plum in a silver people carrier trying to overtake me as we cornered on the Grange Road/Blackford Avenue blind bend this morning. I'm afraid he got some choice language aimed at him.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Russel road at the corner where you turn off towards the Roseburn Path (is it NEPN as well?) heading westbound, three stooges decide to overtake while under the bridges while I'm trying to position myself to turn right, the third happened next day solo and had to brake for a taxi coming round the corner and that was when I was signalling to turn right in addition!
Oh and then there's the lobotomite heading eastbound that decided to cut the corner March this year with one hand on the wheel smoking a cigarette. Knocked me off the bike resulting in a dislocated shoulder and having to spend a fortune on repairs.
When asked why he cut the corner he said, "No I was turning in like that," what sort of, "that," was never made clear all the while he didn't seem to be bothered he hit me and kept denying he cut the thing.
Posted 7 years ago # -
How's your shoulder now? What happened with the driver - police etc.?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Shoulder is tender in such a way that it can bite if pushed if you get me.
Police have video from my camera (only had it barely have a year then) of the incident and a witness no. Still waiting for a verdict but I think he may be pleading not guilty as my mother got a visit from one of the officers about being a court witness.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Hope all works out for you, keep us posted.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Big_Smoke Hope you get better soon.
I would be wary about your mother giving evidence unless you actually know what it's for and how it will be used. Was she there? Maybe others, closer to legal matters than me, can suggest best way forward for you. Best wishes.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Not a biggie, but annoying nevertheless. Pretty sure he clocked me, in hi-viz, but thought he'd chance it anyway.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Sure this guy clocked me too, can't tell from the video but he gave me a dismissive wave when I shouted.
NSFW language, by the way.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Odd one yesterday: cycling from Broughton Street to Meadowbank via Picardy Place/London Road.
I'm in the right hand lane on Union Place (moonlike surface) entering the roundabout to turn right into London Road. I'm undertaken by a grey private hire car in the left hand lane who also turns right then swings across me to take the exit. He's far enough away from me for me not the feel too threatened, but close enough to irritate and make me give chase.
Headwind on London Road makes me give up on that; however, the natural order of things is at play and private hire car man is fifth in a queue of six cars waiting at the lights at the top of Easter Road. I'd normally sit at the back of the queue there but, although the adrenalin has faded, I fancy giving him a bit of stare. I roll up the right hand turn lane to the ASL (I know there's plenty of time for this due to the phase of the lights), giving him a look on the way, then slot in front of the centre lane cars. All good.
Lights change, I set off pretty quickly I think, and move across into the bus lane promptly (after the parked car that's always there). Then here's the odd bit: Approaching the next set of lights, 100m on, I get peeped by a guy in a VW pseudo-4x4.
I'm well out of his lane and have been for some time; he's not going particularly fast and as far as I know I haven't slowed him down; but he still wants to sound his horn and give me a stare. His daughter(?)/wife(?) in the front seat looks away but he keeps staring as I shrug a "what?". Then he carries on his disgruntled way. Strange.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@PS where was the pseudo-4x4 in the queue? Was he annoyed you'd filtered past him into the ASL? The irony of people slowing down to be annoyed at you for holding them up seems often to be lost....
Posted 7 years ago # -
@algo He was right at the front - he hadn't exactly pulled away from the lights at high speed if it took him >100m to draw level with me.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Heading west on Calder Road, in the bus lane, about halfway along one of the sections a sporty black Merc dives into the lane ahead. Not so bad, kind of expected, though actually don't see it quite that early before the roundabouts usually.
There's a queue for the roundabout, so I catch-up. Cars entering the next section are then trying to squeeze down to one lane, so I filter past as they wait with indicators on. Noticed Merc man didn't have indicators on. Sure enough a little way along I feel the presence of a car behind me. Now, granted, I could have shuffled left, and there'd have been space to just about fit through. But it was almost bang in the middle of the bus lane operating times. So I took primary, pointed out the lane to him (he just shrugged) and slowed a little. I pondered slowing to the pace of the traffic to our right, but didn't go that far.
He found a gap in that traffic, passed me, then put the foot down and moved back into the bus lane. I'd heard a toot a little before, which I think was from a taxi behind him. I don't think it was aimed at me as the taxi driver then stayed a very respectable distance behind me once Merc man had gone.
Posted 7 years ago # -
A car changing lanes on the lead-up to the Picardy Place roundabout yesterday evening chose to merge into the gap between two buses, in which there was a cyclist. The rear bus had earlier cut it very fine when stopping behind the cyclist on York Place.
Someone mis-reading a large cement truck's road position on the London Road roundabout (or not bothering to look at its indicators) and narrowly-missing being crunched by it.
Lothian X44 (possibly #635 or #643) moving into the left lane on Princes Street without accounting for me being there and moving forward.Posted 7 years ago # -
The moron driving the Merc reg SM57UFS who very nearly knocked us off on Duncan Street. I was overtaking a parked car when he approached aggressively without slowing down doing that thing where you try not to lose any speed and come as close as possible to the cyclist as the pull in after the overtake. Aggressive idiot - I didn't remonstrate as I had impressionable passengers but I had plenty of time a matter of meters later to take a picture of him waiting for ages at the end of the road...
Posted 7 years ago # -
Bad double decker maroon bus driving yesterday afternoon. I joined Bruntsfield Place from the top of the Links, and the idiot bus driver tried to pass me, although there was no way he was going to complete the pass before the stop at Nippers. Moreover, there was a bus already at the stop. He pulls alongside me, despite the narrowing for the ped island, so I am face to face with the passengers standing at the doors waiting to get off. Only when I have yelled twice does he come to a halt in the road, so I can pass him and the bus at the stop. I did turn back to tell him my opinion of him (sorry kids!)
An existential question occurs, if Lothian Buses believe that it is unacceptably dangerous in all situations for a bike to pass their busses on the left (hence the stupid stickers), then surely they must also believe that it is unacceptably dangerous for a bus to pass a bike on the right.
Does anyone else ride unnecessarily round buses in queues to their right, just to make a point?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Funnily enough I was having the same thought this morning about the stickers. No bad bus driving, but a solid queue, lights well ahead at red, cycle lane clear on the left. But stickers saying not to pass there. Does it just give fuel to the drivers behind the bus that I was 'breaking the rules'?
Posted 7 years ago # -
An existential question occurs, if Lothian Buses believe that it is unacceptably dangerous in all situations for a bike to pass their busses on the left (hence the stupid stickers), then surely they must also believe that it is unacceptably dangerous for a bus to pass a bike on the right.
To some degree, it would seem so:
Posted 7 years ago # -
If I remember the bus blind-spots thing, the bus driver is fairly equally blind up the right side as they are up the left, so I guess the left hand thing is more about the bus turning across someone as the relatively short wheelbase but a long overhang front and rear makes them swing out as they turn and people can be caught unaware thinking a bus is moving to go right or straight on when it's actually about to make a left turn.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@kaputnik
Fair enough. However, more intelligent back of truck stickers say things like "beware if vehicle turning left." There is no justification for the Lothian Buses "DO NOT" message.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The Jim's Mowing van that had been parked in the bay outside the Harp & Castle was driven across the road and parked (i) in the bike lane (ii) in front of the dropped kerb (iii) on a double-yellow - why? Outside Greggs.
I swear there must be a Just Popping In For a Roll And Sausage addendum to the Road Traffic Act that only van drivers know about, but that supersedes all other regulations.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The lady in the Mitsubishi SUV who was trying to reverse out of the tight hotel car park entrance did well to see me, and to her credit stopped to wave me past. Slightly worrying that she didn't notice the double decker bus she was blocking in the other direction that stopped me being able to comply with her invitation.
The taxi driver tailgating me through Corstorphine, despite me doing 25mph, swinging out, cutting in, then cutting me up further on as I got into the lane to pass a stopping bus having had more presence of mind / foresight than he had, was particularly interesting given his taxi was festooned in my employer's logo.
And the guy in the blue Skoda, who must have been too busy chatting to his mate in the passenger seat to notice that traffic entering the roundabout to our right would be a good reason for me to stop before entering the same roundabout and came within a whisker of really badly tailending me.
Still enjoyed the commute though. Tailwindy and lots of traffic to filter past.
Posted 7 years ago #
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