Two folk this morning deciding to take a right although they're meant to give way. Too many drivers either can't work out that cyclists are going quite fast or DGAF.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11257 posts)- Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
- Latest reply from gembo
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Posted 7 years ago #
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Congratulations to WorstBus in introducing hands-free driven vehicles. Perhaps a busy South Bridge during the Festival isn't the best time for a trial run.
Commiserations to the silver VW Polo who, despite me being in front, attempted without indicators to turn left from Abbey Mount to Regent Road, by trying to go around my right side.
Posted 7 years ago # -
(Hi everyone, been lurking for a while but now decided to join!)
King's Theatre junction coming from Gilmore Pl again – am in primary to turn right, overtaken all too closely by (yes) a white van that immediately cuts across me into the left lane which is so backed up I overtake him again 50 yards later.
Then had to wait in ASL between a bus turning left stuck over the stop line and two buses turning right into Gilmore Pl. The buses all did very well to avoid me but I felt for them given how all the traffic coming from Leven St accelerated, hell-bent on not letting them get through.
(Also two different cars hogging the ASL on the way, at Polwarth Church and Viewforth. Given how empty the road was I'm fairly sure they weren't caught by the lights.)
Posted 7 years ago # -
The E&M Horsburgh coach driver who, after stopping for the lollipop lady, didn't give way to me at the chicane on McDonald Road.
He gestured a few times to the bike lane (most of which his coach was taking up) before stopping and asking what the problem was. He just kept repeating "but use the bike lane", and didn't seem to understand what I meant when I told him it would be dangerous for me to use it with his coach being there.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"The E&M Horsburgh coach"
Quite notorious.
Should be reported, but get the impression firm not that bothered.
BUT
Presume it was on the hospitals service(?)
If so on contract to Lothian Health?
They should care.
BUT
I'm sure contracts just awarded on price...
Posted 7 years ago # -
S17 EVW
Hi Steve W, I assume, in the silver Mercedes estate car.
Just to remind you when the traffic lights are RED that means STOP! not accelerate-as-fast-as-you-can-and-hope-to-God-that-those-kids-waiting-for-the-green-man-don’t-jump-out-too-soon.
Wishing you more observant and safe motoring,
Rothar
Posted 7 years ago # -
Good one this morning. On Princes St heading west, sat behind a bus in the left/straight-on lane at the first set of lights with a car in the right-hand lane as if to go up N St David St a bit later on. But, no, it doesn't do that and instead elbows its way in front of the bus and continues straight on down Princes St.
So far, so naughty. Just put it down to them not being local and smiled.
Couldn't be quite so generous and understanding when they got to the end of Princes Street and not only carried straight on down Shandwick Place, but did so when the lights were red.
This is not my normal route. Is such flagrant disregard of clear and uambiguous signage normal? I guess it makes for a very quick way of getting across town.
Posted 7 years ago # -
A couple of weeks ago I had to report the driver of Citylink coach YX63 WXF, for overzealous overtaking, cutting up of other cyclists, and a RLJ at Haymarket. Citylink replied with a well intentioned, but otherwise boilerplate, letter.
Yesterday I reported a Lothian Bus driver (vehicle 743 on the Rosewell run) who was apoplectic that I wasn't cycling in the cycle lane from South Bridge to Nicolson St. He used his horn three or four times, gestured wildly at the gutter, and shouted at me. I wasn't in the cycle lane because (a) the traffic wasn't going very quickly, (b) it had parked cars in it, and (c) I was turning right shortly after.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Not that dangerous but annoying nonetheless:
I wonder if this is similar to RLJ ("it only just turned red") and if the line of cars had been long enough, one would've eventually followed the sign and given way.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Driver of turquoise car went flying through red light at junction of South Charlotte Street with Charlotte Square (coming away from Princes Street).
Charitable explanation: they were not paying enough attention and didn't see the red light.
Uncharitable explanation: they know the lights for traffic coming from the left don't change quickly and therefore know they've got time to pull the maneuver. On a seriously busy Saturday with pedestrians everywhere...Posted 7 years ago # -
As I was running along the long bit of Queen's Drive this (Sunday) afternoon, with the view over the Lammimuirs and Pentlands, I was passed by an average build driver in an average sized blue Ford driving the wrong way along the road. How can that happen?
Posted 7 years ago # -
I (with passenger) was tailgated insanely closely by a mini (original) this morning crossing Duncan Street to Blacket Avenue - apart from checking behind me I did nothing to express disapproval, but the driver overtook us very closely on Blacket Avenue, while leaning over to give us a Victory sign, and then subsequent pointed out of his window upwards at the sky. I have a feeling he has some sort of rotational dyslexia, as I can make no sense of the signs he actually used....
Posted 7 years ago # -
Slightly confusing one this afternoon. Coming down Rodney Street cycle lane past a longer-than-usual queue, I came up behind a Toyota Aygo (or similarly narrow car) which was trying to fit completely in the cycle lane - and actually succeeding where it widens passing Cornwallis Place. It stayed fully in the cycle lane as the traffic crawled down the hill while every car in front and behind her stayed out of it (as they always - literally without exception in my experience until now - do.) When it came to a stop I squeezed up the inside, pointed at the road and simply said "this is a cycle lane" to the woman inside before moving on - she seemed totally expressionless.
I now wish I'd said "do you know this is a cycle lane?" or even just "what are you doing?" as I was genuinely curious to know. Was she trying to sneakily squeeze down it? Did she genuinely think it was a narrow lane on the inside that nobody but her had thought to use? Was she getting ready to (illegally) park on the side of the road further down? Trying excessively hard to let right-turning cars pass? Deliberately trying to block cyclists? The cynic in me says the latter but given that this is literally the first time I've come across it in over a year of cycling there, I really have no idea.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I'm starting to wonder if I'm the only person who turns right out of here:
This was a nice quiet option but since schools went back it has much more of a car park/rat run vibe. Tomorrow I'll try the other option with cobbles that made my brain ache all morning.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I'm starting to wonder if I'm the only person who turns right out of here
I suspect you may be. As well as the corner cutting you experienced, Duncan Place is a perfect storm of bad parking, poor sight lines and MGIF nutters.
Despite the cobbles I always use Academy Street. The right onto Duke Street is made easier by being close to the Leith Walk lights.
The diagonal path across the grassy area in front of the school is now shared used, though busy at school times. It cuts out the worst of the cobbles on Wellington Place.
There is a also a line of long thin flags up the east side of Wellington place which, despite being a bit in the door zone, give a better ride than the cobbles.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@chdot That story's horrifying. Lifelong injuries, a miscarriage, a destroyed vehicle - and the whole thing reported as some kind of "boys own" adventure yarn.
Posted 7 years ago # -
It is horrifying. Too old to ban? Insane.
Erob- to be fair the white car right at the start of the video seems to turn correctly. The one that nearly took you out was busy cutting up the other cyclist who was also taking the same turn. They were In The Way you see.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"They were In The Way you see. "
A frequent story these days. Gross impatience. There seem to be more cases of cars turning right from side streets when you are cycling in the lane they are turning on to. In general they leave enough space, but you never know whether they've actually seen you - pretty scary.
So many would fail driving tests driving the way they do. And the authorities don't seem to care.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Min the white car was a learner :)
Posted 7 years ago # -
I've occasionally been punishment-passed whilst turning into Duncan Place by someone holding a grudge since Easter Road (and sometimes Abbeyhill/mount). I tried turning right out of it once or twice in the previous school year but went via Academy Place or Constitution Street if going up Leith Walk and saved Duncan Place for going up Easter Road.
Posted 7 years ago # -
4 incidents with 6 different drivers today.
1. The most fun. Waiting to turn right from Buckstone Terrace into Oxgangs Road, I'm behind a car, we're both prevented from turning by the traffic coming from Biggar Road. It's clear that the last couple of cars coming from that direction have jumped the lights, which delays us further, but we get to turn. White Nissan Juke coming from Frogston Rd West has just got the green and put the foot down, and from halfway across the crossing just leans on the horn. Big, looooong blast. Delay must have been.... half a second? And perfectly within the bounds of the Highway Code. And only a half second delay created by her hitting the gas so much.
What makes it fun is that about 3 miles on, after Oxgangs, after Colinton Village, just by the Wester Hailes Odeon, I filter on the bike lane to the front of a stationary queue of traffic and... second car back is the white Nissan Juke.
I turn and it's the same driver, so I get off, and walk back, and try to get her attention. Tunnel. Vision. I move to a three quarter view. Wave. She finds something very very interesting to look at in the opposite direction. I go back to the passenger window. I dance. Yes. I dance.
Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I've never actually come across such resolute tunnel vision.
2. In between that, heading down Redford Road past the Dreghorn Barracks. Following a learner. I'm doing about 26, they're doing maybe 1-2mph more at that precise moment. The first pass therefore seemed a little unnecessary. The Pug 206 tailgating that first car to squeeze by (with a little kid in the back) was daft. The third car, a Mitsubishi Outlander or some such, with a full family in, was so stupid it defied belief, given by this point I was now keeping pace with the two in front who had passed, because they'd had to slow for the learner and so concertina effect had taken place. This of course knocked on to the Outlander, so I had to haul on the brakes to avoid rear ending it just a second after it had pulled in in front of me.
3. Young lad in a Clio pulling out of his chocked lane into mine, didn't look like he looked. Fortunately I was ahead though. As he passed I pointed at my eyes. He swerved in and slowed ahead, window down, "What?" as I drew up, all still moving. "You looked like you pulled out without looking for me." Window up, foot down, pulling back into the lane he was in.
4. Landie Disco driver. Just. Not. Looking. As he approached a junction I was about to turn into (and had priority). Notice me last miunute, and stopped before the stop line, problem was he was almost entirely in the other lane because he was turning right and was clearly too important to have to stick to lane discipline. So I turned in behind him and glowered (he was a besuited arrogant looking eejit, so I daresay there was a water / duck's back interaction there.
And relax.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@WC Surely in in Broken Nanny State Britain there's a CCTV recording of this dance somewhere?! :-)
Posted 7 years ago # -
"I've occasionally been punishment-passed whilst turning into Duncan Place by someone holding a grudge since Easter Road (and sometimes Abbeyhill/mount)."
That could explain the honking I heard on approach. It wasn't picked up on the camera and I wasn't totally sure where it came from.
Posted 7 years ago # -
More details on the wiener with the APC here. Utterly disgraceful sentencing by the sheriff. I wish karmic bad things for both him and the 'driver'.
Posted 7 years ago # -
'The lawyer said that any disqualification would be “devastating” for Shepherd, who would have to sack his sole employee.
He added that Shepherd’s “voluntary work, taking his APC round the Galas” would also be lost.'
Not only is Shepherd not disqualified from driving, but part of the reason given for the decision is that doing so would stop him from taking his APC out on public roads!
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Mr Savage added that the APC was fitted with “flying aerials” and flags, which had the specific purpose of drawing attention to the vehicle."
Boom. Victim-blaming a-go-go.
"Sheriff Brown said: “You are 68 and I accept that disqualification would be very significant for some at that stage of your career."
In other words, if you're older, drive however the hell you like.
Hadn't realised he already had 9 points. FFS.
Posted 7 years ago # -
If a partially sighted person had a career demonstrating swordplay and injured a member of the public in a life changing fashion while not wearing their glasses they wouldn't be being told 'carry on old chap' by the courts
Posted 7 years ago # -
I don't think much of the reporting: "A former corporal in the TA who wrote off a Vauxhall Astra" should really be "A former corporal in the TA who killed an unborn child".
Posted 7 years ago # -
"
POLICE in West Lothian are appealing for witnesses after a car was damaged on the M9.
A male passenger in a white van hung out the window and struck the windscreen of a white BMW 1 Series.
"
Posted 7 years ago #
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