CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

  1. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    3 idiots on the road this morning

    The first one took a right from Drumbrae Drive on to Clermistion Rd totally ignoring that I was on the main road - very close thing.

    The second one a driver reverses out from his drive on to East Barnton Ave, again another one not looking. Annoying but as I saw him start moving so was ready to brake.

    The third one a MGIF in heavy traffic a pointless overtake to sit behind a car about 20 yards away. I done a MGIF back to him as I made a point of filtering past and sitting in front of him until I could get past the cars in front. This was in Stockbridge.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. Min
    Member

    Chdot POLICE in West Lothian are appealing for witnesses after a car was damaged on the M9.

    A CAR damaged?? OMG, that's proper serious!! No wonder the police are involved. Hanging's too good for them etc.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. wingpig
    Member

    Red ute-truck cutting a corner on Russell Road, with them turning right to go under the WAR just as I emerged from beneath it. If I'd been more primary if there'd been something behind me to discourage it would have been even less pleasant.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. minus six
    Member

    Sheriff Brown said: “You are 68 and I accept that disqualification would be very significant for some at that stage of your career.

    I am satisfied that the circumstances are such that I can properly exercise my discretion in deciding not to disqualify you on a totting-up basis.

    Bretheren.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. minus six
    Member

    Posted 7 years ago #
  6. Charlethepar
    Member

    On the whole, it must be a good thing if white van man and BMW man start fighting each other. Like Trump taking on the Daily Mail, you can only hope that they take each other out.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  7. dougal
    Member

    This morning's idiot was as predictable as she was misinformed. She overtook on the inside to get to a red light. When I pulled up alongside and asked her if she knew the light had been red the whole time - she told me I had to stay to the side of my lane.

    It's boring, it's a microcosm of my experience as a cyclist.

    Also it was just before the single-lane section going up Leith Walk (outside Tesco), which provides daily pain. I have seen a lot of road cyclists just hop onto the pavement at that point.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. rust
    Member

    Rabbies tour bus honking at me in the bus lane on London Road. Still found the time to stop ahead and wait to swear at me as I came past.

    On the upside I've already got a reply to my email saying they've passed it on to operations.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    "Rabbies tour bus honking at me in the bus lane on London Road"

    Two things wrong there.

    Honking when there's no danger.

    Being in a lane for service buses.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. ih
    Member

    Speaking of things in bus lanes, what's the position with taxis? Are they all allowed in, or is it just the "black cabs"?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  11. Klaxon
    Member

    Private hire not allowed, they're not a 'taxi'

    Any vehicle with 9 seats including the driver however can use a bus lane.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  12. barnton-to-town
    Member

    Why do taxis get to use bus-lanes? Someone using a taxi doesn't by that act alone have any more moral right to get to their destination quicker. Empty taxis are even more a case in point; maybe it's important to keep taxi availability circulating, but at the end of the day, it's only important to the taxi drivers' profits. Why are their profits more important than white van man's, for example? Maybe it's important to keep private cars out of town - but buses, trams and trains do that far more effectively.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  13. biketrain
    Member

    @ih Speaking of things in bus lanes

    This week spotted two CEC wagons and one Lothian Buses Van in an active bus lane.

    Do they have immunity from fines?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

    "Any vehicle with 9 seats including the driver however can use a bus lane"

    If they have a PSV licence (see below).

    "

    Vehicles that can use bus lanes are

    public service vehicles, such as Lothian and First buses
    taxis but not private hire cars
    motorbikes
    pedal cyclists
    emergency service vehicles.

    "

    http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20016/roads_travel_and_parking/280/bus_lane_notices

    "

    Overview
    You need a public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence to:

    operate a vehicle for hire or reward (payment or payment in kind) that can carry 9 or more passengers

    "

    https://www.gov.uk/psv-operator-licences/overview

    I had assumed this meant that a PSV licence was for vehicles charging fares (as opposed to a fee for a tour). So Rabbies tour buses may well have PSV licences that allow bus lane use - except the ones that explicitly say 'local buses only'.

    The fact that CEC says "public service vehicles, such as Lothian and First buses" suggests they either think it's only normal service buses, or want people to think that's the case...

    I have this vague notion that taxis are only allowed in if they have passenger(s). But that's probably an urban myth!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  15. jonty
    Member

    Lothian Buses and Trams support vans have exemptions from double yellows and bus lanes I believe - I'm not sure they could really do their jobs effectively if they didn't.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  16. MediumDave
    Member

    This has been mentioned before

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15515

    Posted 7 years ago #
  17. skinnypins
    Member

    I enjoyed a hair-raising MGIF encounter this afteroon.

    Scene: Heading north on South Charlotte St in the left hand lane, and approaching the first set of traffic lights at Charlotte Square, which are currently on red. I'm probably *just* out of primary, and there's a car on my right in the adjacent lane travelling at the same speed. The car behind me accelerates and attempts to overtake by squeezing in between me and the right hand car. He comes probably within a foot of my rear wheel, before hitting the brakes. Cue him expressing impotent exasperation, and me, to my shame, giving him the hairdryer treatment.

    Over the course of our interaction at the lights and a set on Queen St, he basically implies that his dangerous manoeuver was my fault because I hadn't given him enough space. He also pulled the "I'm a cyclist too!" card - the relevance of which was lost on me. I genuinely think if I'd been dead centre in primary, he would have still tried to squeeze past and actually hit me.

    Big thanks to the driver who pulled alongside me further down Queen St and asked if I was okay.

    TL;DR: Near-hit. MGIF numpty gets defensive. Cyclist gets shrill.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  18. Frenchy
    Member

    https://youtu.be/7NJz6PDVU0k

    Should've made him reverse. Possibly NSFW - he does use the F and C words a few times, but can't really hear it in the video.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  19. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    That happens all the time in Clermiston round by the park. There are too many blind or uncaring idiots on the road.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  20. neddie
    Member

    That's happened to me a few times before on Pansy Lane:

    https://goo.gl/maps/ScbRHtH5zZQ2

    Big yellow digger / forestry loader one time as well.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  21. Charlethepar
    Member

    Woman in cheap silver pretendy coupe thing who squeezed past me and bus on Forest Road, before immediately lurching across to the left. Apparently, woman had not looked in a mirror except to put make up on for some time, given the apparent surprise when I very soon caught up as she joined line waiting for lines and gave her my succinct opinion through her window.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  22. Charlethepar
    Member

    Bad driving and bad parenting on Leith Walk 3pm this afternoon. After I had perhaps held them up for all of 5 seconds negotiating round a random white van, male driver had his son (7/8?) shout at me, which I ignored. Inevitably, I caught them at next lights, and took my habitual strong primary through the roadworks, coincidentally just in front of them. At end of roadworks, he accelerates hard, reaching perhaps 50mph, before slamming on brakes at lights (where I inevitably caught them) I think more shouting and beeping of horn after that, but I had no interest. Presumably father has objective of turning son into a (young) offender as soon as possible, with demonstration of contempt for other people and the law. Perhaps he just likes visiting prisons.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  23. dougal
    Member

    "and took my habitual strong primary through the roadworks,"

    Are the roadworks designed specifically to create aggravation directed towards cyclists or are they just predictably good at that?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  24. gembo
    Member

    I thought this was thread about refuse collecting?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  25. Rob
    Member

    ASL Rule 2 - keep the nutters ahead of you.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  26. earthowned
    Member

    ASL Rule 2 - keep the nutters ahead of you.
    I totally second this rule. Not just nutters, but close passers or speed demons. Keep them where you can see them and are able to react to any of their shenanigans.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  27. wingpig
    Member

    Drop-top-looking Merc sort of thing whose driver cut the corner turning right out of Cables Wynd onto Parliament Street either didn't look, assumed I was turning left or was just a pillock.
    The Shore was empty when I used the new re-dropped kerb from Coalhill onto the Sandport bridge this morning, so the speedychump who overtook me with inches to spare (and causing the oncoming car to beep) must have come from Henderson Street. Three seconds later I'd have turned onto the WoL, as any sensible person might have anticipated.
    As I knew the driver of the oversized Beemer protruding a good couple of metres into the bus lane from Wester Coates Road had seen me I took the time to explain through the use of gesture that the give way line was a good two metres to the north of her front bumper.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  28. fimm
    Member

    Driver of big black car with blacked-out windows sounds the horn at me for having the temerity to ride outside of the door zone, thus delaying their arrival at the red light at the junction of Cluny Gardens and Braid Avenue by ooooh, seconds. I go by the principle stated by Rob and earthowned above and wait behind them, waving cheerfully.

    When I got to the Blackford Avenue junction, there was the big black car. I gave the driver another wave.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  29. jdanielp
    Member

  30. Rothar
    Member

    Idiot with gormless passenger in Mcelhone Electrical Services van on Dalmeny St performed a ridiculously close pass on me missing a head on collision with an oncoming vehicle by feet.

    All for what exactly? The sense of selfishness was unbelievable. Scary stuff.

    In other news I was looking for an electrician as well but there'll be no custom from me, Mr Kevin Mcelhone!

    Posted 7 years ago #

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