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Today's rubbish driving...
(11259 posts)- Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
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Posted 7 years ago #
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BMW LS04 JXA on his phone as he failed to see right turn filter onto Hamilton Place, then accelerating hard round corner with phone clamped to ear. Is it worth reporting this stuff?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Quite a lot of bad driving around Bo'ness, mannerstons, and indeed east Calder today. But quite a lot of good driving in Fife, newbridge, kirkliston.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@unhurt, depends a bit on the outcome you're hoping for. Police can't issue a fine for using a phone unless they see it themselves (possible they can do so from video footage, but I've never tried). Police might speak to the driver and remind him off his responsibilities even though they can't issue a fine.
Reporting it will also create some form of record which might be useful for countering an argument of "I'm normally a great driver, this was just a one time accident, please don't take my license away", if the driver is ever in trouble.
Posted 7 years ago # -
That last is the sort of thing I had in mind!
Posted 7 years ago # -
Good, prompt reply from SEAG to be fair - "I have spoken to the driver and told him to give a bit more time and space to cyclists"
Posted 7 years ago # -
Had a very close pass while waiting to turn right at Bellevue into Bellevue Place this morning courtesy of a unmarked white bus (single decker, No 19). There was another cyclist going straight on so the bus squeezed between both of us at speed. Anyone know what bus company that might be? Thanks
Posted 7 years ago # -
Worst one for me for a while this morning. Heading up Shandon Place, I hear a car accelerating behind me (one of those ones where the exhaust is knackered so it sounds like a "racing car" ... not), he overtakes me right at the traffic island so gives me a right fright as there's not enough room, I shout "too close", he slams his brakes on and winds down window, young boy in passenger seat, I approach and say to the driver (calmly) "you gave me a right fright, needed to give me a bit more room there mate, you were really close" - thanks to CCE for that top tip! He then shouts at me "do you pay car tax?". I said yes, for my car. This makes him very angry and he screams a bit more, I make some more points about car tax, he screams a bit more, I point out he has a young boy in the car and he might want to think about the example being set, at this point he pulls in a bit further up the road, gets out the car and stands in the middle of the street shouting and threatening me, arms wide, "if you've got something to say come and say it" type thing. At this point I leave.
TL~DR version: man nearly runs me over, I point this out to him, he then threatens me.
I know I shouldn't have engaged further once the car tax nonsense started, but he was very quick to get very very angry so I have reported this to police. I was too shaken to get witness details so we shall see what happens.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@gfb - that sounds entirely rubbish and very traumatic - sorry to hear this. Hope you manage to rid the nastiness from your head before too long...
Posted 7 years ago # -
It never ceases to amaze me how many drivers are in so much of a hurry that they need to nearly wipe someone out in order to get where they are going 0.5s faster. And yet are never too late to stop their car and try to start a fight.
Good luck with getting this taken seriously GFB, this one sounds like a right maniac.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Guy from Shandon Plumbing driving slowly along Lower Gilmore Place but not seeming to know what he wanted to do. I didn't pass as assumed he was trying to move into a space, however eventually after more meandering I passed and what-do-you-know. He was texting on his phone as he cruised slowly along.
He looked very confused when I looked exasperated. Oh well.
Second was a van with something else written on the side that I can't remember (darn it) but very close pass coming through the traffic lights at the end of forest road approaching George IVth Bridge.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@algo @Min thanks for the thoughts, much appreciated.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The fact you can be the victim of a punishment pass and minutes later be able to argue with the driver is evidence itself of how little the driver gained by making the pass in the first place.
I doubt the driver will ever think this, though.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@rulou Number 19 route is Lothian Buses and goes nowhere near Bellevue, however #13 route is Lochend-Craigleith via Bellevue, run by Edinburgh Coach Lines with a variety of singledecker buses it seems, some liveried, some not? Just a thought.
Also Shandon Place this morning, junction with Slateford Rd. Turning right out of Shandon Place, I get the green light and as I move off, car in eastbound straight-on lane on Slateford decides to run its now-red light. Took some extreme gesturing and reflex sweariness on my part to get the driver to finally acknowledge my presence and halt its illegal forward progress. I think I was too late for the school run so hopefully no offended kid/parent ears, though equally I'm not sure why I should be feeling bad about signalling my presence to someone who's showing every sign of likely running me over.
Still not sure whether it was driver impatience or incompetence.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Fron yesterday:
Van pulling out into cowgate which saw me having to slam on my brakes to narrowly avoid a collision. Gave me a wave, I assume by way of apology.
Also the cement lorry which passed me as we came off the high street heading towards scabbyhill, passed the Queen's holiday timeshare.
Narrow road, oncoming traffic. *Very* little room. And obviously I ended up behind him when we got stopped by by the lights at abbeybhill junction, and proceeded to stick to his rear until he stopped on easter road to get his cigs or whatevs. Utterly futile.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@MurunBuchstansangur, thanks, that may well have been it. Was sure it was a 19 so might be time for an eye test.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Insto and I got a belter this morning.
Coming up to the junction at the top of the hill across from Dalmeny Estate entrance, leaving Dalmeny. We ride side by side as we are mere 2 metres from the junction. White Merc beeps at us from behind, then passes us on the right, effectively on the wrong side of the road to pass us at the junction and turn right.
The irony that we beat them to the next junction due to traffic was probably lost on them but they were lucky no one was coming up the hill to turn into Dalmeny.
Posted 7 years ago # -
How is insto?
Tell him we miss him.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Does anyone else notice this kind of thing?
i.e. Car->Bike->Car being much more relaxed than Car->Bike->Nothing, even at the same speeds.
or, this kind of thing:
i.e. aggressive overtake while pulling away from all the other traffic.
Posted 7 years ago # -
...complete with overtaking on the zig-zag lines!
Can't say I've noticed much of either of these phenomena on my own travels round Edinburgh. The chances of me doing so are probably much higher now you've pointed it out though.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Annoyingly, it's not actually illegal for a motor vehicle to overtake a cycle on zigzags.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Huh. You are correct.
Highway code says "You MUST NOT overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians."
The actual law says you're not allowed "to pass ahead of the foremost part of any other motor vehicle proceeding in the same direction" (my bold).
Interestingly, the law on overtaking a stationary vehicle which is nearest the crossing omits the word "motor".
Posted 7 years ago # -
Your first one looked more like the driver went for the overtake, thought better of it and backed out. I didn't feel that car was all that close (hard to tell from video, as always).
I had some really patient driving and some really rubbish driving this morning. The prizes go to two different drivers who both overtook way too close on blind bends with double white lines.
Posted 7 years ago # -
White transit Minibus (reg started J5 then three letters) tried overtaking me on a stretch of road ~100m long between it's start and a mini roundabout. Surprisingly enough, he didn't make it and ended up navigating the roundabout on the wrong side. He gesticulated then stopped a few meters further on so I took the bait. Here's the transcript from the video:
Him: Do you think you own the road?
Me: What’s your disagreement?
Him: You’re racing ahead of me to make sure you stayed ahead.
Me: Did you see the speed limit back there?
Him: What about it?
Me: Were you breaking it?
Him: No. There’s no way you do 20mph.
Me: Easily.
Him: What is it with you cyclists? You think you own the road, you don’t pay a f***ing penny for it, you’ve no road tax, no insurance, no number plate. The stupid council puts it in your head that you’ve got the right on the road with they stupid white lines, the red boxes, you’re unbelievable. Unbelievable. It’s time the government taxed you, insured you and MOTd your bikes. Then you might get more respect from motorists. And stop thinking that you own the f***ing road.
Me: Have a good morning.I think that's a full house on angry driver bingo?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Luath All this from a 'professional' driver too? (I think you at least need some extra licence/insurance upgrade to drive a minibus.)
Posted 7 years ago # -
"
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Edinburgh road policing officers have charged a 65-year-old woman with a road traffic offence after a collision on North West Circus Place.
"
Posted 7 years ago # -
Dougal - a textbook response from you to him!
That driver would be angry that he couldn't just have run you over when he had a chance ;-)
Sorry, that comment is almost as tasteless as the fact he had time to stop and berate you for being on same road as him. A 'professional' driver would just have moved on to his next cycling target - that guy will burn himself out.
Going round a roundabout on wrong side is a three point error, surely. What gives him the right to flaunt the HC? I don't think it's even advised by the Institute of Advanced Motorists.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Gilmerton crossroads; driver of a black VW (SJ13 XJV, I think) decides that queueing at the red light is for inferior humans, and just drives past everyone before plonking themselves in the ASL box to wait for the lights to change.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Frnchy SJ13 XJV would be a black VW Touran.
Anyone know why would it have had 3 MOT tests last year? Feb, Apr, and Oct each passed and valid for 1 year says https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
Posted 7 years ago #
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