CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
stickyit must be clear that the person using the phone was indeed driving and not merely stationary
It is an offence to use a handheld mobile while the engine is running -> so film the position of the key in the ignition.
issue with the time and date the footage was recorded
-> Film an independent clock e.g your GPS watch, which would be extremely difficult to fake the time on. (or even the clock inside the vehicle)
@neddie_h whilst leaning into the car to film, ask the driver if they have the time & know what day of the week it is too :)
Several downright dozy bits of driving on Bruntsfield Place this morning prompted me to mutter to myself "They're all out this morning, aren't they", or similar.
Proven correct about 1 minute later at our old favourite crossroads, Merchiston Place + Merchiston Avenue, when red van man pulled straight across the junction in front of me, leading me to deposit a long dark streak on the tarmac (rubber, obviously). He was, to his credit, very apologetic about it. The eyes looked but the brain did not see.
Dom D says -
"
@Colonies_Chris - you can use either method. The 'Contact Us' form ensures all the information gets to me in an auditable manner so that I can legitimately make some enquiries. Given there is no corroboration at this time the details will be for information/intelligence only. 101 normally only take brief details though. If possible, please include as many details about the driver/passenger as you can.
"
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17633&page=11#post-253468
White van man doing a very loud and long honk at another white van man for being held up in negotiating one of the middle lanes at Tollcross from the direction of Earl Grey Street. Or, in other words, some people have no sense of being too damn close, even when there's no bicycle involved.
One of those vans for doggy daycare for people who have dogs but don't really like everything having a dog entails (like exercising them / feeding them / being around for them) yesterday. Heading towards South Gyle Station past Gylemuir School just at morning bell time, he hugged my back wheel all the way to the station, revving loudly and dropping back only to revv up again. No chance to pass given the volume of badly parked residents / school run traffic all across the road. When we got to the bridge at the station he finally saw his chance to get past my encumberance and floored it past me only to pull up when past and park before the road bends into the car park (which is a dead end in itself).
kaputnik - "one of those vans for doggy daycare" would have done.
Taxi overtook me on Blackford Avenue (the bit which has a 20mph speed limit) despite me doing at least 20mph at the time.
EDIT: VRN was SN57 HWH.
Had words with a woman driver in Stockbridge for her 'look no hands' driving as putting on her make-up was much more important
Unbelievably she parked about 30 secs after doing this which was when I spoke to her.
I had a very depressing morning cycling through town with my 4 year old on the follow-me attachment. It's made me really upset and doubting myself quite a lot - I cycle everywhere with both kids and usually it's a brilliant experience but today was awful.
However - in all 3 incidents below, I may well be also to blame - I may have made bad decisions. I would welcome criticism. Unfortunately I find it very difficult to keep my cool when people threaten my children so I may have said one bad word, but I leave my part of the "conversations" in since it doesn't show me in a good light and I should really learn to engage in this way.
First one looks harmless but was insanely close to my daughter as she passed and gave me a look as if to say it way my fault:
Second one - also looks benign but it really wasn't. I was coming along George IV bridge and was about to overtake the parked car and was indicating right and looking over my shoulder for some time. I had to abort as it was clear the car that passed me wasn't stopping and I wasn't willing to put my daughter between him and me - had I been on my own I would have been more assertive about taking the centre of the right hand lane. When I said to him that I was indicating right his response was that "I didn't have right of way".
The third one is trickier - coming to cross Princes Street at the bottom of the mound the lights are red so I make my way up a large gap on the inside to try and get to the ASL. Had the lights been green I would have taken a place in the queue. The lights change on my way, I am up to the tour bus as it starts to move off and so *Technically* I am undertaking him as we go up to cross Princes Street. He takes objection to this and pulls in on me on Hanover street shouting something I can't hear. He tells me that I shouldn't take the cycle lane through the lights or something - I'm not sure I understand. The cars in the queue were stationary so at what point do I stop filtering - or what he calls "undertaking". I realise I could have done all this better and dealt with it all better.
Forrest Rd & George IV Br. horrible roads and really bad for illegal parking. You can tell by the number of hazard-lights.
High time both roads were pedestrianised and left to buses, bikes and shoes.
@Algo - those all look horrible enough for confident solo cyclist, let alone with a small passenger.
I hope you send the third one to Lothian Buses, if only to try and find out what on earth the driver was on about. I've watched it several times, and can't for the life of me figure out what he's complaining about. I liked the "What do you do when you're on your bike?" question, as well.
@algo
As you know I am not well-placed to make any judgement, being in loco parentis for at most a fortnight a year. I suspect I'd go full Braveheart in the circumstances you describe. Also I can never really figure out on-board footage as the lenses are so wide-angle.
However, one thing is clear; the delighted sounds coming from your passenger. I think they like cycling with you.
I have made a cycling video for both of you. I hope you like it.
My own close pass experience from today (I also resort to using a bad word): https://youtu.be/GcRT6ZYQxh8
@Frenchy - thank you very much for the solidarity. Must be a bad day for it - yours was also murderous.
@IWRATS - one day we will join you there - thank you for that beautiful video. I showed it to the bigger one and she was very excited at the prospect of doing it one day. Here is a video she prepared for you both.....
Algo, sorry about those Drivers. We had some good ones out in the bad
Lands today. I fear for the mentality of someone who would give a punishment pass to a parent with child on board.
Some People become morons in their cars.
@algo
Joyous. Loved the green-lidded tub being waved as a conductor's baton by the little one.
thanks @gembo - in general drivers are great and considerate but unfortunately this morning I hit a cluster of bad ones.
My main meta-argument I would like to have a chance to express to them, is that irrespective of any perceived transgression - endangering my life for it as a punishment is never justified, let alone endangering the life of an innocent party.
Unfortunately I only manage to remain zen about these things when I am cycling alone - which is a catch 22 as I don't want to argue with people in front of the kids.
@IWRATS - thanks - she is tenacious about her porridge.
@algo
I say now
I think you are a better person than you are a driver?
This is not who you are, just how you have driven
Or I admit sometimes
were you trying to kill me?
Should've known better than to cycle on Forrest Road today after watching above videos.
Crossed at toucan crossing, took primary in the middle lane, but driver coming round from Logan Street was clearly more important than I am, and just gradually squeeeeezed me leftwards until I realised it wasn't worth it. 5 secs later, I filter past him as traffic waits behind a stopped bus.
@algo sorry you have had a bad day.
I do think that when (some) people in cars *think* you are doing something wrong they think it gives them a right to not take your safety seriously.
E.g Not using a cycle path, undertaking or heaven forbid transporting children by bike means you can get the close passes or their opinions on your parenting choices.
I'm struggling to think of a suitable analogy where you instantly punish someone for a mistake/poor (perceived) judgement.
The rules of the road are there to reduce the volume and severity of crashes. They aren't there to give people excuses for retribution.
My only tip/question is how you have your hand when you signal? Anacdataly, I get a much better response when I have my palm pointing backwards ('Hold back I AM coming out') than palm forward ('please sir let me out')
@Iwrats *heart*
Anacdataly, I get a much better response when I have my palm pointing backwards ('Hold back I AM coming out') than palm forward ('please sir let me out')
+1
I do this too butmore in the winter when the back of my glove has reflective bits on it.
@HankChief - thanks for the tip. I will employ that technique.
I'm placing that at about NT364359 @IWRATS.
It's a shame that the solstice was about 24 hours out of sync with the weather.
I have taken to adopting the horse riders' 'do not pass' gesture when I really do not want to be overtaken (arm held out straight about 30 degrees from the body, palm back) which seems to be effective on rural drivers at least. Probably even more effective with a riding crop in your hand ...
It's a shame that the solstice was about 24 hours out of sync with the weather.
True, true. Had hoped to capture the dip under the horizon, but a bit of adverse weather develops both smeddum and rumblegumption.
Excellent sleuthing on the co-ordinates.
I normally try to avoid remembering enough details of an incident to be worth posting here, however after algo's poor experiences I thought I would share this one as I've typed it up to report to the police anyway. Although I have removed some of the details such as description of the driver.
I was cycling northbound through Barnton Junction with my son on a tagalong. This taglong has a flag pole with several flags on it so is highly visible. Just after passing the junction we were passed close and fast by the driver of car licence B9 LMC.
We were are the front of the queue for the lights coming from Maybury Road onto Whitehouse Road. When the lights changed we proceeded in a strong primary road position as we were turning right to stop at the Bike Racks outside Sainsbury's. There was an oncoming car turning right which would have restricted space for the following vehicle to pass us on the junction itself. Once we were past this car and onto Whitehouse Road I started a shoulder check before signlaling right, however at that instance the "driver" of aformentioned vehicle (B9 LMC) came past causing me to vere back to the left of the lane (loosing the primary position I required to safely turn right). This was one of the worst close passes I have experienced recently and given that she was past us before we arrived at Barnton Grove I hate to think hose close she was to my son on the tagalong.
Thankfully although I had to explain to my son why I shouted I wasn't having to explain any new words to him.
You must log in to post.
Cycling in Edinburgh Flickr group
Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin
posts