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.
sticky@Frenchy
No, they're propped behind the wall.
Just dobbed in a #31 bus driver. Classic left hook as they pulled into the bus stop from the outside lane on Newington Road.
Didn't want to talk to me about their roadcraft so they can talk to their line manager about it instead.
I assume the Honda has pulled out from being parked on the street and the Roller has been coming the other way.
Two this evening, both near Haymarket:
Driver of a black Audi coupe (A7 or similar) was so busy texting that he caused the cars behind to miss a cycle of the lights. 3 cars in front had already set off. The lady behind made the phone symbol to me, to which I nodded and made a "stabbing at phone" symbol back. Audi driver clocks this, so charges past me with horn blaring.
Then a middle-aged guy crossing the road took exception to this, and whacked the car on the roof with his brolly. I thanked him and left. Karma achieved.
Then 2 seconds later on entering Dalry colonies, I came head to head with a silver Nissan Juke (such an ugly car by any standard). A Mexican stand-off ensued. The driver wound down his window, then got out in an intimidating manner to shout at me, stalling the engine at the same time. I pointed to the no motor vehicles sign and told him he shouldn't be there. At which he got back in his car and stormed off. Then a druggy sitting on a bench told me to "chillax man"
Full braking power of the Scaffolding Bike deployed at the junction of West Nicolson Street and Chapel Street.
Seems to be a favourite place for festival dafties to be nosing out into traffic without looking. It was raining so not her fault she hadn't looked.
SK64 TLF Honda CRV tried to cut me up as I waited at 6:50am near the left turn to Craigleith, tried to explain the truck in front had blocked my access to the ASL Box, blind spots etc.
His main gripe was I was taking up distance between him and getting closer to vehicle in front
Proceeded to tell me to Foxtrot Oscar whilst also reminding me I was being recorded
Cut up by a car squeezing past me at a traffic island on Dalkeith Road about lunch time. Was holding position as I went past varying degrees of cars in cycle lane.
I'm not usually over that way but was pretty shocked that during the day pretty much the entire 'cycle lane' from there to Potterow is full of cars.
To me this is worst of both worlds, you either have to hold primary and have the experience of drivers like the aforementioned who think you should be in the cycle lane, or to have to pull in and out intermittently, relying on drivers letting you out.
Time for some more parking restrictions I think.
Yesterday I was cycling through Heriot watt campus and I could hear a car coming up behind me. Just before the huge sports centre. I think, here we go, I am being overtaken by someone who s immediately going to have to brake as this road is full of large speed bumps. Fortunately bikes can squeeze through between the end of the bump and start of the kerb. My buddy Hamish then appeared behind me saying could he have gotten any closer? We then cycled behind this person all the way through the campus. Not even a tourist, or someone who was lost, just a MGIF.
The current Leith Street/Calton Road junction leaves a little to be desired but I was in primary turning left to go down Calton Road to the station entrance when a black mini tried to forcibly take up my space. I saw the passenger gesticulating wildly, hopefully saying something like what I shouted at the driver shortly after. No response, the vehicle sped off.
Many contenders for today's Hat of Overwhelming Idiocy. Two taxibus things turning right across a live oncoming traffic stream from Lothian Road to Castle Terrace when the right-hand light was red. Solid line of north-south vehicles blocking the Hanover/George junction (to motor vehicles). Taxi stopping on the Frederick/George roundabout to pick up a fare. Solid line of west-east vehicles blocking access to York Place from North St David Street. Three pretend buses sneaking into the bus lane heading east, then a taxi throwing a screeching U-turn across the tram tracks, then vehicles parking at the side of York Place to collect people, then traffic jamming Picardy Place, then several vehicles failing to understand that they're allowed to go when a pedestrian crossing is flashing orange and empty, then a Beemer driver trying to protrude into me on Easter Road, then a vehicle parked right on the sharp corner opposite the shoutball auditorium where the road is really narrow anyway.
Possible the young lady driving through Corstorphine this morning whilst texting with phone on left hand. Never mind, she was maintaining full control over the cup of coffee in her right hand.
Lady driving down the Mound, taking absolutely no notice of the cycle lane at the side. Very lucky I wasn't alongside her at the time.
Two from taxi drivers this morning:
First was a driver who decided to do a U-turn into my lane at Haymarket. I'd anticipated it as another taxi driver in the queue in the outside lane had slowed, but I still needed to brake heavily.
Second one was as went up the painted bike lane on Gardner's Creecent. Taxi ahead was stopped at the lights but was half in the bike lane. As I got close to him he started reversing - managed to swerve in a bit to avoid him. He has no idea I was there.
Chap driving along the M8 with a clipboard on his steering wheel.
Almost mown down by large white 4x4 exiting Coates Gardens at great speed as I travelled west along Haymarket Terrace last evening.
I gave the driver "a look" and shook my head, but resisted saying anything. (Very restrained in the circs I felt.)
My combined action of cycling "in their space" and showing disdain was, however, provocative enough for his passenger to bawl at me "You should stay in the cycle lane you complete f@*&ing arse!" as they passed by.
They roared off along West Coates (is that 20 mph zone), but got stopped by lights at Roseburn. I almost caught up with them, so stopping to check for traffic before exiting a side road would not have caused them any delay.
Three thoughts occur:
1) This is my preferred route heading west rather than dicing with tram lines Haymarket Yards, despite such regular encounters with impatient drivers, and helpful bits of "advice".
2) I would love to be able to cycle in a segregated lane along here, but there isn’t one and the non-segregated bus/cycle lane is full of parked cars.
Irony here given I can't cycle in cycle lanes because they are full of parked vehicles, but moving vehicles believe I have no right to be in their space. (But they feel fully entitled to park in "my space"!)
3) Finally, I am easily old enough to be mother of the driver and his passenger.
I wonder what they’d think of others shouting at their older female relatives in that way if they were minding their own business walking down a street or on a bus?
I suspect they’d not be impressed!
MGIF warrior in a white BMW going east on Gilmore Place. Lots of revving, aggressively overtakes me, cuts across immediately behind the chap on the electric bike going in front of me, gets into the left-turn lane and proceeds to occupy most of the ASL at the junction while waiting for the red that was on this whole time.
I was left-hooked by British Military Fitness van yesterday while ascending Buccleuch Street. I was in the cycle lane and pulled back to allow a vehicle to pull into Buccleuch Place. The vehicle behind it also pulled left, so I had to pull left and pull hard on the brakes.
Scraped my elbow along the side of the van but no further damage to me or the bike.
A witness came to my aid immediately. I got her details. Then the driver and I had a discussion which was ultimately cordial once we'd both got over the adrenaline dump. I think in the end she was more shaken than I was when we parted.
Can this event be recorded somewhere? I'm not interested in going to the police to chase anyone but a record of it is important. Will the police log that and would/could it be used by anyone (town planners, etc) in future?
Yes, you can certainly report to the police in that manner - just say you're not interested in charges being brought, but would still like the incident to be recorded, in case your elbow gives you grief later.
Nice, thanks Frenchy!
Irony here given I can't cycle in cycle lanes because they are full of parked vehicles, but moving vehicles believe I have no right to be in their space.
I am tending to the opinion that all non-segregated advisory cycle lanes should be made segragated or, if that's not possible, removed for this reason.
Almost squashed by a 42 bus going southbound past Summerhall this morning. There was a girl running for the bus stop up past Summerhall, and the driver kindly decided to pull in at the end of the railings to pick her up... Luckily he realised I was between him and the railings before he finished the maneuver, but all he did was move on a few metres up and still. pull. in. Leaving me rather upset and swearing at his exhaust pipe. He made conciliatory / apologetic gestures at me when I pulled level at the lights, but COME ON.
@IWRATS - yep. Paint is completely pointless, it just encourages drivers to believe bikes are where they ought not to be.
If it was such an obviously bad incident, and you have a witness ... why wouldn't you want to report it to the police?
It's seriously bad driving. Continuing unchecked, as they will do, the next victim may not be so ultimately fortunate as you were.
Weird thing at the Craigmillar Park/Lady Road horror junction. Driver respecting the second light at the pedestrian crossing on the way into town on Craigmillar Park.
He was obstructing the junction as a result, there were no pedestrians crossing and a taxi turning right out of Lady Road was actually shaping up to ram him through....I'd just have driven off I think, for safety's sake.
You do occasionally see folk turning and then getting confused and respecting the repeater red light for traffic going across them. Last night, I actually almost did this turning right onto Princes Street from Frederick Street (for, astonishingly, the first time) - the lights were so set back I briefly wondered if they were a separate crossing, a bit like on George Street.
Yesterday I was almost swiped sideways by a long lorry carrying a huge digital display. The driver crossed into my lane ahead of me OK, but clearly forgot he was towing a (generator?) that nearly got me. Thankfully there was a gap in the parked cars that I could dive into. This annoyed me for many reasons, not least why was a vehicle like this adding to the 5pm gridlock on London Rd? It’s only purpose appears to be to show ads on its screen. Of course the driver said he didn't understand my problem mumblemumble.
I didn't see a company name. I think the reg was something like G20 GOV. Any suggestions for where to report this? Does the Council have any control over mobile advertising hoardings?
@c30c60
That reg is for a white Renault 7.5 ton 2 axle rigid body truck so sounds likely correct.
If it was a big generator (one weighing more than 750kg), the driver would be in contravention of his license unless he held an HGV license. Though good luck getting the polis interested in that or his recklessness towards you.
@c30c60
This is the mob if you're wanting them. The lorry's in their gallery.
Oh, and from the pics, towing a generator is standard for them.
#Final edit# Ironically, they also do Ad bikes...
Your lorry is in this image: http://gogovision.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GoGo-home-slide-3-bespoke-June-2017.jpg
What a fantastic use of the Royal Mile.
@c30c60 &c a pre 1977 licence has Class C1 which permits up to 7.5T GVW and for a trailer over 750Kg you need a Class E (personally very envious of those with Class H & saving up for a tank)
Has anyone checked for relevant O Licence? Trucks should have disc displayed in windscreen - orange probably = restricted to only carry the materials belonging to the operator Could be blue - full domestic but unlikely. Useful to check this as legal operating name us not always the name on the side of the truck.
Window tint restrictions apply to trucks too
What a fantastic response. Thank you. I've emailed GoGoVision to ask how they'll address the incident.
You must log in to post.
Cycling in Edinburgh Flickr group
Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin
posts