Descending Braid Road on Sunday evening. it is a 20 mph speed limit. I'm trying to keep up with Mr fimm, so I'm cycling faster than I would be driving, shall we say...
Small white van overtakes both of us. It belongs to a "something or another Cycle Works" or something like that. How not to gain a customer...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11330 posts)- Started 13 years ago by Stepdoh
- Latest reply from fergus
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Posted 6 years ago #
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the logic behind the speed allocations in this country
I think the idea behind the national speed limit is that you're supposed to use your own judgement on what is an appropriate speed. The logic being that it would be impossible for the authorities to set a safe speed for every type of rural road, every bend, every weather condition, etc.
In New Zealand they have a habit of signing 'the speed' on every bend, which is ridiculous as sometimes you could take the bend on ice at the posted speed and on other bends, the posted speed takes you to the limit of traction!
A UK 40mph rural default seems more sensible though.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Approaching a set of traffic lights this morning, they changed from amber to red just as I got to the ASL. I stopped easily. None of the three drivers behind me stopped.
I thought the second one was cutting it fine, and then number three went past as well. Fully five seconds between the light changing and them crossing the line.
Posted 6 years ago # -
"something or another Cycle Works"
Name and shame, fimm!
This morning Mr Important was approaching the last roundabout on the A71 eastbound as I was circulating in the torpedo, and not hanging around particularly. Mr Important, in his Porsche Cayman S, balding pate and sharp suit, was far too busy looking only for drivers, and in notably underestimating my speed, didn't bother to stop, but instead jammed the loud pedal down as far as it would go, tore across a third of the remaining road with a marvellously throaty roar from his twin exhaust pipes, and casually glared across at me as he went. I may have muttered an anatomically rude word, but I forgot to bring my action camera with me today so you'll just have to use your imagination.
Posted 6 years ago # -
"I may have muttered an anatomically rude word, but I forgot to bring my action camera with me today so you'll just have to use your imagination."
Is it against forum rules to incite people to use their imagination in this way?
Posted 6 years ago # -
I would name and shame if I could remember. Unfortunately I can't.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@dougal, I'll mebbe have to moderate myself. :-)
Posted 6 years ago # -
I decided to go home the scenic route yesterday, and had two lovely left hooks.
The first one from someone overtaking just before a corner, who then parked about 5 seconds later:
And then the second just off the meadows from Alba Glass & Glazing - they were desperate to overtake, so barely passed me (there was about 5cm from my front tyre to the line of their rear bumper), and then slammed on the brakes and turned left while half in the bike lane for going straight on, and half in the straight on lane:
Yes, I should have slammed on the brakes instead of zipping up the inside, but I refuse to be bullied off of the road (Which is why I keep having altercations :P).
A few people have suggested reporting that one to the police - I've learned from experience that nothing will happen, and I'll get blamed for not slamming on the brakes.EDIT: Fixed links. Whoops.
Posted 6 years ago # -
There seems to be a lot of space in the first one, I don't see the issue. I also agree with what you are saying about the second one! (I.e. you could have braked (and I probably would) but why should you?)
Posted 6 years ago # -
The first one wasn't nearly as bad, no - but there was still less than half a second between me and the car (the wide angle makes it look further).
Mostly I was annoyed there because I indicated left (you can see on my shadow at 0:02 - 0:03), and THEN I heard them putting the foot down. Obviously thinking "I need to get past this cyclist now, or I won't be able to" - even though I can easily do over 20 mph down that road (which is a 20 limit).
Posted 6 years ago # -
Overtaking at a junction is not a great idea in general. One shouldn't assume that someone will actually go where they're indicating either. If @EdinburghCycleCam had changed their mind and gone straight on, that video could have ended fairly unpleasantly.
Posted 6 years ago # -
"There seems to be a lot of space in the first one, I don't see the issue."
The problem as I see is that a driver who MGIF so close to a junction is also likelier to be a driver who misses seeing a pedestrian or other obstacle at the junction and belatedly slams on their brakes when they are broadside to the cyclist. I doubt the driver was aware EdinburghCycleCam was turning left as well.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I was overtaken by a couple of speeding drivers on Gilmore Place this morning... The first one, in particular, passed me at a quite respectful distance as I cycled at around 20 mph in primary, but I felt bad for the cyclists heading in the opposing direction at that time since there can't have been much space left other than the potholed painted cycle lane.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Posted 6 years ago #
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Fair enough. I forget that cameras tend to make space look greater than it is.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Three Rabbies mini-coaches going through the Princes Street > Lothian Road left turn, with all three drivers wearing microphone headsets but not actually speaking into them that I saw whilst as many of them as possible as closely as possible.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@wingpig you would think of all companies they would learn
Posted 6 years ago # -
Saturday in North Berwick, Mrs newtoit and I were subjected to a close pass by a large gentleman in an Audi Q3, who clearly had such important places to be on a Saturday afternoon that he couldn't wait 10 seconds to get past a pinch point. We were 2 abreast in primary at this point, passing parked cars and just about to go past a traffic island.
After a shout of "whoa" at being passed at a foot's clearance before he cut in to not crash into the traffic island, this gentleman forgot about the urgency of his trip and pulled over to shout "you shouldn't be in the middle of the ******* road, get in at the edge, I couldn't pass any further out". We shouted about primary position, wait til it's safe etc, but carried on, not in the mood for confrontation, to then be given a punishment pass even closer, with him indicating left as he was passing us, so very worried for the left hook! *(insert joke here about the rare audi driver who knows where his indicators are)*.
Such a shame because we'd had absolutely textbook driving all afternoon, good wide passes, waiting at a distance, then this absolute cretin comes along.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@newtoit ... i find Audi drivers seem to be the worst of all at the moment. I once heard one admit he'd rather drive a BMW but couldn't afford it . Clearly they have issues.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Ragingbike Can we extend that to anyone who drives a 4*4 and isn't either a farmer or a racing/rally driver?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Dear Mr PHC Driver,
Perhaps if you put your phone away whilst driving, you wouldn't be taken by surprise when someone changes lanes in front of you.
Just a thought.
Yours,
FrenchyPosted 6 years ago # -
Some of tomorrow's rubbish driving in Edinburgh will take place in the game environment of Forza Horizon 4. Perhaps once the game has been released later in the year we can push for more vehicular restrictions because anyone that still likes to drive in central Edinburgh will be able to do so on unrealistically uncongested roads in the game...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Almost at the bottom of Lothian Road, as I was in the right-hand lane approaching the tail of the queue, the inside lane was blocked by something (a bus? a van?), so a Very Important BMW Driver had to accelerate to undertake me and get in front. What he didn’t have to do was immediately weave back in front of the car to my left and speed away towards the red light, but of course he did.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Not sure if i saw this here first but the poster is perfect
https://metro.co.uk/2018/04/17/free-nhs-penis-enlargement-therapy-offered-to-4x4-drivers-7475078/
Posted 6 years ago # -
Tailgated and close passed as I took primary up Blackford Avenue. Driver gestured that I should be cycling in the door zone.
Caught up at the traffic lights and managed to have a conversation that didn't break Rule 2.
"I'm entitled to the whole lane."
"I don't think you are."
...
"Do you understand that if someone opens their car door as I'm cycling past, they could kill me?"
"Yes, I understand that, but you have to move over"
...Posted 6 years ago # -
You have to move over or what exactly?
Posted 6 years ago # -
White (well silver) van man utterly ruining the joy I'd had from a very patient Lothian Buses learner coming up Clovenstone Road. Turning right at the roundabout at the top, van driver pulls right up to my rear wheel beeping his horn and shouting that I should be on the pavement. Sadly I couldn't muster anything meaningful to shout in return, opting for a more gutteral response.
Is it really too much to ask of drivers to have even a cursory understanding of the Highway Code?
Posted 6 years ago # -
You have to move over or what exactly?
"Bye"
*winds window up*Posted 6 years ago # -
"shouting that I should be on the pavement."
guess he doesn't read the comments on the EEN.
Posted 6 years ago #
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