CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish driving...

(11251 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
  • Latest reply from neddie
  • This topic is sticky

  1. dougal
    Member

    I stopped on Leith Walk to allow the bin lorry to exit Dalmeny Street at high speed because the driver was not planning to give way, and my squishy body would have given way instead.

    The driver saw me as the cab front wheel was in the middle of the cycle lane and he looked terrified as he realised what was happening.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  2. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    @Frenchy "That super wide pavement is actually shared use, isn't it?"
    It is until the first road on the left (Sauchiebank, according to Google maps).

    @dougal "...and he looked terrified as he realised what was happening."
    Good!

    Any my submission; last night on Salamander Street / Baltic Street. According to Strava I was doing 23 mph when they decided to start driving next to me (I refuse to say that's an overtake, since they never actually got anywhere near in front of me).

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    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. Frenchy
    Member

    It is until the first road on the left (Sauchiebank, according to Google maps).

    Aye, but in the other direction I think it's shared use almost all the way to Roseburn Street, but there's no signage and I can't remember why I thought this was the case.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. Trixie
    Member

    According to CycleStreets it's shared use the other way up until Roseburn Maltings (last road on right before Roseburn St). I almost always use it.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  5. shefls
    Member

    The driver of a small white car driving along great junction street giving me two very very close passes. I hope the passenger saw the look of terror in my eyes when they passed a second time. I decided not to go in front again when he yet again got stuck at the lights as I didn’t trust myself not to shout at them! Worst passes in a while, still feeling a bit shaky!!

    Posted 5 years ago #
  6. stiltskin
    Member

    I don’t think the Russell Road pavement is actually shared use. However I seem to remember from posts on here that it was designed to be so, but for some reason the relevant Traffic Order was never passed (see old posts on here for details). Doesn’t stop me from using it...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

  8. chdot
    Admin

  9. fimm
    Member

    The impatient idiot in a white van who thought that the prescence of a considerable number of football fans walking up a quiet side street was unaccepable and who therefor revved and sped down the street towards them... (contrast the woman driving some big 4x4 who rolled along at walking speed.)

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. Frenchy
    Member

    Someone with "P" plates passed me far too closely as I was overtaking a parked car myself; first time I've sworn at a driver in quite a while.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. algo
    Member

    Came up Viewforth yesterday pulling both exhausted kids so no help from them. I am far from the fittest or strongest and was managing only about 7mph. This greatly angered the PHC (924 I think) behind us who attempted some really idiotic passes, culminating in a vicious punishment pass on Bruntsfield place. The lights changed as we arrived at the entrance to the links cycle path so I went on his right at the lights, but having the kids wasn't going to engage. He had various words prepared though - none of which were intelligible as I rode past.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  12. Frenchy
    Member

    A council officer has clarified that the eastern pavement of Russell Road (north of the zigzags) is not currently shared use, but is planned to become so as part of the Roseburn-Canal (current status: "IN PROGRESS - Preparation for Planning Application underway, no current date for construction.").

    @algo - horrendous. Hope wee ones (and you) are OK.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. MediumDave
    Member

    Wall displaying poor situational awareness on Russell Road this morning. Small silver car very banged up and police present taking the wall into custody.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. Trixie
    Member

    "A council officer has clarified that the eastern pavement of Russell Road (north of the zigzags) is not currently shared use, but is planned to become so"

    My continued use of it should be viewed as making a point that they need to get on with the link rather than wanton rule-breaking. It's nice and wide with a central dividing line. It's more suitable than some official shared spaces. See also the pavement along Niddrie Mains Rd.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. Frenchy
    Member

    I don't know how some of you put up with cycling through the city centre on a regular basis.

    Today someone started to overtake me here, as I was getting ready to cross the tram tracks. Thankfully they backed off when I waved them back, but why on Earth is that necessary?

    I then filtered past a long queue of cars on North Bridge, and pulled in to a gap in front of a PHC. When we started moving again, they tried to undertake me, despite there being parked cars and me easily keeping up with the car in front. I filtered past the rest of the queue at the junction with the Royal Mile, so had absolutely zero effect on the PHC driver's journey time.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  16. fimm
    Member

    [i]had absolutely zero effect on the ... driver's journey time.
    This. People just don't see it like that.

    Turning right from Palmerston Place to Chester Street yesterday. Three vehicles; car, me on bike, another car. Car in front heads off, gets to the junction with Queensferry Street, red light, stops. I roll along reasonably briskly but keeping well wide of the parked cars on the left.
    Oncoming traffic means the driver behind can't overtake for a bit, but when she finally does get past the woman, driving an ENORMOUS white peoplecarrier thing, gives me a good old blast on the horn. And then she has to stop at the red light and I filter past both cars.

    I did think about stopping and having a word but I don't think it would have had any kind of useful outcome.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  17. jdanielp
    Member

    George Watson's is presumably not back yet given that I made good progress along a clear Myreside Road. Despite my cycling at 20 mph in a strong primary, the driver of the black cab that had been gradually catching up with me took the first opportunity to overtake, quite safely I might add, as soon as there was no traffic coming in the other direction. I nevertheless raised my right arm as they did so given that the manoeuvre clearly required them to break the 20 mph limit. Despite their plight for the green light ahead, they did slow down somewhat after the overtake and made it through the lights (which were remarkably still on green) just a moment before I did...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  18. dessert rat
    Member

    Black cab who pulled up right alongside me, so fully in the ASZ at the end of Great King St, while I was waiting to turn down Dundas. I gestured at the ASZ/road, he wound down his window and I explained, his response "no one cares mate". And he is right, no one does. Thoroughly depressing and accurate.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  19. jdanielp
    Member

    A coach driver who killed a London cyclist by turning left across her path when setting off from a junction admitted to often disregarding ASZs to "stop himself being swamped by cyclists". https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/karla-roman-coach-driver-accused-of-killing-young-architect-as-cycled-to-work-in-east-london-was-a3910561.html

    Posted 5 years ago #
  20. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    his response "no one cares mate". And he is right, no one does. Thoroughly depressing and accurate.
    I reported this one to 101, and they didn't even want to view the footage, they cared so little.

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    I've also got out of a taxi before and refused to pay because he went into 4 ASLs when I asked him not to on the second one. Oddly he didn't even ask for my details (which I'd be happy to provide, it's perfectly legal to refuse to pay for a taxi so long as you give your details), or even complain too much. He just swore at me and drove off.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  21. miak
    Member

    @Edicyccam when i was younger and had more fight in me ... i would lean on their cars ...and when they shouted at me ... .id ignore them as they couldn't possibly be there as they weren't a bike.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  22. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    If I arrive at the ASL after the driver, I have been known to deliberately go in front of them, at 90 degrees to the traffic (so I'm not over the white line), and then take my time carefully turning back around when the light turns green...

    https://youtu.be/zFUn81ontZ4?t=27s

    Posted 5 years ago #
  23. Boff
    Member

    If you arrive at the ASL after the driver, how do you know that they entered the box illegally? A car can enter the box on a green light and if the light changes they can't cross the second white line.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  24. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    I should clarify - I mean if I can see they entered on red - it's hard (impossible maybe) to see on the video, but the driver was still moving at the start, and drove up to the stop line while the light was still solidly on red.

    EDIT: It is possible to see on the video, the driver came out of the road end on the left.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  25. chrisfl
    Member

    Might be worth emailing the council taxi licensing folks. They probably won't do anything, but still might be worthwhile.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  26. miak
    Member

    @boff only do it if you see someone driving in on red

    Posted 5 years ago #
  27. ejstubbs
    Member

    @Iain McR: "no one cares mate"

    I would be tempted to respond: "I care. And I'm certainly not your mate." Perhaps adding: "Although I'm more than happy to pass on your views regarding compliance with traffic laws to the taxi licensing office."

    But only if I thought of it at the time...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  28. fimm
    Member

    1) Approaching the lights at Gillespie Crossroads. Driver of car behind makes "thinking about trying to overtake" motions before pulling in to the queue at the red traffic light behind me. When the lights go green, the driver then tries to overtake while we are all pulling away. Unfortunately for them, my acceleration is better than they expect and they have to pull in behind me again as I slow for the red light. I'm now in the ASL and they are behind me. A great big crane appears from the right and goes up the Lanark Road in the direction Mr Impatient and I wish to go. When we get the green light again I smugly let Mr Impatient past me, knowing that they are now stuck behind an enormous crane (which is too fast for me to keep up with up the hill).

    2) I'm rolling up to a red traffic light in Livingston. I become aware that the driver of the car that was behind me has now stopped his car in the lane to my right. That lane is for right turns, I'm in the middle of the left hand lane which is for straight on and left turns. The set up for this junction is that the left hand lane and the right hand lane get green lights at different times. The driver to my right creeps his car forward and turns the front wheels to the left. It is clear that he is going to pull away when my light goes green. I'm a little anxious that he might go left, but he isn't that stupid - when the straight on/left filter lights go green he whizzes off and causes me no issues.
    I'm just grumpy about his impatience and wonder if going straight on (with a green light) from a right turn lane (which has a red light) is within the letter or the spirit of the law...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  29. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    "I'm just grumpy about his impatience and wonder if going straight on (with a green light) from a right turn lane (which has a red light) is within the letter or the spirit of the law..."
    I had the police looking at a video of mine where a taxi driver did that (among other things, I wouldn't bother the police with just that) - apparently there's nothing wrong with it, and nothing wrong with not indicating and doing it either - unless he was to cause another road user to have to take evasive action.

    Although having said that, it presumably counts as overtaking through a junction, which highway code rule 167 says not to do (though it's not MUST not).

    Posted 5 years ago #
  30. Frenchy
    Member

    I'm just grumpy about his impatience and wonder if going straight on (with a green light) from a right turn lane (which has a red light) is within the letter or the spirit of the law...

    I believe for it to be against the letter of the law rather than just the spirit is whether there is writing on the road saying "TURN RIGHT". Writing like that MUST be obeyed, whilst arrows etc. are merely advisory. The lines between lanes are also likely to be solid/dashed, respectively.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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