I feel in this case emergency stop is court-speak for Brake-check.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11258 posts)- Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
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Posted 5 years ago #
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I'm conflicted on this one. I think what is being alleged is that the driver brake-checked the motorcyclists because they don't like motorcyclists/the motorcyclists were making them nervous/the driver felt the motorcyclists were too close.
But suppose the driver had stopped because a pheasant/cat/child ran out in front of them? Would we be so sympathetic to the motorcyclists then?
Posted 5 years ago # -
so many texting drivers along Seafield this morning. I think the 5-10mph zone is the sweet-spot for it as they crawl along. I gave up asking them to stop long before I got to Leith. As a very rough average i think it was 1 in 6 cars I passed.
depressing
Posted 5 years ago # -
@fimm i think driver intent makes a difference though - intent to (at least risk) serious injury to the motorcyclist vs no intent. If someone swerved to avoid a child & hit me with their car vs swerved to hit me because they hate cyclists... I'd feel pretty differently about the same resulting injury.
@Iain McR worth pressing the police via Twitter to consider that stretch for spot checks / monitoring and a bit of "driver education"?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Not having a good run...
This morning I used the pavement (see above), however, having dropped the kids off and heading out of town a man in the bus lane took offence at how slowly I was moving forward in the queue at Drumbrae and started shouting at me and then drove into my stationary bike* before driving off through a red light.
I have the Police** coming round tonight to take a statement and hopefully get the CCTV from the buses immediately behind and in front.
:-(
*bike not damaged
**my first ever report to the Police.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@HankChief - sorry to hear about your run of bad luck... I hope it improves soon. One day things will be better and it will be in no small part down to folk like you and your actions.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@HankChief - Not good. If you haven't already done so, it's worth contacting Lothian Buses ASAP - their hard drives only store a couple of days worth of footage, so if the drive isn't taken off when the bus gets back to the depot today, it could get overwritten tomorrow.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Jeez, sorry to hear that, Hank :(
I've also got the police coming tonight to have a look at my footage of a driver doing at least double the speed limit through Holyrood Park from yesterday. I'm going to ask them to charge the driver with careless driving, since I can't imagine they'd be able to prosecute for speeding since they don't know the exact speed - but it's obvious from the footage that they're hugely in excess of the limit.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@HankChief
Solidarity. What you have described is an assault.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@HankChief wow, that's horrible. Hope you're not too shoogled. And @Iwrats is right - I would be very clear to call that assault when talking to the police.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Thanks all.
I spoke to Lothian Buses who said the recordings stay on the buses for 7-10days before being overwritten.
I'll talk to the Police tonight and ask them to request it. I could always put in a request myself.
Posted 5 years ago # -
HankChief - that's terrible. Kudos for remaining calm enough to contact the police and Lothian Buses.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Awful news, really scary stuff.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Wow @Hankchief, that sounds brutal. A very disturbed individual to act that way, hope he gets some professional help soon before he seriously hurts someone else. Take care and stay safe.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I think the most staggering thing is that £2,700 has been raised for him on a gofundme page as reward for this recklessness.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@hankchief :-(
Posted 5 years ago # -
Saw @hankchief as we arrived at work at the same time this morning. Was very calm if a little resigned. it may have been shock. I don't think I took in the seriousness of the situation.
Hope that the Lothian Buses footage will help identify this piece of scum.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Much sympathy @hankchief
I had a similar incident a year or so back. I was in a traffic queue. A driver didn't like waiting for the queue to disappear before doing a u-turn and thought he'd just nudge me and my bike out his way with his car!
Unfortunately there was a wee plod cock up. My station report wasn't allocated quick enough, local CCTV was overwritten by the time plod requested it.
Although they had no evidence to prosecute, they did track down the driver with the 80% reg I provided. I received a profuse apology, he received a plod warning.
If you get a visit tonight, hopefully you get an even better result. Glad you're both OK.
Posted 5 years ago # -
"Digger on the rampage"
Hopefully gets the book thrown at him. Disgraceful behaviour even if owed money, can't have people on such a short fuse in charge of construction equipment.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Anyone reckon this is police-worthy?
Driver claimed that I was at fault as I had "moved out".
Posted 5 years ago # -
Giving a statement to the Police was a pretty underwhelming experience.
They took down the details and they will ask Lothian Buses for the CCTV but I'm not convinced they have the appetite to do much with it. I hope I am wrong...
I tried to stress the point that I will be on the same piece of road tomorrow at the same time with a most distinctive bike and if someone can't wait patiently for 2 1/2 mins* for the traffic to clear without losing it and taking it out on me and the pedestrians crossing the road, then how am I meant to feel safe?
*my total stationary time verified by Strava.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Frenchy - The road widens, you were the same distance from the central line the entire time. But I don't think it's police-worthy, they'd likely say that "it wasn't that close" and "distance isn't the only factor, and it wasn't fast", etc etc.
@Hank - I've never found giving a statement to be particularly whelming, I've never got the impression that the officers taking my statement cared about what happened at all.
Did you point out that the driver collided with you and then left the scene? Leaving the scene of an accident is an offence in its own right, even if there was no damage done.Posted 5 years ago # -
Unfortunately it appears drivers are under no compunction to stop if there is no 'damage or injury'. I'm sure any contact between a car and a bike causes damage to the bike to some extent so it is handy to know this...
"Do I have to stop if there was no damage or injury?
No. You do not have to stop if there has been no damage or injury. Be careful though, if you notice damage later you should report. You should also check to see if there has been damage or injury. You can’t just drive off and assume that everything is OK."
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Frenchy - I think I posted a similar one (but without rear camera) where I had to take evasive action while towing my eldest - the police said it was my responsibility to get out of the way and the driver had right of way. They said that they could hardly charge him for being inconsiderate now could they? What I wish would happen is that the police went round to their house with a bicycle and took them to the same place and asked them to ride it while they did the same as they did in a car, and then they could all sit round with a nice cup of tea and discuss what they'd learned.
Posted 5 years ago # -
“the police said it was my responsibility to get out of the way and the driver had right of way”
Clearly many drivers believe that.
For any police to believe that is part of the problem.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Murun Buchstansangur - Ohhh, interesting - I didn't know that, thanks!
Posted 5 years ago # -
The OED has a definition of injury which includes "Damage to a person's feelings."
Given then nervousness caused after a traffic assault could it be argued that an injury has occurred even if no physiological wounds exist?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Black taxi. Again. Descending the Mound, probably more sedately than usual, thankfully. Was passing queued traffic while using the bike lane at the point where the carriageway widens out, when the cabbie decides to pull in to the kerb without indicating (yes, those kerbs with the double yellow lines indicating 'No Waiting at any Time' and double yellow marks indicating 'No Loading at any Time'). Had to do a motorcycle-style avoidance swerve otherwise I'd have been over his bonnet. Genuinely don't see how I could have anticipated it. Incompetent oaf of a driver.
Posted 5 years ago # -
(yes, those kerbs with the double yellow lines indicating 'No Waiting at any Time' and double yellow marks indicating 'No Loading at any Time')
Picking up and dropping off passengers is still allowed.
Obviously, one should do this safely, though. Any semblance of an apology?
Posted 5 years ago # -
A white van pulled up behind me on Tarvit Street this morning. Had I anticipated the random traffic light syncronisation giving me the opportunity to turn right onto Home Street before oncoming traffic, I would have done that, which would have saved me from an aggressive horn blast before the driver of the van overtook me into oncoming traffic on Gilmore Place. I 'waved' at them, but I don't suppose they were looking in the rear view mirror.
Posted 5 years ago #
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