CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish driving...

(11330 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by Stepdoh
  • Latest reply from fergus
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  1. Uberuce
    Member

    Today's rubbish: the endemic cycle lane parkers on Slateford road.

    Rescued from rubbish: young lad who thought he had enough room to overtake as I was overtaking one of the above, then reconsidered in time. Just in time, really; he was hairily close to my back right quarter. Usually you get honked at then revved away from in these instances, but looking into the cabin he looked more embarrassed than anything.

    Rubbish again: the driver of a 4x4 immediately behind who either saw the above and thought he did have the skills to do it safely, or didn't look further than the car in front. Either way he skimmed past at the next clump of lane-parked cars.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. fimm
    Member

    Turning right out of Gilmore Place opposite the theatre in order to then take the left towards The Meadows. Not much traffic about. I am overtaken as I make the turn. Doesn't the Highway Code say something about this? I probably wouldn't have posted here except that it was a police car - no flashing lights or anything - and I would have expected better.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. Greenroofer
    Member

    To the driver of the white Audi TT on Myreside Road this evening...

    You know when a cyclist's heading down the road towards a parked car? Did you know that they won't go over the parked car or through it, but (just like you) round it? The cyclist looking behind them and moving rightwards should perhaps be a hint of this. The best thing to do in the circumstances is ease off the accelerator pedal gently and let them out, rather than come up right beside the cyclist and force them into the door zone.

    Similarly, if you knew you were going to stop 20 yards past the parked car to pick up the two girls waiting beside the road at Watson's, it would have been courteous and considerate not to do this right in front of the cyclist you'd just pushed into the parked car.

    There's this trick to driving (or cycling) called thinking ahead.

    I must assume that you've never actually ridden the bike you had on your roofrack on Edinburgh's roads. If you had, you wouldn't have treated me with the disdain you showed today.

    Honestly!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. Zenfrozt
    Member

    Meant to post last night but various things got in the way.

    Had a scary incident headed home from work headed across the roundabout where London Street crosses Broughton Street/Mansfield Place.

    Headed onto the roundabout quite safely, indicating in good time my intentions to carry onto Mansfield Place. Big black car, not sure of the make waiting to come onto the roundabout from London Street, suddenly shot out in front of me. I was far enough round, and signalling at the correct point that I should have had priority.

    I swear the guy made eye contact with me, but maybe he looked straight through me. I had to really slam on my brakes to avoid him. I'm hardly invisible, especially from the side now that I have a monkeylectric on my front wheel.

    I pulled over into the bus stop just after the roundabout opposite the Mansfield churchy thing. Nice kind cyclist behind me pulled over to check I was okay and proceeded to cycle the rest of Bellevue and Rodney Street with me. I was immensely grateful to him as I was seriously considering getting off my bike and pushing the rest of the way.

    Having come off on wet cobbles in November and really hurt myself, my confidence riding in wet conditions is already wobbly and last nights incident did nothing to help that. So yes, thank you to the nice kind gentleman who checked up on me. You persuaded me to stay on the horse :)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    That is not a nice roundabout!

    I am very wary - esp going into E. London St.

    Once had a pretty close encounter involving braking.

    Chased the guy and had a few words.

    He looked a bit sheepish and said 'what do you want me to do about it?'

    "Stop driving"

    Don't suppose he did...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. Zenfrozt
    Member

    Unfortunately it's the quickest route home for me and after a long shift that's quite appealing.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. LaidBack
    Member

    Witnessed a close call last night at bottom of Argyle Place.

    i was heading straight onto MMW through the chicane. Arellcat of this forum was heading left onto the Bruntsfield path.

    Suddenly aware that a car had entered the slip road the wrong way from Melville Drive - using red light at crossing to nip through. Arellcat went round to avoid a head to head and just treated it as a two way street. Not that there was an option!

    Driver obviously confused... seen it happen twice before.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    "Driver obviously confused... seen it happen twice before."

    Happened to me a few weeks ago, just as well I wasn't intending to go that way as I think I would have hit it as it was so out of my expectation that I couldn't work out why there were lights coming towards me until I had passed them as I headed for the crossing to MMW.

    Car then went along Melville Terrace, so I'm not so sure about the "confused"!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. LaidBack
    Member

    Probably same driver! Another reason why junction needs rebuilt - although not excusing bad driving.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Similar to Calum's bafflement in the 'Rubbish Walking' thread at the abuse directed at people simply for being on a bike....

    The attitudes of people like that baffle me as well. Last night riding home I reached the road narrowing before Duddingston Village, and knowing my speed, seeing the speed of the car coming the other way, knowing that as soon as I'm past the narrowing I'm out of the way unlike if I was in a car. The car coming the other way doesn't have to brake, there's no drama. Car behind, driver has the window down (MUST have instantly lowered it on seeing me, it was pouring rain at the time so doubt it was already open) and issues an immediate @***hole!

    I'm assuming it's because he thought I shouldn't have gone through the narrowing first, but who knows, he may just have his window partially down to shout at any cyclists at all. Very odd.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. ARobComp
    Member

    This mornings mummy dropping little darling off on the yellow lines outside the school along from Evans in Fountainbridge.
    She started pulling in at speed sans signalling just after the lights - however by this point I was already half way along the side of her car.

    I slammed on the brakes and avoided being crushed. I shouted but she was oblivious to all but wishing the best to her darling offspring.

    You may have brought one into the world. But that doesn't give you the right to take me out of it.

    Note: Daylight + flashing lights still going.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. SRD
    Moderator

    Royal Mail van that decided to attempt a 3 point turn across Gillsland Rd, w/out noticing that I was coming down the hill directly at him. 9.30am. Tandem w/childseat.

    Apparently he 'couldn't see me' because I was 'all in black'.

    Have lodged a complaint, suggesting he needs an eye test.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. paolobr
    Member

    Last night - motor scooter turns left onto Gt Junction St to join queue of traffic stretching from foot of Leith Walk. Decides that's not for him and scoots (scooters?) around the traffic island next to him and sets off down the opposite side of the road to overtake everyone else to reach the head of the queue. No traffic coming the other way, I guess he wouldn't have done it otherwise.

    So no damage done, but I'm just irritated by the attitude. As a cyclist, I wouldn't do that, would I?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  14. deckard112
    Member

    Cycling home on Tuesday night heading West towards Corstorphine Road past the Roseburn Bar. Stopped at pedestrian crossing and as lights change I take off to be met by an elderly gentleman driving one of those high roof mobility cars pull right out into my path from Murrayfield View. He was looking right at me too, I slammed on the brakes and uttered a few choice words. He did look very sheepish though but I just fail to believe he continued pulling out when he clearly saw me.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  15. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "So no damage done, but I'm just irritated by the attitude. As a cyclist, I wouldn't do that, would I?"

    Filtering on the right when there's no traffic ocming the other way? 'fraid I do that all the time - often regarded as being safer than filtering on the left (mainly if there's not a cycle lane, but at times, depending on the lane, can be safer as well).

    Would I ride the wrong side of a traffic island to do it? Probably not.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  16. deckard112
    Member

    I'm with WC on this one. Seems legitimate if the road markings allow and it's deemed safe to do so.

    (Although happy to defer to someone wiser than me if there's a specific point in the HC that addresses such a move?)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  17. Arellcat
    Moderator

    So no damage done, but I'm just irritated by the attitude. As a cyclist, I wouldn't do that, would I?

    I probably would, if I was riding my upright bike and in a hurry. Since both of those are really the exception for me, no, I probably wouldn't. Most of the time when I do want to filter, there isn't the room for it or the space at or near the head of the queue. Riding a recumbent bike is really a lesson in patience and planning.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  18. Smudge
    Member

    I wouldn't go round the outside of the Island, but I'd certainly (and often do) happily filter up the outside of the traffic using an empty opposite lane, motorcycle or bicycle.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  19. paolobr
    Member

    I didn't mention it looked like he passed the second traffic island further along too, so it I guess it was irritation at that, especially as people crossing to the island would be looking right and not expect traffic to approach from their left. I'm sure I've filtered right myself often enough, but bypassing traffic islands I think goes beyond that.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  20. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "... especially as people crossing to the island would be looking right and not expect traffic to approach from their left"

    That's a valid point. Hadn't thought of that one.

    Should also say that filtering should be done with care, but actually, thinking on it from your, and other, posts above - going round the islands does seem a little beyond the pale (and further, I've been overtaken once before by a car doing that and scowled about it).

    Posted 11 years ago #

  21. Smudge
    Member

    iirc most (all?) islands have a keep left sign on them, which is a mandatory sign and not a suggestion...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  22. EddieD
    Member

    Today's rubbish driving - everybody I saw as I drove from Dalry to Easter Road. I use my car considerably less than my bikes, and I realised why. Not just the guy who turned up Niddry Street, realised he couldn't and reversed without looking nearly flattening a cyclist on the Cowgate, nor just the guy who indicated to turn left the foot of the mile, and turned right, or the person who decided to drive out of Montgomery Street to turn right, disregarding the solid line of cars stretching down Easter road with a red light at London Road so both lanes were blocked.., all of the bu..beggars.

    I feel better for that.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  23. Min
    Member

    I saw a cyclist SMIDGAFed four times in the space of about a minute on Dalkeith Road this evening. The first was a right hook by a driver who hesitated then just put their foot down causing the cyclist to swerve to avoid being hit. Then another motorist drove almost into their side from a side street, missing their back wheel by what looked like inches, then they pulled over into the bus lane so that they were buzzing them, then they pulled slightly ahead and left hooked them to get into the next street.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  24. fimm
    Member

    Dear Mr Audi Driver,
    In this country we have the concept of what is known as a queue. This is very important to we British, and attempting to jump such a queue is frowned upon.

    Especially when you pull out to overtake three other cars and a bus when there's a cyclist in the oncoming lane...

    (To be fair, I could have got out of his way, but I didn't see why I should - the bus was moving off anyway - so I just stopped...)

    So, Mr Audi Driver, if you want to jump the queue - GET A BIKE!!!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  25. SRD
    Moderator

    Was brought to you by a big green digger driver who seemed to think it was a good idea to race cyclists going from Argyle Place to MMW, when he was turning right from the grass onto MMW. Don't think he understands that we go faster than he does.

    Of course, he may have been confused by the two cars that went into the intersection on amber, despite there clearly being no where for them to go, and the light then changing to red before they'd even got to the back of the queue.

    Still, I'm pretty sure he could see the big GREEN light that we had.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  26. recombodna
    Member

    brought to me by a ******* taxi driving *******. That is all.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  27. chdot
    Admin

    Just noticed -

    Someone has set up https://www.twitter.com/ediworstdrivers !!!

    Facebook too! http://t.co/oQPCfBC6

    Posted 11 years ago #

  28. cb
    Member

    Discussed here, no?:

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9240

    Posted 11 years ago #

  29. EddieD
    Member

    Mainly Edinburgh's worst parkers more than drivers...

    It's easier to dodge parked cars, so it's not so bad...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  30. MeepMeep
    Member

    Today's example of poor driving came courtesy of the idiot who executed a perfect example of the "ignorant overtake to immediately slam on brakes for joining a queue at reds". I almost went into the back of his car (fortuntely I read it and was already about to brake to wait in the queue ahead).

    When I got myself back into sorts from avoiding his car, the driver had the audacity to look surprised as I cycled slowly past him with a glare on my face and mouthing my opinion on his likeness to a particularly offensive area of anatomy.

    To think I was going to sit behind the traffic rather than filter to the ASZ.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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