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Today's rubbish driving...

(11258 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
  • Latest reply from chdot
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  1. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    Driver of the car who forced themselves past on Mountcastle Drive North where there's no space (They tried once, couldn't get past, managed a second time, with about 50cm clearance), only to brake sharply in front of me because they can't get through the "priority over oncoming vehicles" bit due to another car coming the other way.

    I say, loudly, "Get out the <rule 2> road..." which they respond to by slowing down further, winding the passenger window down, and shouting "GET TO THE LEFT THEN" at me.

    I pass them on the inside, since they're now doing about 10 mph downhill, and repeat my previous comment, with the added suggestion that he has a phallus attached to his cranium.

    He then tries to overtake a second time, having to abort that plan due to oncoming traffic, and then gets stuck at the next "give way to oncoming vehicles" bit, where I make full use of the cycle filter lane, and then ends up turning into a cul-de-sac, presumably because that's where he lives.

    Good job to that driver, that's some fantastic driving. I hope you got home and regaled your family or minder with your tale of how you were held up by a cyclist, but despite all odds, managed to force your way heroically past to arrive home at precisely the same time as if you'd not driven like someone who had recently had a full-frontal lobotomy.

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    Posted 5 years ago #

  2. gembo
    Member

    @edinburghcyclecamera. How can we help drivers to see that MGIF makes no difference to their journey times? You do see some cyclists doing this too, jumping reds signal after signal but being caught by those who wait for green? They often have deliveroo bags. I used to mention to them that their RLJing had made no difference but this never went down well.

    My more Zen attitude these days is maybe an age thing. Or processing of the pointlessness of MGIF over many years to come to a fuller understanding of us all just being some atoms caught in the flow.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  3. ejstubbs
    Member

    We call it MGIF but I sometimes wonder whether it isn't/isn't also an extreme aspect of something that's been discussed on here a few times: "othering". People have posted articles on here about people in motor vehicles treating cyclists as "not like them" and therefore not as deserving of their respect or consideration. At its worst cyclists can be treated as if they were somehow less than human. My suggestion is that in some cases MGIF can be another form of that: it's not just cyclists but every other road user who is treated as not-one-of-us/not worth of consideration/not a human being - they're regarded as just another obstacle on the road that has to be negotiated, like junctions, parked cars and roadworks. When the obstacle responds negatively to being treated this way this creates a conflict in what for want of a better word we might call the brain of the offending driver: inanimate obstacle suddenly wants to interact - result: confusion; response: aggression.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  4. Snowy
    Member

    Yup, on the money ejstubbs. It's not helped by vehicle design which tries as hard as possible to cosset the driver away from the outside world, unsurprisingly leading the driver to feel detached and unrelated to what goes on outside their vehicle, essentially turning driving into a video game as far as the brain is concerned.

    I ended up in an argument with white van man this morning, where I was standing with my daughter, waiting to cross the road at a drop kerb, when he pulled up and plonked his battered transit 2 feet in front of our faces despite seeing us there and despite there being actual parking spaces only 20 yards away. What can you do with these people? (I'm out of ravens)

    Posted 5 years ago #

  5. dougal
    Member

    Re zen attitude my desire to burn it to the next light decreased even further - from an admittedly low point - when I got my single speed bike. It encourages an attitude of energy conservation I think. A fixed gear becomes a challenge to maintain the same cadence forever.

    As a supporting point, I notice that people on ebikes also tend to accelerate hard from one red light to the next. With no worries about exhausting themselves from overdoing it, something else takes over - presumably the same that encourages drivers to go fast in urban environments.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  6. gembo
    Member

    Some of this maybe a factor and I always advise cyclists never to touch the vehicle.

    However, I also see cyclists going with the MGIF everyday. The lights at Gilmore place junction is a good place for this.

    E-bikes accelerate after than cars over about five metres.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  7. jdanielp
    Member

    The driver of a new six wheel Lothian Bus who drove into the middle of King's Theatre Junction despite being unable to continue onto the bus lane ahead on Home Street. The lights changed shortly afterwards leaving everyone stuck. I decided to use the opportunity of the gridlock to turn right and then left onto Lochrin Place before heading the long way around the cobbles to avoid the temporary bridge. This route didn't feel as bumpy as I remember, although it is a few weeks since I inflated the tyres on my hybrid. I spotted multiple Cylists Dismount signs around the temporary bridge on this occasion.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  8. Frenchy
    Member

    Shortly after I'd taken primary position on Kirk Brae to overtake some parked cars, a driver overtook me whilst gesticulating and pointing at the side of the road. Five seconds later, they joined the back of the queue of cars at the traffic lights and I filtered past them.

    I couldn't see anything, but I can only assume that they were trying to warn me of debris or broken glass at the side of the road, so I was extra careful not to cycle in the gutter after that. Very nice of them to warn me, so probably one for the Good Driving thread, I suppose.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  9. mcairney
    Member

    Cruising along Queens Drive at between 22mph and 25mph yesterday evening and Very Important Range Rover driver C10 GRD decided to overtake me. Nothing unusual about this except that I was in my car at the time!
    He then got stuck behind the traffic just ahead of me which was also mostly adhering to the speed limit so I caught up with him anyway.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  10. Frenchy
    Member

    Several months ago I posted about a lorry driver who nearly took me out whilst turning right out of a side road.

    I was told today that the driver, when shown the footage, was incredibly apologetic, agreed that the driving was "shocking" and will now be taking a refresher course on vulnerable road users. The company also asked permission to use the video in their courses, which I was happy to give.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  11. dougal
    Member

    Pretty good result Frenchy

    Posted 5 years ago #

  12. unhurt
    Member

    Yeah, better if it had never happened but a good response on their part.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  13. Frenchy
    Member

    Very much agreed.

    Separately, this was not particularly fun:

    https://imgur.com/cfuUXAR

    Posted 5 years ago #

  14. Greenroofer
    Member

    This film from the 1950's is entertaining (apart from the bit that says there were 40 deaths a year on Edinburgh roads).

    https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/7304

    It's impressive for the sheer number of trams, buses and small lorries and for the lack of parked cars (perhaps the biggest difference to now). The roads look like total chaos: perhaps it was the end of the era when things worked without all the traffic management we have now.

    It's also striking for the number of people on bicycles, even young ones, in what we'd now say were very hostile conditions. Everyone on a two-wheeled vehicle seems to be in ordinary clothes, with not a h*lm*t in sight.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  15. unhurt
    Member

    This is 101able right?

    Out to buy garden things in a Car Club car and on the way back paid closer attention to the car in front than I would have because it accelerated up inside me to nip in front at the lights at the Queensferry Road turn for Craigleith (going East). I was behind them all the way through Comely Bank and Raeburn Place and got several chances to confirm that there was a phone mounted under the rear-view mirror.

    For satnav, fine - but this one seemed to be playing a music video or, more likely, concert footage as it was still going after five minutes. Figures, lights, strobe effect - I was distracted and I was a whole car behind. Suspect the driver will claim it was music and the phone was doing whatever random effects his music player supplies but surely that's still a really stupid thing to have in your visual field while driving?

    Ugh, I feel like a serial complainer, but I also 100% don't want that car anywhere near me when I'm on the bike while the person driving has half an eye on some entertainment stream.

    (I had a pen in my pocket and wrote the reg on my hand when stopped at red.) (Can you email 101? Seems like this would be easier to submit in text form.)

    Posted 5 years ago #

  16. Frenchy
    Member

    Driver was definitely breaking the law by having video viewable whilst driving.

    Police contact form here: https://www.scotland.police.uk/contact-us/contact-us-form

    Experience of receiving a reply is mixed, so be prepared to chase up.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  17. unhurt
    Member

    Aha, thanks Frenchy - I should really bookmark that!

    ETA: Done. Will see what comes of it.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  18. ejstubbs
    Member

    Also likely breaking the law by having the phone mounted in such a way as to illegally obscure the view through windscreen:

    https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120606172850/http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/dft-information-sheets/stickers-or-other-obscurations-in-front-and-rear-windscreens.pdf

    https://www.roadhawk.co.uk/articles/product-placement-is-your-dash-cam-breaking-the-law (note that the diagram in this link is as viewed from the outside of the car)

    I once followed someone across the Sheriffhall roundabout who had a 10" tablet mounted above the middle of their dashboard. And no, they were not using it for sat nav.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  19. fimm
    Member

    Going from the Gorgie Road to the Dalry Road through the 5-way junction.
    Two vehicles are (illegally) parked on the left, restricting the lanes on the run up to the junction. The straight on/left filter (for Dalry Road) goes green and a couple of vehicles get through. Then that light goes red and the straight on/right filter (for Henderson Terrace) goes green. Traffic starts moving, and the driver of the box van that is in the left hand lane decides that they want to go up Henderson Terrace after all, so they indicate and move off and get into the flow of traffic up the hill.

    The driver of the BT OpenReach van that is now at the front of the left-hand lane decides that they don't need to wait for the light for that lane to go green, and so they drive off through the red light and down Dalry Road. If I had a camera, that would be going to their employer. As it is I content myself with sitting at the red light until it goes green.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  20. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    [Is there a "Today's good driving" thread?]

    Friday's good driving from VO65VZS as I was cycling up Bruntsfield Place and down Morningside Road.

    Didn't overtake / drive alongside me when the cycle lane vanishes at the pedestrian crossing, always gave a 2 second gap, never tried to get past me, never sped - even when I was deliberately kerb-hugging at ~18 mph to let them pass me if they wanted.

    Perfect driving, I wish every driver was as considerate - top marks to that man or woman.

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    Posted 5 years ago #

  21. jdanielp
    Member

    @EdinburghCycleCam there is somewhere.

    I overtook a slow moving JCB and Land Rover that was driving ahead of it on NMW this morning. There was a private vehicle parked up to the side of the pedestrian side of the path opposite some kind of works team by the trees. Maybe not particularly rubbish driving although doing this during the morning commute seemed to be question timing.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  22. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    I thought typical another driver going to stop in the cycle box at Hamilton place but I was wrong they decided to go through the red light entirely!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  23. jdanielp
    Member

    Looks like the activity near NMW is related to tree felling. All three vehicles were present again this morning along with signage and none were on the path.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  24. Frenchy
    Member

    Beeped at by the driver of a Lexus SUV on Liberton Brae.

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    Where on Earth could they possibly have expected me to go?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  25. Stickman
    Member

    Driver of N2 KOD texting with both hands off the wheel and staring at his phone as he drove along Morrison Street this morning.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  26. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    A very red light jump, arguably a left hook, and as a bonus, he's on the phone. Either 10/10 or 0/10, depending on how we're scoring it...

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    Posted 5 years ago #

  27. Frenchy
    Member

    Driver of transit van, number plate LR54 APS, who was texting with two hands all the way from King's Buildings to the top of Kirk Brae. Passed me too close for comfort twice in the process.

    Will look closely at my helmetcam footage, but pretty sure it won't be clear enough to bother reporting.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  28. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    texting with two hands all the way

    Do not worry - soon this will be errr 'detected' and emmm 'prevented'.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  29. dougal
    Member

    "The detector picks up 2G, 3G and 4G signals and will therefore flash to alert people in cars who are using phones to call, text or data.

    If people are using a Bluetooth hands-free device, the detector will recognise this and not flash."

    I have no idea what any of that means. Have the polis considered looking through car windows at the drivers hands?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  30. Frenchy
    Member

    It sounds like this is supposed to be a tool to help them know which windows to look in?

    Posted 5 years ago #

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