CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish driving...

(11341 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by Stepdoh
  • Latest reply from Murun Buchstansangur
  • This topic is sticky

  1. chdot
    Admin

    A 37-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of failing to stop following a collision and has been taken to Swansea Central police station.

    https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/cyclist-taken-hospital-after-crash-20933224

    Posted 3 years ago #
  2. Moose
    Member

    Wonder what the psychology of the hit and run is. Seems very common response to just run forit. Someone I was cycling with was clipped at the balerno lights and the response of the young female was to floor it and overtake cars to escape the situation. Almost took me out in that process.
    Psycopathy or "fight or flight"?

    Posted 3 years ago #
  3. dessert rat
    Member

    @Moose - i suspect it is fuelled by the impression they have little chance of by caught/traced &/or any meaningful punishment if caught.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    The court was told police and an ambulance were called and that when quizzed Pearce told officers “I didn't see him”.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/motorist-82-banned-from-driving-following-collision-with-cyclist-at-lothian-roundabout-3292220

    Posted 3 years ago #
  5. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    The same defence the driver who knocked me down years ago used. On that occasion he got off with it prompting a compliant to Police Scotland from me. Thankfully I had no broken bones though :)

    Posted 3 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    Ok, not about driving or cycling.

    Interesting priorities involving viral videos.

    (Obviously, partly, because victim is ‘famous’ and videoers stupid!)

    An investigation was launched after a group of men accosted Whitty in St James’s Park at around 7.20pm on Sunday. Footage of the incident, lasting around 20 seconds, was shared on social media.

    The Met said officers had reviewed the footage and the matter was referred to the public order crime team.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/02/man-charged-with-assault-after-chris-whitty-was-accosted

    Posted 3 years ago #
  7. MediumDave
    Member

    https://twitter.com/theJeremyVine/status/1410694590311677961

    Lad on the bike and pedestrian with brolly both have ninja reflexes! Unfortunately the zebra crossing signal pole showed poor situational awareness.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  8. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Belisha beacon had lights but had recklessly neglected to don a helmet or hi vis. Not guilty, m'lud.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  9. algo
    Member

    Going across the mini roundabout on spylaw this morning with kids and driver on other side of junction very impatiently ushering them to hurry up so she could get on - seem to think I should be thanking her for not killing my children. Really riled me up but tried not to show it. Older child a bit upset by her aggression telling her to get a move on.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  10. CocoShepherd
    Member

    @algo

    I frequently feel expected to thank drivists for not running me and my kids over. Struggle to think of a similar situation where I'd be expected to thank someone for not deliberately endangering the lives of people. Never do thank them though out of principle as you implied.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  11. gembo
    Member

    Pour encourager Les autres I will give a wave he. They don’t. Kill me.

    Had Audi driven straight at me yesterday, poor overtake, they went back in, no wave.

    Annoyingly I pulled in to let car by, no thanks, the6 often blink the back lights. I say FU a then when I don’t get thankee.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  12. algo
    Member

    I did somewhat grudgingly say thanks, but this particular person was very grumpy I was more ebullient with my praise. I do ordinarily wave thanks for patience, but in this case it was actually impatience followed by expectation of gratitude. There's another car which pulled out a couple of days earlier after us and drove patiently at a distance for ages - I'd genuinely like to thank them. Maybe I'll leave a note.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  13. CocoShepherd
    Member

    Potentially opening up a can of worms here but does waving/thanking drivists for their patience actually encourage the view that people on bikes are second class road users?

    Posted 3 years ago #
  14. gembo
    Member

    I wave from the passenger seat when someone stops on that feckin Riccarton Mains Rd that Mrs Garto persists in driv8ng down. All speed bumps and double parked cars.

    I like to think I am saying We are all in this together when I wave at a driver.

    I did the big haymaker You can drive past me now the road is clear at the top of Auchinoon Brae this morning. The driver blinked their back lights at me for this.

    Did I mention my recent scarring from being driven through south east London? Only a mug follows the Highway Code down that way. Big signs saying Stay In Lane , what a joke.

    Two Richards trying to cause a crash as the first Richard cut across three lanes. You could see him doing it. The second Richard would not stop to let him in. The traffic was crawling. They touched bumpers.

    In better news I added a hilly loop on return this am and on the Rigg Road there was a hare running along the road with a big fat car behind. I pulled into layby, hare pulled into field. driver gave me a wave for letting them pass.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  15. algo
    Member

    @CocoShepherd - potentially yes - you may be right not sure. I tend to take the view that positive reinforcement humanises us and thanks and eye contact are human interactions which maybe reduce the perceived division - I may well be wrong. I did have a quite nice interaction on twitter with what turned out to be the driver - he had held back a queue of cars and waved us out. As you correctly point out - this is hardly worthy of massive praise, but I guess my hope is that he will look more benevolently on groups of cyclists in future. I am absolutely ready to accept that I am an idealist and potentially naïve in this regard.

    https://twitter.com/Algorhythmica1/status/1412701155348656129?s=20

    Posted 3 years ago #
  16. mga
    Member

    I would give a wave of thanks if the driver did something considerate like waiting behind when most drivers would pass. I would hope it would reinforce their positive behaviour.

    When on I stop on my bike to let pedestrians cross using the zebra crossings on George Street most people will offer some sort of thanks. Some will apologise, run over the crossing or even refuse to cross in front of me as they don't want to hold me up.

    I've even had someone refuse to cross on a pelican crossing on Lauriston Place once when they'd pressed the button. The were insistent that I go through the red light and they wait to cross!

    Seems to be that people here are taught that the person going faster (or in the less vulnerable position) has priority. It should of course be the other way around.

    I think it's similar to when people react badly to hearing a bell being rung on a shared path. They're unhappy because they have the feeling they're being accused of holding someone else up.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  17. gembo
    Member

    Yes one problem with Blighty is that the Shell Ford forces prevent Presumed Liability. It is Driver Heaven

    Posted 3 years ago #
  18. Yodhrin
    Member

    @mga The shared path thing really biles ma pish, you never know what reaction you're going to get. If you go by without the bell you often get indignant spluttering even if you slow to just enough above walking pace to pass them, if you use the bell and say nothing you get foul looks, if you use the bell and thank them for moving aside they throw "sarcy <rule 2>" or the like after you. No way to win.

    One thing I'm never sure of because I've read differing interpretations; a car passing you after you've dipped in to let them flashing their hazards briefly - is that meant as "thanks for being considerate" or "get off the road you cyclists are a bloody hazard"?

    Posted 3 years ago #
  19. gembo
    Member

    It is meant as a thank you

    Posted 3 years ago #
  20. ejstubbs
    Member

    Agree. I do it when I'm in the car as well, to other drivers who e.g. let me out at junctions, or leave me room to merge in when two lanes turn in to one.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    More than half of drivers and motorcyclists ignore the speed limit in 30mph zones, with last year’s lockdown bringing a noticeable increase in the proportion of motorists breaking the law.

    https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/cars/more-than-half-of-drivers-speed-in-30mph-zones-3306817

    Posted 3 years ago #
  22. nobrakes
    Member

    Yep, I agree with that. I became a homeworker 6 months before the pandemic hit, and my 'office' overlooks the A7. We're on the big straight bit on the north end of Stow. Lots of drivers see that as an acceleration zone to get back up to 60. There are quite a few young families live up there and a lot of kids on bikes. Not a great combo. Definitely more of it happening since lockdown. Also lots of overtaking of cars already doing the 20 speed limit. I've seen cars overtake me as I'm signalling right to turn into our driveway on my bike.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  23. nobrakes
    Member

    Last year residents of Stow got so fed up with the speeding traffic that they started parking all their cars at alternating sides along the main street in the village to force traffic to slow down. Worked very well - too well perhaps, as it had the unfortunate side effect that traffic backed up all the way through the village in both directions. So we had nice slow traffic but lots more pollution.

    I dream of moving to a house in the middle of a forest with no traffic noise at all.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  24. gembo
    Member

    There is such a house up near the Tinto Hill, I covet it. Think rentable from Carmichael Estate.

    It calls to me. Just a wee but and Ben with added cludgy.

    I would gladly go there now but Mrs Garto says the furnishings are very dated.

    Last time we were there, big stag in fire break of same forest.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  25. chdot
    Admin

    An urgent sewer repair has forced the closure of a stretch of Edinburgh’s Craigleith Road – but lorries and even buses have obviously missed the warning signs and ended up having to perform awkward turns to extricate themselves.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinburgh-road-closure-forces-supermarket-lorries-to-make-awkward-manoeuvre-and-turn-back-3317377

    Posted 3 years ago #
  26. Frenchy
    Member

    Cycled out to West Linton and back along the moor road. Gorgeous day for a ride, which was spoiled only by the driver overtaking about 20m from a blind bend on an A road. There turned out to be a car coming the other way. Possibly the only time I've ever felt the need to pull over and stop to clear my mind following a close pass.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  27. Greenroofer
    Member

    Heading south past the shops on Ashley Terrace just now, on an e-bike with a micro-Greenroofer on the back, I was doing 18mph in a 20 zone with a 'vulnerable cargo' clearly visible. I could hear a car close behind all the way from Slateford Road. Just by Margiotta a silver Civic came roaring past, whereupon the driver realised that (a) there was a traffic island in the road and (b) there was a car coming towards him. These two facts were both entirely predictable and clearly visible before the overtake started, nevertheless he continued the manoeuvre and cut in sharply. We didn't collide because I had eased off in good time to create space for him.

    We stopped behind him at the Polwarth Terrace lights and smiled sweetly into his mirror. Micro-G was encouraging me to overtake him at this point. I said I wanted him in front of me. As the lights turned green he swerved sideways around the luton van that was turning right. I did not see any glance in a mirror or a shoulder check.

    We stopped behind him at the Colinton Road lights. Luckily he turned left. Perhaps he couldn't take any more of the humiliation of being slower than a slow bike with a big kid on the back.

    The purpose of the trip was to collect micro-G from Murrayfield ice rink and bring him to Morningside. I can confirm that a bike on this route is 15 minutes quicker in each direction than a car was yesterday at the same time. This is pleasing.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  28. MediumDave
    Member

    Ashley Terrace is the Shandon drag strip.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  29. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    Cycled down (and up later) Craigleith Road earlier. I can't understand the difficulty for some drivers in realising that big red road closed signs mean you can't drive the whole length of it. 2 doing U turns when I went down and 2 doing U turns went I went back up.

    It's good that for a change bikes can still pass without dismounting.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  30. Boff
    Member

    Incident at Elm Row roundabout at 1:10pm today (12th Aug). From Elm Row turning left onto London Road, a Masons Bakery van drove into the back of a cyclist obliterating the bikes rear wheel.

    Careless driving is one thing but the offending driver clearly tried to leave the scene. The cyclist was having none of it and stood in front blocking the van's path.

    I was driving and stopped to offer help, attempting to block the van in with my car - not sure if I was any help but the van driver stopped and got out to protest his innocence while others gathered to support the cyclist so I left. I'm considering contacting Gayfield Police Station to offer a statement as there was a definite attempt to leave the scene by the van driver.

    EDIT: I've completed an online form on the Police Scotland website. Phoning Gayfield was not helpful.

    Does anyone know if there is an offical process for providing a statement when you don't know if something has been reported?

    Posted 3 years ago #

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