CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish driving...

(11259 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
  • Latest reply from chdot
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  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Driver coming in the opposite direction in the Meadows this evening beeping at the cyclist in front of him, then very very clearly waving that he should be over in the bike lane. The fact the cyclist was travelling rather quickly, in fact the very same speed as the car in front of him, seemed to escape the driver. As did the fact that the traffic ahead was slowing to a standstill and the cyclist did indeed move into the bike lane and so pass all of the traffic ahead.

    Strangely the older beeping gent didn't then beep the queue of cars in front of him who, it would seem, were not holding him up, unlike the cyclist who was holding him up by travelling at the same speed as the traffic in front.

    I really do despair sometimes.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. Bhachgen
    Member

    Incident a couple of days ago reminded me of a comment someone made on here about drivers being unable to look/think ahead, and only seeing whatever is immediately in front of them.

    Riding along a single-carriageway road with a double white line down the middle. It's usually fairly busy and there's a couple of bends with poor sight lines, but even so, drivers often squeeze past.

    I can hear a car behind me and am half expecting the squeeze, but no, she sensibly waits behind me as it's not safe to pass. The road then widens so that there are two lanes, for an upcoming roundabout, so she moves into the outside lane to pass me...

    Only to 'spot' the roundabout a few yards ahead. Where she wants to turn left.

    Fortunately she was in a Xsara Picasso and not a BMW or Audi, so she indicated left and slowed down until she could drop back in behind me.

    Not sure if this satellite view link will work - I'm travelling top left to bottom right:
    https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=euxton&hl=en&ll=53.659769,-2.6614&spn=0.001634,0.003449&sll=52.8382,-2.327815&sspn=6.824589,14.128418&hnear=Euxton,+Lancashire,+United+Kingdom&t=k&z=18

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. fimm
    Member

    I did that to a group of cyclists a while ago - finally got a spot to pass them, did my best wide overtake, and then realised I was accelerating towards a red light. Much applying of brakes and cutting up of cyclists followed.

    Sorry.

    Next time you get cut up by some dozy driver, remember they may be a cyclist who doesn't drive very often...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. sallyhinch
    Member

    @Fimm - and that's exactly why I drive less and less! Which makes me a potential menace when I do (I compensate by going very slowly which of course drives others to a frenzy behind me. Yes, I am your worst nightmare on the road)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. SRD
    Moderator

    [

    Oh, and he's not driving. it's parked, with engine running.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. sallyhinch
    Member

    Hop in and move it?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. SRD
    Moderator

    two blokes sitting in the cab....

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. fimm
    Member

    Got an exceptionally close pass from a taxi while I was going up Lanark Road this morning. Oncoming traffic, hence the closeness. Didn't get the reg, of course, I was too busy swearing at him.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. Arellcat
    Moderator

    A lady driving a cream coloured Smart car this morning, turning left from Greenhill Gardens to Strathearn Place; I was turning right from Church Hill into Strathearn Place. She drove out straight in front of me without even looking to her right, causing me to swerve hard to my right and overtake.

    Her open window received a mouthful of abuse which I immediately wish I'd not used.

    Then a Lothian Buses bus (one of the fancy low emission ones that looks even longer than the others) managed to block the whole of the junction at the top of Leith Street. Goodness knows why he thought he might scrape through on a green light by anticipating the traffic moving off, because it didn't. I missed the entire cycle of a green light to get from Princes St to Waterloo Place, and ended up having to become a pedestrian to get around the bus.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. SRD
    Moderator

    Saw a horrible near miss this morning. Chap on bike with toddler in red seat on rear going down Bruntsfield place.

    Blue Volkswagon nearly took him out by trying to left hook him down leamington terrace (same spot as Recombodna encountered tesco van, I believe?).

    NO excuse at all for 'not seeing him' as he'd come straight down B'field Place and was clearly heading straight on. kid had given me a big stare as they went past. Big bright eyes, clearly loving being on the bike and checking everything out.

    Made me so mad. This is the sort of incident that puts people off cycling!

    And it was so unnecessary. The only slightly mitigating factor is that they were all moving slowly enough that they avoided a crash.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. PS
    Member

    I wonder if there's something about that Bruntsfield Place to Leamington Terrace junction that encourages left hooks?

    Driver notes the presence of traffic lights just before it, so wants to get through them fast in case they change?

    Leamingon Terrace is a bit a rat run, so maybe it attracts rat-running-type drivers (heavy on the accelerator, trying to make good time, every man for himself approach)?

    Pavement widens just ahead of the crossing, so cyclist squeezed further into the road, leading to driver being aggressively defensive of "its" road space?

    Road starting to go downhill, so drivers misjudge accelerating cyclist's speed?

    Of course, none of this excuses p!sspoor driving...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. rust
    Member

    Lovely start to the morning today; while cycling down lothian road a driver decides to pull over into the bus lane to stop so they can go to the shops. Except I was in the bus lane.

    Fortunately they noticed my gesturing just in time, but I was too dumbstruck to actually say anything to them - crazy really when they had actually stopped and I could have actually asked them what they thought they were doing.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. Focus
    Member

    Two examples for you in Fife this afternoon:

    1. On the outskirts of Dunfermline on my way home towards the Bridge, I approached a small roundabout. Opposite me was a black Audi, indicating left (i.e. turning off before reaching me). Seeing that, I moved forward, only for the idiot to change his mind and continue round right in front of me with no indication! Very close call. Had it been a true mini roundabout, I would likely have been under its wheels.

    2. Approaching the junction with the A823 from Bowershall, I'd seen signs for a cycle race and been passed by a number of approaching riders. I then came up towards the junction and saw 2 transit vans witing, with marshals holding them there, so I waited behind them. The next thing I knew, a dark grey estate (Vauxhall or Saab possibly)zoomed up behind me on the wrong side of the road. I waved it to stop but he kept going, finally noticing his stupidity when he saw the red flag-bearing marshal!!!

    Just moments later, a large group of racers came past, having seen the car cut back in between the vans and the marshal. Had they arrived 3 or 4 seconds earlier, I would probably have witnessed several cyclists die in front of me. Either that or I would have been the victim when the car swerved to avoid them, hitting me instead.

    Unfortunately, I didn't get its number and the marshals were just too surprised and asking me what had happened.

    Why on earth did he think I was sitting behind two stationary vans? Utter brain-dead moron.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  14. Dangerous
    Member

    First post. I had such a WTF moment that I registered.

    On Saturday 0930 was cycling east along Bread Street towards West Port and Grassmarket. Luckily that meant I was in the middle lane.

    A large Peugeot saloon/estate came round the blind corner from Spittal street at approx 30mph on the wrong side of the road and heading the wrong way down Bread Street. I signalled to her as she went past me on my left and she then did a u-turn at Bread Street lane.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  15. SRD
    Moderator

    that's crazy - it's very obviously signposted as buses only* - but from your description sounds like they missed that entrance entirely.

    * should of course be bus and bike

    Posted 11 years ago #

  16. earthowned
    Member

    This morning I was heading east along Holyrood Road approaching the junction with the Pleasance when overtaken by council car removal lorry which immediately turned left forcing me to turn left too unless I wanted a visit to the hospital.

    I chased him up the Pleasance and finally caught up at traffic lights at W. Richmond Street/Nicolson Street (all those turbo sessions finally paying off!). When I calmly explained that perhaps its a good idea to give cyclists a bit more room I was told that he didn't have the time to safely overtake every cyclist. I hate being blamed for someone else's poor driving.

    Since he was in such a rush it was a shame that I had to take the lane and ride slowly and safely in front of him for a few minutes.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  17. wingpig
    Member

    "...he didn't have the time to safely overtake every cyclist..."

    If he's going to admit that he's not going to take care when operating heavy machinery it's time he stopped. Get the registration and operating company?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  18. Min
    Member

    Unbelievable attitude. Though not really.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  19. earthowned
    Member

    It was a lorry with the Edinburgh Council logo plastered on the side. Got the reg number* so will put a complaint in. Perhaps it's time to start wearing the headcam again, however I don't want to though as cycling should be a normal activity :(

    * +/- one digit accuracy as I got quite flustered.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  20. minus six
    Member

    So I'm cycling round Princes St onto Lothian Road, I'm in the middle of the regular lane all the way round and then down toward the pinch point junction with Castle Terrace. As you do, right?

    Bus comes out of the bus stop in the green bus lane and into my lane, to beat me into the pinch point.

    I'm forced to brake to avoid collision, and also am unable to complete my manouever left into Castle Terrace, without dropping back.

    I'm staring into the bus driver's nearside mirror, and the driver's face is certainly not looking back at me.

    Complained to Lothian Buses.

    The reply from the depot manager says that I should have pulled up behind the bus, and that I should not have tried to overtake the bus as it was moving out.

    Yet I had always been travelling firmly in the regular right hand "overtaking" lane.

    Very disappointed in the response from Lothian Buses depot manager.

    So i should brake to allow buses to pull out from bus stops into the lane I'm already travelling in?

    Its still the dark ages out there.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  21. chdot
    Admin

    "So i should brake to allow buses to pull out from bus stops into the lane I'm already travelling in?"

    In general yes, though this does sound like the driver should have waited.

    http://busdriving.blogspot.co.uk/2006/05/please-let-bus-out.html

    Posted 11 years ago #

  22. minus six
    Member

    In general yes

    you think that's good practise?

    on a downhill stretch?

    so you think the taxi sitting right on my tail is going to have time to do the same?

    pfft...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  23. wingpig
    Member

    "...firmly in the regular right hand "overtaking" lane.

    It's not an overtaking lane, it's a not-a-bus-lane lane. It's also approaching a known pinch point.

    "So i should brake to allow buses to pull out from bus stops into the lane I'm already travelling in?"

    "223:
    Buses, coaches and trams. Give priority to these vehicles when you can do so safely, especially when they signal to pull away from stops. Look out for people getting off a bus or tram and crossing the road."

    Whether on a downhill stretch or the flat or an uphill stretch, whether you have to decelerate or decrease your acceleration or not accelerate, approaching a pinch point or otherwise, "please let me out". If no-one ever ceded to buses where they have to rejoin normal traffic there'd be little advantage in taking them.

    "...when you can do so safely" is the relevant proviso, which obviously depends on the presence of taxis as the presence of a taxi sometimes makes stopping at a red light a bad idea unless there's enough space for the taxi to whoosh through it to one side of you.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  24. minus six
    Member

    "please let me out"

    well the bus driver didn't signal - he just set off from the bus stop making a direct desire line into the pinch point.

    ie. cutting diagonally into the regular lane, without signalling, or looking in the mirror.

    it isn't behaviour i associate with LRT drivers these days, and their official response was even poorer.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  25. chdot
    Admin

    "well the bus driver didn't signal"

    That can't be excused.

    Anyone know if LB records such data or only what the cameras see?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  26. minus six
    Member

    that's a good point. i'll ask them.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  27. ARobComp
    Member

    One of the Directors of my company (in cardiff but still) was knocked off in a T-bone this morning when a woman pulled out without looking. He was 20Mph + bike a wright off and he's cut up but luckily went over the top and landed with only bruising (still ambulance and hospital though) He got the police there (orsomeone else did) the lady admitted it. I texted him to remind him that he needs to record costs on everything and ensure that that is added to insurance claim.

    Still pretty sucky. My boss is now pretty angry as he's lost a day of time from that director. Told me to be careful and not get myself killed as he'll be forced to posthumously give me a slap.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  28. Min
    Member

    Ah, so other peoples sh*tty driving is YOUR fault? Figures.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  29. steveo
    Member

    My work went to great expense to ensure the stuff I do could still be done just in case I ever went under a bus, I tried to explain this was very unlikely, if anything gets me it'll be a taxi...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  30. Kenny
    Member

    Small dark car clipped my right sleeve with wing mirror tonight. Chased her 400m into a 35mph gusting headwind and caught her at the junction up ahead (drum brae). Stopped her to tell her what she did, she hadn't seen me but apologised immediately. I instantly calmed down at this, and asked her to give more room in future. All ended happily. Except my confidence is now even more shot than before.

    Except for a taxi driver, that is, who shouted at me during this conversation that I had hit her. This, despite the fact that the incident happened long before he arrived on the scene from the opposite direction. Sigh.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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