I look forward to the kneepads thread. Personally I think they should be made compulsory.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11330 posts)- Started 13 years ago by Stepdoh
- Latest reply from fergus
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Posted 11 years ago #
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So the anti has at last been upped? It was only a matter of time.
Posted 11 years ago # -
When I fall off, I generally seem to hit my hip. So for me a hip pad would be more useful than knee-pads or a helmet (though the helmet may have been useful when I fell over walking to the bike shed). Of course my bum would look big in one, so that's a no-no.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Perhaps we should zorb to work instead of cycling. Then when we had an accident we'd just bounce about the street harmlessly like a pinball.
Posted 11 years ago # -
National Zorb To Work Day! I like that sound of that, where do I sign up?
;-)Posted 11 years ago # -
The only bad drivers I witnessed today were two cyclists!
1. Girl wobbling along in too high a gear, in and out of the gutter, and through two red lights. Just gives the rest of us a bad reputation by doing this.
2. Guy undertook me on the grass verge of the cycle path as I walked along it at lunch time. Being a cyclist normally I was walking right on the edge of the path so there was loads of room in the middle and other side where lovely smooth tarmac seems to work for me?!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Welcome m0
We have a thread for this too!
Posted 11 years ago # -
I gave a driving instructor a telling off this morning, for using her mobile while driving her heavily branded driving school car down North Bridge.
She thought it was hilarious; I think we're doooomed...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Have you got the name of the company joeblogs? Always better to name and shame I think, particularly if that's the standard of the teachers! Good grief...
Posted 11 years ago # -
I second the suggestion to name and shame ASAP. Was she actually instructing at the time? Neither possibility is pleasant to consider.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yesterday evening, turning right from Gt Junction St onto Leith Walk. Awkward at the best of times, but taxi driver behind me decides that despite me keeping primary on the turn as I can see parked cars immediately beyond and I'd be forced out anyway, he should have precedence and tries to overtake past the traffic island. Kept calm and insistent, a few waves of hand and angry glares. And breathe...
<edit>
Just bought a helmet cam, though originally for recording days out, scenic trips, downhills etc. Will have to start wearing it in town more often. I had it with me last night for testing but on the short stretch I was on (Leith Victoria baths to Tesco on Duke St) I hadn't mounted it...
</edit>Posted 11 years ago # -
Hello Mr White Van Man, we haven't met in a while. Why no, of course you don't have to stick to the 20 limit, don't be silly. And yes, obviously those lights ahead are red, but you're right, I am a cyclist and therefore you absolutely must accelerate to try to get past me before those red lights. What's that? Oh, you're running out of road and still don't have the nose of your van past me. Well, it's certainly good that you know where your brakes are because that central reservation with the (red) traffic lights on it could have been in for a nasty surprise. Hmmm? You'll just pull in behind me, but to make your point be slightly to the right and encroaching on the ASL? Of course, such is your right.
One of those 'hold your nerve in primary' moments this morning, especially when then setting off from the lights. He did pass me with a reasonably okay distance to spare, though he'd have been doing about 40 in the 20.
I dunno, the last few days the standard of driving seems to have dropped off bizarrely.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Big silver BMW passed me while I was in primary position on Balcarres Street heading east a couple of days ago. It was on the other side of the road, in full compliance with Highway Code rule 162.
He wasn't stuck behind me at all: he just swooshed up the road caught up with me and swooshed past.
So far so good.
Only problem was he (I assume it was a he) did this overtake right on the sharp, blind, bend just before Morningside Station. As I heard him rev up to make the overtake I said "That's a stupid place to overtake, there'll be a car coming round that corner and you're on the wrong side of the road".
There was a car coming the other way.
Cue much hasty application of brakes on his part, and unfortunately also on the part of the oncoming car and me.
MUST...GET...PAST...THE...BIKE
Posted 11 years ago # -
Wilmington's Cow - "I dunno, the last few days the standard of driving seems to have dropped off bizarrely."
Yes. I rolled up into the ASL (on the bike!) at the Fairmilehead traffic lights this morning as the lights were at red, looking to turn left into Frogston Road. A metallic green Volkswagen Scirocco rolls up in the right hand lane about 10 seconds later and ignores the stop line and enters the ASL. But no they don't stop in the ASL, they clear it completely and stop across the diamond studs for the pedestrian crossing!
As if that wasn't bizarre enough, when the lights turn green they don't even move. I thought they were going to try and beat the traffic coming the other way into Oxgangs Road, but no they just sat there! .... Possibly they couldn't see the light had turned green as they were so far forward.
Posted 11 years ago # -
hmmmm there's a metallic green scirocco lives very close to me, and not too far from Fairmilehead too. AND I've been passed badly by them before...
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've noticed that most of the drivers who do the slow roll forward over the line, or into the ASL, when the lights are red, are generally then those drivers who don't notice when the lights turn green. Very odd. I've never understood the slow roll forward anyway. Is half a car length advance going to save you that much time on your journey?
Posted 11 years ago # -
@gdm @allebong it was Red Driving School. She wasn't instructing but I did ask if she was a driving instructor. She replied in the affirmative while giggling (perhaps nervously).
This morning's was the private hire car beeping angrily at me and another cyclist going up Leith Walk because we were in the bus lane thus preventing him from undertaking the queue of traffic in the outside lane.
PHCs aren't allowed in bus lanes, are they?
Posted 11 years ago # -
@joeblogs - just buses, cycles and taxis. And possibly only taxis when they have a fare...
Robert
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Wilmington's Cow - slow roll forward = "I have poor clutch control but I can't be bothered to put the handbrake on". IMHO anyway.
I also don't get why some people stop so far forward. They do it even if there isn't an ASL in my experience.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Anyone else notice this past week of sunshine full of mental almost festival level of driving?
Culminating
Posted 11 years ago # -
Culminating in me being car doored in the cycle lane near viewforth and immediately after this a pedestrian walking straight out in front of me without looking. I was still screaming from the previous incident so he heard me and stopped allowing me to swerve and swear.
Posted 11 years ago # -
They have been adding that gravelly top-surface between Aberlady and Gullane. Despite the newness of the surface, none of the vehicles slowed down to the temporary speed limit. Stones were going all over the place including me. I did point this out but only one slowed down ... after to he'd passed me to point out the error of my ways.
Some (or a lot of) people are exceptionally selfish.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Don't touch my car"
No he really said it - at least twice.
Was crossing a side street (yes walking!) car coming left from main road. Slowed down - not much choice really.
Then hooted and passed behind us close enough for me to turn round and tap his wing mirror (just one finger).
Jams on brakes. Leaps out. Utters immortal words.
'Conversation' follows - mention of Highway Code'
"Don't touch my f*ing car"
Heard by toddler in back seat and beer garden full of people - some of whom gave me a round of applause.
I have his registration.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@gembo - ouch. you okay? your bike?
@fimm etc always seems like nothing more than a 'style' of driving to me. and hence very hard to challenge.
@chdot good for you!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thanks SRD, I swerved both door and ped, was in bit of shock but Carried on, what else was there to do?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Black BMW SV53FUM comes out of Chambers Street to join queue of traffic at the red light heading towards Bristo Place yesterday early afternoon. I'm heading right towards MMW, so go up the right hand side of the queue in the vacant "turning right" lane and occupy the ASL.
Within 10 seconds I hear an over-revved engine and a car pulls up behind me, I don't look round but have a fair idea of who it might be.
Lights change, I set off at normal pace. Huge amount of revs behind and SV53FUM bombs past on my left and swerves in in front of me into the righthand lane. He must have beaten the other (normal) driver in the left hand lane over a 30 yeard sprint to achieve this. For his efforts he receives the internationally recognised hand gesture for onanist from me. He also wins the opportunity to sit behind three or four other vehicles at the next set of red lights at the top of MMW, thus being perfectly positioned to see me cruise past and turn down MMW.
TBH, I wasn't particularly threatened by him - he gave me plenty of room as he went past, but he was driving like a tool. It's just a shame that I had a particularly relaxed ride down MMW, along the nice new surface on NMW and then on the awful surface of Glengyle Terrace as it meant I was maybe 30 metres short of the junction and therefore out of sight when he passed the end of the street gunning it up Bruntsfield Place. Fool.
Posted 11 years ago # -
So he won the race? BMW=WIN!!!!
Posted 11 years ago # -
White (non-liveried) Shitty Link bus this morning on Haymarket Terrace. Dick head of the highest order.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Cycling down the 702 road back into morningside this am and coming up to the traffic lights along the inside of a que of slow moving traffic - plenty of space everyone was just creeping forward. Blue Corsa or some such moves left and further left. I saw it happening early so was able to slow down and not get in trouble. They stopped and I pulled up alongside and tapped on the window.
Shocked old lady: "yes?"
Me: Would you like me to fold out your wing mirror so you can see behind you properly"The mind boggles - I wonder how far she'd driven without checking her mirror. She didn't seem to realise it was folded in at all!
Posted 11 years ago # -
*Note to self - 'onanist' is a fine word and I should endeavour to use it more often in appropriate conversation*
Posted 11 years ago #
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