Similar here, at least one stupidly close overtake and a couple more annoyingly close ones. A little bit of rain and the drop in driving standards is incredible.
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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Damned if you do, damned if you don't with regards to road positioning for avoiding close overtakes.
If you're half a metre from the kerb you leave yourself open for the "I can just squeeeeeeze through" kinda pass (when it's clear they simply shouldn't), or heaps of abuse and grudging passing within centimetres of your handlebars if you're a strong primary or *gasp* have the audacity to want to turn right...
Today's rubbish driving was brought to you by the moron in a silver BMW (what else?) saloon on Stenhouse Drive this morning that passed me so closely the air buffeted my handlebars. I'm glad he noticed the rearview mirror-full of middle finger I gave him but disappointed he made the next set of traffic lights before I met them on a red.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Parking rather than driving but it's in the same test, so...
Local Sainsbury's this afternoon. Just loaded the bike and turning to face the road past the front of the store (and, significantly, the car park). Blue hatchback is parked in the bus stop (which isn't set in off the 2 lane road. It has stopped immediately in front of the pedestrian crossing which is clearly marked both on the ground and by belisha beacons.
Even though I was going to be heading the other way, I decide to do my public duty and inform the (40-somehting?) driver she is blocking the view of drivers approaching the crossing (and therefore endangering pedestrians). She was too intent on talking to her passenger (her father as it turned out) to hear me through her window so I gently tapped on it and she wound it down.
Me: "Do you really think that is a safe place to park a car, blocking the view of the pedestrian crossing" (Note, not a hint of aggression or sarcasm in my tone).
Her: "Don't you treat me like s**t!"
Me: "Excuse me? How am I treating you like... I'm not going to use that word?" (I'm so amazed by her attitude I'm actually finding it amusing so I am easily able to keep calm, though I keep my amusement to myself).
Her: "By your tone of voice. You are being sarcastic!"
Me: "I wasn't being sarcastic, I don't know how anybody could think I was."
It continued like this for another 30 seconds or more with her regularly saying I was treating her like s**t.
Me: "You're the one who's swearing. I haven't used any rude words or sworn at you. You have an attitude problem.".
She continues to mouth off.
By this point, I have moved round the front of the car to make sure I'm not going to hinder the next driver's view and move back onto the pavement ready to ride away as I'm clearly not getting through to this ninny, full of a persecution complex.
But then I'm verbally attacked by her mother!!! This 70+ year old is approaching the car and starts wading into me:
Mother: "Don't you talk to my daughter like that!!!"
Me: "Like what? She's the one swearing at me"
Daughter: "Don't bother, mum"
Mother: "My husband's unwell"
Me: "This has nothing to do with your husband's health"
Daughter: "All you needed to say was "Excuse me, would you mind moving your car?" I didn't know I was parked near a crossing"
Me: The crossing which is clearly marked in front of you?"
She gets in her car and drives over the other side of the crossing, stopping immediately after it and therefore simply blocking vision from the opposite side!
Her and her mother continue remonstrating with me to which all I can say is:
"You two are incredible" And at that point I am just shaking my head and smiling in disbelief at what has occurred! A few passers by are gob-smacked too I think.
Wow, just wow. Some people just seem to look to argue at the drop of a hat.
Had I bashed on her window, sworn at her, sounded aggressive or sarcastic (basically "treated her like s**t) I could have seen justification for the tirade, but honestly, what was her problem? I expect she would likely have got more of a sarcastic tone from a police officer than she got from me!
And why couldn't she simply have parked in the car park (15 feet away) and either done the shopping herself or got out and actually helped her mother push the trolley to the car. To be honest, unlike her mother, she could have used the exercise.
Hope some of you find that as amusing as I did, if also a sad indication that there are some people on the roads who clearly need lessons in social skills. I should add that these people were not neds, just the sort of people you'd expect to be perfectly polite. How wrong I was!
Posted 11 years ago # -
I have discovered just the right combination of rat runs to make the new drive to work feasible time wise. Bad news for residents living on all the streets in question.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Focus: I find people who have an inkling they're in the wrong respond most vehemently on the defensive. Offence is the best form of defence and all that.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Was the woman in the large Mercedes 4x4 driving whom I followed out to Penicuik along the A703/A701 this morning. She managed to get in the wrong lane at 90% of traffic lights and roundabouts which I was willing to put down to not being familiar with the road layout except she didn't seem familiar with the principle of giving way to traffic already on the roundabout either.
I had managed to get in front at Gowkley Moss roundabout as she was yet again in the wrong lane.She obviously wasn't too impressed by this as she overtook me again almost immediately by driving down the wrong side of the dual carriageway! Myself and the other van driver coming the opposite direction, who had to take evasive action, exchanged looks of incredulity as she carried on the wrong direction down the bus lane before finally swerving back onto the correct side of the road.Posted 11 years ago # -
Woman in the BMW flying down Blacket Avenue this morning
For the 1st time ever I took my son in cycling today (i work mornings,so dont take him to nursery often)
We had just come down Blacket Place and were stopped at the pavement to cross the road.
I had just said to my son told hold on as it is a dodgy road.
This loon comes flying by at least 20mph over the 20 limit.
I was furious, but with my son there could only make a slow down gesture :(Posted 11 years ago # -
@ mkns: What software do you use for editing and clipping videos?
I've got some new videos of dangerous driving, but the software I have is just inconvenient.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I use ffmpeg.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Out on tour with three others. Doing right turn into Merchiston Ave on the odd double junction in front of (what was?) Howies.
Guy in orange car objects to waiting in line of recumbents and starts shouting abuse. I pointed out that was contrary to the NiceWay code.
He agreed and drove off (not really true!)Posted 11 years ago # -
I pointed out that was contrary to the NiceWay code.
He agreed and drove off (not really true!)LOL!
I was a ped for this
Sitting on the steps at Charles St(between Bristo Sq & George SQ)
A coach comes up with the intention of reversing into Charles St Lane
So he swings out towards the steps where people are sitting(very close!)
Then proceeds to blow his horn to warn those peds behind
in the course of this scaring the life out of most people on the steps
After he made his move
another coach came in and did exactly the same move including horn!personally too busy during festival time to be doing moves like that
I can only assume they made a wrong turn because I saw coaches on Buccleuch Place picking up peoplePosted 11 years ago # -
Is the police driver who casualy rolled his police car into an ASL cycle box on Slateford Road this morning. Presumably Police Scotland are not monitoring/policing the NWC?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Casualy rolled his police car into an ASL cycle box
Picking up on the discussion in the NWC thread, this - the casually rolling into advance stop boxes when the driver can safely stop at the correct line - is arguably the biggest aggravation of mine on the roads at the moment. Driver entitlement and laziness are my two other roady pet peeves.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yes, if "cyclists should stop running red lights in order to stop annoying drivers" then "drivers should stop misusing ASLs (which is effectively running the red light as well) in order to stop annoying cyclists"
....
hmmm, do you think I'd get a job at an advertising agency?Posted 11 years ago # -
Hooned it home at lunchtime to pick up some macaroons I'd forgotten to take in this morning. That was nice.
Heading through the Meadows in the cycle lane a Porsche Cayenne starts moving left into the cycle lane without looking or indicating, then hearing my shout (a simple 'Hey!') swerves right, indicates left, and starts paying attention, merely stopping in the bike lane after letting me pass, which thye shouldn't have been doing anyway. Which wasn't nice.
It was practically equicidal.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@fimm
Think higher. You have all the experience you need to start your own agency. Money (intended for cycling) and glory (or at least the gratitude of a third rate politician) await.Posted 11 years ago # -
the casually rolling into advance stop boxes when the driver can safely stop at the correct line - is arguably the biggest aggravation of mine on the roads at the moment
+1. I see many times more drivers doing this than cyclists running red lights, even taking into account the significantly higher number of drivers vs cyclists. I'd say I see one cyclist per week running a red light, but 5 cars a day drifting into the ASL. Grrr.
Posted 11 years ago # -
This week, I have seen cars, buses, vans use the ASL zone, in both Glasgow & Edinburgh. Have also seen multiple cyclists jump red lights every day, cyclists going the wrong way on a variety of roads.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@mkns and of course there's also the point made on here often that once the first vehicle in the queue has (or hasn't) moved into the ASL, nobody else can, so it's quite possible that vehicles 3,4,6 and 11 in the queue would all go into the ASL if they could, but their way is blocked by vehicle 1. This hides the 'true' number of ASL hoggers in each queue. With cyclists, they can all filter to the front and any that choose can RLJ, so the 'true' number of cyclist RLJ's at each junction is visible.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Motorcycle on the Silverknowes path. The two lads I pass before you see the motorcycle were his mates, who were laughing with excitement about something, and it didn't take long to figure out what.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Theres been a lot of mopeds and dirt bikes being ridden along the Roslin Bilston railwayline recently too. Came very close to being clipped by a large orange dirt bike yesterday that was screaming along. It's particularly rubbish as its school summer holidays and there are lots of wee tots out on their bikes at the moment along there.
Posted 11 years ago # -
guy on one of the miniature motorbikes going past Smyths at Fort Kinnaird.
No helmet ;)
Straight through the ped crossing(with people on it) and over the roundabout
I wonder if the Police Transit on the other side(tucked away to catch drivers I assume) took chase?Posted 11 years ago # -
Mkns- youve passed that video to the cops right? They should be able to identify the bike and let the owner know where it is from your stills.
Gyspy brae and the coast path is a hotspot for stolen motorbikes and is where I recovered mine from last year.Posted 11 years ago # -
Tourist coaches coming down Lawnmarket and turning onto Mound (Bank Street) on red, through green phase of pedestrian crossing.
In fact, every single tourist coach being used as a battering ram in the old town.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Big fire at TGI Fridays tonight causing traffic mayhem?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Probably not, but no-one will be driving to it any time soon -
Posted 11 years ago # -
Youngish lady in white Corsa attempts to do a U-ee with phone glued to her ear on Dundee St/Fountainbridge. Pulls out right in front of a white van man who has right of way on the main road and has to stop. She then shouts abuse at him, saying it was his fault!
I was following WVM, so I shouted through her open window, "you were on your phone!", to which she looks sheepish, but then just picks up the phone, continues her conversation, and completes the U turn into slow moving traffic on the other side.
I then caught up with WVM who says repeatedly to me, "she blamed me, she blamed me, I can't believe she blamed me!". To which I replied, "I know.... I know.... I know... Unbelievable"
It was just the sheer audacity of her thinking she had done nothing wrong that was so incredible! Probably on drugs or something
Posted 11 years ago # -
youve passed that video to the cops right
To be honest, I figured there would be little point, because (a) the picture is not that clear due to rain being in the lens, which is obscuring details, (b) no number plate, and (c) they took zero action last time I had a video of dangerous driving because I managed to brake to avoid getting hit. You think there's enough detail on there for them to track it down?
@edd1e_h - I put that down to a standard human reaction in terms of automatically attacking as a form of defence. I'm sure we've all been in situations where a car driver has done something wrong but started shouting at us. The only time I've managed to get the driver to change their attitude is when they realise I'm recording the thing on my bike camera. That often causes them to start accepting they did something wrong and apologise. Not all the time, but sometimes.
Posted 11 years ago # -
While walking the dogs with my youngest daughters, a lady approx 20yo just drove past me who was engrossed in 2 sheets of a4 paper she was holding against her steering wheel. Almost collided with a parked car. Scary.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Black Ford Focus SK10 NT0 / SK10 NTO. I'd stopped at the traffic lights at the Lanark Road/Longstone Road junction on my way towards town on my long commute home on Friday. Said car rolls into the ASL next to me after I had stopped (which I find is more unusual than drivers stopping illegally in an empty ASL). The driver then creeps forward all the time the lights are red, (followed by the car behind...) so by the time they go green his front wheels are out of the front of the ASL. Car shoots off at high speed.
I set off in my usual manner and pass the car by filtering (as I usually do) at the lights at the ASDA (Chesser Avenue) junction. He's about 4th in the queue. When the lights go green everyone passes me appropriately as we move away from the lights but this driver then uses the bus lane to undertake all the cars in front of him (who are by now up to speed and therefore doing 30mph themselves, so I would not like to estimate what speed the driver was doing). It was this second manoeuver that I was really shocked by.
Posted 11 years ago #
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