@SRD neither would have gone amiss, I reckon.
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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I will now attempt to believe you Photoshopped that and made up the whole story, because the truth is too scary.
*Fingers in ears, eyes shut*
La la la la la la....
Posted 11 years ago # -
A Skoda 4x4, registration D 15 LKE (spaced to resembe dislike), on the A703, decided not to wait for the cars heading south to pass me, which would have been about 10 seconds and pushed through, less than a foot away from me. I headed for the left gutter as I saw his bonnet pass me (on that road I stay in primary), but the surface was such that I was being jinked badly, and I was fearful of colliding wiht him.
The BMW 4x4 following him courteously waited, even though he then had to wait for me to clear the next corner before he could pass leaving safe room.
Posted 11 years ago # -
No.22 Lothian Bus I was on this morning, who repeatedly got up behind a cyclist and sat about 2ft from his wheel. The cyclist, getting uncomfortable with it, would move into the gutter hoping the bus would go past - and therefore hit the many potholes and sunken drains. I kept thinking I'd be witnessing him topple and thhe bus would be over him before the driver's foot hit the brake.
Happened over and over again as the bus had to keep stopping for passengers shortly after catching up with the cyclist, then he'd catch him again, then stop, then catch....
I really don't know what's happening with Lothian drivers - I used to sing their praises for their cycle awareness. Not so much now.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@threefromleith If you can pinpoint exact times or similar details it might be worth reporting that behaviour to Lothian Buses. Sounds like the sort of thing they'd want to take action on. It might be on the bus's CCTV for instance. (I once told them about a particular bus which went over an ASL at red traffic lights and they replied saying that they'd look at the bus's footage.) Look at it this way - reporting it might save the next cyclist's life.
Edit: Contact Lothian Buses
Posted 11 years ago # -
@threefromleith A perfect example of why Lothian Buses would benefit from segregated cycle infrastructure.
The benefit for cyclists would simply be a nice side-effect of helping the buses run to their timetables.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Maybe it's Lothian Buses No 22 rubbish driving day. I had two surprisingly* close passes from one this morning, one immediately followed by pulling in front of me to stop at a bus stop.
*as in, surprisingly for a Lothian bus, as opposed to most other vehicles...Posted 11 years ago # -
What has come over Lothian bus drivers? Is it some Invasion of the body snatchers style take over?
I was a third of the way up Lothian Road this afternoon. Any idiot could have seen there wasn't room to pass me before the next bus stop. Well, not any idiot, as the driver of the Lothian double decker pulled out and advanced to along side me. As he was along side, with me level with the middle door, he starts signally left and moving over towards me. I think his intention was to leave me a narrow corridor to escape, but I wasn't going to stay around to find out.
I put on the brakes, and passed the idiot on the outside, giving him the benefit of my opinions as I passed. Never saw the bus again up to the top of the walk or beyond.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Is it revenge on us for wanting 20mph zones and daring to want segregated infra on Leith Walk (which Lothian Buses are pushing against)?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Tonight on the commute home at Earl Grey Street. Going toward Morningside in the bus lane before the lights and a stupid 4x4 driver realises he's in the wrong lane (the left) and cuts across right in front of me to get to the right hand lane. I avoid by going right also which was my only option and slap his rear side window with a few choice phrases and he brakes, letting me get in front through the green light. He then follows me blasting his horn up Home Street then passes me.
Catch him up on Morningside Road, stop at his window (he was late 50's early 60's) and tell him he nearly sideswiped me with his illegal manouver. His answer? "I didn't see you... I was indicating... If you'd broken my window I'd get you charged." Unbelievable. I pointed out my lights & hi-viz, asked him how he thought I got so close as to hit his window and what the police would think of that?
He then drove off. Anyway, what are the honorable members thoughts on hitting cars (with an open palm, to get attention)? I know it escalates matters, but I'm sans horn on my road bike and I find shouting tends to do nothing.
Thoughts and or suggestions please anyone?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've done it once to a van, to avoid being sideswiped.
Nothing else i could have done at that time could have got the drivers attention.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Anyway, what are the honorable members thoughts on hitting cars (with an open palm, to get attention)?
If hi-viz clothing and bright flashing lights aren't enough to attract the attention, shouting and banging on the window really are the only options left.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Sunday night: council van overtaking over North Bridge where it crosses the High St, despite me being in primary/keeping pace with the car in front of me since the single-lane bit by Biblos.
Monday lunchtime: Soul Cycles' van steaming round from Home St to Gilmore Place in a manner which would have terrified anyone waiting in the ASZ to turn right up Bruntsfield or inconvenienced the cyclist they were cutting out on the inside if they'd taken the turn wider if there had been someone in the ASZ.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Today's rubbish crane transport brought to you by the driver that's just smacked said device off the bridge at Saughton Road North.
I don't know whether he forgot he had a big honking crane on the back before going under a low bridge, or whether the crane's arm had somehow risen en route, but I expect there's a bit of a mess on the paintwork.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Hi, newbie here, so be kind ;)
Cycling down Clermiston Road towards St John's road, for those of you who know it, it's a steep hill which you can easily break the speed limit on if you have a will to, given conditions today I was going relatively steady though. Car in side street on right decides to pull out in front of me to go down the hill, forcing me to slam the brakes on to avoid going into the back of them. Driver totally oblivious to the large angry hi-viz man screaming at them about a foot from their rear bumper.
Now, I'm not sure if it was worth reporting to the police, but I saw this as quite dangerous driving, because if they didn't see me then they have severe eyesight issues (hi-viz, sun shining *on* me, not into their eyes), or they just didn't look/care, and they certainly at no point checked their mirrors once in front of me even though they were turning off the road a bit further down.
So in a fit of pique I did report it, police officer was very sympathetic, but just made a note that I had complained (with car reg), so it's on record, so unless someone else sees this driver doing something daft *and reports it*, nothing happens. Not sure how I feel about this, so decided to ask my fellow cyclists. So, do you think a) I was reasonable to report it, b) the response from the police was reasonable. I'm leaning towards a) yes, b) yes, but opinions welcome ;)
Posted 11 years ago # -
Hello geordiefatbloke and welcome to the forum!
Can I ask what you did to report the incident to the police? I'll leave others to comment on the response...
Posted 11 years ago # -
TBH geordiefatbloke things might be better if more people reported these relatively minor incidents.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Hi again,
@fimm : I phoned 101 and asked to report a driving without due care incident, and was put through to an officer. He took details of what happened, and was genuinely sympathetic. I had remembered the car reg correctly too (at least it was the same make/model) although to be fair I got a *very* close look!
@steveo : my thoughts exactly, if I'd been going a bit faster (which I could well have been) it wouldn't have been a minor incident, it would have been a collision. TBH I think I'm quite a defensive cyclist (and driver I suppose), because I always presume the worst from other road users until they demonstrate otherwise, which served me well today.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm still chasing up police about a punishment pass on Friday. Called 101, told to go to station. Station was closed, so went all 21st Century on their asses and moaned on twitter. Actually got a response and follow up phonecall, as well as apologies for the effort it took to initially report it. Still waiting for a call from whichever polis picks it up.
Posted 11 years ago # -
A small black car came extremely close to taking me out as I went straight southwards over the Restalrig Road/Sleigh Drive/Lochend Drive roundabout this morning. If I'd turned right up Lochend Drive as I usually do (or if there'd been any frostiness on the Sleigh Drive roundabout-inlet) they'd have collided with me at some speed. Strange, as they'd scraped the frost of their windscreen, evidently wanting to at least pretend that they wanted to be able to see things. Had I not bellowed at them they'd maybe just have congratulated themselves on judging my speed and direction so cleverly that they hadn't needed to subject their poor brakes to any unnecessary wear on their approach to the roundabout.
Posted 11 years ago # -
When video evidence is involved, how do the police usually ask for it to be submitted?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Geordiefatbloke: always very wary about going down Clermiston Road for this precise reason. When I lived in Drumbrae, I used to cut into the residential area a part-way down the Clermiston Road and cut across the hill through the matrix of roads until I came out at onto the bottom of Kaimes Road.
This morning on approach from the Macro junction to the South Gyle roundabout that the Tesco Bank building sits on, I had a lady psuedo-overtake me in the right hand lane. Don't mind travelling side-by-side with a car where there's two lanes... Oh yes, except in instances where the driver then proceeds to try to merge INTO me whilst still positioned alongside me.
After braking to avoid being squeezed, I was a little too busy having a shouted rant at her to commit the registration to memory. Put me in a properly crabbit mood for the rest of the morning.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Snowy I'm not sure. I have posted it on YouTube so I could put it in a twitter post. Also have it on a memory stick in case they need a copy. If I hear back from them I'll let you know.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@meepmeep: me too, I usually go off on Gordon Road. I know what you mean, these little things niggle me for the rest of the day ...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Welcome Geordie :-)
If someone has caused you to need to take avoiding action whilst you were acting responsibly, it's always worth telling the police. I wish I took my own advice but I'd probably get to the point where I'd be on first name terms with half the force!
No major incident today but one people carrier abusing two consecutive ASLs around Bristo Place and a van driver on Earl Grey Street (facing Brougham Place) who claimed the ASL markings were too faint to see at Tollcross! This was around 3:30 when it was still bright enough not to quite need lights, though it didn't stop him suggesting (albeit without being rude) that I should put mine on to make myself more visable. This was me with my Altura Night Vision Flite jacket and reflective ankle bands. Strangely, he didn't have his lights on! I let him know mine would be going on shortly (It so happened I was waiting till I was on NMW to avoid doing it on the road anyway, not that it was dusk at the time and visibility was good).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yet more poor parking at Craigleith Sainsbury's:
That's the ped crossing immediately in front of the car, yet they stood chatting like that for several minutes. Meanwhile another couple of cars stopped behind in the bus waiting area so passengers could use the cash machine. They could simply have dropped them off an found a parking space and saved their time into the bargain. But lazy people are often too lazy in the head to see that their "time saving" has the opposite effect.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I saw a cyclist getting badly left hooked at Peffermill road this morning. Though some people would put that in the rubbish cycling thread. Perhaps she should have taken the car.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Though some people would put that in the rubbish cycling thread. Perhaps she should have taken the car."
Trolling? Was the left hook a true left hook in that the cyclist was ahead and the car overtook then immediately cut across her? In which case you will of course know that's completely different from the truck situation. J'accuse Mintroll!
Saw THREE drivers overtake a cyclist going up the little S bend in the south Park road near Duddingston Village this morning (I was getting a lift part way, my BB is well and truly an ex-BB). Fourth was thinking about it then cars appeared coming the other way around the blind 90 degree on a crest bend.
It's truly idiotic stuff.
Posted 11 years ago # -
At Haymarket this morning saw a car waiting to head across past the station from Morrison St. A cyclist was coming down the cycle lane to enter the ASL when at the last minute he car decided I go left down Dalry Road instead. Clearly hadn't looked and nearly took out the cyclist.
(I was on the bus as my rear CrudCatcher finally died the other night and I've not had the chance to take off its remains yet)
Posted 11 years ago # -
STAY AWAY FROM MY BRIDGE!
Posted 11 years ago #
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