That is murderous....
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11330 posts)- Started 13 years ago by Stepdoh
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Posted 10 years ago #
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A silver Merc decided that the right hand turn at the end of Bristo Place was part of a dual carriageway, so it had snuck up the left-hand side of cars that were queuing around the corner in this morning's traffic, completely blocking the cycle lane. This didn't affect me, although I did see a cyclist ahead of me having to squeeze her way between the 'normal' car queue and the Merc... As I approached, the Merc was attempting to pull back into the flow of traffic to much hooting from the other drivers involved, but it eventually got on its way and I was able to get through ok. However, I then found the Merc doing exactly the same trick at the lights at the top of MMW which were on red. It was squeezed up on the far left again, completely covering the cycle lane, slightly ahead of, but effectively alongside a car in the correct lane. I could have turned left onto MMW using the early dropped curb and avoided this completely, but I instead I decided to actively squeeze through the gap between the cars while the lights were *just* still on red, and then pointedly indicate left and meander slow across the front of the Merc. A little dangerous but satisfying!
Posted 10 years ago # -
There's something to be said for a little Militant Meandering.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Morrison St to Haymarket traffic lights. 5 bikes in ASZ pull off after prolonged tram caused delay to lights. I was about 10metres behind travelling down the bike lane.
As the bikes head through the two lanes to haymarket, just as the bikes get to the tram track crossing (horrid bit) a ferrari tries to overtake the bikes clearly not realising that they are going to need room to manoeuvre. There is a taxi on the outside of him. I'm in no doubt that he should not have been there as there is no way that he could have given 1.5 metres of space even if he'd wanted to.
Bike moves out not expecting there to be a car there, hits the side of the car and looked like his foot got caught in the tyre well. Big crunch (think it was his mud guard on the tyre well.
Luckily the rider stays up. Car pulls over up by the tescos and quite a few cyclists stop (think we were all a bit shocked and thought he was driving away but fair play to him he was trying to pull over)
Poor guy who got hit was in shock.
One rider over reacted a bit and was quite overbearing. Really didn't help the situation although I agreed with where he was coming from.Driver managed to frankly cajole the rider into saying that he'd "swerved out" and that it was therefore his fault. Wasn't very happy about that.
Then came the bits that really annoyed me.
*Road tax argument
*cyclist riding on the wrong side of the road so he said look at that - you guys all break all the laws.
*you're not kings of the road
*I spent 600k on this car and it was worse for me than it was for him
*started claiming that over excited cyclist had "assaulted him"I pointed out that we're not all the same person, and that human life is more precious than a car, however clearly not to this guy.
Woman witness driver stopped and said she thought he'd given cyclist plenty of room and therefore it was cyclists fault. I can't see how that is possible given that he was the overtaking vehicle. and the tram line is within 2 feet of the side of the road. so 1.5 metres of space? Not possible.
Anyway. Point here is bad driving. Another point was that the overly angry cyclist who got arguing with the chap while the rest of us were trying to calm things down and exchange numbers didn't help things no matter how much he might have thought he was. Sorry if you're on here, but it's important that once everyones pulled over that things remain calm. Also if he does try and claim you assaulted him I'll witness that that's rubbish.
Other cyclist who remained calm (smaller chap in high vis) thanks for remaining calm with me.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Assault doesn't have to involve physical contact - it is something along the lines of behaviour likely to cause "alarm and distress"...
I do think that area (and no doubt others along the tram line) would benefit from some signs along the lines of "Drivers allow cyclists time and space to manoeuvre across tram tracks". But no doubt it won't happen because that would imply a) there's a problem and b) drivers are to be encouraged to look out for vulnerable road users and we can't have that now can we?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Actually Wednesday’s rubbish driving. I was cycling down Montgomery Street and a driver pulled out of Brunswick Street to go straight over without stopping at the give way markings. I went into his right front wing. We were both going slowly and I got my right foot down but dropped my bike. Only injury to me some cuts and bruises where my left pedal whacked me on the back of my leg, and only injury to my bike a snapped mudguard stay. The driver stopped, apologised and asked if I was OK, and I got him to write down his name, address and car registration. There were 2 passers-by who also gave me their details as witnesses. I rang 101 that evening and they told me to go into St Leonards on Thursday to make a statement. The desk sergeant at St Leonards took down the details and said they would file a report but wouldn’t take it any further as the driver hadn’t done anything criminal, it was just human error. I asked if pulling out of a side street without looking didn’t qualify as careless driving and he said only if the driver had been doing something like texting or adjusting the radio. He also said, well, if we prosecuted everyone who did something like that we’d be totally overwhelmed. He called me back later to give me the driver’s phone number – I called the driver who was again super-apologetic and agreed to pay for any repairs to my bike. I don’t feel like I need any more reparation as an individual. But I do feel on a societal basis if we had a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to people doing stupid things at the wheel of a car, it would make the roads much safer, and I don’t like the ‘ah well, these things happen’ attitude from the police.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Bah.
Car parked on NMW cycle path. Has permit to be in Meadows. Group of kids and adults working alongside planting bulbs or something.
Fair enough, but it doesn't need to block path does it? I stop and ask who it belongs to, and ask politely if it could be moved. Turns out to belong to chair of FOMBL, who says she had to drive in because she has a lot of stuff in the boot, and she's 83.
Am I unreasonable to think that she could have unloaded and parked elsewhere? Got her helpers to help carry stuff?
The was another council vehicle parked on the grass, but obviously she was more concerned about the grass being damaged than by effect and symbolism of car blocking busy cycle path.
Bah.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Was pacing a tightly-packed line of cars down Leith Walk with what I felt was a good stopping distance when a couple of boy racers actually overtook me on the left and forced their way into the gap. One of those moments where you can see it all happening and you're not really capable of processing how thick the person would have to be to do it by accident. I honestly wish there was something to do at that point but you know in your heart of hearts that if you complain at all you're gonna get brake checked: they've already indicated that they don't care about your well-being or the rules of the road.
Posted 10 years ago # -
This guy blatantly on his phone.
Seems a bit shocked that I spoke to him:
Posted 10 years ago # -
Coming down Saughton Road this morning, a silver hatchback (Vauxhall Corsa? Astra?) decided to pull out from a side street (Stenhouse St W?) as I was coming down the main road. In fact I was almost directly opposite the guy when he decided to pull out. By a matter of inches/seconds he missed me, partly because I hit my brakes and he utterly floored it. Tried to get his plate number, but all my concentration was required to not topple in to the line of parked cars...
This followed an earlier moment in Musselburgh when a lady in a people-carrier type thing decided to approach a Give Way line at about 20 mph (despite the fact she was emerging onto a main road), before stopping on a sixpence right on the line. Not unreasonably I reckoned she was about to pile through me as I rode in front of her.
Did Give Way suddenly become optional or voluntary?
Posted 10 years ago # -
I don't think drivers realise how absolutely terrifying it is to have a fast moving car slam to a halt at a give way, just short of turning you into jam - it's okay because they stopped at the line, right?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Female driving big BMW 4x4 thing holding both a phone and a mug. I gave her nasty looks and made the "phone" gesture in her direction. She then nearly cut up another cyclist because she didn't indicate (having her hands full).
Posted 10 years ago # -
At the weekend: someone driving a large white van into Queen Charlotte Street from Tollbooth Wynd. I was walking on the footway; the driver of a car which was wanting to get out that way said something to the driver.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Driver of West Lothian Council van SN09 FNU on his phone. I'll be emailing his employer.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Overtaking a cyclist at a pinch point on the brow of a hill. MGIF!
And obviously it's pretty much guaranteed that the cyclist would be going into the station anyway, so there wouldn't be long to wait.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Driver of West Lothian Council van SN09 FNU on his phone. I'll be emailing his employer"
Are we the Stasi -)
Posted 10 years ago # -
We're more like the informants they recruited.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I've no qualms whatsoever about reporting illegal, dangerous or simply discourteous driving when such a report will be acted on.
I'd also report locked fire doors, unmarked holes in the ground, and an inexplicable smell of gas, as well as a potentially drunk driver.
Whilst my safety might not be directly impacted by any of these, it may impact on someone else's wellbeing.
Perhaps that makes me an ideal recruit for state sponsored oppression...
Robert
Posted 10 years ago # -
Not the Stasi, but someone who wants to make using a mobile phone while driving as socially unacceptable as drink driving. And that means making a fuss about it.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@Roibeard, Don't forget that with great power comes great responsibility.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I pulled up next to a guy texting while driving this morning. His window was open, so I said "you're not using your phone are you?"
His response: "No. I just got a text."Posted 10 years ago # -
@acsimpson With great horsepower comes great responsibility.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The white van that ran the red light turning right from Home Street onto Gilmore Place, which forced me to have to slow down (and raise my arm in the customary fashion) as I was pulling away from Tarvit Street under the green light this morning. Shortly after clearing the junction, a car approaching from behind overtook me without giving much clearance... I could have been further over to the left-hand of the road because there were no parked cars along the initial section of Gilmore Place, but I wasn't.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Silver saloon that undertook me as I cycled at 20mph in primary in a 20 zone this morning. Close enough that I could have reached out and held on for a tow.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Small Black car this morning trying something new...
On Craigs Road there a narrow 2 lane section with a steady slope down to the school, but broadly flat either end of slope. It has a pelican crossing at the top, 1 set of speed cushions near the bottom and a slight bend and zebra crossing at the bottom.
Usually what happens when a car driver sees me pootling along the top at 12mph is the MustGetInFront mentality takes over and they start overtaking and then find that gravity has taken my speed up to 25mph and they can't safely pull back in and have to take the speed cushions on the wrong side of the road and at a high speed despite reduced visibility.
With a bit of foresight they could have waited to the flat straight section at the bottom, or just not bother.
Today's car driver decided to overtake quickly and got back onto the correct side of the road for the speed cushion and then came to a stop as they were turning (right) into the school.
I shouted out them whilst trying to slow my 150kg of bike, passengers & luggage on damp tarmac and weave through the narrow gap she had left between car and kerb.
From her expression, I'm not convinced she had realised what she had done/why I had shouted.
Posted 10 years ago # -
A rickshaw is 150kgs?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Tandem, me, 2 kids, lunch boxes etc soon adds up...
Posted 10 years ago # -
"as they were turning (right) into the school"
Teacher?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Probably was. It was way too early for it to be parents dropping off.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Unless they were going to the breakfast club. Alas, daughter #1 does not know if they have one, despite going to the very same school every day.
/me sighs
Posted 10 years ago #
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