CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Shouted at by a taxi driver...

(20 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from Stepdoh

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  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "Put yer arm out earlier, I might see ye!"

    At least he acknowledged I had indicated. Thing is I hadn't shouted anything, nor really waved or even stared, so I'm assuming the reaction was his own guilt. Perhaps.

    I was on Abbeyhill, heading towards the roundabout at the bottom of the Royal Mile which I was turning up. The thing is, I used to indicate earlier than I did this morning, but got a lot of cars roaring up behind thinking I was turning up Calton Road (as indicating earlier necessarily involves indicating before that street).

    I'd rather not get squashed by someone's false assumption. So instead I ride a bit further right to try and discourage overtaking, then indicate and move completely as I draw level with Calton Road. This normally works. Every now and then though.

    The taxi driver had gone to overtake earlier, before realising there was a red light at the crossing ahead, and was right on my tail clearly wanting past (another reason I didn't indicate earlier - wet, horrible road surface, with a taxi up my backside, hands off the bars didn't seem sensible).

    Sadly he caught a green at the first lights after. I didn't. I honestly wasn't going to have a go. Just explain.

    Can't win. He's had his view of cyclists confirmed (despite the fact even when he shouted I shouted nothing back and as he raced off up the hill (yes, over 30mph) I merely shrugged my shoulders in his mirrors); I've had no chance to disavow him of the opinion that I was in the wrong.

    Still. No headwind this morning. A full TWO MINUTES faster on the commute (an improvement of over 10%) and up the Royal Mile in the big ring. So still feels like I did win.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Min
    Member

    It is funny how many drivers or motorcyclists like to drive right up to your right leg and then have a go at you about not signalling or carrying on with your manouvre. I used* to get it a lot at the Picardy Place roundabout when I tried to leave it with drivers from Leith walk roaring up to my left leg despite my clear signal and then apparently expecting me to move across in front of them. ****heads.

    *I don't go that way any more.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. PS
    Member

    No real harm done, Anth, which is the main thing. No doubt further up the road the taxi driver will have found something else (peds, buses, the council) to moan about.

    Your experience does, however, demonstrate the unfortunate and unpalatable truth that sometimes when you're riding your bike the circumstances (bad road surface, weather, obstacles, traffic) will dictate that it's not safe to offer a clear signal to your fellow road users. Good considerate drivers will recognise this and act accordingly (ie, pay more attention); bad inconsiderate drivers will take umbrage and assume you're either a cycling hooligan or going out of your way to cause problems for good honest motorists who pay their taxes and...etc

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "No real harm done, Anth"

    No, exactly. It was all pretty minor, more an irritant that I couldn't explain the error of his ways. Anyone else remember an advert from the 70s (I only remember it from nostalgia tv shows obviously) aimed at drivers giving space to cyclists because they may have to swerve suddenly? (I think a sunken drain, and a dog running out were the examples given of requiring the cyclist to move out suddenly into the road).

    Min, that's pretty uch the problem this morning. He was virtually level with my rear wheel, and yet I'm supposed to signal and move out in the vain hope he's not going to clip that wheel. I can guarantee that if I'd moved out he would have had a go at me swerving in front of him.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I saw a tweet the other day along the lines of "drivers, sometimes I can't signal because it affects my ability to steer and brake. What's your excuse?"

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. DaveC
    Member

    Can we complain to the council about taxi drivers giving their taxi number as a reference? I'll ask a cycling mate who is standing for the council in Fife next year.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. Min
    Member

    "I can guarantee that if I'd moved out he would have had a go at me swerving in front of him."

    Exactly. It was nothing to do with your exact moment of signalling. He was just bullying you.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. Dave
    Member

    Sounds like you need to adjust your whole outlook if the opinion of a mere taxi driver means so much to you ;-)

    Think through the various scenarios, and you'll find there are probably none in which you get to cycle to your destination without upsetting him.

    If you stay on the left and don't indicate, you'll end up having to swerve across the traffic stream without notice. Fail.

    If you stay on the left and indicate (for any length of time), after a delay of variable length - down to zero in the case of some taxi drivers - they will drive through the vacant space on your right since you haven't moved into it. AND you held them up indicating like that. Fail.

    If you move to the right, you are in the way. Fail.

    If I was you I would indicate much earlier, to forestall anybody trying to pass dangerously, but not move out further than the middle of the road, so there is no chance of anyone undertaking either. This will probably be unpopular, but then IMO road safety is like an omelette, made from the upset and inconvenience of motorists.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. wingpig
    Member

    I had a false taxi shout at me for not indicating to his liking the other week when I was turning right onto London Road out of Restalrig Road South. He evidently hasn't noticed the surface of that junction.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    "Can we complain to the council about taxi drivers giving their taxi number as a reference?"

    licensing@edinburgh.gov.uk

    They are supposed to get some sort of 'cycle aware' training, but don't know if there is any sort of 'refresher' course.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. crowriver
    Member

    Never nice to be bellowed at by a motorist. I usually give them it back in spades, unless it really was my fault, in which case a quick "Sorry!" and a hasty departure is my preferred option.

    Anth, I don't understand your signalling though. If you are on that roundabout and you signal left early to turn up the High St, how can anyone possibly confuse that as wanting to turn up Calton Rd, which is after your signalled turn?

    Unless they've switched that roundabout to counter-clockwise flow since I was there last?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Hey Crowriver, I was on Abbeyhill, and signalling and turning right. So the Calton Road turning is before the roundabout where I was turning. I was heading north to south. Hence the reason I would have had to move across in front of the taxi if I'd signalled earlier. If I'd been coming the other direction and turning left up the Royal Mile there wouldn't really have been an issue.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. crowriver
    Member

    Hmm. Anth, you said earlier: "I was on Abbeyhill, heading towards the roundabout at the bottom of the Royal Mile which I was turning up. " So if you are doing that, unless I am very much mistaken, no need to signal until you are on the roundabout, in which case it would be a left hand signal surely?

    In any case the *&^%ing taxi driver was out of order. As if he would have indicated so early.

    Tricky situation. I would probably just have gone into primary position and hogged the roundabout. Hang the bleedin' taxi, he's getting paid anyhow.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. crowriver
    Member

    From the highway code:

    "Roundabouts
    186
    Signals and position.

    When taking the first exit to the left, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise
    signal left and approach in the left-hand lane
    keep to the left on the roundabout and continue signalling left to leave

    When taking an exit to the right or going full circle, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise
    signal right and approach in the right-hand lane
    keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout
    signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want

    When taking any intermediate exit, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise
    select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout
    you should not normally need to signal on approach
    stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout
    signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want"

    So technically you were correct, in that you were going to the right after the roundabout. However given the Calton Rd confusion possibilities, I would have plumped for the "intermediate exit" option personally. Keep the beggars guessing! ;-)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "So technically you were correct, in that you were going to the right after the roundabout. However given the Calton Rd confusion possibilities, I would have plumped for the "intermediate exit" option personally. Keep the beggars guessing! ;-)"

    I like your thinking!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Stepdoh
    Member

    A pause button would be handy in these circumstances, as "iwassignallingearliersoasnottoconfuseyouastomyintentionsnottogoupcaltonroad" doesn't really go over well at speed.

    Had an old chap in a car pull out in front of me at the 'Roseburn Stramash' then gaily wave me on as if he was doing me a favour letting me not hit his car.

    Hammy head shake and glare dispatched.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. Stepdoh
    Member

    The formatting on this forum perfectly underlined my point there :)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    "The formatting on this forum perfectly underlined my point there :)"

    Can't deal with 1,000 letter 'words'...

    Don't think there's an 'auto-hyphenation

    -option'"

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. crowriver
    Member

    Had an old chap in a car pull out in front of me at the 'Roseburn Stramash'

    That is a hellish junction, isn't it?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. Stepdoh
    Member

    Always a joy, think there's few other places in Edinburgh where you can be hit from so many angles at once. Only a problem eastbound though.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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