Impatience on the Roads Today « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Impatience on the Roads Today

(28 posts)

Started 12 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
Latest reply from crowriver

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Wilmington's Cow
Member

Maybe it's just the Monday effect, but everyone seemed to be in a real rush this morning. Nothing outright dangerous, but just.... a bit unnecessary. None more so than a couple of eejits at the top of Dundas Street. Big queue to turn right into Queen Street as access to George Street is limited. I'm filtering past in the straight ahead lane, in which there is nothing, and a Porsche Cayenne (ah yes, that would explain it) absolutely hammers past... To stop at the red light that is 20 yards further on. I scowl as I pass and pull in between a red Micra in the ASL and a taxi behind that are in the right turn lane.

Incidentally, red Micra person, clutch control would stop you rolling back into my front wheel - thankfully at an angle, so the wheel merely turned rather tyhan being pringled.

So it turns out Mr Tiny Appendage Cayenne is only going straight on to avoid the turning queue as he performs an immediate U-turn once across the junction then turns left (as he's looking at it now) into Queen Street, and ROARS off to the next red light. BMW 5 Series performs the same trick, but I make my turn before he's finished his, so he ROARS past with inches to spare to wait at the same red. Naturally I filter past both.

I only catch a glimpse of the Cayenne after that as he gets 'stuck' behind me as we climb to Charlotte Square. I say 'stuck', I was keeping pace with the car in front. And the light ahead was red. So I filtered to the very front. Never saw either Porker or Beemer again after that.

Bike wins.

Posted 12 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

Massive delays around Craiglockhart this morning thanks to gas repairs at Napier.

I had to actively block a CEC patient transport bus from trying to overtake me, and the cyclist I was following, at a pedestrian crossing island. I was already watching its proximity in my mirrors, but if you're going to drive a turbodiesel, I can also hear it whine as soon as you put your foot down.

Then I received a shedload of abuse from a motorist because I dared criticise their need to break HWC rule 243.

Just another day in the lives of cyclist scum.

Posted 12 years ago #
cb
Member

"Incidentally, red Micra person, clutch control would stop you rolling back into my front wheel "

Or you could use that thing called the handbrake.

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

That's the thing, I'm pretty sure they did have the handbrake on (brake lights weren't light while stopped). But they moved off, then stopped, then moved off again, and it was the second moving off that they rolled back enough to nudge me!

Posted 12 years ago #
Min
Member

Multiple drivers brushing past me on Inverleith Row this morning. Don't normally go down there at that time so don't know what it is normally like. they did all seem to be taking care to give the cyclist a we way in front of me plenty of room though.

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Surely you're leaving enough room for them to roll back a bit (or I hate to imagine what the front of your car looks like!)

I thought it was busy this morning too, although I was running early - there was lots parked up to cause extra excitement too.

The buses going down to Picardy Place is adding a *lot* of tailback there (backed up to the pedestrian flyover before 8am)

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

"Surely you're leaving enough room for them to roll back a bit (or I hate to imagine what the front of your car looks like!)"

A peculiarly 'bike' orientated incident (and no, I've never been rolled into in the car - once reversed into by a van driver who decided to come out of a parking space without looking while I was parked behind him - strangely that appeared to be my fault for parking behind him... In a parking space...).

Anyway. I was filtering past the queue that this Micra was at the head of. Long queue, no way of seeing what was happening at the head. Micra was in, and slightly past, the ASL. Couldn't sit in front as I'd be in the middle of the junction, but there was a gap to the taxi behind which I sat in.

Then (as mentioned above :P) they moved off no problem, I moved off. They stopped (for no reason, after moving a yard). I stopped. They rolled back, nudged me, then went again.

Perhaps if I'd anticipated the stop after a yard (for, I should reiterate, absolutely no reason) the nudge may have been avoided. Of course that may have meant getting a taxi nudging me from behind.

So only a situation I could have found myself in on the bike. And I have a dent-free car.

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

But Dave, nice (ironic?) try at victim-blaming.... If I had been hit by a truck this morning would you have said "Surely you're not riding up the left hand side of trucks?" :P

Posted 12 years ago #
ARobComp
Member

Yep I can concur with this. Cowgate was rife with people dangeriously overtaking me and another cyclist for no other reason than to gain about 20 seconds before we overtook them again in gridlocked grassmarket. One that afterwards made me do a little double take was a barnardos van which passed super close following a small red car. The red car had plenty space, big van didn't.
I've sent a note into Barnardos so hoping for a reply.

Posted 12 years ago #
minus six
Member

Got cut up by an impatient old focker this morning at Blackhall..

.. at the very same ped crossing where another impatient old focker killed the paperboy cyclist a few years back.

Nothing changes.

Posted 12 years ago #
Darkerside
Member

Had a very pleasant, sunny, crisp ride in this morning. Along with light bafflement at the Hampden cab which had stopped in front of me at a red light, then brazenly turned left through it. I waited another minute for it to cycle through, so wasnt even as if he was 'anticipating the change'. Admittedly the roads were dead at the time, but still...

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Hampden cab"

Is that the Glasgow version of a Hansom Cab?!

Posted 12 years ago #
alibali
Member

Massive delays around Craiglockhart this morning thanks to gas repairs at Napier.

Yup. And the white lining at Oxgangs and the pavement widening at Firrhill and the works outside Watsons and the closure of Gilespie Junction. Plenty of grumpy/late/aggressive drivers as a result.

End of year roads budget splurge?

Been pandemonium in the Craiglockhart scheme for a few days and anybody planing to use Craiglockhart Road (Safer Route to School, Spokes map route etc) would do well to steer clear for now.

Posted 12 years ago #
Darkerside
Member

"Is that the Glasgow version of a Hansom Cab?!"

Sadly not, as that looks much more fun! They're the dominant private cab firm in Glasgow, and although they had an exceptionally dodgy reputation in the 'olden days' they're clean as a whistle now. Absolutely. Definitely no doubt there.

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Absolutely. Definitely no doubt there"

Nothing like a bit of certainty.

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

lot of cones going out on lanark road after gillespies X-road heading west. I fear massive tailbacks in the offing.

Posted 12 years ago #
Smudge
Member

@Anth, hmmm don't think Dave was victim blaming, the smarta**e know it all in me, (sorry!), points to the defensive driving/riding lessons which remind us to always allow room for the muppet in front to roll back a foot or two, and in the case of two wheelers have an idle idea of where we are going to try to escape to if they keep coming :-/

If he rolled back more than three feet I apologise for the presumption, if it was less.... stay safe out there!

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Ah, I missed that reply (busy day at work). Yes, somewhat tongue in cheek.

I believe the correct form in the truck-hitting scenario is to use the incident as a springboard to strenuously warn of the dangers of riding up the inside of large vehicles, but of course avoid any suggestion that you individually had done so ;-)

Posted 12 years ago #
splitshift
Member

a nissan micra that can roll ? forward or back ? things are usuually solid, front calipers are the same quality as found on supermarket bike brakes ! If I had a pound for evry caliper that id had to free off.......actually as a mechanic of old i actually did get a pound !Ive seen many with plastic wheel covers melting around wheels, as they are commuter cars ( !) they tend to be driven by no brains with less than zero mechanical sympathy or understanding !
ok, a wee bit of thread slippage there !
scott
present micra driving company excepted (unless its pink !)

Posted 12 years ago #
Nelly
Member

........I think driving is worse on fridays - at about 4-5pm when the pub beckons.

What I will say is - today I drove (had to go to dunfermline before coming home) and what a totally stressful experience rush hour driving is - gyle to dunfie back to city centre, all at rush hour - cant stop for a cashline as double yellows everywhere, tooting horns, maniacs cutting you up.

Its much more chilled by bike - even with the occasional eejit about.

p.s. not sure Dunfermline looks much more bike friendly, lots of cars speeding, looking at me like Im an alien for adhering to speed limits in built up areas !

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

@Smudge, I was more having a cheap lighthearted dig at Dave who, at any mention of cyclists going up the inside of trucks states that the cyclist will inevitably be blamed when actually the truck driver is at fault because he should be looking; but when a Micra rolls into me presumes that I was too close and not that the Micra driver should not be rolling back... :P

Didn't roll more than 3 feet. I'll try and explain the scenario again, because there is clearly a belief that I was sitting right on the bumper here! It wasn't when they first set off that they rolled. We had started moving. They stopped after moving a yard, nothing in front, nothing blocking the way, nothing running out. Just... stopped. Both me AND the taxi behind had started moving. I didn't want to execute a full-on emergency stop in case the taxi behind me went into the back of me - so yes, I was closer than three feet, entirely by circumstance of bad driving in stopping for no reason and anticipation of the driver behind not paying attention.

And because I had been put between the two because the Micra was already in the ASL at the red light and I couldn't wait in front as I would have been out in the face of crossing traffic, nor sit to the left as there was traffic looking to go straight on and it would mean that the traffic in the right turning lane wouldn't realise I was turning right. The space in between was the only logical place to wait for the lights to change. But as I say, first time round the Micra moved away perfectly, it was afterwards that the clutch control let them down.

I think I need diagrams...

Posted 12 years ago #
Smudge
Member

Nah, no diagrams needed this time, perhaps an airzound though in case of a recurrence ;-) :-))

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

I've been tempted lately!

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

" but when a Micra rolls into me presumes that I was too close and not that the Micra driver should not be rolling back... :P "

Well, legally I think the driver may be at fault for rolling back into you. (Although I guess they would argue that if they were having trouble pulling away, it was 100% negligent to come up so close behind them? ;-)

Remembering that I didn't bring up the goods vehicle issue, this is the same as their drivers' responsibility to check the nearside before driving over someone - however, in both cases it's habitually tough luck for the victim. I bet that if this story was on EEN (or in the pub, or asked in a referendum) everyone would simply say tailgaters get their just desserts :P

Posted 12 years ago #
cosmok
Member

Typically its the same car or two that overtake and speed off aggressively during a commute and you see them a few times. This morning it was a couple in a Saab convertible who just couldn't wait to get past me time and time again despite the fact the roads were pretty quiet (7am) and I was moving at a good speed. I think due to traffic flows and lights they overtook me 4 times in a 2 mile stretch and each time floored it to get past me, while not giving me much room.

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

@cosmok 4 times in 2 mile and flooring it each time, just think of the total waste of fuel. I would love to be able to confirm my speculation that if everyone drove at a slower pace eg 25 mphw that travelling times would reduce.

Posted 12 years ago #
LivM
Member

Antitraffic eats traffic! http://trafficwaves.org/trafexp.html

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

From the above link: Ironic that the angry people who push ahead as fast as possible might unwittingly participate in "amplifying" the very conditions that they hate so much.

Indeed!

Posted 12 years ago #

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