Deliberately Driven at this Morning « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Deliberately Driven at this Morning

(22 posts)

Started 14 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
Latest reply from gembo

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Wilmington's Cow
Member

It wasn't close or scary or owt, and I'm 99.99999% certain it wasn't an actual 'chicken' situation (if it is then he lost badly).

Riding down the right of the traffic towards Tollcross from the Meadows, well in on my side of the road. Notice a car coming the other way swing over the centre line. Not a drift, a very deliberate motion. It almost immediately swung back to the correct side about ten yards before me.

Got a good look at the driver - a 'yoof' in a beanie laughing with his co-pilot while looking at me. Sadly all over so quickly there was no chance to get the plate - the road in his direction was a clear 30mph and a chase would have probably made him laugh even more. All I got was it being a blue Polo (an' dis iz how I knowz dey is gangsta innit in a motah like dis).

Not exactly something to get the heart pounding even a fraction quicker (I had plenty of running away space to the left as the traffic moved to that side to go through Tollcross) but just another of those little irritants that show there are a lot of people, and a lot more young people coming through the driving ranks, who see the car as some sort of toy.

Posted 14 years ago #
Min
Member

Scumbags. I bet they wouldn't have the guts to threaten you on even territory.

I had a man do this to me when I was riding out to Kirkliston a couple of weeks ago. Made me feel even gladder that I ride in the middle of the lane here (as it is narrow) as it meant he could drive at me and I still had space to move over to avoid being hit (though he did swerve back too-eventually).

Funnily enough, on the way back along the same road I heard a boy racer type engine with pumping music coming in the same direction as me. I was pretty scared. But he slowed down, passed when it was safe to do so and only then accelerated away!

Posted 14 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

I had someone try to overtake me this morning, on the long downhill of Oxgangs Road North, past a pedestrian refuge, while I was already doing 27mph in the 30mph limit.

Of course I saw it all about to happen in my mirrors and had to move right out to the middle of the road but that didn't stop them trying. It took some frantic 'what the hell are you doing?' arm waving to get them to back down.

Numberplate and vehicle colour/make/model duly memorised.

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Numberplate and vehicle colour/make/model duly memorised."

You should be able to think that such incidents could be reported to some organisation that would at least note it in case it happened again...

EDIT

"Grade 5 (Resolution without Deployment) - Calls that can be resolved by the person taking the call or by referral to another appropriate agency providing advice, or by taking a report over the telephone, or by advising the caller that the best course is to go to a police station to progress the matter face to face with a member of police staff. Police will not attend.

REMEMBER: Our staff are highly trained, many of them with long experience of receiving calls from the public. They can often resolve matters by dealing with them there and then, or by referring them to the most appropriate agency."

http://www.lbp.police.uk/contact/callgrading/index.asp

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For all non-emergency issues or enquiries relating to police business, you can:

check our frequently asked questions here
email us on enquiries@lbp.pnn.police.uk

telephone your local station in Scottish Borders, West Lothian, Midlothian, or East Lothian (If your call cannot be taken at your local station it will be diverted to the Communications Centre)

telephone our Communications Centre staff on 0131 311 3131
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Posted 14 years ago #
Kim
Member

This is the sort of thing which makes me want to buy a video camera. I get the impression (from another place) that if you have video evidence the police take things more seriously.

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

I am also tempted by a vid cam, capture things better than my memory

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Should I buy a Veho Muvi?"

http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=49

Posted 14 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

I've got a camera. But it's out on loan at the mo!

Posted 14 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

I always assume that anyone playing silly ****** is not a regular and doesn't realise how easy they are to catch in the city.

As a regular user of Melville Drive and Middle Meadow Walk I notice lots of cars jumping red lights at Argyle Place.

Posted 14 years ago #
recombodna
Member

Pedestrian walked out right in front of me this morning at Gilmore pl/Home st. Sent me flying into the path of a bus which was stationary (thank goodness).The guy then RAN away up the road and I got the evils from the bus driver!!!!!!

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

That's just where someone did same to me last week, although I didn't come off.

I've also seen a lot of dodgy cycling along there too - two red light jumps yesterday - one turning and one straight through -- the second nearly hit me as I had green light and was not expecting oncoming traffic.

Posted 14 years ago #
Dave
Member

Yesterday the law of "nothing will happen until you ride without your camera" came true for me, as a taxi tried to pass me around the pedestrian crossing heading south on Causewayside (about 100 yards north of the junction with Bierex / library).

It was bizarre because there were cars overtaking a cyclist coming the other way, and I was so far over beside the parked cars on my side that he'd have had to pass fully in the other lane for it to work. Also doing 25mph+ not far behind the car in front!

The irony is, he was setting down his fare at he Old Bell (about 20 seconds further on). I can at least understand people being impatient to make the airport in time for a flight, but being impatient to get 50 yards to your stop, just isn't on. I've more-or-less decided to get set up with a new camera (and put the existing one in rear-view mode) which should make interesting viewing.

Posted 14 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

doing 25mph+ not far behind the car in front!

Know this bit of road - sounds like he wanted to intimidate you then. There are some good taxi drivers but people like him spoil it for the rest of them ;-)

He wasn't in one of these newer 'people mover' black cabs?

I've more-or-less decided to get set up with a new camera (and put the existing one in rear-view mode) which should make interesting viewing.

Certainly will... you'll have better coverage than an LRT bus.

Posted 14 years ago #
Dave
Member

Na it was a "proper" black cab.

Strangely although I find the "real" taxis to be better driven in general, they don't seem to like recumbents at all. I've shared much banter with bus drivers from my low vantage point, but the black cabs have a real issue.

"Look at the state of you", one of them shouted at me in evident exasperation. I wasn't really sure what he was objecting to, the bike, the way it was ridden, or my Hoy-like thighs glistening under the setting sun ;-)

Posted 14 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

Old man of Hoy?

Posted 14 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Old man of Hoy?

Dave's just a young guy!

"Look at the state of you"

No doubt coming from an impeccably dressed taxi driver;-) You should always wear a tie don't you know!

Posted 14 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

Seems that despite getting a good look at the car from this morning's incident and calling out the reg onto my phone a minute later, I still managed to get it wrong. Either that or there's a blue Toyota going around with a fake numberplate on it.

I can remember mobile phone numbers easily enough. Why can't I remember something shorter? :-(

Posted 14 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

I use nemonics to remember number plates but I suppose it is the 21st C and I should record it on my phone.

I'd need to remember where the phone is first.

Posted 14 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

Another incident involving a cyclist being driven at
here though it has antecedents so perhaps not quite the same. But a better outcome.

Posted 14 years ago #
gembo
Member

on thursday I was teetering alon on my new bike where I have finally taken the plunge and gone for cleats. I found myself heading towards the very bad 5 way junction on Colinton Road (near Steiner School) and was a tad worried about my right turn. However, the lights were changing so I teetered into the bike box. I then felt that a right turn from here was still going to be a risk and turned myself rather sheepishly into a pedestrian and pushed the bike across the first bit of road onto pavement next to the traffic lights. At which point a man in a BMW in the left lane (presumably my teetering as the lights were changing had prevented him getting through the lights?) shouted at me "mumble, mumble vanquer [I have changed meaning of word here by going french but sound it out, it is the sin of onaanism I have been accused of.] A friend of mine who lives inside my head for such occasions (Mr McGembo from Maryhill), quite politely suggested BMW man took anger management classes. A very nice cyclist tehn pulled into the box and we had a long discussion about the situation.

Yesterday, after cycling 100 miles round rural and very hilly Angus/Perthshire I came home on train from Dundee and then cycled home from Haymarket. At currie I was overtaken in totally correct manner by some young lads and one of them stuck his head out the window and said to me "stupid cyclilst vanquer".

I now wonder whether there is some competition going on from anothe r forum somewhere possibly the one called Tiny Dick Motorists whereby points are aggregated by calling cyclists vanquers? Things appear to be heating up nin the street wars?

Posted 14 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

Perhaps it was the cleats and if you had gone for a cycle chic look they would have held you to their collective bosom for a big cuddle.

Posted 14 years ago #
gembo
Member

1st vanquer cleats but this was so traumatising that I switched to clips for the audax/2nd vanquer (making me last of the finishers, before theorganisers went home, there were some endearing old gents out with the OS Map and disregard for the actual route, one of whom had a full carbon bike, they will be ariving anytime now). Some great scones to be had at Peel Farm about 14 miles North West of Forfar.

Posted 14 years ago #

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