Aaaargh! Drivers!

[Phil Fouracre]

Talk about ‘manic Monday’! what about ‘twatish Tuesday? Out on my regular jaunt/shopping trip to local town (a378 to Langport) if anyone knows it. Just about every sort of idiot driving on display, so much so that I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! - in the end I just had to default to my usual - it’s a lovely day and I am going to enjoy my ride, whatever.
Everything from ridiculously close overtakes, radical left hooks and hard braking right turns, overtakes when there wasn’t even room to get in behind the stationary traffic in front of me etc etc. One ‘lady driver’ even had to come to a stop at the row of parked cars on the other side of the road, as she overtook me as I overtook a row of parked cars on ‘our side of the road’. Another ‘floored it’ pushing past me as I overtook another long row of parked cars on a shallow bend, to be met by a local hauliers lorry with a queue behind him - how far they had to reverse to sort that one out I’ve no idea -they never overtook me in the next few miles!
Finally, probably explaining a lot of the above - I was overtaken by a driving school car, only driver, so no student! Having given me a lot of ‘those negative waves’ he then almost drove into the front of a car turning out of a junction ‘against him’!! I always thought that you weren’t supposed to overtake approaching junctions - but, what would I know? I’m not a driving instructor. (Kelvins driving school, if anyone has come across it!)

[Darkman]

...and Boris Johnson thinks these cretins are going to "take responsibility" when pandemic restrictions have been lifted!

Ha!

[ChrisP100]

Talk about ‘manic Monday’! what about ‘twatish Tuesday? Out on my regular jaunt/shopping trip to local town (a378 to Langport) if anyone knows it. Just about every sort of idiot driving on display, so much so that I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! - in the end I just had to default to my usual - it’s a lovely day and I am going to enjoy my ride, whatever.
Everything from ridiculously close overtakes, radical left hooks and hard braking right turns, overtakes when there wasn’t even room to get in behind the stationary traffic in front of me etc etc. One ‘lady driver’ even had to come to a stop at the row of parked cars on the other side of the road, as she overtook me as I overtook a row of parked cars on ‘our side of the road’. Another ‘floored it’ pushing past me as I overtook another long row of parked cars on a shallow bend, to be met by a local hauliers lorry with a queue behind him - how far they had to reverse to sort that one out I’ve no idea -they never overtook me in the next few miles!
Finally, probably explaining a lot of the above - I was overtaken by a driving school car, only driver, so no student! Having given me a lot of ‘those negative waves’ he then almost drove into the front of a car turning out of a junction ‘against him’!! I always thought that you weren’t supposed to overtake approaching junctions - but, what would I know? I’m not a driving instructor. (Kelvins driving school, if anyone has come across it!)

I think we've all had one of those days.

[rjb]

Hope you enjoyed the Rival Curry. Was this Korma or the full Vindaloo and watch out for the 5 headed hydra

[ChrisP100]

Talk about ‘manic Monday’! what about ‘twatish Tuesday? Out on my regular jaunt/shopping trip to local town (a378 to Langport) if anyone knows it. Just about every sort of idiot driving on display, so much so that I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! - in the end I just had to default to my usual - it’s a lovely day and I am going to enjoy my ride, whatever.
Everything from ridiculously close overtakes, radical left hooks and hard braking right turns, overtakes when there wasn’t even room to get in behind the stationary traffic in front of me etc etc. One ‘lady driver’ even had to come to a stop at the row of parked cars on the other side of the road, as she overtook me as I overtook a row of parked cars on ‘our side of the road’. Another ‘floored it’ pushing past me as I overtook another long row of parked cars on a shallow bend, to be met by a local hauliers lorry with a queue behind him - how far they had to reverse to sort that one out I’ve no idea -they never overtook me in the next few miles!
Finally, probably explaining a lot of the above - I was overtaken by a driving school car, only driver, so no student! Having given me a lot of ‘those negative waves’ he then almost drove into the front of a car turning out of a junction ‘against him’!! I always thought that you weren’t supposed to overtake approaching junctions - but, what would I know? I’m not a driving instructor. (Kelvins driving school, if anyone has come across it!)

I think we've all had one of those days.

...and about an hour after I'd posted that I'd been close passed by a bus doing (at a guess) 55 - 60mph, had a pedestrian step in front of me whilst I was riding at 15mph, had a car door opened on me and to top it off a Deliveroo rider nearly t-boned me at a junction because he was going the wrong way up a 1-way street (luckily checked right and slammed on just in time).

On the plus side, I've confirmed my balance is good, my handling skills are sharp and my emergency stop is absolutely nailed

[Richard D]

I had three morons yesterday. The first delivered a close pass in his van - I shouted "oy", so he stopped got out and harranged me about "arrogant cyclists, holding up the traffic, we should be closer to the kerb, he could have hit the car in the opposite direction" etc. Oh, and I should be careful who I shout at as I could get beaten up. I’d have called him a <i>[rude word removed]</i>, but his mate got out of the van too. He managed to hold up a line of about twenty cars.

The second was driving up to a T-junction while texting. I pointed out that it was 6 penalty points, but she said she wasn’t driving as she was at a junction (?), that I couldn’t film her without her permission (?), and that my actions were "white privilege" (???). She then said she'd make a phone call to some people who would beat me up.

The last one was pretty mild - just driving straight through a red light at temporary traffic lights. I’d not bother normally, but I recognised the reg number as someone who has driven like a <i>[rude word removed]</i> around me on other occasions.

Will upload all three clips later for West Mids Police to ignore.

[3speednut]

Although not had any incidents recently, there is a definite feel of frustration and resentment on the roads, due no doubt to everyone trying to make up for lost time with thing's opening up more, shame after last year's cycling joy, the price we pay for car centric culture.

[chris_suffolk]

Approaching a T-junction today, where I'm turning right. As I get to about 50m to go, and having moved to the center of the road, the only car behind me decides to over-take. Not enough time for him to pull in, so ends up stopped in the opposite lane. I can see that I can get out, being slightly ahead of him, but he can't and pulls into the path of an on-coming car that has to stop. Then, still alongside me, he has to pull into the path of another on-coming as we pass parked cars on our side - I dont need to go over the white line.

Complimenting him on his over-taking ability, he tells me I should have stopped to allow him to pass (only he wasn't quite that polite). At the same time as he has to pull in to allow more on-coming cars to pass, and I just cycle off and leave him behind.

Do drivers SERIOUSLY think I should stop to allow them to over-take me? I'd never get anywhere.

[Phil Fouracre]

Interesting replies! I’ve tried to work out the mentality of drivers over a long time, but, haven’t managed to come to any definitive conclusions. Loads of posts on various forums about drivers trying to kill cyclists etc, but, I don’t really think that this is the case - more that ‘people’ just do not think much about anyone else! They are so singlemindedly ‘going about their business’ that nothing else registers.
There are such weak sanctions against poor/dangerous driving that it’s not perceived as being worth bothering about. The whole ‘aggressive’ driver construct, I think is really just unthinking stupidity. Even from my initial comments/examples, it was not really antagonism towards me, but, a total lack of anticipation/awareness of what was happening in front of/or around them.
Probably the most common example I see of ‘scary driving’, is when I’m overtaken on A roads! I will be given plenty of room, so no problem for me, ie they will cross the centre line, but, it will be on a blind bend!! What is going through their mind in these situations is just incomprehensible - I’ve even been accused of it being my fault when they do it!

[Jdsk]

Interesting replies! I’ve tried to work out the mentality of drivers over a long time, but, haven’t managed to come to any definitive conclusions. Loads of posts on various forums about drivers trying to kill cyclists etc, but, I don’t really think that this is the case - more that ‘people’ just do not think much about anyone else! They are so singlemindedly ‘going about their business’ that nothing else registers.
There are such weak sanctions against poor/dangerous driving that it’s not perceived as being worth bothering about. The whole ‘aggressive’ driver construct, I think is really just unthinking stupidity. Even from my initial comments/examples, it was not really antagonism towards me, but, a total lack of anticipation/awareness of what was happening in front of/or around them.
Probably the most common example I see of ‘scary driving’, is when I’m overtaken on A roads! I will be given plenty of room, so no problem for me, ie they will cross the centre line, but, it will be on a blind bend!! What is going through their mind in these situations is just incomprehensible - I’ve even been accused of it being my fault when they do it!

I *agree with a lot of that.

+ the same behaviour very rarely causes harm. (Swiss cheese model.)

+ there's a lot more energy around than we realise, so terrible damage occurs quickly when things go wrong.

And this way of thinking about the problem is why I don't think that "Catching and punishing the criminals" is the most important approach in reducing harm.

Jonathan

* viewtopic.php?t=140379

[Jdsk]

Approaching a T-junction today, where I'm turning right. As I get to about 50m to go, and having moved to the center of the road, the only car behind me decides to over-take. Not enough time for him to pull in, so ends up stopped in the opposite lane. I can see that I can get out, being slightly ahead of him, but he can't and pulls into the path of an on-coming car that has to stop. Then, still alongside me, he has to pull into the path of another on-coming as we pass parked cars on our side - I dont need to go over the white line.

Complimenting him on his over-taking ability, he tells me I should have stopped to allow him to pass (only he wasn't quite that polite). At the same time as he has to pull in to allow more on-coming cars to pass, and I just cycle off and leave him behind.

Do drivers SERIOUSLY think I should stop to allow them to over-take me? I'd never get anywhere.

Highway Code Rule 168:
Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway ... 159-to-203

Jonathan

[cycle tramp]

Do drivers SERIOUSLY think I should stop to allow them to over-take me? I'd never get anywhere.

It's a difficult one, especially as cycling to the village shop a while back a neighbour attempted to overtake me and almost ended up running into a parked car... however where there is some room to overtake I will stop pedalling while they finish their manoeuvre...

And if we flip the statement on its head we get 'Do cyclists SERIOUSLY think that I have to wait for a really safe place for me to overtake them in a car? I'd never get anywhere'

On ny first morning's ride to get animal supplies, which is single track lanes, a shared walk way and cycle path; and a bit of a road - I pulled in four times to let cars go past on the lanes, and two families moved to the side of the walk way and cycle path, to let me pass.. As Terry Parchett once wrote, we deal fairly with those in weakness, because we may ask the same of them when they are powerful.

[ChrisP100]

Approaching a T-junction today, where I'm turning right. As I get to about 50m to go, and having moved to the center of the road, the only car behind me decides to over-take. Not enough time for him to pull in, so ends up stopped in the opposite lane. I can see that I can get out, being slightly ahead of him, but he can't and pulls into the path of an on-coming car that has to stop. Then, still alongside me, he has to pull into the path of another on-coming as we pass parked cars on our side - I dont need to go over the white line.

Complimenting him on his over-taking ability, he tells me I should have stopped to allow him to pass (only he wasn't quite that polite). At the same time as he has to pull in to allow more on-coming cars to pass, and I just cycle off and leave him behind.

Do drivers SERIOUSLY think I should stop to allow them to over-take me? I'd never get anywhere.

I have a similar dilemma on my morning commute. I have to make a a R-turn at traffic lights, and there are 2 lanes leading up to the lights. I'm generally in the R-hand lane with 75m to go because the traffic in the L-hand lane is going straight on and it's usually difficult/dangerous to get across otherwise.

I've had cars cut me up on numerous occasions, but I just hold my line in the centre of the lane. If I'm over to the left of the lane I'm potentially holding up 2 lanes of traffic, and also stand the chance of getting side swiped by a wide vehicle. What makes me mad sometimes is that about 30m beyond my right turn is a pelican crossing, and the amount of cars who've been behind me at the lights think it's perfectly acceptable to overtake me within the bounds of the crossing zig-zag markings when I'm the closest vehicle to the crossing.

I'll happily pull over to the left when it is safe to do so, but a junction just beyond the crossing and a row of parked cars make that nigh on impossible. It's the middle of the lane for me until I'm well beyond the crossing, which depending on parked cars is anywhere between 150-200m beyond my initial right turn. I'm holding people up for no more than 10-15 seconds.

Rule 191
'You MUST NOT park on a crossing or in the area covered by the zig-zag lines. You MUST NOT overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians.
Laws ZPPPCRGD regs 18, 20 & 24, RTRA sect 25(5) & TSRGD regs 10, 27 & 28'

[thirdcrank]

IMO, the only real difference between cyclists and drivers is that the latter have much more capacity to do harm. Riding a bike doesn't give the rider some sort of divine halo, although some seem to have a touch of self-righteousness.

[ChrisP100]

IMO, the only real difference between cyclists and drivers is that the latter have much more capacity to do harm. Riding a bike doesn't give the rider some sort of divine halo, although some seem to have a touch of self-righteousness.

I agree, and I am always courteous where it is SAFE to do so, either when driving a motor vehicle or riding my bike. I know I'm just as likely to cause myself harm or injury by unsafe driving/riding as I am to harm or injure somebody else.