Cars suddenly parking on the pavement without indicating thoughts.

[chomango]

Had a bit of a strange incident today - no injured parties but could have had a different outcome.

I'm cycling down quite a wide residential street, not busy by any means, has a major road at one end and a smaller road at the other. The area is a bit of a mess with the smaller road having speed bumps and even a 20mph zone and the major road being a fairly fast moving road. The upshot is that many cars do drive worryingly fast and quite recklessly, I'm sure if they were stopped on the different roads in the area they wouldn't be able to tell you what speed they should and shouldn't be doing etc.

Anyway this road is pretty wide but motorists do tend to floor it and just all round behave like they are in a rush so I tend to be extra cautious.

Today I was far to the left with a fair distance behind a car which was cruising at a normal/slow speed - Suddenly the car slows to a crawl and mounts the pavement without any warning coming to a full stop, I slow down and come to a stop behind the car - meanwhile the car behind driving at a fast speed is right behind me and has swung out into the incoming lane to overtake passing me narrowly.

I look behind to see there are no other cars coming and forward to see the car in front is stationary and head off to overtake this car. An olderly gent opens the roadside passenger door as I am passing nearly dooring me then snaps it back shut. He opens it again when I have passed and starts hurling verbal abuse at me.

I just stopped without responding and let him 'vent', driver then gets out with an almost childish smile finding the whole situation quite funny. Another elderly passenger gets out of the back and the two elderly folk enter the building - The driver then gets back in the car possibly feeling some remorse and manouvers into the car park of the Doctors surgery they are outside which they could have pulled into in the first place.

I'm at a loss really, this was a really strange incident - Unfortunately it's time consuming on these roads to navigate all the cars parked on the pavements which are potential hotspots for getting doored or overtaken closely but I normally allow extra time and give way to oncoming vehicles or pull to the side if there is a fast approaching car from the back.

Anyone else have experience of cars suddenly parking up like this? I think in this instance if the car in front had indicated and taken there time parking, even if they were planning on mounting the pavement then that would have signalled to the car behind approaching myself what was going on and they wouldn't have attempted the close pass.

I also feel that they were in the wrong for obstructing the road and then trying to open a door on the road-side, I think the old chap thought I should have just waited there in the road for them but I had no way of knowing that passengers would try and exit on the road side.

Thankyou

[eileithyia]

Sounds like a big learning curve and why we need to be ever vigilante....
Not saying you were in the wrong.. but if a car was cruising at a slower than usual pace for the road I would have been over cautious as to their intent.. Having stopped as they did it would be highly likely they would then be opening the door to exit the vehicle, and again extra caution would have been used on my behalf...... whilst he was probably in the wrong... etc., anticipation is a great thing to have in your armour.


Last week I and another unknown cyclist were following a learner in a 20mph area with speed cushions and parked cars. i was shocked at how close this other cyclist rode to the car, as she had slowed to less than walking pace on several occasions to negotiate the speed bumps and with approaching cars it was not possible to pass her..... to me he was continually putting himself into a precarious position.

[reohn2]

It's a case of morons in motors,the solution is to always expect the unexpected,many drivers are not only idiots but feel justified in their idiocy.
I could write a book about such loonies,and I would,but no one would read it.

[mjr]

Suddenly the car slows to a crawl and mounts the pavement without any warning coming to a full stop, [...] opens the roadside passenger door as I am passing nearly dooring me [...]
Anyone else have experience of cars suddenly parking up like this?

I don't remember ones parking but around here, motorists drive up on the pavement and keep on at nearly full speed to get around people waiting to turn right, then bump down onto the carriageway again.

While they drove illegally, you should still never ever ride close enough to a car to get doored (and I don't care what certain people post about narrow streets and having to ride in the door zone cycle lane to allow idiots to overtake - no, just no, I will keep on riding in the middle and they will just have to wait).

[mig]

there is a 300 metre or so stretch of my commute where i have to choose between riding in the door zone of a line of parked cars or bounce over a left hand tram track and ride along the middle of that. never a good time is had. have had a few cars slow up in that area and try to park as there is a nearby school. have even had the tram whizz past on my right elbow giving me zero room either side.

[mark1964]

OMG, yes, this is a major annoyance of mine.

I learnt to drive in 1981 and had an Uncle who was a professional instructor. Being family, he was free to swear at me when I got things wrong. He's long dead now, but he did impress into me that you DO NOT drive & park on pavements.

Its rife now, isn't it?.

Standing with my bike outside local shops a few weeks ago, waiting to cross road, car coming down hill mounts pavement to stop about 1m from me. Thought what would happen if drivers foot slipped on wrong pedal....

This is Portland St, Bristol on my commute home. RHS used to have pavement, but now one long driveway (thanks a bunch, South Glos Council planners you idiots!! ). People don't use bays properly, plenty of cars mount & drive along it if road blocked by other cars turning. Stupid design.Yellow arrow shows path some drivers take - along former pavement.

Outside local shop on quiet Saturday morning, double yellow lines outside shop, single yellow & legal all-day parking about 20m away. Bloke in 4*4 mounts pavement & parks completely in the middle of the pavement so he (fat bloke) has only 2m to waddle into the shop. Lazy git.

[MOARspeed]

The only thing that makes these situations worse, is when the idiot has just overtaken you.

[JanetK]

"The only thing that makes these situations worse, is when the idiot has just overtaken you."
This happened to me yesterday, a guy overtook me whilst i was cycling over the bridge into town in St Neots and once across he abruptly braked and pulled up onto the pavement on the left. There were red lights ahead so I was slowing, hoping I wouldn't have to unclip and stop. I had to make a wide arc to the right to avoid his door as he opened to get out. I didn't challenge him, but did give him one of my long hard " what a w*****" stares". Some people are idiots.