Petty annoyances on the road....

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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Traction_man
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Joined: 10 Jan 2020, 5:30pm
Location: Bangor NI

Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by Traction_man »

Manc33 wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 4:38am Cars that won't go past me when "you could fit a bus through there". Have they knocked a cyclist off in the past? Are they drunk? I don't trust these people! I'm not saying cars should take risks and pass too close, I am saying there's endless instances on really wide roads where they still won't go past me. Get real! GO. PAST. ME.
I'd rather have a cautious driver behind me waiting for a safe overtake, as long as they're not right on my tail. A road may well be wide enough to pass by safely but what's the road ahead like, I agree if it's straight and clear why not overtake, but if there's doubt then it's wise to wait.

In my experience as driver and cyclist, it's always, if in doubt don't.
Manc33
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by Manc33 »

Phil Fouracre wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 11:30am
Manc33 wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 4:38am Cars that won't go past me when "you could fit a bus through there". Have they knocked a cyclist off in the past? Are they drunk? I don't trust these people! I'm not saying cars should take risks and pass too close, I am saying there's endless instances on really wide roads where they still won't go past me. Get real! GO. PAST. ME.
Fully agree! On another level, it’s frightening because it just shows that their judgement is so poor - if they can’t overtake when there is space, what happens when there isn’t? The follow on from not overtaking when there is lots of space, is that they then get frustrated and push past when there isn’t any.
Exactly. Some pass me completely in the opposite lane. Even Mr. Tickle couldn't reach out and touch the car. :lol:

There's an equal amount passing where they shouldn't (usually over solid white lines, combined with it being a white van).
We'll always be together, together on electric bikes.
Mike Sales
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Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by Mike Sales »

Traction_man wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 1:14pm
Manc33 wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 4:38am Cars that won't go past me when "you could fit a bus through there". Have they knocked a cyclist off in the past? Are they drunk? I don't trust these people! I'm not saying cars should take risks and pass too close, I am saying there's endless instances on really wide roads where they still won't go past me. Get real! GO. PAST. ME.
I'd rather have a cautious driver behind me waiting for a safe overtake, as long as they're not right on my tail. A road may well be wide enough to pass by safely but what's the road ahead like, I agree if it's straight and clear why not overtake, but if there's doubt then it's wise to wait.

In my experience as driver and cyclist, it's always, if in doubt don't.
Such reluctant overtakers make me nervous, I am uneasily aware of their prescence, and fear that they will run out of patience (often in short supply behind the wheel), and choose a poor opportunity.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
DevonDamo
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by DevonDamo »

Mike Sales wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 2:38pmSuch reluctant overtakers make me nervous, I am uneasily aware of their prescence, and fear that they will run out of patience (often in short supply behind the wheel), and choose a poor opportunity.
Yep, or you'll be in for a series of punishment passes from the queue of frustrated drivers behind the one who won't overtake. (Yes, I know this shouldn't happen, but the reality is that it does.)
De Sisti
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by De Sisti »

DevonDamo wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 2:54pm
Mike Sales wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 2:38pmSuch reluctant overtakers make me nervous, I am uneasily aware of their prescence, and fear that they will run out of patience (often in short supply behind the wheel), and choose a poor opportunity.
Yep, or you'll be in for a series of punishment passes from the queue of frustrated drivers behind the one who won't overtake. (Yes, I know this shouldn't happen, but the reality is that it does.)
Quite the opposite in my experience. One driver waits and gives a wide berth when overtaking,
the drivers following behind do the same.
Mike Sales
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by Mike Sales »

De Sisti wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 3:51pm
Quite the opposite in my experience. One driver waits and gives a wide berth when overtaking,
the drivers following behind do the same.
That can happen, just as one close pass can be followed by another. I suppose that not all drivers have the same habits!
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
scragend
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Joined: 13 Oct 2020, 7:16pm

Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by scragend »

Manc33 wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 4:38am Cars that won't go past me when "you could fit a bus through there". Have they knocked a cyclist off in the past? Are they drunk? I don't trust these people! I'm not saying cars should take risks and pass too close, I am saying there's endless instances on really wide roads where they still won't go past me. Get real! GO. PAST. ME.
I'm glad it's not just me! People sitting behind me when there's acres of room to go through winds me up so much.

I've startled many an innocent pedestrian by shouting over my shoulder "Go on! You could get a bus through there!" etc. I did it once only to then find that said vehicle not coming through was indeed a bus. But it would still have fitted :lol:
thirdcrank
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by thirdcrank »

It seems odd to me that the driver/rider of one vehicle should consider themselves the best judge of things like the field of view of another. As a particularly memorable example, I was once driving behind a rider on a twist climb in the Dales. He was gesturing me to overtake windmilling his right arm but I had zilch view of the road ahead and there was no way I was going to overtake him, even though he was inevitably climbing relatively slowly. I'd not drive right up somebody's exhaust pipe - even when they don't have one. One real concern in these situations is that if you are driving with a tailgater, moving out to overtake may be misinterpreted as a chance to pass on the inside.

That's not to say that a "danger" signal might be appropriate. On another occasion I was riding on a very narrow Dales road with a car behind and I could clearly hear something coming the other way. I tried to indicate to the driver behind that they should stay behind me but they raced past and then wished they had taken my advice.
scragend
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by scragend »

thirdcrank wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 8:27pm It seems odd to me that the driver/rider of one vehicle should consider themselves the best judge of things like the field of view of another. As a particularly memorable example, I was once driving behind a rider on a twist climb in the Dales. He was gesturing me to overtake windmilling his right arm but I had zilch view of the road ahead and there was no way I was going to overtake him, even though he was inevitably climbing relatively slowly. I'd not drive right up somebody's exhaust pipe - even when they don't have one. One real concern in these situations is that if you are driving with a tailgater, moving out to overtake may be misinterpreted as a chance to pass on the inside.

That's not to say that a "danger" signal might be appropriate. On another occasion I was riding on a very narrow Dales road with a car behind and I could clearly hear something coming the other way. I tried to indicate to the driver behind that they should stay behind me but they raced past and then wished they had taken my advice.
I'm not sure it's judging what someone else's field of view is, more like having a better field of view than they do because you're further forward/higher up. But yes I take your point.

The scenario I was picturing in the "you can get a bus through there" example was where I knew that the forward visibility of the following driver at that point would be plenty good enough to see that there was nothing to stop them overtaking (they are roads that I drive on more than I ride on, in general).

With regard to your second paragraph, when I'm on the bike with a car behind and there are bends in the road, I do sometimes signal to the driver one way or the other - as soon as I can see round the bend and I am certain that it is clear, I'll give them a thumbs up, but I take no offence if they take no notice. If I were in that car, would I take the judgement of some cyclist whom I don't know from Adam? Of course not. As well as a cyclist, I am a competent driver (or at least I like to think so!), but they don't know that.

I sometimes see slow-moving vehicles e.g. tractors give a flash or two of the left indicator to mean the same thing.

Conversely, if I can see round the corner that it isn't clear, I will give a palm downwards "no, hang on, not yet" sort of gesture. Particularly if one driver has already chanced his/her arm, gone past and made me think "That wasn't safe", I'll give that gesture to the second driver to try to dissuade them from blindly following (e.g. the first driver got away with it but I can see that there is now an oncoming vehicle and if the second driver follows they won't be so lucky).

I'm not trying to direct traffic or drive someone else's car for them, just to be helpful and not hold up anyone more than is necessary. Yes, I know I've just as much right to be on the road as they have, but if we can all get along with a bit of give and take, then why shouldn't we?
jb
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by jb »

Its difficult to judge what the driver of another vehicle sees or experiences but there are definitely those that crawl along behind for mile after mile waiting for Heathrow runway to open up in front so they can make that risk free pass. Sometimes its better to jump off the bike at a gateway and let them and the following entourage pass by then you can get on with enjoying the countryside or the conversation you were having which is infinitely more pleasurable than listening to a car engine wining along behind you.
Depends on the speed your doing as to how convenient that is I suppose.
Cheers
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ANTONISH
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by ANTONISH »

jb wrote: 28 Dec 2021, 12:31am Its difficult to judge what the driver of another vehicle sees or experiences but there are definitely those that crawl along behind for mile after mile waiting for Heathrow runway to open up in front so they can make that risk free pass. Sometimes its better to jump off the bike at a gateway and let them and the following entourage pass by then you can get on with enjoying the countryside or the conversation you were having which is infinitely more pleasurable than listening to a car engine wining along behind you.
Depends on the speed your doing as to how convenient that is I suppose.
If I find myself in that position I always pull over at the nearest opportunity.
I only lose a couple of seconds - as you say, one can get on with enjoying the countryside.
thirdcrank
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by thirdcrank »

No matter what your means of transport, if the following vehicle is too close behind, there's a real reason for grievance - not petty annoyance - because it's dangerous and potentially fatal if the following vehicle is a large one. Otherwise, it's nobody else's business if the following driver does not overtake - unless it's possibly stalking or something similar.
sjs
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by sjs »

thirdcrank wrote: 28 Dec 2021, 9:32am No matter what your means of transport, if the following vehicle is too close behind, there's a real reason for grievance - not petty annoyance - because it's dangerous and potentially fatal if the following vehicle is a large one. Otherwise, it's nobody else's business if the following driver does not overtake - unless it's possibly stalking or something similar.
Exactly. There is a school of thought on here that anything closer than an overtake in the opposite lane is bad. There now appears to be another (possibly not completely separate) school which finds any kind of hesitation in overtaking an annoyance.
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Cowsham
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by Cowsham »

scragend wrote: 27 Dec 2021, 7:12pm
I've startled many an innocent pedestrian by shouting over my shoulder "Go on! You could get a bus through there!" :lol:
You should've pulled in and that generously proportioned, bubbly / curvy but easily offended lady get past you.
I am here. Where are you?
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Hellhound
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Re: Petty annoyances on the road....

Post by Hellhound »

sjs wrote: 28 Dec 2021, 9:40am
thirdcrank wrote: 28 Dec 2021, 9:32am No matter what your means of transport, if the following vehicle is too close behind, there's a real reason for grievance - not petty annoyance - because it's dangerous and potentially fatal if the following vehicle is a large one. Otherwise, it's nobody else's business if the following driver does not overtake - unless it's possibly stalking or something similar.
Exactly. There is a school of thought on here that anything closer than an overtake in the opposite lane is bad. There now appears to be another (possibly not completely separate) school which finds any kind of hesitation in overtaking an annoyance.
Some folk are never happy and seem to find annoyance at everything :wink:
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