Discussion
Was on my pushbike earlier today, cycling along like you do, nice quiet suburban road. I was just approaching some bollards that help pedestrians cross when a single-decker bus decided to overtake me.
In order to get through the bollards, he drove past me, cut in sharply at an angle (where previously he was on the white lines in the centre of the road), got through the bollards and drove sharply away.
I had to slam both brakes on, he missed me by about 12 inches. I stopped just alongside the leading edge of the first bollard (keep left plastic sign). If he'd timed it any later I would have been left dead, he was doing about 25-30mph as he passed me.
I've complained just now and his supervisor has said he knows exactly who it is, and he will get a huge bollocking for it.
Should I leave it at that, or perhaps write a letter and complain?
In order to get through the bollards, he drove past me, cut in sharply at an angle (where previously he was on the white lines in the centre of the road), got through the bollards and drove sharply away.
I had to slam both brakes on, he missed me by about 12 inches. I stopped just alongside the leading edge of the first bollard (keep left plastic sign). If he'd timed it any later I would have been left dead, he was doing about 25-30mph as he passed me.
I've complained just now and his supervisor has said he knows exactly who it is, and he will get a huge bollocking for it.
Should I leave it at that, or perhaps write a letter and complain?
Take it further - buses are the new taxis in that they are beginning to believe they own the road.
Going in to Reading from the East you have 2 lanes in, one lane out. I was going in to town down the centre lane when a bus going out decided that was the correct time to move around a stationery object - despite my clear presence at 30mph in that lane
Going in to Reading from the East you have 2 lanes in, one lane out. I was going in to town down the centre lane when a bus going out decided that was the correct time to move around a stationery object - despite my clear presence at 30mph in that lane
parrot of doom said:
When I'm on the bike, I will block, annoy, and generally piss drivers off any way I can so that I may continue my journey in a danger-free and safe fashion. That doesn't mean wobbling violently into the middle of the road, it means that I'll be in the centre of the lane on a hump-back bridge, it means I'll be in the same position as a car on a minor roundabout, it means that the only way I can be knocked off my bike is if somebody deliberately drives into me.
From "Comeuppance" thread.
leosayer said:
If the supervisor knows who it is then that implies he/she has done this before.
If you don't get an apology then I would be inclined to make matters a bit more formal.
And do what exactly?
The bus driver will deny any involvement in this incident and it will be unproveable that anything did happen.
Life's too short to get wound up by this. Move on is my advice.
7db said:
When I'm on the bike, I will block, annoy, and generally piss drivers off any way I can so that I may continue my journey in a danger-free and safe fashion. That doesn't mean wobbling violently into the middle of the road, it means that I'll be in the centre of the lane on a hump-back bridge, it means I'll be in the same position as a car on a minor roundabout, it means that the only way I can be knocked off my bike is if somebody deliberately drives into me.
From "Comeuppance" thread.
BliarOut said:
So another supposed "road safety" measure almost kills someone
When will they learn that forcing traffic into less space or opposing paths is bloody dangerous
The road safety measure didn't almost kill anyone. What nearly caused an incident (and I refrain from saying that it almost killed someone, as it is impossible to know the outcome of said incident) was a bus driver lacking the patience to wait until it was safe to overtake - pure bad driving, and cannot be blamed on the road layout, Tony Blair or Speed cameras, IMHO!
cptsideways said:
Write to the highways authority, enlightem them to this dangerous hazard & inform them of their liabilities should an accident occur & as they now know about this safety issue.
Pinch points are ****ing dangerous imho
Agreed, most traffic irritation schemes are dangerous.
I don't mind the bollards, they're in place to help pedestrians across. There is a school 50 yards away with a fair amount of children/parents crossing at any time. The road isn't really very busy at all.
As for quoting me from another thread, I stand by my comments. I will do whatever I need to stay safe, in this instance I was tucked well into the kerb believing he wouldn't dare overtake me. How wrong I was. Next time, I'm moving into the centre of the road, if he wants to overtake it will be over my head. If that pisses people off, so be it; at least I'll be alive.
As for quoting me from another thread, I stand by my comments. I will do whatever I need to stay safe, in this instance I was tucked well into the kerb believing he wouldn't dare overtake me. How wrong I was. Next time, I'm moving into the centre of the road, if he wants to overtake it will be over my head. If that pisses people off, so be it; at least I'll be alive.
mk6fiesta said:
As far as buses becoming the new taxi's theory - Id say get used to it, as someone who is currently learning to drive a bus I can honestly say that the behaviour of other road users (not just car drivers) is pretty terrible.
Extremely defensive (but not dangerous)driving is the only way to make progress when driving these things.
The thing about buses is - up in Edinburgh they (well Lothian Buses certainly used to) stick little posters on the back quoting some Highway Code rule about letting buses out. These signs had a little cartoon of the driver's hand out his/her side window giving a thumbs up.
Now, here's the clincher - when you did let one out, the driver would invariably ape the sign and give you a quick thumbs up out their window. Great - everyone's a winner.
I haven't seen any of that stuff in the last few years of living down South. Buses down here just pull out. Always and immediately following after a quick flash of indicator if you're lucky. None of this waiting for a gap in the traffic stuff.
"parrot of doom", you have hit on a big part of the problem. It is not your fault that the bus driver made the decision he did, but you allowed him to be able to make that decision by cycling close to the kerb. By all means cycle close to the kerb when there will be no temptation for any car to squeeze past you and potentially squeeze you out. If there is limited space up front, or you want to turn right, or you are going round a roundabout, TAKE THE LANE. You have a right to it, and it is far safer for both parties if you don't offer the driver tempation. Not your fault he took it, but you can prevent him taking it.
charltm said:
"parrot of doom", you have hit on a big part of the problem. It is not your fault that the bus driver made the decision he did, but you allowed him to be able to make that decision by cycling close to the kerb. By all means cycle close to the kerb when there will be no temptation for any car to squeeze past you and potentially squeeze you out. If there is limited space up front, or you want to turn right, or you are going round a roundabout, TAKE THE LANE. You have a right to it, and it is far safer for both parties if you don't offer the driver tempation. Not your fault he took it, but you can prevent him taking it.
Which is what he is saying he already does here I believe !
parrot of doom said:
When I'm on the bike, I will block, annoy, and generally piss drivers off any way I can so that I may continue my journey in a danger-free and safe fashion. That doesn't mean wobbling violently into the middle of the road, it means that I'll be in the centre of the lane on a hump-back bridge, it means I'll be in the same position as a car on a minor roundabout, it means that the only way I can be knocked off my bike is if somebody deliberately drives into me.
parrot of doom said:
I don't mind the bollards, they're in place to help pedestrians across. There is a school 50 yards away with a fair amount of children/parents crossing at any time. The road isn't really very busy at all.
As for quoting me from another thread, I stand by my comments. I will do whatever I need to stay safe, in this instance I was tucked well into the kerb believing he wouldn't dare overtake me. How wrong I was. Next time, I'm moving into the centre of the road, if he wants to overtake it will be over my head. If that pisses people off, so be it; at least I'll be alive.
Why bollards and not a zebra crossing?
Simple!
Free flowing road when no one is crossing, when they do they have right of way!
Wow, better than fooking up flow ALL the time, and still having people crossing with no right of way when they do!
Dave
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