London drivers

vertigoscene

Just having a rant - second time in a week I've nearly been knocked over by stupid drivers, first time by someone cutting me up, second time (20 mins ago) by someone undertaking me within my lane.

I'm not going to let these idiots drive me off the road, but it is starting to get me down.

overmars

I know what you mean.
I love it when I'm commuting to work at 6am in the morning or 12 midnight. Much less traffic.

WyS

chase them, give them shit, open their boot and cycle off laughing! Just dont take it. If you really go mental, they will think twice next time. especially if you do them a bit of damage. just make sure you have a clear getaway..

I chased one bloke for 2 miles. his driving got more erattic when he noticed i was in pursuit. he nearly killed me and is extremely lucky i didnt catch him.

JustRidecp

WyS wrote:

chase them, give them shoot, open their boot and cycle off laughing! Just dont take it. If you really go mental, they will think twice next time. especially if you do them a bit of damage. just make sure you have a clear getaway..

I chased one bloke for 2 miles. his driving got more erattic when he noticed i was in pursuit. he nearly killed me and is extremely lucky i didnt catch him.

Slow handclap for the great advice above.

stu20001

Sorry but been reading the posts on here about near misses and idiot drivers etc. Maybe I'm just less sensitive about this or something but I commute 14 miles each way through London regularly. I've been doing this for 4 years or so and I can count on one hand the number of 'incidents' I remember having.

Yeah, the streets are full of idiots so I ride my bike assuming that no-one has seen me, that no-one will give me any room and that no-one is going to indicate before they turn left and I stay aware of what others are doing. This doesn't mean I ride like a pansy - quite the opposite. I ride assertively, I make sure I 'own' my space, I don't skulk in the gutter and I make sure people around me know what I am going to do. I'm not talking about courier style "I own the road and everyone else can 'eff off" cycling - just confident, considerate and decisive riding.

Like I say maybe I just get less worked up than some by other people, maybe my definition of a "near miss" is a little 'nearer' than some others but I am amazed at times by the frequency some people on here seem to have incidents.

Porgy

It's probably better not to be so wound up by them & most of the time I manage to shrug it off.

I've found lately that catching the person up at the next lights and calmly delivering some constructive advice - 'how about using indicators next time?' Or 'did you realise that you were far to close to me when you passed?" etc. actually pays off dividends. How ever much you are seething inside I think its worth putting on a calm exterior.

I managed to get an apology of a Merc driver last week going round Victoria one way bit - he'd cut in close to me. I pursued him through a couple of traffic lights - he was going the same was as me anyway - and finally caught him up. Asked him for an apology when he was looking at me apparently dumb struck. He then said "sorry".

On the other hand a woman who cut me up so badly at Baker street last month that I ended up on the pavement nearly hitting a ped, another Merc driver btw, just kept driving away from me and kept up the dumb act - frightened rabbit confronted by nasty shouty cyclist act. I lost my temper.

Rather than say sorry she decided to engage with me in a cat and mouse pursuit through the back streets of Marylebone. She eventually managed to get away, but not before I'd made it clear to her that I would like an apology for what she did to me. :x

calm


calm


calm

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