Telling a car to get out of the way

Totalnewbie

There was a car blocking the cycle lane (solid line one) on Lambeth bridge today, for no reason, they were just too far over and out of line with the rest of the traffic. I don't normally like cycle lanes but that one's ok because the traffic cannot normally go too fast and it provides a way of filtering down for me to go straight ahead at the end (if I overtook on the right I'd be in the wrong lane at the end).

So I'd slowed down behind the car and was wondering what to do (whether to wait, or overtake on right, or what) when from behind me I heard another cyclist parp her horn, and bellow 'Get OUT of the cycle lane!'

I was really quite impressed by how loud her voice was and it worked, the person hurriedly moved out of the way and we passed.

You can guarantee if I'd tried it it wouldn't have worked, I don't have a very deep shouting voice and I would have been left standing there looking like a screechy idiot. Plus I'm polite to a fault, so I probably would have said something like 'Excuse me' or something nowhere near as effective!

I guess I'm just posting because I'm really surprised that a car did something because a cyclist told them to!

BentMikey

LOL, that's pretty funny! I'm betting the car driver didn't intentionally block the cycle lane, but was just careless about their positioning.

Totalnewbie

Yes, I'm guessing if they'd done it deliberately they would have been stubborn and just sat there! It was pretty funny. She sounded like quite an assertive lady!

DavidTQ

Had the same situation the other day, so I went down the outside of the car in question and said through the open drivers window "keep out of the cycle lane" then finished the overtaking manouvre to pull back into the cycle lane in front of the driver.

I didnt get to see the reaction as they were behind me but think it would have been a bit of a surprise for the driver in question to have a cyclist overtake them on the outside .

woodford2barbican

BentMikey wrote:

LOL, that's pretty funny! I'm betting the car driver didn't intentionally block the cycle lane, but was just careless about their positioning.

Totally off-topic, but was that you on the back of the Guardian last week?

dondare

woodford2barbican wrote:

BentMikey wrote:

LOL, that's pretty funny! I'm betting the car driver didn't intentionally block the cycle lane, but was just careless about their positioning.

Totally off-topic, but was that you on the back of the Guardian last week?

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12542117

woodford2barbican

dondare wrote:

woodford2barbican wrote:

BentMikey wrote:

LOL, that's pretty funny! I'm betting the car driver didn't intentionally block the cycle lane, but was just careless about their positioning.

Totally off-topic, but was that you on the back of the Guardian last week?

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12542117

Ah ha! I searched on "BentMikey & Gaurdian" and got no result......good article though.....hoepfully good for business.

BentMikey

Yes thanks!

Clever Pun

almost the other way round type story:

there was a car this morning following a cyclist both coming towards me, the car parped the horn a couple of times and this surprised me as the cyclist was doing everything by the book so there was no need for it... I then realised the car wanted to turn left by overtaking the bike and making it stop... I was flabbergasted that someone could be that offensive towards another road user. Needless to say the cyclist continued and made the car wait.

quite shocking that someone would be that much of a co<k

El Gordo

I was amused and irritated in equal measure this morning to find a group of, er.. 'travellers' parked on on my bikepath. The caravans / gas tanks / water containers etc. were completley blocking the tarmac forcing the everyone onto the grass.

I guess it wasn't that big a deal but since it was only 7:15 and there was nobody around I took great childish pleasure in banging on the side of every van.

mrchrispy

lol - class

Flycatcher

El Gordo wrote:

I was amused and irritated in equal measure this morning to find a group of, er.. 'travellers' parked on on my bikepath. The caravans / gas tanks / water containers etc. were completley blocking the tarmac forcing the everyone onto the grass.

I guess it wasn't that big a deal but since it was only 7:15 and there was nobody around I took great childish pleasure in banging on the side of every van.

LOL. Had I have done that I feel sure my chain would have come off just as I banged on the last van.

mtb.boy

Flycatcher wrote:

LOL. Had I have done that I feel sure my chain would have come off just as I banged on the last van.

And then get beaten up by a gypsy bare-knuckle boxing champion

Gambatte

d'ya like dags?

El Gordo

mtb.boy wrote:

And then get beaten up by a gypsy bare-knuckle boxing champion

Hmmm, I'd not considered that. I don't think I'd be able to run away in my bike shoes!

They upped the ante this morning by parking their pickup truck at right angles to a caravan, straddling the path. It's getting to be a pain in the a##e. Seriously, is it worth telling the police? Would they be able to do anything or do we all just have to wait for them to travel on to somewhere else?

Gambatte

1. Wee in their shoes

or

2.Nuke the site from space.




Its the only way to be sure





Too much time on STW
IGMC

dirk_van_gently

The Police won't do anything about vehicles on bike paths, because a large proportion of them are lazy fat @rsed donut eating eejits * it's just too much trouble. Get coppers out of cars and onto bikes, the status quo would soon shift.

* (no offence) sorry for the sweeping stereotype.

El Gordo

El Gordo wrote:

Hmmm, I'd not considered that. I don't think I'd be able to run away in my bike shoes!

I take that back. Riding passed them last night (on the road this time) they were all out and about having a barechested barbeque. Looking at those blubbery bellies I reckon I could've out run them whilst wearing flippers.

Anyway, panic over, this morning they've moved on leaving behind only piles of rubbish. Such a useful contribution to society.

Random Vince

El Gordo wrote:

mtb.boy wrote:

And then get beaten up by a gypsy bare-knuckle boxing champion

Hmmm, I'd not considered that. I don't think I'd be able to run away in my bike shoes!

They upped the ante this morning by parking their pickup truck at right angles to a caravan, straddling the path. It's getting to be a pain in the a##e. Seriously, is it worth telling the police? Would they be able to do anything or do we all just have to wait for them to travel on to somewhere else?

up the ante rural yorkshire style;

farmer with JCB fast track (tractor that can actually do 70mph with muck spreader, straight through the encampment.