pulling out and knocking off

Random Vince

just in the 200m (if that) of my road i had two cars pull out on me, one having to stop in the middle of the road to let me continue past (shouted prety darn loud at her) and one actually clip me - who started with SMIDSY but cut it short when she realised that, she had looked right at me as i yelled "stop blooming trying to kill me!"

on my way home this evening a taxi couldn't be bothered to break despite the fact i'm obviously in the lane he want's to join, he just carries on and preservation takes over as i drift across a lane to the right to avoid a hit, good job there was nothing in the lane!

what do you guys do in that situation?

not hurt, not really shaken up, the worst thing to happen today was i broke a pen that was in the ruller pocket of my jeans (just above my right knee) and got a wet bum due to the rain.

was on the spare bike anyway, but no damage done there either

DavidTQ

Bad day for meeting bad drivers 3 in a day pulling outon you is poor luck indeed. The drivers are just not judging your speed correctly and \ or just being general pillocks. Taxi drivers would likely as not do the same to you if you were in a car...

hamboman

you'll probably have a good day today or tomorrow

TheFoolio888

I have a real problem with drivers who pull into the line I am occupying...especially when I am riding alongside them and they have clealy seen me. It's as if they expect you just to move out of their way.

Now...I'm not a violent person and haven't been in a fight since I was at school (a long time ago ). But it's coming to the point that the next person to do is likely to get my bike chain wrapped over the roof of their precious vehicle...

Coming as a part time car driver also...car drivers in general are selfish, ignorant, dangerous, impatient tossers. :evil:

Totalnewbie

Three times is bad luck, comiserations.

Taxis do that to me sometimes as I go round Vauxhall Cross (absolutely delightful junction with about six lanes in places). They start off in the wrong lane at the traffic lights (no excuse for this as I reckon cabbies generally know where they are going in central-ish locations) and then try and bully me over (I'm always in primary).

When one did it on Monday I turned and gave him a look/stare and he backed off and tucked in behind me. I had nowhere to go, all the lanes were busy. Though I am normally going pretty fast round there I'd I'd rather not be having to devote attention to this kind of thing!

graeme_s-2

In situations like this when people try to squeeze you out of your lane I tend to get my elbows out, sit up, and will sometimes move away from the primary position towards them (squeezing them back a bit if you like). It sounds like lunacy, and I'm well aware that I'm going to come off worse from any collision whoever is at fault. I'm always ready to brake or bail out of the lane if necessary.

In practice it seems to be a fairly effective tactic. Since Christmas I've had someone try to pass me through a single lane left hand turn, he made it alongside me, and then when he realised that I was going into the corner faster than he was comfortable with, and I wasn't moving out of his way he backed off.

A few nights ago I had someone try to overtake me in the run up to a t-junction, I was keeping pace with the car ahead of me, I was in primary, and I was making a right turn at the end of the road, she was going left. She made it alongside me, I glared at her, she realised she had nowhere to go and dropped back behind me.

BentMikey

Graeme, yes I do the same. It's funny how being assertive like that can so easily make people back off, whilst showing the slightest sign of weakness results in a close call.

TotalNewbie, I know exactly what you mean. I hate how people are so bad at lane discipline on both Vauxhall Cross and Hyde Park corner particularly. And you're right, cabbies are often the worst offenders, and yet have the least excuse as they know those roads far better than everyone else.

Bassjunkieuk

I've had quite a few near misses, had one yesterday in Camberwell where a small white van was racing towards the lights which where turning red with another car ahead of him in the queue already. They then pulled into the left lane, which is marked up as left turn only. Guessing he wasn't going to actually turn left and instead race up the road I positioned myself in the ASL box in front of him (a bit arsey of me but he *should* have been turning left, and it's a bus lane ahead so I can be there!)

As it turned out he was going straight ahead, only to cut a left turn straight across me a couple of roads up after overtaking me! I'm not sure if they saw the gestures I was making at them through their grubby window (and as it was dark I doubt it) needless to say I was less then impressed but then I can't say I didn't expect that sort of driving from them.

BentMikey

That sort of thing is exactly why we should take the lane when going across junctions! Was this on the A202?

Bassjunkieuk

Almost I was heading from Camberwell Road, towards Denmark Hill - facing towards the big bus lane opposite.

I had positioned my self in the ASL box centrally in the left most lane and joined the bus lane as I moved across the junction. The driver then turned down either Daneville Road or Orpheus Street, cutting me up in the process! There where a couple of other cyclist who also had to brake to avoid him aswell! It's just irratating as I suspect they did it because of my position in the ASL box, they had only just got passed me and then turned!
Such is life I guess, some drivers are just idiots.

Random Vince

Graeme_S wrote:

In situations like this when people try to squeeze you out of your lane I tend to get my elbows out, sit up, and will sometimes move away from the primary position towards them (squeezing them back a bit if you like). It sounds like lunacy, and I'm well aware that I'm going to come off worse from any collision whoever is at fault. I'm always ready to brake or bail out of the lane if necessary.

your from coventry; its junction 6 of the ring road, i'd blasted from J5 on the slip road and off at J6, followed the roundabout round to go back onto the ring road to scoop off before the church

i was actually somewhere between primary and secondary so he could see that i was coming off, admittedly I wasn't signaling since its so bumpy i've all on to keep control of the bike!

not sure if you use the cycle lanes to bypass the ring road roundabouts or if you cross them

*I rarely do use the ring road itself, that junction is the route to my gf's house as its easier than going through a shopping centre car park

Random Vince

hamboman wrote:

you'll probably have a good day today or tomorrow

yup, i'll have a great day, don't need to venture into the city centre, not going for a ride just for the fun of it as my road bike is in the process of being fixed anyway, only ride the spare for transport

might need to pop round to a friends later, but its not far and its opposite way to the city centre

should have no problems

now if i could only get my uni work done!

graeme_s-2

Random Vince wrote:

your from coventry; its junction 6 of the ring road, i'd blasted from J5 on the slip road and off at J6, followed the roundabout round to go back onto the ring road to scoop off before the church

i was actually somewhere between primary and secondary so he could see that i was coming off, admittedly I wasn't signaling since its so bumpy i've all on to keep control of the bike!

not sure if you use the cycle lanes to bypass the ring road roundabouts or if you cross them

*I rarely do use the ring road itself, that junction is the route to my gf's house as its easier than going through a shopping centre car park

I go up the slip road from the round about at junction 4 (top of Gulson rd), and then come off at 5 every morning. Never actually gone onto the ring road proper though. I don't think there's any inherent reason that it wouldn't be safe to cycle on the ring road, but as cyclists tend not to use it at all, I don't think drivers are used to looking for us there.

Random Vince

yeh, i just use the slip roads too

used to do from junction 5 and come off at junction 4 but only after 11 at night and if it was quiet!

drivers should still be looking for us at roundabouts surely?

graeme_s-2

They should be looking for us everywhere, but I think they probably are used to seeing cyclists on the ring road roundabouts, yes.

Random Vince

well, got the front wheel fitted in the road bike (had to modify the drop outs a bit)

seems my home built wheel stood up to the ride to my girlfriends

but no prizes for guessing why i had to walk home

Bikedevil

with the cars pulling out a junctions..in my experience I've had to start watching the driver to see if he looks, one didn't one day on my way to work and didnt blink an eyelid when I managed to get the anchors on and stop about an inch form his bumper....30meters down the road he was sat in traffic so I stuck my head in the passenger window and "announced my presence" he looked very pale.
I've also been hit crossing over at a roundabout, woman decided she couldnt wait an extra 3secs so she wrote my back end off, she stopped realised what she'd done then floored it. A bloke a few cars behind her got out and apologised for not getting the reg plate! there should be more motorists like him.