To Drivers: When I put out my right arm it does not mean...

dav1
dav1 Posts: 1,298
edited June 2009 in Commuting chat
... Leave more room to overtake.

Had a real fright this morning. Signal to turn right in good time and some prick comes past me just as I am beginning to turn (was clear when I strted to signal)

I wind up aborting and going to the curb, overshot the turning and had to pull off the road to let a load of traffic past before I could be on my way again.

[/rant]
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Comments

  • soy_sauce
    soy_sauce Posts: 987
    take the primary postion of the lane before you start to signal help.

    some drivers are just... well, pri*k
    "It is not impossible, its just improbable"

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  • MrChuck
    MrChuck Posts: 1,663
    take the primary postion of the lane before you start to signal help.

    Well, yeah, but that's eaiser said than done sometimes.
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    indeed partically if you don't know the road or some twits who can't belive you really do mean i'm turning.

    years ago a college used to keep on having people run into the back of the landrover as they just wouldn't belive she was turning off into the farm. did the landie no harm just brush the glass off it...
  • Porgy
    Porgy Posts: 4,525
    In London signalling right is an invitation for the three cars right behind you to speed up and overtake quickly.

    The art seems to be signalling, looking back to get eye contact of the driver behind and moving out - all more or less at the same time.


    I had a black taxi overtake me while i was signalling right on a mini roundabout once - he actually made contact with me and knew exactly what he was upt o cos i saw him looking in his mirror at me to see my reaction. :evil:
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    I was almost mown down by a minicab on the way to work a few weeks ago. I ride up a short steep hill early in my commute and in the middle of the hill I have to turn right, just after a small island in the road with one of those illuminated bollards with an arrow pointing down to the left that you're not suppose to go to the right of.

    Anyway, as I pulled across tothe centre of the road to turn right with the minicab a fair way behind, it suddenly accelerated and pulled out to the right of the bollard (that you're supposed to keep left of). Luckily before actually turning right I flicked a glance over my shoulder and saw the cab bearing down on me to the right of the bollard in a desperate attempt to overtake me before I turned.

    I managed to take emergency evasion manoevres and get out of its way. I could see the passenger inside almost bracing for impact/hands gripped on the edge of the seat, you could see that she was sure that I was about to go under the wheels of the car. Bloody loony.
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  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Porgy wrote:
    In London signalling right is an invitation for the three cars right behind you to speed up and overtake quickly.

    The art seems to be signalling, looking back to get eye contact of the driver behind and moving out - all more or less at the same time.

    I actually thought it was an invite for drivers to try take your arm off, especially whilst speeding up to overtake whilst you are cycling past Kennington Park, heading towards Stockwell :evil:
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    Yeah - common thing really.

    Even as I turn into my office car park, I get colleagues trying to overtake whilst I am signalling - And I have to work with them, in the same place....f*ckwits!
  • Porgy
    Porgy Posts: 4,525
    gtvlusso wrote:
    Yeah - common thing really.

    Even as I turn into my office car park, I get colleagues trying to overtake whilst I am signalling - And I have to work with them, in the same place....f*ckwits!

    why not let their tyres down? :twisted:
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Wow, I've never had that happen to me! That's dreadful!
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    Funny thing is, I also get the same tossa's who undertake on the round-a-bout on the approach road to my office - i.e. Turn righ in the left hand lane, kinda blindsides you if you are in the right hand lane, going right and then a car undertakes on your left as you begin to move for your exit.....

    Again, these are people I work with.....not the brightest!
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    I have a short hill at the end of my commute that I turn right off halfway up. A number of times when signalling right and in primary (if not even against the white line) I have had cars overtake at speed by pulling into the oncoming lane. Makes me furious, probably more so than anything else on my route. It is so reckless. It shows an incredible lack of consideration from the drivers and is one of the few things that I would back up with blows if the w*nkers dared to stop. I always make a point to checking over my shoulder two or three times for this turning. Part of the problem is the parked cars on the left handside of the road, which doesn't leave the cars enough space to undertake (it is Church Road in Richmond, above the lights on the way to the park, if anyone knows it).

    My sympathies for the OP.
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    MrChuck wrote:
    take the primary postion of the lane before you start to signal help.

    Well, yeah, but that's eaiser said than done sometimes.

    As my driving instructor would say, "slow the f*ck down" when you are doing manouvers. I suggest combining that with: look over your right shoulder and maybe into the car and at the motorist - eye contact should confirm whether they'll let you go - with your arm firmly indicating your intention. Move slowly into the primary.

    If they still try to kill you, chase them down and hurl all kinds of abuse.
    Food Chain number = 4

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  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    DD, slowing the fork down doesn't always work, believe me. I've seen it AND it's happened to me, admittedly on the odd occasion. Rather, it's the 'how close can I get to cyclist' game :roll:

    Taxis play this game rather well, also 4x4s.
  • Animal100
    Animal100 Posts: 55
    I had 4 x 4 x tw@t overtake me on the wrong side of a traffic island, only then to pull over to go into a shop, as I went passed he swung his door wide open, but the weird thing was I just knew he would and had given the appropriate space. I just said "nice one mate". He just stood there like a pr1ck, he didn't say a word. Then I saw a Police car, if only they was there 1 minute earlier, I'm sure they would have had words about his overtake.
  • andy83
    andy83 Posts: 1,558
    now it was about 9 years ago i passed my test (god writing that i feel old)

    and i was always told you was meant to give a cyclist the same distance you would a car to overtake, so unless the law has changed then WHY dont people do it

    i had someone shouting for me to get on the pavement the other day when they drove past nearly knocking me off. only for me to get irrate and shout f@~king hell. i then caught up with this idiot in a tin smoking a fag and he started blowing kisses to me, i kind of felt sorry for him in a way. his girlfriend who was driving was going mad at him, just glad it was rush hour and i could get away from the car cos i hate confrontation

    best part of this was when the traffic died down i went into cool down mode and took up primary postion in the road prob making them late and i was laughing at the abuse he was shouting cos they couldnt overtake me. i know this might seem childish but i hate voilence but this is my way of sticking two fingers up at them
  • mrchrispy
    mrchrispy Posts: 310
    i sometimes hit a bit of road where I have to cross 2 fast(ish) lanes to get to my bit of road going off on the right. I find it helps if you look over your sholder, eye the driver and then take the lane, I then do the same before moving into the 2nd lane. Sometimes just signaling and eying the driver isnt enough and you see then still coming at you its then you point directly at the driver and show them the palm (imagin you saying "you, yes your...stop!). freaks em right out and works everytime.
  • attica
    attica Posts: 2,362
    Porgy wrote:
    I had a black taxi overtake me while i was signalling right on a mini roundabout once - he actually made contact with me and knew exactly what he was upt o cos i saw him looking in his mirror at me to see my reaction. :evil:

    You sure he didn't make a genuine mistake? - most peoples reaction to that would be to check in the rear view mirror to make sure they hadn't knocked you off.

    On the other hand if he was laughing as he did it he deserves shooting... slowly
    "Impressive break"

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  • Porgy
    Porgy Posts: 4,525
    Attica wrote:
    Porgy wrote:
    I had a black taxi overtake me while i was signalling right on a mini roundabout once - he actually made contact with me and knew exactly what he was upt o cos i saw him looking in his mirror at me to see my reaction. :evil:

    You sure he didn't make a genuine mistake? - most peoples reaction to that would be to check in the rear view mirror to make sure they hadn't knocked you off.

    On the other hand if he was laughing as he did it he deserves shooting... slowly

    Couldn't have been - I wasn't exactly in the gutter when he overtook me - part way through the maneovre. And he'd been firmly behind me when i started - must have made quite an effort to get ahead of me before i could turn.

    As soon as I caught him up to complain he was aleady going nuts telling me to fuck off etc. Then he went completely mental and I spent the next 30 minutes trying to avoid being run down by him as he stalked me through the streets of Paddington.

    He really had the knowledge - knew every backstreet - and i didn't.

    He was a nutcase :?
  • attica
    attica Posts: 2,362
    Totally with you then Porgy, forgive the devil's advocate moment but looking in your rear view mirror is something you do when you've overtaken someone regardless of whether there's "intent"

    As for this guy, he's probably well on the way to an ulcer if that's his attitude, he'll get his.
    "Impressive break"

    "Thanks...

    ...I can taste blood"