Any advice on whether to report bad driving by a Bus Driver?

tarquin_foxglove

A bus driver tried to kill me twice in the space of 0.5km. When he attempted the second time I lost my temper & pulled my bike in front of the bus and entered into a slanging match which resulted in me swearing at him. Not my finest hour.

Should the fact that I swore at him put me off reporting him to the bus company?

cee

report him...even tell the bus company that you swore at him....and apologise for that...but explain that due the very real threat on your life, you were perhaps not as eloquent as you might normally be.

to cut a long story short, I had an incident with a bus driver in a similar way to you.

I reported him to the bus company with the time, service number and his description.....guess what...no driver had any recollection of the event and the CCTV footage was no longer available (the next day!)....

So the moral of my story is...make sure you get either the license plate number, or the bus number (not the service number....but the one usually on the back near the license plate) to identify them.

rjsterry

I don't think so. I'd give a full description of the incident(s) including the fact that you lost your temper after the second. That way, if and when the bus driver is asked to give his side, it doesn't sound like you are leaving things out.

tarquin_foxglove

cheers, I think it is good advice to report it & apologise for swearing.

At the time, I put his first attempt down to a misjudged overtake. The second attempt, a forced overtake on entry to a roundabout followed by an immediate left hook wound me up a bit.

rolf_f

Report him - I did this week; one drove straight into the cycle lane I was in without warning. I swore at him and 20 minutes later swore at another driver from the same company for overtaking me and immediately pulling in to a bus stop thus boxing me in. I swore at him to. Then rang up the bus company (I have a direct line to the chap who deals with the complaints ) and reported both. Apologised for swearing at the latter (wouldn't have reported him anyway if it hadn't been for the death driver earlier) - didn't apologise for the first.

rhext

Report him, and follow up in writing. It then becomes very difficult for the bus company to ignore. If he does cause an accident, and it comes out that he's had 'previous' which they didn't follow-up on......

Ginjafro

Yeah, definitely report him. I can't guarantee it will get you anywhere but its worth a try. Though I have not yet had to report a cycling related incident I have reported drivers for tailgating me when driving. The first one, a construction company, responded and informed me that after investigation the driver concerned was disciplined and sent on a "driver awareness course" - result! The second one, a private taxi company, was surprise, surprise unable to find the driver responsible despite my giving time, description and reg number.

So, good luck with nailing the tosser!

rubbercolin

Always report in writing to the bus company. Mark the letter for the attention of the MD and mention that you are considering taking the matter to the Police.

+1 on the Bus number (bonnet number) and index as well.

Always report or nothing will be done

Good luck

Brettweeks

On Tue 16/02/10 I was knocked off by a bus overtaking me. He had already buzzed me twice by coming v close to my back wheel, giving some high revs then backing off again.

He then overtook but pulled into the curb before he had passed me. Knocked me off breaking my collar bone & cracking a rib plus lots of muscle damage.

Fortunately there was a witness. Tonight 25/02/10 cops told me they are putting a case forward to the CPS to prosecute the driver for causing injury by careless driving. Iv entered a complaint of aggressive & dangerous driving because I know that he was deliberately (shall we say) encouraging me not to ride on the road.

tarquin_foxglove

Sent a letter off last night.

Apologised for swearing but said I felt his driving was careless at best.

Compared to Brett I got off easy. Get well soon.

Clever Pun

sorry to hear that Brett.. whatever he gets charged with he'll most likely lose his job at the very least...good

tomb353

I've made several complaints by email, and now have the email addresses of both the regional manager and the managers of both bus depots that service my commute. To be fair have not had to complain for a while, but would definately do so again and if necessary write to their insurers highlighting poor behaviour.

Brettweeks

Thanks men. The last thing I would want, especially in these bleak times, is to see a man lose his job but you reap what you sow eh!

The bus driver is himself a mountain biker. I’ve seen him on a Marin Mount Vision. What can you say about that? Very disappointing & a bit of a home goal!

nwallace

bus company and traffic commissioner (they issue the company their PCV licence).

tarquin_foxglove

Got a letter from the bus company today.

Driver was identified and interviewed, he's been reminded of the standards expected etc & the report will remain on his file.

Plain clothes inspectors will monitor his performance over the next few weeks, which may lead to re-training etc.

Plus the companies sincere apologies ...

I think that can be classed as a positive result, so cheers for the advice to report him.

lost_in_thought

tarquin_foxglove wrote:

Got a letter from the bus company today.

Driver was identified and interviewed, he's been reminded of the standards expected etc & the report will remain on his file.

Plain clothes inspectors will monitor his performance over the next few weeks, which may lead to re-training etc.

Plus the companies sincere apologies ...

I think that can be classed as a positive result, so cheers for the advice to report him.

Good stuff. Well done you.

GenWells

check out this website where you can log bad drivers

http://nameandshame.blogsite.org/nameandshame/

Pete the Bus

Hi I was looking though your forum by accident and came across your thread about a problem with a Bus driver and if you should report him.
Now excuse me I have been driving Buses in London and now West sussex for 35 years, Could you just take a look at how some of you ride??
I see Cyclists with all the profesional racing gear on riding with out due care for any other road user let alone the pedestrians crossing as you hurtle with out regard through the Red lights.
Now please dont get me wrong not all of you do this, but many of you know that some of you do at some point in time.
Ok so far so good, next little rant from me is this, do you not think that sometimes you could be involved in an RTA, how do we contact you? this leads me onto a further point, If you use our roads, then you should have some form of Registration plate like all Vehicles, at the moment niether the police or the authorites can get in touch with someone who has been involved or Caused and accident while out riding.

My sympathies to the gentleman who had a run in with a thoughtless bus driver, please rememeber we are not all the same, in the same vein please also try to remmeber that we are the same as you! human we all make mistakes.

with respect

Pete

asprilla

You should report those cyclists Pete.

Cycle registration has been tried many many times around the world. It has always been abandoned as a failure.

Also, I think you'll find that very few people on this site advocate poor cycling, including such things as jumping red lights. You obviously didn't do much research on the site.

cougie

Pete - as ever its the small minority of riders who spoil it for the rest of us. I've been riding for 30 years or so - never run red lights or ride stupidly. Twunts that do jump redlights will get their comeuppance sooner or later.
Fwiw I usually find professional drivers to be pretty good. Maybe private hire taxis can be sometimes dodgy, but the rest are pretty good.

Paul E

Pete the Bus wrote:

Ok so far so good, next little rant from me is this, do you not think that sometimes you could be involved in an RTA, how do we contact you? this leads me onto a further point, If you use our roads, then you should have some form of Registration plate like all Vehicles, at the moment niether the police or the authorites can get in touch with someone who has been involved or Caused and accident while out riding.
with respect

Pete

I would like to know what you mean by the phrase "our roads" we all pay tax which pays for the roads, they are not your roads they are everyones roads.

Pete the Bus

Hi Guys, and thanks for your replys
I know its only the very few, shame cos Its damn hard riding a cycle in traffic, I see cars pulling out in front of cyclists every day cos they too eager to be first in front!

Guys I have made 1 or 2 mistakes myself with cyclists and do always apolgise if I can :oops: Like I say I am human and do make boo boo's now again.

I wish you all well and be safe
Oops Sorry for That Paul your right....there see more boo boo's

I suppose I meant by our roads those who pay Road Fund license for the Vehicle being used, which leads me on to how can anyone report a bad cyclist without some form of registration plate, how do you identify a cycle?

With Respect

Pete

asprilla

Pete the Bus wrote:

HI suppose I meant by our roads those who pay Road Fund license for the Vehicle being used

That's a can of worms: there is no such thing as Road Tax or Road Fund' that was abolished by Winston Churchill in 1936 specifically to stop motor vehicle users thinking they had more right to use the roads than others (his words, not mine).

Instead we pay Vehicle Excise Duty which is based on emissions. Cycles produce no emissions and so we pay no duty.

Cyclist can also own cars. I own personally three cars and pay £1200 a year in VED.

However, VED does not pay for raods, it is paid for out of council tax and general taxation. This would mean, by most drivers reckoning, that whoever had the biggest house and the best paying job should get priority on the roads.

Pete the Bus wrote:

which leads me on to how can anyone report a bad cyclist without some form of registration plate, how do you identify a cycle?

Visual description I'm afraid. Even if bikes did have plates, they would be so small or in odd places that you probably couldn't see them anyway.

AndyManc

Pete the Bus wrote:

I suppose I meant by our roads those who pay Road Fund license for the Vehicle being used, which leads me on to how can anyone report a bad cyclist without some form of registration plate, how do you identify a cycle?

With Respect

Pete

Typical ignorance for which there is no excuse and a typical rant of the bigoted motorist.

Anyone involved in a road traffic accident must stop, how can you identify a car that has false number plates, the roads are full of them.

How many motor vehicles are on the roads illegally, no insurance, VED ,license ?
Answer .... 2 Million (at least)

Motor vehicles are killing machines , cycles at worst are a nuisance, when a cyclists decides to break the law he more often than not risks his/her own life.

Bus drivers in Manchester are some of the biggest most dangerous cretins I have encountered, not all of them of course.

Scotland have got the right idea ..

http://ht.ly/23x6P


.

bearfraser

He might have had a cctv camera looking forward on his omnibus

spen666

Pete the Bus wrote:

...

I suppose I meant by our roads those who pay Road Fund license for the Vehicle being used, which leads me on to how can anyone report a bad cyclist without some form of registration plate, how do you identify a cycle?

With Respect

Pete

With Respect Pete, you are talking bollocks

Road Fund was abolished in the 1930, so you nor any other driver on the road has paid it

Roads are paid for out of general taxation. ...

Kieran_Burns

Asprilla wrote:

That's a can of worms: there is no such thing as Road Tax or Road Fund' that was abolished by Winston Churchill in 1936 specifically to stop motor vehicle users thinking they had more right to use the roads than others (his words, not mine).

Instead we pay Vehicle Excise Duty which is based on emissions. Cycles produce no emissions and so we pay no duty.

Cyclist can also own cars. I own personally three cars and pay £1200 a year in VED.

However, VED does not pay for raods, it is paid for out of council tax and general taxation. This would mean, by most drivers reckoning, that whoever had the biggest house and the best paying job should get priority on the roads.

spen666 wrote:

With Respect Pete, you are talking bollocks

Road Fund was abolished in the 1930, so you nor any other driver on the road has paid it

Roads are paid for out of general taxation. ...

One example of how to respond to an incorrect statement courteously and one of how to p*ss someone off.

spen666

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

That's a can of worms: there is no such thing as Road Tax or Road Fund' that was abolished by Winston Churchill in 1936 specifically to stop motor vehicle users thinking they had more right to use the roads than others (his words, not mine).

Instead we pay Vehicle Excise Duty which is based on emissions. Cycles produce no emissions and so we pay no duty.

Cyclist can also own cars. I own personally three cars and pay £1200 a year in VED.

However, VED does not pay for raods, it is paid for out of council tax and general taxation. This would mean, by most drivers reckoning, that whoever had the biggest house and the best paying job should get priority on the roads.

spen666 wrote:

With Respect Pete, you are talking bollocks

Road Fund was abolished in the 1930, so you nor any other driver on the road has paid it

Roads are paid for out of general taxation. ...

One example of how to respond to an incorrect statement courteously and one of how to p*ss someone off.

i have no qualms about calling the bollocks that motorists post claiming they somehow own the road bollocks.

If that pisses them off, then they know how I feel when I hear their selfish cr*p about owing the road and or having some form of priority to the roads because they drive a motor vehicle

larfingravy

Pete the Bus, you can see some of the people on here have no clue how to communicate with others. It actually makes me wonder if some of them have such an attitude on the road then I'm not surprised they get into scrapes/arguments with other road users.

Welcome to the forum.

paulbox

rhext wrote:

Report him, and follow up in writing. It then becomes very difficult for the bus company to ignore. If he does cause an accident, and it comes out that he's had 'previous' which they didn't follow-up on......

You'd be surprised, I know a bus driver who lost his licence due to drink-driving, the company he worked for took him back on as soon as his licence was re-instated. I also know that he still drinks and drives...

Brettweeks

Pete, Firstly this is a sight for cyclists not bus drivers so go find your own sight. I’m the guy who was knocked down by a bus on 16/02/10. Fractured spine, shattered collar bone, fractured rib & more. Still off work with more surgery to come in July. Mortgage unpaid, family in poverty & no financial help from anywhere while I’m on SSP.

Even though the Bus Driver has been charged with driving without Due Care and Attention, I have received no word whatsoever from the Bus Company. I will add that the driver has lied completely until recently when under caution and faced with evidence from witnesses he decided to come clean and tell the truth but he is now marked as a liar. The fact is, we all know that bus companies and their drivers have an unhealthy, unprofessional and downright bad attitude towards cyclists. Even cyclists who behave badly on the road are human, just flesh and blood against many tons of metal.

I am an off road rider but have 1.2 miles of road to ride to get to and from my local trail here in Newport in semi rural South Wales but that 1.2 miles is extremely scary because of the total lack of respect for cyclists and Bus Drivers with their tight schedules are by far the greatest threat to us.

Because of the scary nature of this 1.2 miles I ride it completely legally including lights witch I which on even in daylight and I adhere to the laws of the road but this bus driver still nearly killed me then lied about it. The truth is bus drivers want us off the road and will continue intimidating us to get off.

Yes bus drivers are human too and I recognise that this attitude they have is probably due to the pressures they are put under by their employers but you could say the same of Nazi concentration camp guards, all wood be killers.

How come it all works so well in Holland.......................?