'Chat' with a bus driver this morning

essex-commuter

6.15am, I'm approaching a set of lights and in a bike lane, bus comes past (linterior lights out, no passengers) way too close (estimate 12") and then pulls in front to turn left at the lights. I went past him on the right, giving him a stare before coming to a halt in the ASL.

Bus driver then hoots me, I turn around to see him mouth "what's your problem'. Normally I can't be bothered but after my close shave with a lorry last week (see other thread) I decided to roll back and talk to him through his open window.

Driver: What's your problem?"
Me: You just drove far to close to me and then pulled in front
Driver: Just stared at me
Me: It happens all the time, if I didn't let you know you might do it again but could knock someone off next time. If your not a cyclist perhaps you don't realise how frightening it is.

Now this suprised me...

Driver: Did I, I'm sorry mate I didn't think I was that close
Me: OK, but just felt the need to let you know
Driver: Sorry for giving you aggro afterwards
Me: No problem, thanks for apologising.

Didn't make up for driving too close, but I was taken back by his apology, and at least he might think next time.

Happy Days.

Clever Pun

excellent, this is why talking rather than shouting is a good thing, he didn't realise he'd cut you up and now in the future he might be a little more wary

davis

Well, cool. He probably will give other cyclists more space in future.

One thing surprised me though: does ~30cm count as "close"? I'm not usually worried by that, even it is a bus/truck. 10cm (whatever vehicle) gets hairy... I'm just wondering what counts as "enough" space for most people -- an arm's length (i.e unable to touch the vehicle)?

Maybe I've not made a concious effort to estimate distance before, or perhaps I'm really bad at it.

dhope

Cool

essex-commuter

davis wrote:

Well, cool. He probably will give other cyclists more space in future.

One thing surprised me though: does ~30cm count as "close"? I'm not usually worried by that, even it is a bus/truck. 10cm (whatever vehicle) gets hairy... I'm just wondering what counts as "enough" space for most people -- an arm's length (i.e unable to touch the vehicle)?

Maybe I've not made a concious effort to estimate distance before, or perhaps I'm really bad at it.

I thought about the distance before I posted it. A bus passing at maybe 20 mph 12" away is goning to feel close, and that's what I reckon it was. If it was 10cm I reckon I would bail out. Remember it was 6.15am, dark and I didn't put this but there were virtually no other cars on the road...it was too close for comfort for sure.

asprilla

davis wrote:

Well, cool. He probably will give other cyclists more space in future.

One thing surprised me though: does ~30cm count as "close"? I'm not usually worried by that, even it is a bus/truck. 10cm (whatever vehicle) gets hairy... I'm just wondering what counts as "enough" space for most people -- an arm's length (i.e unable to touch the vehicle)?

Maybe I've not made a concious effort to estimate distance before, or perhaps I'm really bad at it.

I count less than 1m as close. 30cm would be stupidly dangerous. If I can't move by 45cm to avoid a manhole cover / pothole / puddle without putting myself at risk then the person overtaking is doing something very wrong indeed.

Alphabet

i've thought that in recent times bus drivers, in London at least, are very good to we commuting cyclists. they always let me out, never cut me up and provide a handy draughting services in headwinds.

i like buses.

whether or not a foot is too close, he was apologetic when you pointed it out to him - unlike the d1ck in a black cab who cut up a bike in front of me this morning. the guy had to bang on the window to stop being forced over the kerb. cabbie ended up driving alongside the bike for the next few hundred yards, hurling some colourful language out of the window until he noticed a big swarm of bikes gathering around him.

i do not like cabs.

W1

Alphabet wrote:

i've thought that in recent times bus drivers, in London at least, are very good to we commuting cyclists. they always let me out, never cut me up and provide a handy draughting services in headwinds.

i like buses.

whether or not a foot is too close, he was apologetic when you pointed it out to him - unlike the d1ck in a black cab who cut up a bike in front of me this morning. the guy had to bang on the window to stop being forced over the kerb. cabbie ended up driving alongside the bike for the next few hundred yards, hurling some colourful language out of the window until he noticed a big swarm of bikes gathering around him.

i do not like cabs.

Agree with that - I've only really had a problem with a bus once, who pulled into a stop whilst, at the same time, overtaking me. There wasn't much chance for "talking" as he was already shouting at me by the time I got to his window.


Now, coaches on the other hand....

notsoblue

Alphabet wrote:

cabbie ended up driving alongside the bike for the next few hundred yards, hurling some colourful language out of the window until he noticed a big swarm of bikes gathering around him.

I saw something like that happen at Hyde Park Corner once. A car tried to go through red and stopped when he almost took out a cyclist trying to cross from the Mall to the island in the big roundabout. The car was blowing his horn and trying to muscle through, loads of cyclists gathered round and there was some window banging and shouting. Was a bit weird actually, seeing cyclists swarm like that! Driver must have been sh*tting himself.

To the OP; thats a great story, had a few encounters like that myself. When you actually engage with bus/lorry drivers on a personal level like that they usually respond well! Though most of the time I react aggressively to almost being killed through ignorance or perceived malice :oops:

Dudu

davis wrote:

does ~30cm count as "close"?

If they're close enough for you to touch them, they're too close. Take the lane!

lost_in_thought

Dudu wrote:

davis wrote:

does ~30cm count as "close"?

If they're close enough for you to touch them, they're too close.

+1 - agreed!

I've often thought of carrying some stickers like the ones you put on rear windscreens that read something like 'you passed a cyclist too close! The highway code says 'blah' and furthermore it's both unsafe and scary! Please don't do it again.' that you could stick to the windows of offending cars.

Paul E

I thought they had to leave 1.5 metres?

HamishD

W1 wrote:

Now, coaches on the other hand....

... especially National Express. They are evil barstewards and rather scary

spen666

Paul E wrote:

I thought they had to leave 1.5 metres?

There is no defined distance

Paul E

spen666 wrote:

Paul E wrote:

I thought they had to leave 1.5 metres?

There is no defined distance

I would say there needs to be

Sigurd

I would like some stickers to slap on vehicles parked on pavements. Something civil but simple like "Pavements are for people. Don't park on them".

Whenever I've been pushing a pram or buggy I've made a point of folding in the wing mirrors of vehicles parked on the pavement; if the vehicle is occupied then I always bump into it too, just to make the point. Never once been challenged by the driver though. Being of a burly build probably helps.

asprilla

HamishD wrote:

W1 wrote:

Now, coaches on the other hand....

... especially National Express. They are evil barstewards and rather scary

Once they have learnt their trade there they graduate to driving the EasyBus link from central London to Heathrow. Bunch of randomists.

navt

Thanks for standing up and perhaps saving one's life .

gbsahne001

Paul E wrote:

spen666 wrote:

Paul E wrote:

I thought they had to leave 1.5 metres?

There is no defined distance

I would say there needs to be

there is in the USA, it's an offence in some states (16 off) to come within 3ft of a cyclist

Kieran_Burns

lost_in_thought wrote:

Dudu wrote:

davis wrote:

does ~30cm count as "close"?

If they're close enough for you to touch them, they're too close.

+1 - agreed!

I've often thought of carrying some stickers like the ones you put on rear windscreens that read something like 'you passed a cyclist too close! The highway code says 'blah' and furthermore it's both unsafe and scary! Please don't do it again.' that you could stick to the windows of offending cars.

You might find:


Highway Code: Rule 163. Tw*t


would be more pithy and effective.

Corporate Camper

gbsahne wrote:

in the USA, it's an offence in some states (16 off) to come within 3ft of a cyclist

Meh, that must be why I can't get a girlfriend.