Had my first "drive-by shouting" today.

2»

Comments

  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    philwi wrote:
    I think as soon as you react negatively it gives the crazies an excuse to let rip,

    I've found that often in life, what they *want* is for you to react which gives them an excuse (in their own warped way) to take things further.

    There's also a lot of ignorance surrounding cycling, that you must ride in the gutter or you must use cycle paths etc.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    If you know his number plate then report it to the police.

    Then when/if it happens again report it again, with video footage.

    Keep reporting it and push for them to do something (google 'section 59 warning').
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • pkripper
    pkripper Posts: 652
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    I would suggest getting a camera, and making a note of the incidents: time / place / exactly what happened. So if he does take it further you've got a record of exactly what he's done.

    I commute with a helmet camera for precisely these reasons - matched to a GPS you've also got time and location data.
  • bogmonster
    bogmonster Posts: 4
    Only just thinking about getting back to cycling after a long break. I have found in the past that the worst culprits are coach and bus drivers. There is a local coach company that has the contract for shipping kids to school and some of their drivers have been the worst culprits of overtaking far too close. The drag effect of a fast moing coach can be very unerving. Strangely I have had very little issue with HGV drivers who have in general been much more considerate and aware of me and my vulnerability on a bike. I do spend a lot of time driving a car and a small minority of cyclists don't help themselves either.

    BM
  • philwi
    philwi Posts: 19
    I think it varies from town to town. In London I had few problems with buses or taxis, who would not particularly assist cyclists, but they would not deliberately intimidate you either.

    In Cambridge it's different: the bus and taxi drivers appear generally angry at cyclists, and they tend to try to intimidate you. I think that's because the County Council here wants cyclists to ride on the pavements, so "professional" drivers get to thinking that we should not be on the road.

    With taxi drivers, take their number (easy with a helmet cam) and report every one of them. The licensing authority keeps records, so if you're hurt by someone already known to intimidate cyclists then it can only help you. I was deliberately run down from behind by a bus driver, but unfortunately the police don't prosecute them unless they actually draw blood. I've had no direct trouble with HGV drivers - I think that they probably don't spend enough time stuck in traffic to become angry.
  • p a t r i c k
    p a t r i c k Posts: 18
    philwi wrote:
    In Cambridge it's different: the bus and taxi drivers appear generally angry at cyclists, and they tend to try to intimidate you. I think that's because the County Council here wants cyclists to ride on the pavements, so "professional" drivers get to thinking that we should not be on the road.

    In Brighton & Hove there has been a huge increase in the number of bicycle lanes in the last few years. The council believes itself to be very pro cycling by putting these down, but a major problem with them is that car drivers believe that cyclists should be in the cycle lane.

    This is now for me the primary reason for being shouted at by a car driver, that I am not in the cycle lane.

    Turning right, for example, necessitates leaving the cycle lane. Amazingly many car drivers haven't worked this out and when I move out to the centre of the road prior to turning right I am liable to abuse.

    We have some cycle lanes where the a significant physical obstacle is created between the lane and the road. Sometimes these are blocked for some reason, if you go onto the rest of the road you run a risk of being shouted at. I had one very significant incident from this about six months ago.
  • Mr.Duck
    Mr.Duck Posts: 174
    p a t r i c k wrote:
    Turning right, for example, necessitates leaving the cycle lane. Amazingly many car drivers haven't worked this out and when I move out to the centre of the road prior to turning right I am liable to abuse.
    You look over your sholder, hold your arm out to signal, then move over? I don't see the problem.
    p a t r i c k wrote:
    We have some cycle lanes where the a significant physical obstacle is created between the lane and the road. Sometimes these are blocked for some reason, if you go onto the rest of the road you run a risk of being shouted at. I had one very significant incident from this about six months ago.
    What happened exactly? I try and get stuck in with the rest of the traffic. I wouldn't drive in the gutter if I was driving a car for example, and the same applies if I was cycling. Don't do anything that you would mind if you were in the car instead.
  • p a t r i c k
    p a t r i c k Posts: 18
    Mr.Duck wrote:
    p a t r i c k wrote:
    Turning right, for example, necessitates leaving the cycle lane. Amazingly many car drivers haven't worked this out and when I move out to the centre of the road prior to turning right I am liable to abuse.
    You look over your sholder, hold your arm out to signal, then move over? I don't see the problem.

    In my post I am writing about being shouted at by car drivers. The problem is that often car drivers believe that cyclists should be in cycle lanes when they are present, and will shout at cyclists if they are not in the cycle lanes.

    If you are starting from a cycle lane, or simply the left side of the road, then turning right is a two stage process. First you need to move to the centre of the road, then you will turn right.

    This means that you are going to necessarily be spending a bit of time out of the cycle lane. During that time you are at risk of being shouted at by car drivers who believe that cyclists should be in cycle lanes.
    Mr.Duck wrote:
    p a t r i c k wrote:
    We have some cycle lanes where the a significant physical obstacle is created between the lane and the road. Sometimes these are blocked for some reason, if you go onto the rest of the road you run a risk of being shouted at. I had one very significant incident from this about six months ago.
    What happened exactly? I try and get stuck in with the rest of the traffic. I wouldn't drive in the gutter if I was driving a car for example, and the same applies if I was cycling. Don't do anything that you would mind if you were in the car instead.

    Well I'm writing about the misconception that some car drivers have that cyclist should be in cycle lanes when they are present.

    In Brighton & Hove we now have some cycle lanes where the lane is actually separated from the road with a physical obstacle. If the lane is blocked you have no option but to simply ignore the lane and ride on the rest of the road. However when you do that the chances are high that you will get shouted at by a car driver (who believes that cyclists should be in cycle lanes).

Categories