This annoyed me

socistep

Was out on a lunchtime ride, just a quick 9 mile loop from Leeds city centre coming back through Headingley, I was waiting at Lawnswood roundabout which is quite a busy roundabout crossing the Leeds outer ring road.

http://goo.gl/maps/7kc9p

On the streetview link above I was in the left hand straight on lane behind a van, towards the left hand side and 2/3m back from the van so I could see the traffic coming from the right, anyway a driver who wanted to turn into the left filter lane beeped his horn and then started ranting out the window, couldn't really hear what he was saying but I shouted back that I am going straight on and in that lane - these kind of things don't normally bother but that annoyed me!

However thought I'd ask here whether my road position was ok? I didn't think there was anything wrong but worth checking, I'm assuming he just wanted to turn left quicker then he could do.

smoggysteve

Just ignore it and get on with your life. Drivers like this will never change. No one was hurt so just move on.

drlodge

Sounds like the driver was just an impatient idiot.

socistep

SmoggySteve wrote:

Just ignore it and get on with your life. Drivers like this will never change. No one was hurt so just move on.

Yeah you are right, 9 times out of 10 I'd have just laughed but something just irked with that one!

markhewitt1978

Wouldn't worry about it. I was once stopped at traffic lights but in a similar situation where there was a short left turn lane, but I was going straight on. This woman behind me started beeping her horn, flashing her lights and waving her arms, as she wanted to turn left, but I was stopped at a red light.

But in this situation I was in my car, so it's not always a cycle thing

PS. A lot of drivers who see bicycles get confused about what they are doing and where they are going, pity the fool

slowbike

Well, I suppose it depends if there was room for him to filter left if you could've moved your bike a meter further forwards or to the right ...
It also depends how quickly he started ranting having beeped his horn ..

If the van had been at the junction for some time (due to traffic) and you were effectively blocking him from making a quick left then it would've been polite to let him through ...

But it was probably just an ignorant driver ...

socistep

I'd just stopped behind the van, he beeped pretty much straight away but had got past then started ranting :-D

gubber12345

socistep wrote:

I'd just stopped behind the van, he beeped pretty much straight away but had got past then started ranting :-D

yeah he waited until he was past before he started his rant...he knew he could escape if things had turned ugly,the driver is a cowardly f**k so forget the tw4t he aint worth it.

kingstonian

When people get arsey like that i tend to just laugh, it cheers me up no end and pises them off even more.

rolf_f

If by positioning myself to the right side of a lane I can allow someone to filter left without encouraging someone going straight on to try to squeeze into my lane to my left, I will always do it. Common courtesy, thinking about where other people want to go etc.

But that's about making a bit of extra effort. If you'd been a car, the car behind would have been stuck anyway. And someone like that probably wouldn't have gone to the same effort to help others himself anyway.

So, in conclusion, next time think more about those behind you but cheer yourself up in that you made a prat very angry!