Very near miss + total ignorance!
Graeme Jones
Posts: 361
Well thought I would get out today after a 2 week lay off after a bad back and it nearly ended up with me getting run over.
At around 21 miles of the 24 mile ride I had just climbed a local hill and got to a flat section holding about 16-17mph from what I recall to have an old Honda pass me at about 25MPH with about 8 inches to spare! An oncoming car was in the opposite lane and this old fella of about 80 must have thought I am not waiting.
I wobbled as I truly shit myself and out of instinct bashed his car on the side with an open palm to highlight this driver of my presence.
This old guy pulled up and I pulled over when he got out I didn't quite have the conversation I was expecting. I was partly expecting a sorry didn't see you or I didn't realise I was that close but what I got was..... What are you doing riding on the road? and Why do I need to give you any more room than I did!
My response was quite angry but controlled as you would expect. I explained I have as much right to be on the road as he does and could he please explain why I shouldn't be on the road but he couldn't give me one! I said he needs to give me more room because if you hit me at 30-35mph chances are I am dead and I have a wife and Child at home that need me and asked him if he understood the fact I am a human being before I am a cyclist in which he kept shaking his head repeating I gave you enough room and if you were on the pavement I wouldn't have been near you.
At this point I thought I would try and put it in simple terms and said if you were crossing the road and I decided to give you 8inches in my car would you feel that was acceptable in which he wouldn't respond.
He also then tried to do a U turn and mention my cycling clothing being black and white in which I questioned are you trying to tell me you didn't see me now rather than your original stance of not seeing my life/safety a concern for you?
He then said he used to be a cyclist which made me laugh telling him surely he would then understand how dangerous he was being. I also said riding a bike on the pavement smoking a ciggy doesn't make you a cyclist.
I showed him how close he was and that if I can touch his car then surely your not giving me enough room? He said oh well shouldn't be on the road and went to get back in his car.
I said before parting if you pass me that close as we pull off I will call the police and you may not be keeping your wing mirror. Good job he was old because I am not a violent man but I think I would be pushed not to give him a slap but managed to find my inner Zen lol.
At around 21 miles of the 24 mile ride I had just climbed a local hill and got to a flat section holding about 16-17mph from what I recall to have an old Honda pass me at about 25MPH with about 8 inches to spare! An oncoming car was in the opposite lane and this old fella of about 80 must have thought I am not waiting.
I wobbled as I truly shit myself and out of instinct bashed his car on the side with an open palm to highlight this driver of my presence.
This old guy pulled up and I pulled over when he got out I didn't quite have the conversation I was expecting. I was partly expecting a sorry didn't see you or I didn't realise I was that close but what I got was..... What are you doing riding on the road? and Why do I need to give you any more room than I did!
My response was quite angry but controlled as you would expect. I explained I have as much right to be on the road as he does and could he please explain why I shouldn't be on the road but he couldn't give me one! I said he needs to give me more room because if you hit me at 30-35mph chances are I am dead and I have a wife and Child at home that need me and asked him if he understood the fact I am a human being before I am a cyclist in which he kept shaking his head repeating I gave you enough room and if you were on the pavement I wouldn't have been near you.
At this point I thought I would try and put it in simple terms and said if you were crossing the road and I decided to give you 8inches in my car would you feel that was acceptable in which he wouldn't respond.
He also then tried to do a U turn and mention my cycling clothing being black and white in which I questioned are you trying to tell me you didn't see me now rather than your original stance of not seeing my life/safety a concern for you?
He then said he used to be a cyclist which made me laugh telling him surely he would then understand how dangerous he was being. I also said riding a bike on the pavement smoking a ciggy doesn't make you a cyclist.
I showed him how close he was and that if I can touch his car then surely your not giving me enough room? He said oh well shouldn't be on the road and went to get back in his car.
I said before parting if you pass me that close as we pull off I will call the police and you may not be keeping your wing mirror. Good job he was old because I am not a violent man but I think I would be pushed not to give him a slap but managed to find my inner Zen lol.
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Never mind Zen. If he is sure he's in the right he more than likely carry on such driving behaviour. Report the blighter to the police. The next rider might not escape with an near miss.0
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Smash his face in next time.0
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Just punch him in the face as hard as you can and pedal off ...sorted
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After situations like this I always try and analyse what I could have done better/different to keep myself safe. Sometimes there's not much you can do about it but it's always worth asking yourself the question. The fact he's an idiot and a bad driver won't help you when you're lying in the road. Maybe think about your riding position in the road - should you have been riding more centrally to stop cars over taking, for example?
Oh and next time nick his keys and ride off Rose Xlite Team 3100 Di2
Kinesis Tripster ATR
Orro Oxygen0 -
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There was definitely not much I could do to control the situation. I believe if I had moved more central he may have knocked me off or don't something more stupid or drastic.
Had a decent ride out today with thank fully no issues.0 -
Did you get his reg? If so a call to Plod is in order. He needs educating.0
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Take the keys out of his ignition, throw the keys in to a field and then push him over! Job done0
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In this situation all you need to ask the driver is, given the same scenario, but you were in a car, would he have overtaken you the same way?
If he says "no" then he is showing he is at fault, as you are meant to give cyclists as much room as you do a car when overtaking. https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-t ... 162-to-169
If he says "yes" then he makes himself looks like an idiot also.0 -
Didn't get the registration was too shuck up and angry. Tbf the police aren't going to do anything0
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Iamnot Wiggins wrote:Smash his face in next time.sarm34 wrote:Just punch him in the face as hard as you can and pedal off ...sortedgaryk72 wrote:Take the keys out of his ignition, throw the keys in to a field and then push him over! Job done
I don't want to be the forum police, but comments like this are pretty stupid. When people post links to idiotic comments that car-drivers have made on news articles or car forums everyone gets all up-in-arms and says they're the scum of the earth, but comments like this make me think most cyclists aren't much better.0 -
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If you take the keys you'd be likely accountable for theft it's a difficult one really I am glad I don't come up against this regularly. I've been riding for only 2 years and I've seen quite a lot of poor driving but as my mind set has changed and I think ahead more and preempt the stupidity I don't get bothered by it but this was the first occasion of actual ignorance to this level.0
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Graeme Jones wrote:Well thought I would get out today after a 2 week lay off after a bad back and it nearly ended up with me getting run over.
At around 21 miles of the 24 mile ride I had just climbed a local hill and got to a flat section holding about 16-17mph from what I recall to have an old Honda pass me at about 25MPH with about 8 inches to spare! An oncoming car was in the opposite lane and this old fella of about 80 must have thought I am not waiting.
I wobbled as I truly shoot myself and out of instinct bashed his car on the side with an open palm to highlight this driver of my presence.
This old guy pulled up and I pulled over when he got out I didn't quite have the conversation I was expecting. I was partly expecting a sorry didn't see you or I didn't realise I was that close but what I got was..... What are you doing riding on the road? and Why do I need to give you any more room than I did!
My response was quite angry but controlled as you would expect. I explained I have as much right to be on the road as he does and could he please explain why I shouldn't be on the road but he couldn't give me one! I said he needs to give me more room because if you hit me at 30-35mph chances are I am dead and I have a wife and Child at home that need me and asked him if he understood the fact I am a human being before I am a cyclist in which he kept shaking his head repeating I gave you enough room and if you were on the pavement I wouldn't have been near you.
At this point I thought I would try and put it in simple terms and said if you were crossing the road and I decided to give you 8inches in my car would you feel that was acceptable in which he wouldn't respond.
He also then tried to do a U turn and mention my cycling clothing being black and white in which I questioned are you trying to tell me you didn't see me now rather than your original stance of not seeing my life/safety a concern for you?
He then said he used to be a cyclist which made me laugh telling him surely he would then understand how dangerous he was being. I also said riding a bike on the pavement smoking a ciggy doesn't make you a cyclist.
I showed him how close he was and that if I can touch his car then surely your not giving me enough room? He said oh well shouldn't be on the road and went to get back in his car.
I said before parting if you pass me that close as we pull off I will call the police and you may not be keeping your wing mirror. Good job he was old because I am not a violent man but I think I would be pushed not to give him a slap but managed to find my inner Zen lol.
I'm sorry but at 25mph I would have let him pass then sat on him for an excellent fast tempo session.Selling my Legend frame
http://owningalegend.wordpress.com/2014 ... ced-price/0 -
LegendLust wrote:Graeme Jones wrote:.. At around 21 miles of the 24 mile ride I had just climbed a local hill and got to a flat section holding about 16-17mph from what I recall to have an old Honda pass me at about 25MPH ..
I'm sorry but at 25mph I would have let him pass then sat on him for an excellent fast tempo session.
I'm sorry but at 25mph he wouldn't have caught up with me in the first place :twisted:0
