How do you deal with people overtaking too close

fudgey

What has annoyed myself and the mate i ride with the last few times is cars/vans blasting the horn as they pass.

last sunday my mate and i done 80 odd miles, we had one van go past and blast on the horn. nothing coming the other way so it was clearly at us - but they did give plenty of room.
the second was not all that much later, doing 20mph in a 30, a passat overtakes us and blasts the horn we reply with wanker shake and the oncoming car blasts its horn at the driver as they did not have enough time to overtake us safely

and the third one was going up the hill into marlborough, a wide main road, cars could pass easily as the road was wide enough... then some scrote hanging out the passenger window of a green vw lupo screams "get off the road you pair of c*nts" and we wernt exactly holding anyone up...

all three occasions we were single file, not riding parallel etc!

no need for it really...

awavey

Manc33 wrote:

Schoie81 wrote:

On my way home last night someone passed me on a fairly straight stretch of road with nothing coming the other way and it felt as though their wing mirrors almost brushed my elbows. Looked up to throw my best "what a prat (or words to that effect)" face and noticed holographic letters across the back of the car POLICE.... What hope is there of the average driver giving cyclists enough space if the people who are supposed to be on the roads to protects us don't do it??

There's always a few bad apples. "Here's that guy on his bike again, let's scare him this time" he said to his colleague. Maybe he was late getting to the freemasons lodge, or maybe it was a genuine emergency - someone on the inside at McDonalds rang him when the donuts were starting to run low. For those that aren't sure if I am trolling/joking, I am.

though yes you are joking and its not a reflection on all of them I know,and Ive had the lets scare the cyclist by letting rip with the siren right next to them thing, but it still annoys me when they treat you no better than the other idiots on the road, overatakes on blind curves,lefthooks,pedestrian refuge overtakes, I always notice other drivers mostly seem to think twice about doing daft things when they see a police car around, Id hate for them to get ideas that those things were ok

Bullet1

I had the following last weekend. Thought the first car was bad but the second!!

http://youtu.be/a_inJDTqvVo

In hindsight could argue I should have ridden another foot into the road but nevertheless!

Has anyone had any joy reporting thing like this? Assume its a case of dialing 101?

Expensive - but really recommend the Garmin Virb

andy_wrx

Nobody would close-pass that

Although they might slow down for a gawp at the passenger

briantrumpet

I make them crash into a car coming the other way.



That'll learn 'em.

Rodders30

Haha, I like that response.

cougie

Bullet1 wrote:

I had the following last weekend. Thought the first car was bad but the second!!

http://youtu.be/a_inJDTqvVo

In hindsight could argue I should have ridden another foot into the road but nevertheless!

Has anyone had any joy reporting thing like this? Assume its a case of dialing 101?

Expensive - but really recommend the Garmin Virb

jeez - I'd try reporting that second car. And yes - ride further out - to take away any chance of them trying a really unsafe overtake.

briantrumpet

Rodders30 wrote:

Haha, I like that response.

... though please don't sue me if you try this yourself, and end up legless, or dead.

tjbr

Don't mind the cars so much, knowing the road layout and using you're road position to influence overtaking works reasonably well, it's the vans which are the worst. They often think they are in a smaller narrower vehicle, usually in a hurry somewhere....

If I'm on the roads they frequent (try and avoid where possible) I tend to put a small mirror on the traffic side drop bar just to give me a possible heads up one is approaching so I don't get caught by suprise, have firm bar grip, keep a decent line with a bit if room on the left, maybe sit up a bit if I was on the drops to raise profile.

Can't stop the idiots but you can help your chances a bit.

nicube

I tend to shout and gesticulate in their direction, doesn't really help,but makes me feel better

Like others have said riding further out in the road sometimes helps but then there are always those that it annoys and they make a point of cutting in sharp in front once they past, so many drivers are clueless idiots though!

ben@31

Nicube wrote:

I tend to shout and gesticulate in their direction, doesn't really help,but makes me feel better

Like others have said riding further out in the road sometimes helps but then there are always those that it annoys and they make a point of cutting in sharp in front once they past, so many drivers are clueless idiots though!

A friend of a friend was in his car with his young kids in back. Some other car made some slight error, so he shouted and gesticulated....

... At the next traffic lights. Four young men got out, threw a fire -extinguisher through his windscreen, smashed the rest of his car up and would have smashed him up if given the chance. He said it was the most scariest experience of his life. Police could not do anything due to lack of evidence.

Sometimes it's best not to shout or gesticulate, you never know who is in the other car.

ben@31

VmanF3 wrote:

I don't get wound up by other road users, I'm sure there are things I have done on various forms of transport that has upset someone somewhere down the line.

I do have a different outlook though based on my sailing days - on the water you never have a 'right of way'; you are what's known as the stand on vessel, the opposite being give way vessel. Generally speaking, the stand on vessel should continue until it becomes apparent that the give way isn't going to (give way). It's both parties duty to avoid a collision. On the roads I hear too many stating they have right of way, when in fact a little common sense could alleviate a situation.

No point being right and injured or worse!

You reminded me of a sailing trip I had in The Solent many years ago. No matter how much you think you have right of way, a 170,000 ton container ship just doesn't give way to your 10 metre long fibreglass yacht. Its best for you to avoid him. I was in awe how big the container ships were even from a mile away, the biggest man made object I've ever seen.

andy_wrx

I've got a book of cartoons somewhere from a French artist (years ago, not Charlie Hebdo)

One is a colossal heap of about a hundred cars all piled-up on top of each other, broken panels and glass, steam escaping from radiators, etc

And at the bottom is a little man in a 2CV with his arm out of the window, shouting "I had right of way !"

Manc33

I was driving the other night and a cyclist was riding in the middle of the lane in front of me for what appeared to be no reason, I hate that! I mean no reason at all, the road was really wide and he had just set off from lights. It might be his "right" etc but... MOVE OVER. Let the cars go past ya spanner! Rights this, rights that. The reality is a car goes a lot faster than a bicycle when you've just set off from lights.

Are cyclists riding that way to avoid punctures?

I just have Marathon Plus 700x25 tyres on and ride in the gutter, a lot safer!

I am a cyclist myself but understand what drivers mean at times when some guy is doing 5 MPH with 3 feet of tarmac to his left and not a car parked in that lane anywhere in sight.

fatsmoker

I'm amazed the last post from Manc33 hasn't created a storm of protest yet. Is everyone asleep?

veronese68

fatsmoker wrote:

I'm amazed the last post from Manc33 hasn't created a storm of protest yet. Is everyone asleep?

No point, he doesn't see sense the way most people do. To say many of his posts are irrational would be an understatement of gargantuan proportions.

wotnoshoeseh

gibbers82 wrote:

A bloke at work responded saying "you don't pay road tax" however when i said neither do horses and you don't treat them like cyclists do you it totally shut him up !

If you check the DVLA website they do not refer to road tax. The term "road tax" is a misnomer. The correct term is vehicle tax.
Although a keen cyclist I pay this too, but only on those vehicles that require it.
There are cars out there now that have zero vehicle tax rates, on account of their reduced emissions.

bendertherobot

Veronese68 wrote:

fatsmoker wrote:

I'm amazed the last post from Manc33 hasn't created a storm of protest yet. Is everyone asleep?

No point, he doesn't see sense the way most people do. To say many of his posts are irrational would be an understatement of gargantuan proportions.

Quite. I mean, 25c Marathon Plus? What's the point. At that width get Durano Plus. Go fast, get some grip, have more or less as good protection.

Stanley the 2nd

I had a good one today. Bloke overtakes too close on a fairly wide a road. I gave a wave as to say that was too close. Nothing too aggressive. Thought no more about it but 2 miles down the road this bloke is waiting for me in a lay-by. I ignored him as did't fancy getting my head kicked in. Bit further down the road he comes alongside me and says that he knew he overtook too closely but it was my fault! Apparently I was pushing him into the on coming traffic! Fat chav covered in Chinese tattoos by the way. I did point out he should have waited before overtaking but he wasn't having it. As he wasn't winning the argument he then comes out with the classic you don't pay road tax argument. I pointed out that I did pay road tax as I also had a car. I then asked him how much income tax he paid which seemed to shut him up! I think he was a government artist (i.e. drew the dole). I'm pedalling in the cycle lane whilst this is happening. He then gave a few insults, I told him I loved him and he sped off.

Bit of a strange confrontation. I remained calm and didn't give him a load of abuse (however tempting) as he was a big lad. Moral of the story is some drivers have such a sense of entitlement they think they need to justify their bad driving.

Also couldn't wait 5 seconds to overtake safely but was happy to wait 5 minutes in a lay by for me to catch him up.

Thanks for reading!

P.S First post for me but will contribute more positively in future.

shmooster

Extremely close pass this morning from a driving instructor who was then stuck in a traffic jam (heavy traffic really brings out the worst in people). I'd assumed it was a learner when I saw the L plates but it wasn't. When I asked him why he'd passed that close he said I should be riding on the pavement.