Met this lovely taxi driver

AdamJ
AdamJ Posts: 63
edited January 2015 in Road general
So i was riding home the other day and this fella did a wonderful bit of squeezing his car between me and a traffic island. Now my language was a bit off at the start but there was no need for his actions or his threat at the end,

Any advice from you guys as to how things go when something like this happens? Im only wondering as that could have ended badly if he was 2 inches further left.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JhR5Rs-PsQ

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    sh*t happens - move on.
  • Graham K
    Graham K Posts: 329
    As said /\ You can either move on ....

    .... Or as you have details and evidence, contact your local licencing office and put a complaint in, and if its a local taxi firm boycott using them, spread the word and just give it bad press.

    The driver knew he had done wrong by stopping when you shouted.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    local licensing office - he said there wasn't enough room yet continued to overtake ... that's not what you expect from a "professional" driver ...
  • Report it to police, while he may have left enough room passing you, he definitely will be in trouble for braking hard after overtaking.
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • shipley
    shipley Posts: 549
    "Taxi Driver"

    Enough said
  • report him
  • Manc33
    Manc33 Posts: 2,157
    I'd get into trouble if I typed it. :wink:

    What annoys me (even more than their bad driving) is the fact that they assume because you're cycling, you don't drive a car yourself.

    All you can do is make sure your rear light is bright enough so they don't have any excuse. Batteries perform worse in these temperatures.
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    report him
    This
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Report him to the authority on his licence plate. You have all the proof. Very poor driving.
  • john1967
    john1967 Posts: 366
    Imposter wrote:
    sh*t happens - move on.

    sh@t happens again and again and again.How many times are you going to move on. Ride defensivly,record and report.
  • Was that it? That stuff happens all the time here in London. Not good & I understand the angst, but if it were me I'd get over it & move on. Be the bigger man.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Report it to police, while he may have left enough room passing you, he definitely will be in trouble for braking hard after overtaking.

    A waste of time. No prosecution would come out of that footage.

    Report it to the licensing authority who will have scope to deal with him. Chances are he's yet another unlicensed driver moonlighting by using someone else's car and if that is the case, the licence holder will have to answer for it and a criminal prosecution can take place against the driver.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    john1967 wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    sh*t happens - move on.

    sh@t happens again and again and again.How many times are you going to move on. Ride defensivly,record and report.

    it does and its horrible and it shouldnt happen, but the police will look at that and say well nothing happened, so you just end up looking like one of those obssessive video type cyclists who reports near misses all the time. however unsettling they are as a cyclist until we get one of those one metre overtaking rules. stuff like that no-ones going to take any action over.

    its slightly more interesting from road safety, that 20 limit sign pops into view after the pinch point, so assuming the driver pays attention to it (and it seemed to be advisory as far as that first black car was concerned) overtaking there ought to be considered be a waste of time.

    So maybe it would be better to lobby the council instead to extend the 20mph zone up to cover the traffic island as well, which would give better protection on the junction, and as presumably the problem is exacerbated even more heading the other direction, the 20mph zone finishes, and theres enough lead up that gives vehicles the encouragement of flooring it to overtake cyclists heading into that same traffic island pinch point.
  • AdamJ wrote:
    Any advice from you guys as to how things go when something like this happens?

    Next time ask for some 'bitty' from the passenger
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • You left the door open and he went through it.
  • sigorman85
    sigorman85 Posts: 2,536
    E902BE22-709E-4292-B469-64EBA0B9191C_zpsnriaymkb.jpg
    When i die I just hope the wife doesn't sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it other wise someone will be getting a mega deal!!!


    De rosa superking 888 di2
  • rhysyd
    rhysyd Posts: 141
    As soon as he threatened to have me 'over his bonnet next time' well, i think the word is, red mist!.. oh and i like how he said it as he drove away. Yet another nonce, move on..
  • Manc33
    Manc33 Posts: 2,157
    No harm or loss caused, ergo no crime took place.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Manc33 wrote:
    No harm or loss caused, ergo no crime took place.

    This might come as a shock, but that's not actually how the law works...
  • jjsh
    jjsh Posts: 142
    Imposter wrote:
    Manc33 wrote:
    No harm or loss caused, ergo no crime took place.

    This might come as a shock, but that's not actually how the law works...

    Exactly, or otherwise, why would people loose their licence for drink driving if they weren't involved in an accident?
  • type:epyt
    type:epyt Posts: 766
    TBH the OP should be taking a more assured position going through the traffic island ... If you leave enough room for a car to go through they assume you are comfortable with them going through, if you don't leave room then there is no opportunity for a problem. Just my experience.

    Plus, the OP wears a camera for no other reason than assuming the role of 'victim' as soon as his ass hits the saddle ...
    Life is unfair, kill yourself or get over it.
  • pastryboy
    pastryboy Posts: 1,385
    Should have shoulder checked as you were coming up to the pinch point if you knew there was a car behind. Doesn't make the taxi driver any less in the wrong but you'd most likely have avoided the problem.
  • type:epyt wrote:
    Plus, the OP wears a camera for no other reason than assuming the role of 'victim' as soon as his ass hits the saddle ...


    :lol::lol::lol:
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • AdamJ
    AdamJ Posts: 63
    Excuse the lack of reply, I have had trouble logging in.

    @type:epyt

    I was a little further out than normal due to the ice on the side of the road, and there clearly wasnt enough room (the driver said I was taking up all the road) for him to get through.
    In actual fact my camera was still running as I had been out for the day with other cyclists recording a Christmas Ride for another youtube video - im not the type to goad drivers into fights for youtube views.

    @pastryboy - i didnt know he was there until he passed me, bit of a lack in awareness on my part.

    For those interested I have emailed the local council, someone above wrote he might not even be a real taxi - He is - the council website confirmed his reg plate with his name and license number. I havent had a reply yet.

    Im not expecting anything really, but its good to know where everyone stands, it seems a bit 50/50 in terms of reporting someone.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Definitely report it to the police!
    I have had a similar incident today where a van pulled straight out of a side road without looking and had i not swerved on to the other side of the road i would have been taken out (had something been coming the other way there would have been no where for me to go).

    I had my camera on the bike and have it all recorded. Contacted the police as soon as i got home. They have been fantastic so far. After watching the video they told me i can either press charges and pursue through the court if the CPS feel there is enough evidence, or they can pay the driver a visit and warn him about future driving.

    Can't compliment the way they have handled my complaint enough.
  • Many of the traffic islands where I live have signs on them saying cars should not overtake cyclists when going through traffic islands. in order to stop someone trying to force their way past me at a traffic island (which they shouldn't be doing anyway) I cycle in the middle of the road. if there isn't enough room for someone to pass me safely I make sure they can't pass me at all until there is more room. of course some drivers I have encountered get quite angry about this. me personally think it's quite funny. having someone shouting at you because you are stopping them from doing something they shouldn't be doing anyway. some may think my defensive riding is arrogant, some might wonder what gives me the right to prevent a car from passing me on the road. good point. but there have been too many times where drivers have had plenty of room to pass me, either going through traffic islands or when passing parked cars, or who have overtaken me when there are cars coming the other way, in all these situations drivers still pass way too close to me for comfort.
  • Cleat to the door would have sorted his moaning face out. :lol:

    I met a lovely van driver on Christmas day, thankfully he stopped to pick my bike up for me. My language was a lot worse than yours! :mrgreen:
  • LeighM
    LeighM Posts: 156
    You left the door open and he went through it.

    This.

    If you see a pinch point like that ahead, check over your shoulder and take primary until you're through it.
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