Visit to Addison Lee

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ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
How about getting a number of them onto bikes and get them to ride through rush hour traffic?


Making sure there are some AL vans/taxis in attendance, with the vans/taxi not knowing the cyclists are also AL.
icon_twisted.gif
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
I think the driving style and mentality of addison lee drivers has been pretty well covered in here already, so i won't be adding my 2p worth.

Just good luck, keep calm and a happy face and ask them if they do any cycling specific training.

oh and report back to us on your findings!
 

deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
A bit like Martint235, I was chatting with you on the way back from the London Skyride without realising who you were until afterwards.

Anyhow, many cabbies seem to drive in a way I can only describe as ''road drunk''; i.e. they've been on the road without a break for far too long. It might be interesting to see how much attention their driving training pays to shift lengths and the maximum periods of time drivers are allowed to continue on the road without a break. I wonder whether they have to drive 60 - 70 hour weeks simply to make a living after paying off their vehicle costs and public hire insurance.

(Personally, I think they should be required to use tachographs.)
 
Sum this thread up to them, and constructively suggest that surely this isn't the image that Addison Lee wants, and how can it be fixed.

Go there prepared to play the card "I know there are a lot of cyclists out there that make things worse for us all, RLJers, ninjas, etc but for the law abiding cyclists please don't put us in danger because of your dislike of their actions, which we share"

Finally, explain the concept and reasons behind primary positions, so that they can understand its for safety, and not just cyclists being delibrately annoying and holding traffic up.

Good luck!
 
I was stopped in an ASL at lights a few months back. Right behind me was an Addison Lee Ford S-Max. I waited there at a red light in full view of the driver (in Hi-Viz jacket, by the way) and then the lights changed.......the next thing I know is the thud of the front of the S-Max against my thigh and a mirror arm against my shoulder. I just managed to keep upright. In truth no real harm was done. The driver looked very shocked and waved apologetically, almost pleading for forgiveness. I ranted in the heat of the moment and stopped on the far side of the junction to gather myself and check for injury/damage. I maybe should have reported the incident (but I didn't get the vehicle number) yet still can't fathom how this colision wasn't avoided. Was the driver blind? I actually pushed off and away from the AD vehicle to enable him to pass!
 

Bromptonaut

Rohan Man
Location
Bugbrooke UK
Most of us riding in London will have had run ins with buses or members of the LTDA. But equally there will have been experiences of excellent driving and tolerance for the dafter element amongst our 2 wheel bretheren (I'm looking at those who ignore the bike ban on the Theobalds Road/Vernon Place bus contraflow!).

Interesting that nobody on this thread has a +ve word about AL.
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
Well, when waiting at the front of the queue on a red light, I always look back to see who is behind me. The glimpse of anything with Addison Lee written on it is good for a 20 bpm uplift on my heart rate. Utter swine....but good on you for meeting with them. Why not ask them to have a look at comments about them on CC and elsewhere? Respect to them also for "engaging".
 

Little yellow Brompton

A dark destroyer of biscuits!
Location
Bridgend
Well, when waiting at the front of the queue on a red light, I always look back to see who is behind me. The glimpse of anything with Addison Lee written on it is good for a 20 bpm uplift on my heart rate. Utter swine....but good on you for meeting with them. Why not ask them to have a look at comments about them on CC and elsewhere? Respect to them also for "engaging".


The way to change commerical companies in the long term is to show them cost, what it is costign them NOT to change.


Print out all of the comments above hand them round at AL and tell them "these are potential customers who are never going to use you until you change..."
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
I too find Addison lee to be the worst collection of drivers in London. I actually find bus drivers to be some of the most cycle aware (and therefore best) and Black cabs have a balance of good and bad...I've yet to notice a good addison lee driver and assume upon sight that they WILL ALL do something that few other drivers will do (even cabs) at any point.

Its got so bad that I am now suspcious/wary of all black MPV's and the only evidence of real poor driving I have on my channel is of one of their cabs...sigh


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aazBT-WjsOA


I hope your visit helps to adjust this positon and commend you for your thinking!

well done
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
[quote name='The Horse's Mouth' timestamp='1319016221' post='1887119']
And I thought it was only me who consider Addison Lee drivers the worse on the road.
:wacko:
[/quote]

Nope you are not alone.
They are well known amongst the cycling community to be among the worst so called 'professional' drivers on the road.
 

LCpl Boiled Egg

Three word soundbite
I've never cycled in London, and so shouldn't have an opinion of them either way, but I've only ever seen examples of their bad driving on people's YouTube channels, and no good examples. Even bus drivers and black cab drivers have been thanked and publicly praised on some videos!
 
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