Absolutely fuming over near miss tonight

[mjr]

Bus companies don't care, in my experience. Report it to the police and traffic commissioner.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

It's just a shame that there aren't as many cyclists on the road as there used to be, we are still suffering the effects of the 70's when the 'motor vehicle' overtook the bike as transport.

Its the entitlement culture and the super safety of cars now, it's not only bikes that are the victims of ignorant, selfish, distract and just plain dangerous driving, I drive as defensively as I cycle and make just as many adjustments for the selfish or stupid or inattentive in other motor vehicles. The difference is my vulnerability on my bike vs in my car, not that I am on a bike per-se.

 

[slowmotion]

Write to the bus company with your complaint about the driver. That means that there's a letter on file. I was nearly wiped out by a close, slowly closing pass by a huge Welsh coach a few years ago. They were going home down Kensington High Street on the way back from the London Olympics. Words were exchanged with the driver. The coach company denied that there was on-board camera footage, and that the driver had any recollection of the event. The usual stuff really.

 

[roadrash]

report it , he needs educating at the very least, @mathew-T can give you advice according to this thread
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/apalling-actions-from-an-arriva-bus-driver.137995/
it was a classic from mathew

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Most buses/coaches these days seem to have CCTV so his boss will probably be able to view the drivers version, which should support your view, but I wouldn't personally go down to the depot, I would be emailing/writing in, that way there is a record or events.

 

[DaveReading]

A post on the bus company's Twitter feed would probably get their attention ...

 

[benb]

I think it's always a difficult one, as there could be implications re employment, and nobody likes to have a detrimental affect on anyone's continual employment.

That been said, I would report him, even to give his boss's a chance to educate him.

You'd think that if employment was so important to them they'd make more effort to drive properly.

 

[Starchivore]

Can someone PLEASE put a spoiler warning on this one also? It's making my breakfast curdle:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/absolutely-fuming-over-near-miss-tonight.208843/post-4516075

Yes please- some of us are at work here!! :0

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Don't rely on a bus company's CCTV.

I was lied to by one firm who claimed initially that although cameras were fitted they weren't always operational. That later changed to them conceding the cameras were functioning but the footage was no longer available, when I'd reported the incident to them within 90 minutes! Funnily enough, this affected the video from both buses (the 2nd was following and did nothing wrong) and they wouldn't tell me if the following driver corroborated my complaint or not.

Their resolution was a template letter with the usual bollocks about having dealt with the driver appropriately, which means feck all.

From that point I decided that a bus company would never again have the option of dealing with driving matters in-house and I'll take anything noteworthy to the police and Traffic Commissioner instead.

 

[clid61]

Hi.
As the title suggests I had a near miss tonight with a bus. I was just coming back from a 16 mile ride and was coming back into my town when I was aware there was a bus behind me. He stayed behind me for a few moments waiting for an opportunity to over take me. When he did he left me about 12 inches from my handle bars from the side of his bus. At the time my wheels were about a 1 and half feet from the kerb. Jesus I saw red with the driver and when I caught him up 100 metresfurther up at the traffic lights I gave him a piece of my mind. According to him though it was my fault because I should of been riding on the path which incidentally is a bike path but its only about 200 metres long and in all honest was not going to stop my 16 mile ride to mount such a short pathway. I duly told him I have every right to cycle on the stretch of road like many cyclist do every day of the year. His answer was roads are not for bikes. After hearing this I told him I was going to report him to the police and his company. He then went quiet and muttered that its all been recorded and drove off. I was that angry I forgot to get the reg of his bus but luckily the bus depot was just down the road and I managed to take a photo of his bus reg. As soon I took a photo another bus driver came out of the building ranting at me. He said i should be wearing a hi viz jacket and ask where are my lights. I had switched them off when I entered the bus depot .I switched my two front ones on and my rear which are bright enough for any road conditions. ( The Aldi cob ones )..
Before I go ranting and raving to his boss and the Police does anybody here think that I may be in the wrong. Seriously if you do please tell me and why but personally I think his driving and his attitude towards me was appalling.
Rant over and thank you for reading and any input given.
.
Johnny

Do you live in Wigan by any chance ?

 

[Deleted member 35268]

report report report, bad attitude problem towards cyclists

 

[Deleted member 35268]

Thank you all for you input. Another thing the other driver commented on was my cycling jacket stating it wasn't " bright enough " The jacket in question was my winter cycling jacket bought from Aldi the over day ( red and black ). Besides this though though guy driving the bus obviously saw me in front of him because he waited behind me for a few moments before making his move. I feel his actions would of been no different if it was broad daylight .

Unbelievable excuses, fact is his driving was shoot, his attitude is shoot and he is a shoot.

 

[johnnyb47]

Hi again. I thought I just give a quick update on what happened today when a I paid the bus depot a visit. I wrote them out a letter of complaint today and handed it personally to the manager. He was very interested in what had happened and I had a good long chat about the drivers attitude towards me and his appalling driving. He was none to happy to say the least of what had happened and was very apologetic to me. He went on to tell me that he has had a string of complaints recently regarding damage , near misses , and altercations with the public and he was fed up to the back teeth sorting them out and was now going to come down hard on any more incidents that happen starting with mine. So hopefully this will be the kick up the backside this bus driver needs to make him aware of that he does not own the road .
Thank you all for your words of wisdom and support on this and hopefully my complaint will go a small way to making our roads a safer place for us fellow riders.