Almost knocked off by a bus

[Paul_L]

On tonight's ride home a local bus came past me so close it made me wobble through shock. I shouted out to him. At the next bus stop i caught him up and went to his drivers window.

I asked him if he knew how close he was to me. His response beggars belief. "I had no choice mate". "Excuse me?" i replied. "There was a car coming the other way, i had no room" came the equally frightening response!!!

So that's ok then. You can nearly knock me off, as there's a car coming. Don't even think about using the brake pedal and show a bit of patience!!

He then started throwing accusations at me. I'd been riding with a mate two abreast a couple of hundred yards earlier - in single file at the time he went past me - and he then claimed it was ok to drive like a twat as we had been riding illegally. He claimed it was illegal to ride 2 abreast in a town, and then he said we should have been on the pavement where there is a shared cycle / pedestrian lane.

The idiotic statement about the shared lane i'm comfortable with, but it's not correct about not being able to ride 2 abreast in towns is it?

I got the service no. and the Registration number of the bus, so i'm hoping the driver is traceable. I'll be sending a strongly worded email in the morning.

 

[Dibs]

Hi mate,

See this website DirectGOV states:

• never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends

So would depend how busy the street was when you were 2 abreast, however, if you were single file when he went past you, it makes no difference what you were doing 400 metres before!

It's amazing what folk will say to pass the blame, as opposed to just apologising!!!

Glas you weren't hit!!

 

[Paul_L]

Hi mate,

See this website DirectGOV states:

• never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends

So would depend how busy the street was when you were 2 abreast, however, if you were single file when he went past you, it makes no difference what you were doing 400 metres before!

It's amazing what folk will say to pass the blame, as opposed to just apologising!!!

Glas you weren't hit!!

Oh well. Hands up from me as we were riding 2 abreast at some point in the town centre, but when it was busy we were in single file and when he nearly hit me, we were definately singles as my mate was about 30m in front of me at this point.

 

[400bhp]

Oh well. Hands up from me as we were riding 2 abreast at some point in the town centre, but when it was busy we were in single file and when he nearly hit me, we were definately singles as my mate was about 30m in front of me at this point.

You weren't breaking the law by riding 2 abreast. He was giving you a punishment pass, simple as that.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Even if you were cycling in an inconsiderate manner (and I'm not saying you were), it is not for him to act as judge, jury and executioner. He should complain the the police if he isn't happy, as I'm sure you will do about him (or at least to his employer). I'm getting damn sick of this piss-poor excuse from drivers, claiming they were justified in driving recklessly because they don't agree with something we were doing.

I've seen so many of these recently, and experienced them myself.

"Why did you pass me so close?"; "You were wobbling all over the place!"

"Why did you cut in on me?"; "You were in the middle of the road!"

"Why were you driving so close behind me?"; "You were holding everybody up!"

on and on it goes.

 

[deckertim]

Even if you were cycling in an inconsiderate manner (and I'm not saying you were), it is not for him to act as judge, jury and executioner. He should complain the the police if he isn't happy, as I'm sure you will do about him (or at least to his employer). I'm getting damn sick of this piss-poor excuse from drivers, claiming they were justified in driving recklessly because they don't agree with something we were doing.

I've seen so many of these recently, and experienced them myself.

"Why did you pass me so close?"; "You were wobbling all over the place!"

"Why did you cut in on me?"; "You were in the middle of the road!"

"Why were you driving so close behind me?"; "You were holding everybody up!"

on and on it goes.

I had a lady nearly knock me off this morning and she then got stuck in a queue about 200 yards on. I tapped on her window and told her politely that she had nearly knocked me off. She said sorry, I said ok and off we went. That made my day and I am sure she will be a little more careful in future.

 

[mog35]

I've seen so many of these recently, and experienced them myself.

"Why did you pass me so close?"; "You were wobbling all over the place!"

You would think that of all the times to give a cyclist a wide berth, this would be it!

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

2 abreast should never be a problem. The outside rider is riding in the correct position for a solo cyclist. The inside rider is occupying the empty space.

Therefore, riding 2 abreast is not taking up any more space, in fact it is taking up LESS useable road space by making the distance for overtaking slightly shorter.

Even with the motorist's hat on, I would rather have a bunch of club riders taking up the entire lane in a short, lane-wide group, taking up similar road space to a 7.5 tonne truck, than have to wait behind a long convoy of cyclists because overtaking safely is harder due to the cyclists becoming a long "convoy"

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I had a lady nearly knock me off this morning and she then got stuck in a queue about 200 yards on. I tapped on her window and told her politely that she had nearly knocked me off. She said sorry, I said ok and off we went. That made my day and I am sure she will be a little more careful in future.

Yes, it is gratifying when you speak to someone and they actually accept their fault and apologise, especially if you feel they might have learned something.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

You would think that of all the times to give a cyclist a wide berth, this would be it!

Indeed. This example was actually said in another camera user's video on YouTube recently (Can't remember whose).

 

[Paul_L]

Copy of email sent to bus operating company this morning;

Sir / Madam,

I wish to make a complaint about one of your drivers' conduct.

I am a cyclist and was cycling through Bingley town centre last night (Thursday 26-May-11) with a friend.

I believe the registration no. of the bus involved was JF05 FNS and it's service no. was 662. It was at the Wetherspoons stop in Bingley at approx. 2045, so hopefully with these details you can trace the driver.

So what happened?

As i was cycling through Bingley heading towards Shipley, the above bus passed me with less than 12 inches between it and my right arm. This was enough to make me wobble through both shock and wind movements. I was lucky i wasn't pulled under the bus, in which case i wouldn't be writing this email now.

I was incensed as to what happened so when the bus stopped outside Wetherspoons i took the opportunity to discuss the "near miss" with the driver. To say his response beggars belief is an understatement. The dialogue went something like this;

Me: "Do you know how close you were to me back there?"

Driver : "I had no choice mate"

Me : "Excuse me?"

Driver : "There was a car coming the other way, i had no room"

At this point i was stunned into silence. I assume your buses do come fitted with brake pedals, which would have provided your driver with the choice he claimed he didn't have?

I questioned your driver whether he thought the fact there was a car coming the other way, gives him the right to pass me so close as to risk knocking me over? He did not answer this question but decided to take the opportunity to challenge my style of bike riding earlier on in Bingley.

As i entered Bingley, i was riding two abreast with a friend. He claimed this was illegal. Firstly, it is not illegal, and secondly it is not relevant to the near miss as when he went past me we were in single file with my friend a good 30m in front of me.

He then claimed we should have been riding on the pavement back in Crossflats (a good mile back up the road) where there is a shared cycle lane and footpath. Again, firstly there is no requirement for a cyclist to use a cycle lane when one is provided, and secondly, just as the two abreast situation, this has no relevance to the near miss.

I strongly believe your driver decided to "punish me" with the close pass due to his ill-informed views of my earlier cycling. Under slightly different circumstances we could be talking about a serious injury or even worse, my kids could be waking up this morning for my wife to have to explain to them their dad was killed on his bike last night.

Your driver not only showed dangerous road skills, but - even worse - believed his actions were justifiable.

I trust you will take the above comments seriously and investigate the matter, and ensure the driver is taken to task over them.

I would appreciate a reply advising me the outcome of your investigation.

Regards

 

[DrSquirrel]

There is no point in using sarcasm in a complaint... all it does is annoy the reader, even I think its a bit twattish reading it here...

Hi mate,

See this website DirectGOV states:

• never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends

So would depend how busy the street was when you were 2 abreast, however, if you were single file when he went past you, it makes no difference what you were doing 400 metres before!

It's amazing what folk will say to pass the blame, as opposed to just apologising!!!

Glas you weren't hit!!

Doesn't matter, it's still not illegal.

And neither does doing something illegal gives someone else to do the same.

2 abreast should never be a problem. The outside rider is riding in the correct position for a solo cyclist. The inside rider is occupying the empty space.

Therefore, riding 2 abreast is not taking up any more space, in fact it is taking up LESS useable road space by making the distance for overtaking slightly shorter.

Even with the motorist's hat on, I would rather have a bunch of club riders taking up the entire lane in a short, lane-wide group, taking up similar road space to a 7.5 tonne truck, than have to wait behind a long convoy of cyclists because overtaking safely is harder due to the cyclists becoming a long "convoy"

I agree, 20 riders, 2 metres each is 40 metres single file or 20 metres 2 abreast and usually no wider than solo.

 

[cd365]

Nice email

 

[Paul_L]

There is no point in using sarcasm in a complaint... all it does is annoy the reader, even I think its a bit twattish reading it here...

which bit, the bit about the brake pedal?

I thought it perfectly illustrated the stupidity of the drivers comments.

The reader may be annoyed, that's up to them, but i'll be chasing for a reply even if they are too offended by my choice of humour to respond.

 

[DrSquirrel]

But you're not talking to the driver now, its supposed to be a formal letter so use formal language.