'Assaulting' other vehicles

[BentMikey]

I read the OP as the oncoming car wanted to turn right from the major road into the minor road at the T-junction, and didn't wait for the OP (cyclist) to turn left into the same minor road. Failure to give way by the driver.

 

[Bristol Dave]

I think if the car was close enough that you could do it - then it was definitely too close (unless your legs are really 3 feet long!!!.

If you have to use that junction regularly could you change your position slightly to prevent it happening again or is it a wide junction?

You may know the junction - I cross Bristol Bridge heading for Temple Meads and turn left towards the fire station. I tend not to indicate my intention to turn left as this almost always encourages a parallel turn. I forgot this on Thursday evening and indicated, which led to the altercation.

BD

 

[purplepolly]

I tend not to indicate my intention to turn left as this almost always encourages a parallel turn. I forgot this on Thursday evening and indicated, which led to the altercation.

BD

Ah yes the left hand signal. The cause of many a near miss when I started commuting.

 

[Downward]

What if someone overtakes you (say you are doing 5-10mph in traffic) so you instinctively put your hand/arm out making contact with car (or passenger if car window open (just kidding)) to avoid being knocked off ?

 

[paddy01]

What if someone overtakes you (say you are doing 5-10mph in traffic) so you instinctively put your hand/arm out making contact with car (or passenger if car window open (just kidding)) to avoid being knocked off ?

I think my personal point of view boils down to, if I need to take action to prevent myself being killed or seriously injured then I'm not about to give a damn what traffic law says about my actions. It's no use to me if I'm under the wheels of a vehicle.

 

[Bristol Dave]

I would never kick someones car. but i have slapped the roof, doors and windows with my hands, which often gets the same message across but without the damage.

I would like to point out that I didn't dent the car. It was more of a childish lashing out than any attempt to cause real damage.

BD

 

[Bristol Dave]

To the OP, were you in trainers etc, or cleated/clipless?

Trainers.

BD

 

[ComedyPilot]

Trainers.

BD

Oh.

Just that, IMO, if someone had to unclip to kick, that would show more intent to do damage, than a 'split second' reactionary kick out to balance/ 'fend off' the vehicle.

 

[J4CKO]

I see it like this, if someone treat me with respect, i return the favour, if like the daft bint in the Fiesta the other day who overtook me approaching a roundabout then slammed on then they leave themselves open for retailiation, she didnt have space to overtake as the roundabout was bunged up but did anyway out of bloody mindedness leaving me nowhere to go, slamming my brakes on and glancing my front wheel of the kerb so I twatted her passenger window, the silly twat was stationary due to the cars on the roundabout, she handnt seen any further than getting past the cyclist, she deserved it and I have no regret, sometimes cyclists are too passive and are seen as soft touches, we are vulnerable enough without taking everything like a bloody Buddhist Monk, but I concur you need to watch and think of recriminations.

I will do it again if put in that situation, I think the girl thought it was me actually hitting her car because of her manuever as she made off sharpish. I am not into intimidating women but I would say a woman in a car is more intimidating to me pulling stunts like that than I am to her.

Would watch kicking cars, especially when moving, would be easy to get a foot caught.

 

[Woz!]

You can take primary position but that doesn't always stop them. I was in primary in a moving queue of traffic approaching a left turn (me going on straight ahead) on Thursday when a numpty in an MX5 decided they wanted to overtake me and turn left across my right of way.
As I was in primary, they had to go WAY wide into the oncoming traffic and then cut right in front of my wheel.
He gained precisely nothing because I was moving with the flow of traffic and there was a car directly ahead of me.

I swear I'm going to see a head-on one of these days - the number of people who HAVE to get past me when the road isn't clear is a bit frightening. I must see at least one alarmed beep and swerve from oncoming traffic every two weeks, probably more.

 

[hackbike 666]

That's what I say about Primary,you think you are safe but if they think they can get through then they wll try.Primary doesn't solve all problems.

I've had a few bad passes on my commute on the approach to pinch points where I have switched off admiring the sunrise, the birds singing, the different colours that Mother nature offers us this time of year where Summer ends and Autumn begins.

Had this tonight at St Paul's (Thameslink) on the commute back.Not really a problem because I had already made up my mind I would let the 23 bus through anyway and he squeezed through in front of me,but I was thinking that probably wouldn't be so good and could get a bit dangerous for a cyclist who wasn't expecting it.

 

[BentMikey]

Woz, I don't recall anyone suggesting that primary will prevent the most determined and stupid of overtakers. What it will do is lean the odds more in your favour, and then leave you with room to move out of the way of the few motons who do overtake when they shouldn't.

 

[hackbike 666]

Yes I could have gone into primary tonight at St Pauls but I thought F-that I don't really want to be in hurry going up to St Pauls with a big bus up my rear end.Oh and I still caught him at the bus stop anyway.

 

[lit]

That's what I say about Primary,you think you are safe but if they think they can get through then they wll try.Primary doesn't solve all problems.

Just plonk yourself in the middle of the lane then, assuming you are on a two lane each road, they should get the message.

 

[hackbike 666]

Just plonk yourself in the middle of the lane then, assuming you are on a two lane each road, they should get the message.

should or should crank up the engine foot to the pedal.