Bendy Bus Strikes Again

[JamesAC]

(Well, almost)

I was cycling back from Choir Practice (I kid you not) with one of the altos. We were two abreast (alto in the alleged cycle lane, me on the outside) heading along the Romford Road in east London, about a mile from where a bus passenger was dragged to his death by a bendy bus.
Suddenly, there was a "toot toot", and a bendy bus swept past us, and no sooner had the front couple of yards of bus gone past than it began to move over towards the cycle lane. A bit of sharp braking and re-allignment ensured that I didn't meet the same fate as the poor chap last week.
But what was the point of the guy driving like that? The road was quiet, and two lanes wide. The bus was not drawing up at a bus stop; it just vanished into the night, towards last week's killing ground.

I get so fed up with this potentially lethal bullying. Clearly, the training provided by the bus companies to its drivers is inadequate.

 

[John the Monkey]

Complain to the company James - if enough people do it, they might get fed up enough of answering complaints to do something about the cause :/

 

[Eat MY Dust]

You were in the bus (HIS) lane. I'm afraid that's how a lot of bus drivers see it. Sad but true.

 

[Nortones2]

I think a flail would be a useful deterrent:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Klassischer-Flegel.jpg

It was very suitable for horse borne use: "Unlike a sword or mace, it doesn't transfer vibrations from the impact to the wielder. This is a great advantage to a horseman, who can use his horse's speed to add momentum to and underarmed swing of the ball, but runs less of a risk of being unbalanced from his saddle"

Pity its likely to be classed as an offensive weapon, and the BB exempt!

 

[toontra]

You were in the bus (HIS) lane. I'm afraid that's how a lot of bus drivers see it. Sad but true.

From the description this was a cycle lane, not a bus lane. If it had been a bus (or should we say shared bus/taxi/cycle) lane then the 2 cyclists would have easily been within the bus lane, rather than one in the cycle lane and one in the inside main lane as described.

I've had BB's cut me up in bus lanes, cycle lanes and ordinary roads, usually, but not always, approaching bus stops. IMO there is an element of driving a huge vehicle that brings out the bully in some drivers (probably the bad ones).

 

[col]

From the description this was a cycle lane, not a bus lane. If it had been a bus (or should we say shared bus/taxi/cycle) lane then the 2 cyclists would have easily been within the bus lane, rather than one in the cycle lane and one in the inside main lane as described.

I've had BB's cut me up in bus lanes, cycle lanes and ordinary roads, usually, but not always, approaching bus stops. IMO there is an element of driving a huge vehicle that brings out the bully in some drivers (probably the bad ones).

As said,sad but true.

 

[BentMikey]

Could I suggest you copy Jenny Jones on your email of complaint? She's asked to be kept informed of all this sort of thing to keep an eye on the bus companies. I can pm you her email, but it's easy to google.

 

[gambatte]

Complain, otherwise as far as anyone else is concerned, it didn't happen.

3 choices, try one or all.

1, complain to the company
2, complain to BMs contact above
3, complain to the police. Although you probably don't have the number, they're timetabled, if you have the time it should be traceable.

The advantage you have in this case is its not just your word, you have a witness, the other cyclist.