Bloody hell it's a bus...

[Arch]

Came as close to a bus today as i have since I learned the hard way about the inside of left turning vehicles...

Riding home after a 40 miler (not a commute, I hasten to add), I'm aware of a vehicle coming up behind me on Bishopthorpe road coming into town (not terribly wide, 40 zone I think), and two cars oncoming. I have to admit, I didn't look round, I suppose I thought I could hear it and that was enough. I'd been out rural riding, and hadn't felt the need to eyeball every driver coming up behind. Suddenly, there's the front of a bus trying to pass me about a yard to my right, just as the oncoming cars reach us....

At that point I eyeballed the driver fairly fiercely, and he dropped back. To be fair to him, when he did pass, after the oncoming cars cleared, he gave me the whole lane clear.

So, he'd been a bit impatient/made bad judgment, and I'd perhaps failed to make myself look assertive enough. I was riding in secondary, which was handy as it gave me room to swerve in a bit.

 

[Corvette chic]

hells bells lass are you ok - cake immediately and hot tea stupid beggar bus driver not you

 

[Arch]

Cheers, I'm fine, it was just a slightly hairy moment.

It comes to something, doesn't it, when you have to think and act for those behind you....

I had a BMW try to pass me on the left this morning, at a right turn - again, maybe I was a little too far right due to cornering, but there was no way I was in the other lane. Again, once I'd eyeballed her, she dropped back and then passed me later quite safely. And a chap in Wetherby took exception to me being in front of him and hooted, I hope he split some of the coffee he was holding in one hand. And the lorry driver on the retail park who was backing past his trailer, out into the other side of the road - the side I happened to be approaching on....

Apart from all that, it was a great ride - and actually, there were some very patient drivers behind me who passed perfectly. And I had a cracking treacle sponge.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Apart from all that, it was a great ride - and actually, there were some very patient drivers behind me who passed perfectly. And I had a cracking treacle sponge.

I'm expecting Fnaar to be along shortly to explain what that *could* mean.

Glad to hear you're okay, Arch... looks like your stern "Auntie stare" has been perfected.

 

[Arch]

Glad to hear you're okay, Arch... looks like your stern "Auntie stare" has been perfected.

Ha! I think Oli is the one person I'd never use it on!

(BTW, and OT, we were in Ikea last week and I got a shark glove puppet from a pile and started to play with it and Oli was laughing and then suddenly it got too much and he said "Shark, scary!" and didn't like it. I fear I may have scarred him. That and he's seen Finding Nemo. All goldfish are Nemo. Still the upside was, he loved the elephant puppet so much, I bought it for him.)

 

[addictfreak]

Came as close to a bus today as i have since I learned the hard way about the inside of left turning vehicles...

Riding home after a 40 miler (not a commute, I hasten to add), I'm aware of a vehicle coming up behind me on Bishopthorpe road coming into town (not terribly wide, 40 zone I think), and two cars oncoming. I have to admit, I didn't look round, I suppose I thought I could hear it and that was enough. I'd been out rural riding, and hadn't felt the need to eyeball every driver coming up behind. Suddenly, there's the front of a bus trying to pass me about a yard to my right, just as the oncoming cars reach us....

At that point I eyeballed the driver fairly fiercely, and he dropped back. To be fair to him, when he did pass, after the oncoming cars cleared, he gave me the whole lane clear.

So, he'd been a bit impatient/made bad judgment, and I'd perhaps failed to make myself look assertive enough. I was riding in secondary, which was handy as it gave me room to swerve in a bit.

Isnt that an awful feeling when your on the bike, and theres nothing you can do but hope it doesnt hit you!

 

[semislickstick]

Crikey, can you video this 'stare'? I need to learn this! Cyclecraft needs to be updated!

 

[Arch]

Crikey, can you video this 'stare'? I need to learn this! Cyclecraft needs to be updated!

I'm not entirely sure it's the stare, I think they may take one look and me and recoil in horror...

Mind you, I once frightened a boss* just from the expression on the back of my head. He was coming down the office to ask me yet again to do something he could do himself, and I carried on typing, but something about the hunch of my shoulders and clenching of neck muscles made him turn round and walk back again...

I'm fairly easy going, until I blow up....

*not my current boss, I hasten to add.

 

[2Loose]

*not my current boss, I hasten to add.

Did the last boss leave because of the stare?

Sounds like you have more than you fair share of unobservant drivers over your way.

 

[Arch]

Did the last boss leave because of the stare?

No, I moved on to other things.

Sounds like you have more than you fair share of unobservant drivers over your way.

To be fair, that's a very eventful ride. Mostly people in York are ok, a lot of people cycle so I guess quite a few drivers are also cyclists. I guess I was making up for miles of uneventful riding...

 

[Bollo]

The 'stare' is a vital tool for the cyclist, one that deserves its own section in Cyclecraft.

I've recharged the bike cam after a month of not really bothering after a young gentleman decided to try and door me deliberately. He stood no chance as I was miles away from the door zone.

The reason I've brought this up? If you've read either "The Corner" or "Homicide, A Year on the Killing Streets" by David Simon, the books that inspired "The Wire", you'll be familiar with the expression "eye-f***ing". An "eye-f***" is a stare of hatred and contempt, usually exchanged between members of the Baltimore Police and the corner drug dealers. Anyway, in that moment after the little scumbag had flipped his door out, we eye-f***ed each other. From that stare, I knew he'd done it on purpose and I think he realised that, but for his quick exit, I'd have torn him a new one for fun.

 

[Arch]

I use a mild stare on anyone pulling up at a side road when I'm on the main road, in case they pull out on me. I try to then switch it to a smile at the last minute if they don't. One day, I'll be smiling at someone as they drive over me.

Thinking about yesterday, both times I could possibly have avoided the issue, with better positioning, so hopefully I've learned something.

Today I had a moped rider cross with me because I had the temerity to filter on the outside and pull in along side him (on the outside) in a traffic queue. So when we set off, he passed me close and shook his head a lot. I wonder if I'd stopped him from overtaking the van in front when it didn't pull away quickly, having been stuck behind the car in front of it dropping someone off... (and I only sat on the outside of him because I was taking the right fork ahead, knowing that he was unlikely to, it being a deadend for anyone but cyclists.)

Either I'm losing it, or everyone else is.

 

[BearPear]

"The Stare" is a mummy thing. Every mother has one, my mother did it to me, and I do it to my kids too!

As for stuff passing too close, I had a similar experience when out with hubby last weekend. A car was coming towards us on the opposite side, a car tried to come past us (we were single file) but she got as far as me and decided to wait till the other car has passed - so we went along side by side while she waited, I could have rested a hand on her roof she was so close.

As a newbie I didn't know what else to do but keep cycling and try to tuck in to the side. I looked across to the window, her passenger was looking straight ahead, but they can't have failed to notice I was there.

 

[ttcycle]

Hey Arch

Glad to hear you survived!

BTW your eventful commute is just as bad as one in the old smoke!

 

[Arch]

Hey Arch

Glad to hear you survived!

BTW your eventful commute is just as bad as one in the old smoke!

I should reiterate, it wasn't a commute, it was a 40 mile leisure ride! I rarely have such bother on my rather short commutes...

A nice thing, to balance it. Crossing the second part of a main road (using a cycle track and central island), I watched a car approach, indicating right, and pull into the hatched area just before the island. Assumed they were turning right, and then thought, hang on, there isn't a right turn there. I reckon the chap driving mistook the cycle track exit for a side road. He and his passenger (suited business types), sat for a moment, confused, then he indicated left to pull back into traffic. So as to let him take advantage of a gap to get back in, I waited rather than cross in front of him, and he gave me a thank you wave for it. A tiny simple gesture, but it had me smiling for the next mile.