Buses bibbing me!

[the reluctant cyclist]

A couple of times now in this past week buses have been gently bibbing at me when I am in front of them.

Is this an effort to try and get me out of their way or what? It is so rude and unecessary - who says I can't be there?

 

[BentMikey]

Would you mind describing the sort of situation when they hoot at you? I'm sure they're bang out of order, and it's just bikes aren't meant to be on the road mentality.

 

[domtyler]

Personally I would gradually slow down to a full stop and then look down at my bike to see if I could see anything wrong and then shrug shoulders at the driver to ask him why he is tootling.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Oh yes. Bipping gets either the finger or the slow down from me.

Good to see you, TRC. The same TRC as on the C+ forum?

 

[BentMikey]

Yeah, good to see you on here!

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

Yes it is me from the cycling plus! Still as reluctant as ever! I've been lurking on her recently but only got around to joining up again today!

It tends to happen on the Hagley Road in Birmingham. (I hate the Hagley Road in Birmingham) It is when I am "holding my lane" because I am sick of getting squeezed into the kerb and the bus just has to crawl along behind me at about 16 mph to the next row of staionery traffic.

I am sure that is is because they think I am holding them up - yesterday it was at a point where I was about to turn right and for about 100 yards up until I indicated right the bus was tooting away and then when I stuck my arm out and started to go right he stopped.

I probably will end up stopping and asking why one day but I have got to say that sometimes they are quite aggressive when you dare to criticise their driving talents and (much to my shame) I tend to get a "little on the arsey side" back!

Mind you on Monday I wanted to get very arsey with a fellow "cyclist" who decided to overtake me, really really fast, when I was filtering down the middle of two lanes of traffic on Broad Street at about 8.45 am. I was in between a bus and another car and he cut me up really badly and then belted it down to the front of the queue where he turned left accross the inside row of traffic (and another cyclist) through the red light - what a twonk!

 

[Cab]

Gentle bibbing? To be clear about this, are you sure it isn't their brakes making a noise rather like a horn? Some busses do that.

If it IS their horn, ignore them. Or flick them a rude signal then ignore them.

 

[BentMikey]

You could always stop and take their picture with your mobile phone camera. That usually has a fairly powerful effect in terms of stopping further nonsense.

 

[magnatom]

You could always write to the bus company. A lot of buses these days have CCTV on board and so they might have film to look at.

As well as bibbing at you, how close do the buses get? Remember they should be keeping their distance as well.

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

It is definately not brakes - even I am not that stupid that I can't tell the difference between brakes and a horn! They don't seem to lean on it really nuts and they don't seem to come really really close when they do it but they definately do it!

Looks like I need to change my route - or get up earlier so that I can go through edgbaston and avoid the Hagley Road!

 

[Twenty Inch]

You could always stop and take their picture with your mobile phone camera. That usually has a fairly powerful effect in terms of stopping further nonsense.

This really works, even if you don't have a camera on your phone. Just hold it up and point it at their faces, then their number plates, then look at your watch....

Or you could get official and start a campaign with your local bus company.

 

[domd1979]

I'm guessing that its Travel West Midlands' buses who are the culprits (as they operate most of the stuff down Hagley Road!), might be worth an email to them. Customer care are a waste of space, but you could try the Chief Exec - Neil Barker (email should be neilbarker@travelwm.co.uk) or Phil Bateman (philbateman@travelwm.co.uk). I've mailed the previous chief exec before with complaints, and got a much better response than the standard customer care guff.

It is definately not brakes - even I am not that stupid that I can't tell the difference between brakes and a horn! They don't seem to lean on it really nuts and they don't seem to come really really close when they do it but they definately do it!

Looks like I need to change my route - or get up earlier so that I can go through edgbaston and avoid the Hagley Road!

 

[col]

If someone held a cam up to me i would strike a pose but seriously,i only use my horn if i think someone isnt aware im there,and only if it would benefit the situation.I have had similar situations,but have no problem with them,just like the cars that seem to want to put 100 yards between themselves and the last car in a tailback ?

 

[col]

Im sure this has been mentioned before,but some of the cctv cams inside the bus actually point out,to record accidents,and identify the cause.

 

[col]

Oh i see, ok ,disregard my last post