Close calls: confess, or keep it to yourself?

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ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
What are these "close calls" everybody is discussing?


Vehicles passing too close for comfort.
 

Profpointy

Legendary Member
I recall a diving trip where someone on our boat, not part of our group, had to be helicoptered off after problems. I thought it best not to mention. A day or two later the Mrs says "what's all this about a helicopter?" One of her colleagues - part of our diving gang, had blabbed, despite not even being on the trip himself
 
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anothersam

anothersam

SMIDSMe
Location
Far East Sussex
What are these "close calls" everybody is discussing?

As it appears to be a phrase in wide enough usage to be understood, I continue to use it. However, I am aware some might prefer it disappear quietly from the lexicon.

Unless you asked because you've never actually experienced one, in which case I refer you to the asteroid which very nearly destroyed all life on earth yesterday, which the news outlets refused to report so as not to cause widespread panic. Now that was a close call for everybody, including otherwise completely safe cyclists.

armageddon.jpg
 

Rooster1

I was right about that saddle
My "Close calls"

1) Me going up a steep hill and deciding to stop in a layby but unable to unclip in time. Ouch. My fault.
2) Me waiting at a junction for the traffic to pass, seeing a bus with it's indicator on turning right (into the road I am exiting), me pulling out in front of the bus, only to find out the bus carried straight on - that was nearly the end for me, Totally stupid on my account.
2) Me going straight on at a roundabout, and a car behind overtaking me and turning left at speed. Nobber.
3) Me going along a road happily, and a car behind overtaking me and immediately turning left into a cosy pub for lunch. Female version of nobber
4) Me pootling along the road I live on, and a car turning onto the road from a side road to my right hand side squashing me off the road - contact made. Nobber
5) A car passing too close (has happened more than once) - contact made by my hand as I slap the bodywork. Gender undefined.

I do alot of miles, and to be honest, incidents like this are very rare.
 
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w00hoo_kent

One of the 64K
My wife also rides a bit, and tends to be in the car for the drive at the end of the commute, so proper nobbers get mentioned. Minor stuff not so much. Dealing with it by ignoring it works best for me and once I've ignored it there's little point in bringing it up. She knows I'm going to do it anyway so being realistic about the situation seems easiest. She commutes less than I do (actually hasn't yet this year, should get round to fixing that really) but SCUBA dives, so we get to share the worry as she's been in the vicinity of a dead body or two through that hobby.
 

srw

It's a bit more complicated than that...
Vehicles passing too close for comfort.
How close is too close?

Almost never happens to me. But then I control the road where I can and avoid the road if possible where I can't.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
How close is too close?

Almost never happens to me. But then I control the road where I can and avoid the road if possible where I can't.


Everyone's perception of close is different.

It almost never happens to me also but I am a very assertive rider. However I did have one this morning. He decided to squeeze between me and a HGV in the next lane. It didn't overly bother me but can imagine others it would.
 

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
Was thinking about this after an incident the other day when I signalled to turn right but the only concession by the speeding motorist was to swerve to avoid my arm as he passed.
Not sure I am reading your description correctly here but sounds like the incident may just have been down to poor road positioning? If you were riding to the left of the lane and stuck your arm out into passing traffic to signal right, expecting any passing motorists to stop and allow you to cross the lane and turn, then you are either very inexperienced or very naïve (and extremely lucky to still have two arms).
If however, you had prepared for the approaching right turn by checking behind to find a suitable gap in the following traffic, then signalling and moving to the right of the lane in good time to prevent the following traffic from passing as you got to the junction and yet the speeding motorist crossed to the wrong side of the road to pass you regardless of your position, signals and clear intent, then the motorist is a dangerous nobber!
It almost never happens to me also but I am a very assertive rider. However I did have one this morning. He decided to squeeze between me and a HGV in the next lane. It didn't overly bother me but can imagine others it would.
I love it when I spot this happening. If I know someone is going to try and pass me through a dangerously narrow gap I will usually subtly move over a bit more to make it even narrower. This removes the danger of the close pass and gives them an Oh Sh1t! moment when they realise they have started something they shouldn't have done, really wakes them up.

As for talking about every close pass or incident. Not really the stuff of intimate conversations is it? Mrs Skol and I get precious little time together as it is so I try to make sure we talk about nice positive things :okay:
 

Southside Mike

Active Member
My wife is a very nervous driver, doesn't cycle and hates me cycling, so I never mention anything even remotely scary.

When we are out in the car together, I do, of course, point out any poor roadcraft by other cyclists to demonstrate how much better I am at safer cycling. I feel this proves to her that I will definitely not get hit, such is my exceptional road positioning and observation.
 

sidevalve

Über Member
The above is true - signaling does NOT give you the right to make a manouver. It only signals your intent to do it. No one has to give way {yes I know a lot of drivers don't seem to grasp this either but that doesn't chnge to truth].
As for 'telling' - why ? Unless it's something you can learn from all it does is prolong the agony and shock. Let it go and try to make sure it doesn't happen again.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
I get more close calls and see more nobber driving when I'm commuting by car because I have to drive from the country in to the city and the city seems to be full of idiots, as well as having much greater traffic density. Luckily most of the oiks from the city don't make it out to the country so we can breeze around in a relaxed manner on our bicycles. The few cars we do see are driven by folk who seem to be well aware that rural Lancashire is popular with cyclists and are patient and well-mannered.

We've only ever 'fessed up to one incident because that was bad enough that my cycling buddy smashed his bike and needed a lift home. It was his fault. He was a bit bruised and his wife was cross that we didn't call an ambulance and ship him straight off to Casualty.
 
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