Do you fear the repercussions of a complaint?

[dodd82]

As you'll know from my thread about good driving, I am not a particularly bitter cyclist and I certainly don't go looking for trouble.

But every now and then, a driver just goes too far.

This morning, a local council vehicle got an overtake all wrong, swung back in far too early and missed me by inches. It was so close that I was more bothered about my own safety and being angry.

I'm sorely tempted to make a complaint.

But my question is, given the regular nature of my commute and the fact that the vehicle is a local employee, do you ever fear the repercussions of making a complaint i.e. being targeted by the driver in the future?

Rightly or wrongly, it is a consideration for me.

 

[BSRU]

As you'll know from my thread about good driving, I am not a particularly bitter cyclist and I certainly don't go looking for trouble.

But every now and then, a driver just goes too far.

This morning, a local council vehicle got an overtake all wrong, swung back in far too early and missed me by inches. It was so close that I was more bothered about my own safety and being angry.

I'm sorely tempted to make a complaint.

But my question is, given the regular nature of my commute and the fact that the vehicle is a local employee, do you ever fear the repercussions of making a complaint i.e. being targeted by the driver in the future?

Rightly or wrongly, it is a consideration for me.

No, I fear if I do not complain the driver will continue to drive dangerously and some poor cyclist will not be so lucky.

 

[Kies]

+1 on that. You must make a complaint,not just for your safety,but for other cyclists

 

[snorri]

As the first incident is just a case of your word against his, management would be unlikely to take strong measures against the employee. However the incident might be recorded, or at least remembered, by management and any further reports would be taken more seriously.
The possibility of this driver targetting you for a hit and run incident seems extremely remote to me.

 

[dodd82]

As the first incident is just a case of your word against his, management would be unlikely to take strong measures against the employee. However the incident might be recorded, or at least remembered, by management and any further reports would be taken more seriously.
The possibility of this driver targetting you for a hit and run incident seems extremely remote to me.

Not so much expecting a hit and run, but perhaps just confrontation and intimidation.

I enjoy commuting on my bike and really don't want to attract that kind of thing.

 

[BSRU]

Not so much expecting a hit and run, but perhaps just confrontation and intimidation.

I enjoy commuting on my bike and really don't want to attract that kind of thing.

The driver will probably not even remember the incident let alone what the cyclist looks like.

 

[ianrauk]

The driver will probably not even remember the incident let alone what the cyclist looks like.

This^^

 

[dodd82]

Their memory might be sharpened following a strongly worded complaint!

 

[BentMikey]

I might fear repercussions from a driver a little, but I'd fear for myself or other cyclists rather a lot more if I didn't bring a check to an incident like that. You've got to report it, IMO.

The recent builder video I posted has me slightly concerned as it was the second poor pass on me, but I've still reported it. I suspect he may have come deliberately close because the first time I tooted and pushed out to the right to ask for more room after his overtake. That first overtake wasn't quite bad enough to upload, the second one most definitely was.

 

[dodd82]

I might fear repercussions from a driver a little, but I'd fear for myself or other cyclists rather a lot more if I didn't bring a check to an incident like that. You've got to report it, IMO.

The recent builder video I posted has me slightly concerned as it was the second poor pass on me, but I've still reported it. I suspect he may have come deliberately close because the first time I tooted and pushed out to the right to ask for more room after his overtake. That first overtake wasn't quite bad enough to upload, the second one most definitely was.

That's fair enough, thanks to everyone here for the advice.

I wish there was a way of speaking to the driver, like adults, just to explain why it's so dangerous. Making a complaint just seems confrontational itself, but I guess there is no way around it.

 

[BSRU]

That's fair enough, thanks to everyone here for the advice.

I wish there was a way of speaking to the driver, like adults, just to explain why it's so dangerous. Making a complaint just seems confrontational itself, but I guess there is no way around it.

For some reason many people do not like their driving or riding criticised regardless of how justified the criticism is.

 

[BentMikey]

I do understand your wish to tread gently. It's my, and I think most cyclists' experience, that it's extremely difficult to get drivers to appreciate that what they did was dangerous, and how badly it can affect us. Criticising someone's driving is rather like telling them they are useless in bed, and have a tiny winky to boot. Most of us rarely have success in talking directly to drivers, although it does occasionally happen.

Unfortunately this means that an employer complaint and/or youtube video plus police report seems to be the most effective way we've yet found of improving future behaviour. Like you, I'd rather this wasn't necessary.

 

[400bhp]

Their memory might be sharpened following a strongly worded complaint!

If the company you are complaining to is professional, then they won't give the driver enough information to identify you. They should keep it very generic.

 

[Salis]

I can see it going both ways. The earlier comments about "report the driver before he hurts other cyclists" makes sense, but at the same time picture this: perhaps this driver is already negative about cyclists. He gets hauled in by his boss and given a rollicking because a cyclist has complained about him. This makes him even more negative about cyclists, and so more likely to behave aggressively to any other cyclists he encounters in the future... This is all just hypothetical, but I can certainly imagine a complaint hardening anti-cycling attitudes more than softening them.

Mind you, if it were me I'd still lean towards complaining rather than not.

 

[BentMikey]

Well, the playlist of repeat "customers" I have seems to suggest that most people drive like an examiner is sat next to them when they next encounter me.