Drivers on the mobile phone?

[Arch]

You could alwayd try turning your head....

But if something is just behind you to the side, it's hard to turn your head that far - we have better peripheral vision than the camera....

Wouldn't be hard to attach a camera to a forearm though...

Hmmmmm......

 

[ChrisKH]

I just catch their eye and hold three fingers up these days. They either think I'm giving them the finger (which is fine) or they have to think about what I have done (which is also fine). No one has challenged me yet. Lost my rag with a Ka driver the other week as I told her how dangerous it was to text in a queue but she kept doing it. I won't tell you what expletive I used next. I should have kept my cool but found it difficult given that level of stupidity. Some people.

 

[BentMikey]

Some of my mates on motorcycles just park next to the driver's door and hold it at 7,000rpm until the driver gives up on the phone. Pretty effective, but not as guilt inducing as pointing a camera at them.

Chris, you telling them to read between the lines?

 

[magnatom]

I just catch their eye and hold three fingers up these days. They either think I'm giving them the finger (which is fine) or they have to think about what I have done (which is also fine). No one has challenged me yet. Lost my rag with a Ka driver the other week as I told her how dangerous it was to text in a queue but she kept doing it. I won't tell you what expletive I used next. I should have kept my cool but found it difficult given that level of stupidity. Some people.

Just make sure that you also say, 'Read between the lines.....'

 

[magnatom]

Damn,

Just noticed you beat me to it Mike!

 

[sjb]

Off to the police station this morning to report a woman who nearly flattened me yesterday. Got the kids on the school bus and waiting to cross at the lollipop lady crossing - lollipop lady is in the middle of the road, traffic on the main road stopped in both directions, I start to step out into the raod when dim bint in VW soft top, talking on her hand held mobile, pulls out of a side junction and goes straight through the crossing point without any sign she has noticed the lollipop lady or me. I made sure she realised something had happened by slamming my hand down hard on her side window which made her brake, glance in the rear view mirror and drive off! She had a child in the car too, obviously rushing for the school run...

Anyway, same woman comes out of same junction this morning so I managed to get her registration numer. Police have aksed me to go to the station to make a statement so seem to be taking it seriously...

Makes me mad, 10 mins earlier I'd have been crossing with the kids and she could well have killed them...

 

[Arch]

Good on you for reporting her. Hope she gets seriously hammered or at leats a stern talking to, which might just make her think a bit more...

 

[stephenb]

just a word of caution from an old timer? gesticulating at drivers, slapping cars, pointing cameras, even if perfectly justified, is not without hazard. I did something very similar to sjb a couple of weeks ago. The car driver threw a U turn in front of fast on-coming traffic, mounted the kerb and out got 2 very large thugs of Eastern European appearance. I just managed to leg it across the road and into a park - a bit of a chase followed with them hurling things, and I have no doubt that they would have done real violence had they caught up. There are some serious nutters out there so don't put yourself in danger, it ain't worth it.

 

[domtyler]

just a word of caution from an old timer? gesticulating at drivers, slapping cars, pointing cameras, even if perfectly justified, is not without hazard. I did something very similar to sjb a couple of weeks ago. The car driver threw a U turn in front of fast on-coming traffic, mounted the kerb and out got 2 very large thugs of Eastern European appearance. I just managed to leg it across the road and into a park - a bit of a chase followed with them hurling things, and I have no doubt that they would have done real violence had they caught up. There are some serious nutters out there so don't put yourself in danger, it ain't worth it.

He he he, did you have to dispose of your underpants in that park after they'd given up the chase?

 

[stephenb]

nope, jumped out of them when the guys piled out of the car

 

[ianrauk]

on the other hand, I had a driver (BMW of course) who was really giving me some jip (blasting his horn, shouting etc) for daring to filter and stopping in front of him in the ASL*. Gave him the finger. He got out of his car calling me all sorts of names, wanting to have a right go. So got off my bike, he then suddenly saw/realised I was a lot bigger then he was and that I was not going to back down, and that HE was the one who was probrably going to get a whack. (wouldn't dream of it of course ).
Sheepishly said something about me not cutting in front of cars then got back in and drove off.

Fella in another car witnessing it caught my eye, was laughing his head off, gave me the thumbs up.

*nasty junction of the A21/A232 Locksbottom, Bentmikey will prob know it.

 

[Terminator]

17/03/2008

I had a big row with a car driver (company sort of car with writing and a phone number on it and a phone number ironically)...His positioning was so bad coming off from Blackfriars Bridge going up to Mansion House that I thought he was doing a right turn as he was positioned in the right hand turn lane while he thought it was important to talk into his mobile.

I had come off of Blackfriars in the right hand turn land as I didn't want to go to St Pauls.So I told he to get off his phone and I didn't use one swear word oddly enough which proceeded with him trying to taunt me with his car and use it aggressively against me although he didn't knock me off although he could have if he wanted to I realised later.I was waving my right arm about waving off his fist signs and shouting "get off of your mobile phone" with him talking into his mobile and waving a fist at me at the same time.Shame no cops were about.This motorist is a total moron really as he didn't seem to realise he was driving into the cameras in the unmanned police roadblock thingy.He did a right turn at the top ironically enough and I went left towards Bank.

Lucky really as I don't know how it would turn out.
Dont know what the cab drivers made of it behind him but this motorist is a dnager and a menace to other road users.

 

[Terminator]

just a word of caution from an old timer? gesticulating at drivers, slapping cars, pointing cameras, even if perfectly justified, is not without hazard. I did something very similar to sjb a couple of weeks ago. The car driver threw a U turn in front of fast on-coming traffic, mounted the kerb and out got 2 very large thugs of Eastern European appearance. I just managed to leg it across the road and into a park - a bit of a chase followed with them hurling things, and I have no doubt that they would have done real violence had they caught up. There are some serious nutters out there so don't put yourself in danger, it ain't worth it.

I never touch people cars if I can help it but im tending to believe you are right although I was so seriously pissed off with people putting my safety at risk.Christ I really hate mobile phones.

 

[BentMikey]

Got a response from the second company now too explaining how the incident wasn't according to company policy and they would investigate. I feel slightly disturbed though at this: "May I ask for an address to which we can send to you a token of our gratitude for taking the time to make us aware of this situation?"

I feel bad for shopping the driver, but not as bad as I'd feel if he later caused a crash because of driving on the mobile. No ways I want something in return for doing what I see as my civic duty.

 

[Terminator]

No way would they get my address.Sounds a bit like my muppet.