Forced off the road!

[gaz]

Cycling up Coombe Road in croydon, just coming to the junction with park lane here.
i know the lights are turning and that the woman next to me has noooo idea i'm there. so i let her go and indicate in to take a primary position. i know the road just after the junction is not wide enough for a bike and a car, and that the inside of the road has a big pot hole.

The guy behind me came up my inside and just pushed his way through right at the pinch point which forced me to go into the other side of the road. luckily there was no traffic.

I shouted 'watch it' he then slammed on his brakes which forced me to swerve past him, he then accelerated and turned into me. Him self going onto the wrong side of the road and forcing me into the pavement. Luckily i managed to stop before he forced me that far. unluckily i didn't catch his number plate so couldn't do the short cycle to the local police station to report him.

i've had a few drivers shout the usual shoot at me. but never use there car as a weapon or made me actually scared.


I'm thinking about getting a camera now, to record stuff like this.

 

[Matty]

I reckon it's the weather or something. Glad you are ok. I had a complete maniac this morning, sounds similar. He belted up the inside of me going straight on through a left turn only lane to jump an enormous queue of 2 cars (at 0705 in morning!). Then swerved hard right to avoid a parked car, squeezing me towards the regular users. It was inches. He then overtook the next car plus a bus and blasted off. Got his number though, as did many witnesses.

Matt

 

[fossyant]

Someone like that would be sporting a big dent...... sorry you didn't get the reg.

Although, if it's 'local' rather than in the city, I guess you may spot the car again....

 

[purplepolly]

I used to regularly have problems with drivers taking offence at me avoiding a stretch of huge gaping potholes. Eventually after one of them tried to swipe me (after prolonged hooting) and he ended up mounting the pavement, I reported it to the council, describing the problems it was causing with my interactions with other road users and saying that I would hold the council partly responsible for any accidents. It's since been resurfaced properly.

 

[summerdays]

I had one 4x4 pass really close this morning - after lots of drivers giving me plenty of room. Then he pulled across to the left to stop me filtering to the front down that side - leaving loads of room to the right, and so he then had to overtake again etc with the road getting narrower and again pull right over to the kerb at the next set of lights (each set had ASL's) - so I passed him again and this time as it was narrow and he was a car back he had to stay behind until I turned off 100 m after this next set of lights.

 

[Plax]

I had one 4x4 pass really close this morning - after lots of drivers giving me plenty of room. Then he pulled across to the left to stop me filtering to the front down that side - leaving loads of room to the right, and so he then had to overtake again etc with the road getting narrower and again pull right over to the kerb at the next set of lights (each set had ASL's) - so I passed him again and this time as it was narrow and he was a car back he had to stay behind until I turned off 100 m after this next set of lights.

I had something similar once, and was very close to opening his back passenger door and cycling off. Thought better of it though!

 

[Tynan]

if there's room for a car to pass you on the insaid then you're too wide I'd have thought, I'd rather they overtook then did that

 

[GrasB]

Problem with that junction is it's a nasty one. I think with the hashed out area there's not a blocking which can be used to gain complete control of the road to the side of you on a bike (motor or peddle). So if you're in primary to the lane you can be squeezed to right, if in primary for the road space you can be pushed to the left.

 

[gaz]

The junction is a pain due to the merge on the left that is controlled by traffic lights so there is potential enough room for two cars, but as soon as you go past that merge it goes into a single lane that curves so not even enough room for a bike and a car. hence why you take primary. the reason he undertook me is because he went on the hatching on the left and up into the merge to get in front of me.

 

[Bollo]

I had one 4x4 pass really close this morning - .....

Shhhhhhhhhh! Linf will hear!

 

[summerdays]

Shhhhhhhhhh! Linf will hear!

(not if we only whisper about it)

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4

Lol. Sorry.

 

[Bristol Dave]

@OP - It defies belief that someone would be so willfully reckless yet, as cyclists, we see this sort of thing now and then. I'm glad it didn't turn into something more serious. As for the camera, I'm thinking the same thing. Whilst I've not had anything as extreme as what happened to you I do tend to cycle on quiet roads with very few witnesses if anything happened.

BD

 

[Bad Company]

When I was at school we all took cycling proficiency and most of us cycled to school and after school etc.

I'm sure that if our kids still did this they would make better drivers. Nowadays the kids are all ferried to school and not allowed out on bikes.

Just my opinion.

 

[jonny jeez]

When I was at school we all took cycling proficiency and most of us cycled to school and after school etc.

I'm sure that if our kids still did this they would make better drivers. Nowadays the kids are all ferried to school and not allowed out on bikes.

Just my opinion.

Not true, My eldest passed her cycling proficiency last year and my youngest can't wait to do hers so that she can join us in "the road".