Hit from behind

[glasgowcyclist]

No injuries to me and the only damage was the mudguard becoming misaligned. It'll take me about 30 minutes to have it centred again (bent stays and one retainer popped off).

Classic situation where I was lead stationary vehicle waiting to enter a roundabout. Driver behind me was so busy looking to his right for a gap for himself that he didn't take note that I was still in front of him. (Despite one steady light and one on strobe at his eye-level.)

I felt a nudge, then a push and when I looked round he was still edging forward. He was obviously about to floor it when a gap appeared so I was in real fear of being flattened by this point. Shouting at him made no difference so, still trying to remain upright while hopping on my left foot as the back of the bike was pushed out to my left, I unclipped my right foot and gave a hefty kick to his colour-coded bumper. My bike dropped to the ground. He stopped.

This all happened in the time it took you to read the first sentence of this post, just a few seconds. Nevertheless, my heart was pounding, adrenaline rushing, and the red mist came down...

After shouting at him in sheer disbelief at his actions, I went to the driver's window and spoke to him. He was around 70 years old and seemed quite shocked by it all. He assumed I'd moved off and didn't look forward again to confirm. I thought the poor guy was going to have a heart attack so I said I was okay and explained to him calmly but firmly how he needed to look where he was going otherwise he could have run right over me.

Looking at his drained and frightened expression I felt sorry for him. How come I end up feeling the bad guy?!

GC

 

[Brandane]

Glad you're OK, GC. Hopefully the old boy in the car will have learned a lesson and will never make the same mistake again.

 

[fossyant]

Report him. He may need his sight checking. Hate old duffers driving, and my father in law is one of these. Fortunately he just hits walls when parking.

 

[HLaB]

No injuries to me and the only damage was the mudguard becoming misaligned. It'll take me about 30 minutes to have it centred again (bent stays and one retainer popped off).

Classic situation where I was lead stationary vehicle waiting to enter a roundabout. Driver behind me was so busy looking to his right for a gap for himself that he didn't take note that I was still in front of him. (Despite one steady light and one on strobe at his eye-level.)

I felt a nudge, then a push and when I looked round he was still edging forward. He was obviously about to floor it when a gap appeared so I was in real fear of being flattened by this point. Shouting at him made no difference so, still trying to remain upright while hopping on my left foot as the back of the bike was pushed out to my left, I unclipped my right foot and gave a hefty kick to his colour-coded bumper. My bike dropped to the ground. He stopped.

This all happened in the time it took you to read the first sentence of this post, just a few seconds. Nevertheless, my heart was pounding, adrenaline rushing, and the red mist came down...

After shouting at him in sheer disbelief at his actions, I went to the driver's window and spoke to him. He was around 70 years old and seemed quite shocked by it all. He assumed I'd moved off and didn't look forward again to confirm. I thought the poor guy was going to have a heart attack so I said I was okay and explained to him calmly but firmly how he needed to look where he was going otherwise he could have run right over me.

Looking at his drained and frightened expression I felt sorry for him. How come I end up feeling the bad guy?!

GC

Sounds very familiar, except mine was a 60 year old woman and it wasnt a gentle nudge (she accelerated into the back of me as trying to go for the same no existent gap, she had assoumed I'd move in to), her first words was 'I saw you' at which point I exploded after I calmed down I ended up saying sorry, feeling like the bad guy too

 

[Boris Bajic]

Sorry to hear you got hit, GC. Glad to hear there was little damage and no injury.

The last time I was knocked off, it was an old dear who was as sweet as pie. She was distraught and insisted I call an ambulance although I felt fine initially. I was glad she insisted, as the pain soon kicked in.

I'd had eye contact with her before she pulled out of a car park... But she swung out and clipped my rear wheel as I passed. Bizarre, but painful.

Despite the pain (I fell heavily on an injured shoulder) I felt terribly sorry for her as she sat in her car across the road and waited for the ambulance.

She even rang me the next day to make sure I was OK and that I had all her insurance details. She'd hardly slept.

Despite my sympathy for her, when telling the Police that I wouldn't support a prosecution I did stress (in writing) that her eyesight ought to be tested and that she oughtn't be driving. I felt terrible doing so, but she clearly had vision problems.

She no longer drives, but I don't know whether that was imposed or a decision she made herself.

Glad you're OK. Sympathy for older folk who get into scrapes seems common. It shows you have a heart.

 

[Twelve Spokes]

Awful GC,hope you are ok,plus bike.

 

[Born2die]

Hope your ok I have had a couple of near misses this year one involving a tractor pulling out of a roundabout on a very wet road only just got it stopped I'm in hi vis lights on its daytime and the plonker never even saw me

 

[dan_bo]

'Kin nightmare mate.

Still, could have ended worse.....

 

[Leodis]

bloody coffin dodgers

Just jokin...

How come I end up feeling the bad guy?!

Decent human?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Report him. He may need his sight checking. Hate old duffers driving, and my father in law is one of these. Fortunately he just hits walls when parking.

I don't think there was a problem with his sight so much as he just wasn't looking at where I was (or in his mind, where I'd been).

I've seen this happen loads of times with all ages of driver (and one time it was a police car I saw ram another car at a give way); they assume the car in front has gone for a gap and only realise it hasn't when they go for their own gap.

GC

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Glad you're OK, GC. Hopefully the old boy in the car will have learned a lesson and will never make the same mistake again.

He did appear to pretty shaken by it. Whether that was the realisation of what he'd done, what might have resulted, or my hairy red-faced tirade at him, I'm not sure. Regardless, I'm sure he won't forget it in a hurry.

GC

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Awful GC,hope you are ok,plus bike.

Och, we're both fine. It's annoying though that despite doing everything right with regard to road positioning, signalling, and being clearly visible, you can still fall foul of numpties. None of the aforementioned behaviour matters a jot if the other guy simply isn't looking.


GC

 

[Twelve Spokes]

Och, we're both fine. It's annoying though that despite doing everything right with regard to road positioning, signalling, and being clearly visible, you can still fall foul of numpties. None of the aforementioned behaviour matters a jot if the other guy simply isn't looking.


GC

How very true.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Oh, @glasgowcyclist glad to read you're relatively unharmed, get well soon you and the bike
We so try to be careful, sadly the actions of others we can't control.
Feeling sorry for the older chap shows you're the good guy.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Oh, @glasgowcyclist glad to read you're relatively unharmed, get well soon you and the bike
We so try to be careful, sadly the actions of others we can't control.
Feeling sorry for the older chap shows you're the good guy.

Thanks Pat. You should have seen me, gesticualting so wildly I could have been mistaken for an Italian!

GC