How close do you want to get?

[joebe]

This morning saw the closest overtake on me ever. Put it this way, this Transit has its nearside wing mirrow folded in flush when it hit my back and my right thigh rubbing on his front wing. Fortunately he wasn't going that fast, just accellerating away from a pinch point where I'd obviously held him up overtaking another cyclist.

He still managed to lean out of the window and call me every name under the sun Funnily enough he went very quiet when I cought him up

 

[Wobbles]

He still managed to lean out of the window and call me every name under the sun Funnily enough he went very quiet when I cought him up

Well.....obviously your fault, what with being in his way an all that

What a cock - Did you say anything to him?

 

[HLaB]

You scratched his wing mirror.

Seriously though I'm glad you managed to stay on, what a prat to try and blame you for his bad driving.

 

[Maz]

Funnily enough he went very quiet when I caught him up

They always do when you catch up with them.
They shout and swear at you because they are bullies. Like all bullies they choose their victims carefully. You are a victim because, as a cyclist, you are weaker, slower and more vulnerable.

Glad you're OK.

 

[John the Monkey]

"I find, when driving, that remembering I have wing mirrors is very useful. Good day to you sir."

Glad you're ok. I had a shocker of an overtake close to parked cars today myself, although to give the driver her due, she was very careful around me thereafter (even allowing me out past stopped buses, which is rare).

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Hmm, I think if I had caught up with him it would have been a case of strangling him with his own seatbelt, and not stopping until he had soiled himself at the very least!!!!!!!!

 

[joebe]

I must say I never realised the front wing of a transit was so pliable

 

[magnatom]

Strictly speaking this is a hit and run. You could report this to the police. Any CCTV cameras near by?

 

[User482]

I second what magnatom says - he hit you and left the scene of the accident. Well worth reporting.

 

[4F]

They always do when you catch up with them.
They shout and swear at you because they are bullies. Like all bullies they choose their victims carefully. You are a victim because, as a cyclist, you are weaker, slower and more vulnerable.

Glad you're OK.

The bloke in the white can I caught up with on Friday night after beeping his horn and berating me for being in primary would not even make eye contact with me after I enquired what his problem was. I left him with a blown kiss and a smile.

 

[joebe]

Strictly speaking this is a hit and run. You could report this to the police. Any CCTV cameras near by?

True enough, but sad to say I've come to take this sort of behaviour as the norm in London, I did actually shout after him and give chase, and caught him within 200 yards as he hit the back of the next Jam. He knew he'd done wrong and his reaction just confirms that, I just wanted to get to work.

Anyway I was waiting for BBC London to call back and put me on air as they were discussing cyclists ignoring lollypop ladies/men and mowing school children down. I needed to redress the balance!!

 

[BentMikey]

That behaviour isn't the norm in London at all, in my experience!!! I would defo have reported him to the police.

 

[ColinJ]

Aargh - that reminds me of something that happened to me a couple of years ago!

I was climbing a local bridleway-come-farm-track on my MTB when I heard a vehicle accelerating up behind me. The track there was not wide enough for a vehicle and a bike so obviously the driver would wait for me to get to a point just ahead where it widened and I could get out of the way. Wouldn't (s)he?

Er, no... The driver continued to accelerate. It turned out to be a woman driving a newish-looking red van and she was clearly a very special person in a very big hurry, and she saw no need to wait 2.7 seconds for another human being who was in her way. Perhaps Countdown was about to start and she didn't want to miss it?

The van began to pass on my left, but as I mentioned earlier - there wasn't room for both of us. Ms driver didn't fancy the 30 foot drop off the left of the track, so she made some space for herself by squeezing back over to the right and forcing me off the bridleway. The handlebars were knocked from my grip and I ended up in a tangled heap in a ditch full of stinging nettles . The driver continued on her merry way, oblivious to my suffering.

Red mist time... ! I pulled my bike out of the ditch, remounted and set off in pursuit of my assailant. I found the van parked outside a farm cottage about half a mile further on so I jumped off my bike and was all set to hammer on the cottage door and confront the driver. Then I noticed the right side of the van... The knurled metal extension grip on my handlebar had left a lovely, very expensive-looking gouge about 4 feet long down the side of the van. Ho ho - that would do! I decided not to stress myself further by getting into an argument with the driver, and carried on with my ride.

A couple of weeks later, I spotted the van in town and saw that the unrepaired gouge had gone rusty and was busy destroying the panel. Poetic justice. Still - what's up with those people !

 

[magnatom]

ColinJ,

I'm sorry but I don't think a damaged panel is justice in this case. I would have reported that to the police straight away, especially with the damage as evidence. Think. She left you for dead in that ditch. So that is a hit and run and a VERY serious offence in my opinion.

I'm not trying to get at you, but if she did this once she would be willing to do it again and the next cyclist might not be so lucky!

 

[ColinJ]

ColinJ,

I'm sorry but I don't think a damaged panel is justice in this case. I would have reported that to the police straight away, especially with the damage as evidence. Think. She left you for dead in that ditch. So that is a hit and run and a VERY serious offence in my opinion.

I'm not trying to get at you, but if she did this once she would be willing to do it again and the next cyclist might not be so lucky!

Apart from the unpleasant effects of falling into the stinging nettles, I wasn't hurt and my bike wasn't damaged. I don't like confrontation and didn't want my sunny evening ride ruined so I let it go, but... TBH, in retrospect I think you are right. I took the easy way out to spare myself further aggro. I'd have been really upset if I found out later that she'd injured or killed someone in a subsequent incident.