How do you handle...

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Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
You're going along a road, there is a van or perhaps there are several vehivles parked on the the other side. You're in primary position, or at the very least you're not in the gutter.

Car coming the other way pulls out from behind the parked vehicles (thus on to the wrong side of the road) and drives straight at you; clearly you should have priority on your side of the road, but the other guy expects you to disappear somewhere.

I'm sure this happens to other people too! What do you do?
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
stare them down, but keep a look out for a get-out place to your left (only possible to do both with shades on).

otherwise perfect your bunnyhop technique :blush:
 
OP
OP
Cab

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
I figured. Thats also the approach I take. Although while executing said contingency I might also loudly call the other guy a 'nob', or 'moron' perhaps.

Anyone ever gone a step further and just stopped there, made the other guy stop too?
 

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
The only thing you can do is move over and hope there still enough room for him to get through. But some sort of 'polite' comment would not go amiss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
OP
OP
Cab

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
The reason I brought this up is that it just happened at lunchtime. Lorry and a van behind it parked on a double yellow on the other side of the road, and while there was just about enough room for a car and bike to pass, for me to be safe he'd have to be well inside the door opening area from the other vehicles, i.e. in a stupid and arguably illegal position. And on my side, this being Cambridge, was part of Hobsons Conduit, a very old meansby which fresh water used to be transported to the market to wash produce, but these days just a great big gutter with flowing water in it thats only turned on in summer. Too deep to drop into, too wide to hop over, also wet and slimy. Makes escape there fraught.

So my approach there was to slow right down and make him either stop (his best option) or pass the lorry and van far, far too close (naturally thats what he did). I called him an idiot as we passed, he sounded his horn at me in response, well after we'd passed.

I don't think I handled it all that well, but it seemed like my least bad option.
 

domtyler

Über Member
Personally I would have just held my ground for as long as it was feasible in order to make my point (i.e. it is my right of way, you move). In the end though you just want to continue on your way so just go 'round/squeeze through etc.
 

frog

Guest
Indicate right and pull into the middle of the road, stop and wait.

I only did this once, immediately after some nut in a sports car tried to run me off the road. At that point I'd have taken anyone, or thing, on. The bloke stopped, because there wasn't any room and as he'd 'called my bluff' I had to dismount and wheel my bike between two of the parked cars - which I took my own sweet time about. I don't think either of us came out of it a better person for the experience :blush:
 

Alcdrew

Senior Member
Location
UK
Yep not a lot you can do in that situation. I've been there a few times, and hold position for as long as possible to try and make a piont, but in the end playing chicken when your on a 10kg bike and there in a 1 ton car isn't really a good idea. There's only ever going to be one loser.
So better get ready for a ride in the gutter....
 

Joe24

More serious cyclist than Bonj
Location
Nottingham
Hold your position, and if the person doesnt move then move over slightly and clap your hands at them, then blow them a big kiss and watch the look on there face :blush:



Joe
 
I was just about to post something almost exactly the same.

I've just got into the office, after a zen commute which even included seeing a Brommie doing 40km/h down Embankment!!! Just before I turned into my office complex a bus did the same thing.

He swung out and headed right for me, I heard him stamp on the gas. I bailed into a lucky turning just as the bus flashed past me with about 20cm to spare, the bow wave of air pushed me over and I couldn't disengage my cleats. From my vantage point on the ground I saw him run the red light.

If there hadn't been that turning I would have had to bunny-hop onto the pavement, but what if I'd messed up? That kind of dangerous move deserves a revoked licence and re-test, as the driver is clearly not in control of their vehicle.

If only I had got the number-plate. :blush:
 

Alcdrew

Senior Member
Location
UK
Jacomus, Sounds to me like the driver didn't even see you. Probably saw the light were about to change and so florred it. Quite agree that he should lose his licence and need a re-test, as it could of been nasty. Do you know the bus companies name? Even without the reg number they must have a good idea of which driver would of been in that area at that time, probably won't help in getting the drive told off, but it might at least make you feel a bit better, by having a moan.
 
Unfortunately I didn't even get the bus company, and saying "a red single-deck bus" in the middle of London isn't going to cut it! Just got to write the incident off - I didn't get hurt and my bike didn't get damaged, so things could have turned out a lot worse.

Its one of those things that happen every now and then, showing that as a highly vulnerable road user, a cyclist cannot let their guard slip.
 

ChrisW

Senior Member
Cab said:
You're going along a road, there is a van or perhaps there are several vehivles parked on the the other side. You're in primary position, or at the very least you're not in the gutter.

Car coming the other way pulls out from behind the parked vehicles (thus on to the wrong side of the road) and drives straight at you; clearly you should have priority on your side of the road, but the other guy expects you to disappear somewhere.

I'm sure this happens to other people too! What do you do?

I sit up, look the driver in the eyes, point straight at him and shout "WAIT", unless of course he's so close that i'm about to die, in which case i cr4p my pants..
 

HJ

Cycling in Scotland
Location
Auld Reekie
Depends on how fast their are going, mostly I just hold my ground, I have forced some to stop, but if they are going fast then it is time for a change of cycle shorts....
 
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