Idiots everywhere today, plus the worst defence ever

[Matty]

I've had weeks and weeks of great commuting. Sensible drivers all over the place, but today was something different all together. All prats out at once. I lost count.

The worst being a dozy mare in an Audi, who starts to pull out of a parking spot, sees me (or sees the car 12 inches behind me), pauses, then has the 'oh, f@ck it, it's only a cyclist' moment and pulls out anyway. Cue me swerving, the banging on her rear quarter to get some attention. At this point she nails it, to join the queue of stationary traffic 50 yards up the road. Jesus wept.

Needless to say, I stopped to have a 'chat'. Her reply ...... 'I didn't see you'. Not, 'I'm sorry, I didn't see you', just 'I didn't see you'. Is that some sort of defence? Sorry officer, I was just shooting my gun and I didn't see the person stood in front of it! Grrrrr. Moron.

Feel better now.

Oh and in case you are wondering, fully Hi-Vized up, 1*Hope 1 on high, 1* additional flashing front light and 1*queue of patient cars behind me. What exactly did she 'not see'?

 

[gaz]

Ouch, i had something quiet different today, 1 car infront of me, moving slowly for some reason, ambulance over takes me as i'm accelerating so i'm matching it's pase whilst it's next to me. But some woman also tries to overtake (which wasn't possible due to not enough space) but she gets her car side on, with me in the blind spot and she starts to pull in. needless to say i slapped the body work of her tin can. which got her attention, i did the standard pushing arm out extension to say i need more space.

but she just drove off, after she gave me a dirty look. take it she didn't appreciate me hitting her car, but i didn't appreciate being forced off the road.

 

[fossyant]

1*Hope 1 on high, 1* additional flashing front light and 1*queue of patient cars behind me. What exactly did she 'not see'?

What....."I didn't see a Hope 1 on High... ....FFS...... (PS I assume you didn't run it max then.....

Not 'didn't see you'....... didn't care or look....

I run two Hope 1's, on medium........and a Knog Toad on flashing up front..... switch the Hopes to high/max near home as the drivers go into the silly get home, no signal mode.....

 

[Matty]

Fossy, it was clear from run times that my light won't quite last all week, so I go for high/max. Seems a bit pointless to spend money on a light with loads of output then not use it?! Max is great on unlit roads. Two Hope 1s must be great.

 

[hackbike 666]

Mad bus driver at Liverpool St last night tailgaiting me so I slowed down.

Proceeded to do a very poor left turn once he did get past (of left hook proportions).I think the clue really was in his driving.Stopping 3mm from the car in fronts bumper before doing dodgy left hand turn.

 

[swee'pea99]

On a bus yesterday, coming up to the roadworks that have taken out the whole of our side of the road. One car in front. Temp traffic lights go red...car in front slows down and stops. Our bus suddenly swings out, overtakes car and steams thru' the red light (c.15 seconds after it changed) and past the roadworks. Just as well the car in front didn't decide to chance it at the last moment - would've got crushed like a bug.

 

[jonny jeez]

They see you just fine, but their minds draw the following conclusions in the nano-second that it takes them to decide your fate...

1. It's not a "real" vehicle...so it shouldn't be on my road anyway
B. It's only going slowly, so it can stop fast.
3. It's tiny so can easily slip into the gutter to avoid me
iv. If it does hit me, whats the worst that can happen....to me.

Conclusion, GOOOOO (or I'll have to drop the clutch again and apply the brake...which isall such a a faff)

 

[cyberknight]

Close call of epic proportions for me today

Coming over the flyover to get onto the cycle path that run up the A38 when a container lorry comes so close that i am forced (luckily) into the exit on my left hand side.

he pulls over up the road and just gives me a blank expression.

I now have plenty of hi -viz with

2 smart flashers,2 smaller flashers on the panniers + a helmet flasher

I mean wtf do we have to do to get seen these days? i think it is like JJ says the do not give a toss.

Told a guy at work and he defends the lorry driver calls al cyclist a menace and starts on the road tax tirade ......... he didn't win the argument

 

[Davidc]

I mean wtf do we have to do to get seen these days? i think it is like JJ says the do not give a toss.

I was in London - on foot - last week and saw the brightest flasher I've ever seen, on a bike in Wigmore Street. Blindingly bright.

I spoke to the owner, and he showed me - it was a modified xenon tube photo flash gun - just a timer circuit added to trigger it.

Unmissable.

 

[bad boy]

What....."I didn't see a Hope 1 on High... ....FFS...... (PS I assume you didn't run it max then.....

Not 'didn't see you'....... didn't care or look....

I run two Hope 1's, on medium........and a Knog Toad on flashing up front..... switch the Hopes to high/max near home as the drivers go into the silly get home, no signal mode.....

Two Hopes and a Toad.......!! blimey you must be brighter than Blackpool illuminations coming down the road

 

[yashicamat]

If anyone thinks about making a bike flasher out of a xenon tube, be very careful. They have very high voltage parts in, specifically capacitors (I seem to recall a massive one at 400v ish and a smaller one with 20,000v for the stater, the latter giving the biggest arm jerk and the former probably the greatest possible damage). You need to carefully discharge the capacitors in them before even thinking about working on them and I definitely wouldn't even think about just leaving them without batteries in and hope that natural decay of charge will occur . . because it probably won't sufficiently in any reasonable time period.

Just thought I ought to mention that to anyone who has any "bright ideas" about making a bike light out of a camera flash. No intention to patronise those who already know this though.

 

[LOGAN 5]

Cappictators? Isn't that something out of Back to the Future

 

[beastie]

Cappictators? Isn't that something out of Back to the Future

1.21 gigawatts

 

[dustystreet]

but they only work properly for about a second at midnite!