Little things...

[Boris Bajic]

I'm a keen reader of threads about poor driving - even at my advanced years I've learned things about safe cycling from these pages. Unlike many others, I am (relatively) unfazed by close passes.

However, there's one thing that really frightens me and I see a lot of it. I've nver seen it mentioned here, so maybe my dozens of 'almosts' are a statistical freak. The situation of which I speak is this:

Cars leaving a line of parked vehicles, having been parked facing the oncoming traffic. This puts the driver next to the kerb, so the final swing & lunge into a line of cars is often done by guesswork and a finger in the wind.

Parking against the direction of traffic in daylight is not against the law, but most of the potentially coronary-inducing moments I've had in the past twenty or more years have been because of cars pulling out while parked facing the oncoming traffic.

Even though I'm always on the look-out for it, I still have my magic moments of terror.

Am I alone in feeling that this is a bit of a problemette?

Does anyone else have particular bugbears that freak them out and seem to leave other road users unmoved?

 

[Nihal]

ummmmm..............you've.........ummmm

 

[Hip Priest]

I agree.

Part of my commute home takes me past the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, which has a long line of cars parked outside. Parked cars facing oncoming traffic + rush hour + drivers possibly distracted by medical matters = Extreme caution!

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

I agree.

Part of my commute home takes me past the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, which has a long line of cars parked outside. Parked cars facing oncoming traffic + rush hour + drivers possibly distracted by medical matters = Extreme caution!

Irregularly e that stretch but if ts the road along the bottom of the RVI, its a real problem along with the sh?t state of the road surface and numerous pinch points

 

[Hip Priest]

Irregularly e that stretch but if ts the road along the bottom of the RVI, its a real problem along with the sh?t state of the road surface and numerous pinch points

Yep, it's the only place I've ever seen a cyclist knocked down.

 

[lulubel]

Does anyone else have particular bugbears that freak them out and seem to leave other road users unmoved?

Cars with GB stickers/plates on. They totally freak me out because they're usually driven by homicidal maniacs.

On the subject of your post, I had one parked facing oncoming traffic pull out in front of me yesterday. It didn't really phase me because I could see exactly what she was going to do, and I was prepared for it. At this time of year, we have a lot of RHD cars around, which is a similarly dangerous situation even if they're parked facing the right way. They still can't see you're coming until most of their car is in front of you.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Motorists who open their car doors when you're about 10ft away, motorists who fly up to a white give way line as you're approaching, then go over it making you swerve,motorists who have drives yet park in the cycle lane outside, motorists/van men who park in cycle lanes, motorists who stop in the red "Keep clear for cyclists" bit before traffic lights, pedestrians who walk out in front of you, lollipop men/women who could let you pass but stop you when you're the only thing on the road, white van men who let their doors, both side and rear,open up as you're about to pass. The list is endless!