the reluctant cyclist
Über Member
- Location
- Birmingham
I am so 
Got a letter from my Solicitor today saying that the other side are completely denying liability.
If you don't remember me moaning on about it before I was filtering (on the left) up to an ASL at the lights at a crossroads when the passenger opened the door on me.
The car was actually a good 2 and a half feet away from the kerb, not indicating their intentions in any way and I managed to swerve out of the way of the door enough to not go over it and actually just hit the side of it instead and I fell onto the kerb. I was doing about 8 mph. They were on double yellows and there were railings.
At the time they were really apologetic blah blah blah... now though they say that they were only 18 inches from the kerb, they were pulled in way closer than the car in front and they were indicating left!
They say that I had absolutely no regard for my safety and was "desperate to get to the front of the traffic queue no matter what!"
Cheeky sods. Hubby and I parked our car 18 inches from the kerb tonight and put my bike in the gap between the car and the kerb. It fitted - just - my bike is 18 inches wide. There was no room for me though to get on the bike!
We put a tape measure by it and took a photo for my statement! Then we parked our car 2 and a half feet away from the kerb and showed how you could easily cycle there!
There is nothing in the highway code that says that it is illegal to filter through on the left (believe me if there was they would have quoted it at me) but there is plenty to say that cyclist will be going to the front of a queue where there is an ASL and plenty to say that passengers should check for cyclists before they open their door.
They have quoted rule 72 at me - saying that cyclist should not be undertaking where a car is turning left.
Nobody in their right mind would do that would they? Bloody liar wasn't turning left - he didn't turn left afterward because I watched him going straight on.
I also see him every flipping evening and morning going straight on at those lights!
*and breath!!*
They want me to take 50% of what they say I am entitled to as it was 50% my fault!
The only good thing is that my Solicitor is adamant that it is not my fault and that they knew there was an ASL line there and that it was likely that cyclists would be heading for it!
Oh - oh - and the best one is they say that the passenger checked before she opened the door! WHAT? Did I just materialise out of thin air after she opened it then!!!!!!

Got a letter from my Solicitor today saying that the other side are completely denying liability.
If you don't remember me moaning on about it before I was filtering (on the left) up to an ASL at the lights at a crossroads when the passenger opened the door on me.
The car was actually a good 2 and a half feet away from the kerb, not indicating their intentions in any way and I managed to swerve out of the way of the door enough to not go over it and actually just hit the side of it instead and I fell onto the kerb. I was doing about 8 mph. They were on double yellows and there were railings.
At the time they were really apologetic blah blah blah... now though they say that they were only 18 inches from the kerb, they were pulled in way closer than the car in front and they were indicating left!
They say that I had absolutely no regard for my safety and was "desperate to get to the front of the traffic queue no matter what!"
Cheeky sods. Hubby and I parked our car 18 inches from the kerb tonight and put my bike in the gap between the car and the kerb. It fitted - just - my bike is 18 inches wide. There was no room for me though to get on the bike!
We put a tape measure by it and took a photo for my statement! Then we parked our car 2 and a half feet away from the kerb and showed how you could easily cycle there!
There is nothing in the highway code that says that it is illegal to filter through on the left (believe me if there was they would have quoted it at me) but there is plenty to say that cyclist will be going to the front of a queue where there is an ASL and plenty to say that passengers should check for cyclists before they open their door.
They have quoted rule 72 at me - saying that cyclist should not be undertaking where a car is turning left.
Nobody in their right mind would do that would they? Bloody liar wasn't turning left - he didn't turn left afterward because I watched him going straight on.
I also see him every flipping evening and morning going straight on at those lights!
*and breath!!*
They want me to take 50% of what they say I am entitled to as it was 50% my fault!
The only good thing is that my Solicitor is adamant that it is not my fault and that they knew there was an ASL line there and that it was likely that cyclists would be heading for it!
Oh - oh - and the best one is they say that the passenger checked before she opened the door! WHAT? Did I just materialise out of thin air after she opened it then!!!!!!
