MGIF

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Hip Priest

Veteran
Annoying, but by no means the worst I've seen. On several occasions I've experienced mgifs that were so badly judged that the driver just ended up alongside me behind the car in front.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
It's a bit like motorists who deliberately block the cycle lane. Yes 9 times out of 10 I could filter down the outside but I don't want to as they've already proven their stupidity, inability to drive safely & within the law.
yep and those bloody people on push-bikes who creep through the traffic at the lights just to sit in front of the a car before it pulls away. They absolutely MUST get in front...splitters the lot of em!

Hold on, I forgot where I was for a second there.
 
I had exactly the same happen to me the other day. However, I chose to filter past him and then he tried to ram me off the road.

Another one for database then :smile:. I normally filter past over taking nobrockets and sit in front of them if there is any space ensuring that I am in a low gear and in the middle of the road if traffic lights are about to change. Also no track standing for me. But then I am an annoying little git.
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
yep and those bloody people on push-bikes who creep through the traffic at the lights just to sit in front of the a car before it pulls away. They absolutely MUST get in front...splitters the lot of em!
I think you're missing the point. The driver is, potentially*, committing an offence entering a cycle lane. Anyone who contravenes road traffic regulations is driving dangerously because those regulations are there for the safety of other road users. Anyone who chooses to do so is quite clearly an irresponsible if not dangerous driver & it's much easier to deal with that sort of driver when you're behind them.

* A local TRO has to be passed before an offence is committed.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
I think you're missing the point. The driver is, potentially*, committing an offence entering a cycle lane. Anyone who contravenes road traffic regulations is driving dangerously because those regulations are there for the safety of other road users. Anyone who chooses to do so is quite clearly an irresponsible if not dangerous driver & it's much easier to deal with that sort of driver when you're behind them.

* A local TRO has to be passed before an offence is committed.
Your right I was, I probably replied to the wrong comment, should have been Bens OP which in my view was a non event that caused less frustration than riders doing what I describe above. The car pulled into an open spot and had every right to do so, much as we have every right to filter to the front and stop traffic from pulling away swiftly. Many cyclists and many car drivers have that MUST GET IN FRONT mentality and are each as frustrating as one another.
 

sabian92

Über Member
I am reminded of the first words spoken in my first driving lesson in 1980.

"What is this we're sitting in?"

"A Volkswagen Passat..."

"This... is three-quarters of a ton of death. Never forget it."

My father (for it was he) had a way with language and I have never forgotten it. I think it was over a ton, but it didn't seem a good time to quibble over details.

God, I was a truly dreadful driver for the first decade or so.... I wonder if initial driving lessons still start that way...

Solid advice. I wish more people were taught that - sometimes fear is good as it sticks with you.

I love speed but I'm not one for driving dangerously on the road - I'd go to a track for that.
 
OP
OP
benb

benb

Evidence based cyclist
Location
Epsom
Your right I was, I probably replied to the wrong comment, should have been Bens OP which in my view was a non event that caused less frustration than riders doing what I describe above. The car pulled into an open spot and had every right to do so, much as we have every right to filter to the front and stop traffic from pulling away swiftly. Many cyclists and many car drivers have that MUST GET IN FRONT mentality and are each as frustrating as one another.

From my POV, the driver squeezed me and made me take avoiding action, so it wasn't an open spot.
I agree it's the worst piece of driving ever, but it was rude and inconsiderate, and symptomatic of the "I'm in a car, so everyone else FO out of my way" attitude.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
From my POV, the driver squeezed me and made me take avoiding action, so it wasn't an open spot.
I agree it's the worst piece of driving ever, but it was rude and inconsiderate, and symptomatic of the "I'm in a car, so everyone else FO out of my way" attitude.

I agree, it was rude and inconsiderate, and symptomatic of the "I'm in a car, so everyone else FO out of my way". My point is that we ...as cyclists...also display similar symptoms from time to time.
 

nilling

Über Member
Location
Preston, UK
Don't put yourself back in front of someone that has already shown that they are incapable of driving safely.

I had a driver MGIF at a mini roundabout. As there was a queue and not much room to safely filter I just pulled up behind him. When we got to the mini roundabout he just carried on, causing the car already on the roundabout to come to a complete stop. You see I'd already made my mind up he was an idiot; better an idiot in front of you than behind :headshake:
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
I agree, it was rude and inconsiderate, and symptomatic of the "I'm in a car, so everyone else FO out of my way". My point is that we ...as cyclists...also display similar symptoms from time to time.
Actually, the driver has put them selves in a situation where they need to judge their speed & deceleration, distance to the car in front & the cyclists speed to a high precision to avoid contact with someone. This means there's a significantly elevated risk of collision & one which may well have collected benb. benb v's 1 tonn of car is going to have a fairly predicable outcome.
 
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