Mis-directed anger in Brum

[Arch]

If a cyclist is making progress in secondary and a car blocks his route, especially unknowingly then the cyclist has some right to be aggrieved surely?

Graham did say the cyclist was 'bombing along in the gutter' - so not even in secondary. I think, on the basis of the information I have, I'd tend to say the cyclist was behaving rashly, and had little right to berate the driver. Any cyclist with any road sense (Graham said he'd seen him before, so we assume the guy knows the road) shouldn't be undertaking at speed where traffic is merging...

 

[John Ponting]

Wrong. You need to check your mirrors before you perform a manouevre. I also drive a car. I wouldn't move off my line of travel without checking that it's safe to do so - this is basic good driving.

The taxi was already in that lane ... that's the meaning of the original "stay in ...".

The bike undertook from a blind spot.

 

[Twenty Inch]

The taxi was already in that lane ... that's the meaning of the original "stay in ...".

The bike undertook from a blind spot.

And the meaning of "moves over to stay in the left lane" is...

I'm not absolving the cyclist of blame. He should have been aware of the road, the circumstances and the possibilities. However, I take exception to your assertion that my response is based on the fact that the taxi was a car, and so I automatically blame the driver. They were both at fault.

 

[BentMikey]

OTOH I don't think you could attribute much, if any, blame to the taxi driver given the OP's description.

 

[GrahamG]

Well I didn't want to get into a searing debate about it, just give a great example of the dangers of a lack of training for cyclists - some taxi driver might get assaulted!

On a serious note though, Birmingham City Council is the single largest local authority in the country (don't know whether this is based upon area or population or what but anyway....) and does not have any cycle training provision for adults, only children (which is great but...). This one page on the website is the extent of their 'cycling safety' advice:
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=16031&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=12059

 

[Tynan]

Graham did say the cyclist was 'bombing along in the gutter' - so not even in secondary. I think, on the basis of the information I have, I'd tend to say the cyclist was behaving rashly, and had little right to berate the driver. Any cyclist with any road sense (Graham said he'd seen him before, so we assume the guy knows the road) shouldn't be undertaking at speed where traffic is merging...

way to evade my points

a car merging into a lane has no business being so close to the curb that they block a cyclist in the gutter, that's bad driving and lack of attention

 

[Arch]

way to evade my points

a car merging into a lane has no business being so close to the curb that they block a cyclist in the gutter, that's bad driving and lack of attention

And if it's a narrow lane? The OP says it was already in the lane, not that it swerved suddenly into the curb. Although if you read the OP you'll see that it doesn't actually say the taxi did block the cyclist, just that he reacted aggressively to it moving over..

 

[John Ponting]

way to evade my points

a car merging into a lane has no business being so close to the curb that they block a cyclist in the gutter, that's bad driving and lack of attention

NO - it may be a bit discurteous to not leave enough space for a cyclist to UNDERTAKE by riding in the gutter but it is NOT bad driving and it does not indicate lack of attention.

personally, I am very aware that there are doughnuts on cycles who think it is their God given right to undertake when ever they feel like it and I make adequate provision for them. Could be because I've ridden 2 wheelers for over 50 years and have seen just about every example of 2 wheel stupidity.