Lazy-Commuter
New Member
- Location
- Bottom Right Corner
Well, it had to happen sooner or later. After doing 3-4 days per week on the bike since March this year, I've been due a close call. I've had a few close overtakes and the like but nothing that really worried me. Until today.
Just before work, I have to go over a standard "crossroads" style roundabout: the classic type they always (used to?) show in diagrams in the Highway code. It's slightly downhill on the approach, so I'm typically doing 20mph or so even coasting, 30 limit on all approaches.
This morning, I was approaching from the South to go straight over to the North. Traffic coming from the East (what I have to give way to) is nicely concealed by a strategically placed set of bushes and a building, plus it's an industrial estate so there tends to be lots of traffic, and a lot of it is really BIG traffic. It's also hard to see what's coming from the North due to the roundabout being quite tall and having a shrubbery that the Nights of Ni would be proud of on top of it. And the Home Delivery Network (or whatever) boys who are based down there tend to a bit slack with niceties such as indicators.
So I tend to approach with care, slow down a bit to make sure I've got a clear run, change down a few gears and then pedal like crazy to get clear as quick as I can, rattling up through the gears as I do. Obviously, I also keep a good look out to the West 'cos - although it's a 30 limit - it's a straightish bit of road and the traffic tends to not exactly be sticking to the limit, plus there's a lot of lorries and I'm not always real easy to see despite bright coloured clothing and all that.
Today, I had a nice clear approach from East and North and could only see one car quite a way away to the West, so I'd just entered the roundabout and got my head down to get clear, just gone past the exit to the West when suddenly the car I'd noticed to the West was right in front of me .. and stopping, or slowing right down anyways. :?:
I don't know how fast he'd been going before, but I'd rejected him as a hazard 'cos even with the normal speed cars do along there I should have been well clear of the roundabout before he got there. Bearing in mind he should have been giving way to me anyway!! Big brakes and I managed to slither to a halt just before going into the driver's door: he'd also stopped and for some bizarre reason had his engine revving manically .. not sure why he'd have the clutch in and throttle down but anyway.
I said something along the lines of "Jesus, don't you f'ing look" and he mouthed something in reply while he fumbled for the window switch. So I waited for him to sort the window out, expecting one of the cliches like "SMIDSY" or "you were going too fast" and thought I'd jump in quick. So I said, "It's my right of way you know", to which he replied, "I know that but if you'd kept going you'd have been OK", implying that he'd spotted me and wanted to go behind me .. which is a new one I'm sure.
I don't know what his definition of "OK" is, but given that he'd darted in front of me on the roundabout I'm not sure what good "keeping going" would have done me or where I was supposed to "keep going" to. I dont consider "being OK" to include sitting on someone's car.
So I asked him where I was supposed to have gone to, and he just said "oh, go away", wound the window up and drove off, going "right round" and heading the way I'd just come from.
With hindsight, I think he was one of those that just belts up to the roundabout and does all their braking at the last minute and onto the roundabout, often coming to a virtual stop on the roundabout, before faffing about with the gears, turning and heading off. You get them quite a lot on this particular roundabout 'cos - though it's not a mini-roundabout - it's quite a small radius and people do tend to use it a bit as a t-junction and often look quite affronted if they have to brake a bit harder and actually stop at the white lines. Which is one of the reasons why I'm extra careful with it. I suspect he hadn't actually seen me until right at the last minute and then panicked.
Still, no harm done ..
Just before work, I have to go over a standard "crossroads" style roundabout: the classic type they always (used to?) show in diagrams in the Highway code. It's slightly downhill on the approach, so I'm typically doing 20mph or so even coasting, 30 limit on all approaches.
This morning, I was approaching from the South to go straight over to the North. Traffic coming from the East (what I have to give way to) is nicely concealed by a strategically placed set of bushes and a building, plus it's an industrial estate so there tends to be lots of traffic, and a lot of it is really BIG traffic. It's also hard to see what's coming from the North due to the roundabout being quite tall and having a shrubbery that the Nights of Ni would be proud of on top of it. And the Home Delivery Network (or whatever) boys who are based down there tend to a bit slack with niceties such as indicators.
So I tend to approach with care, slow down a bit to make sure I've got a clear run, change down a few gears and then pedal like crazy to get clear as quick as I can, rattling up through the gears as I do. Obviously, I also keep a good look out to the West 'cos - although it's a 30 limit - it's a straightish bit of road and the traffic tends to not exactly be sticking to the limit, plus there's a lot of lorries and I'm not always real easy to see despite bright coloured clothing and all that.
Today, I had a nice clear approach from East and North and could only see one car quite a way away to the West, so I'd just entered the roundabout and got my head down to get clear, just gone past the exit to the West when suddenly the car I'd noticed to the West was right in front of me .. and stopping, or slowing right down anyways. :?:
I don't know how fast he'd been going before, but I'd rejected him as a hazard 'cos even with the normal speed cars do along there I should have been well clear of the roundabout before he got there. Bearing in mind he should have been giving way to me anyway!! Big brakes and I managed to slither to a halt just before going into the driver's door: he'd also stopped and for some bizarre reason had his engine revving manically .. not sure why he'd have the clutch in and throttle down but anyway.
I said something along the lines of "Jesus, don't you f'ing look" and he mouthed something in reply while he fumbled for the window switch. So I waited for him to sort the window out, expecting one of the cliches like "SMIDSY" or "you were going too fast" and thought I'd jump in quick. So I said, "It's my right of way you know", to which he replied, "I know that but if you'd kept going you'd have been OK", implying that he'd spotted me and wanted to go behind me .. which is a new one I'm sure.
I don't know what his definition of "OK" is, but given that he'd darted in front of me on the roundabout I'm not sure what good "keeping going" would have done me or where I was supposed to "keep going" to. I dont consider "being OK" to include sitting on someone's car.
So I asked him where I was supposed to have gone to, and he just said "oh, go away", wound the window up and drove off, going "right round" and heading the way I'd just come from.
With hindsight, I think he was one of those that just belts up to the roundabout and does all their braking at the last minute and onto the roundabout, often coming to a virtual stop on the roundabout, before faffing about with the gears, turning and heading off. You get them quite a lot on this particular roundabout 'cos - though it's not a mini-roundabout - it's quite a small radius and people do tend to use it a bit as a t-junction and often look quite affronted if they have to brake a bit harder and actually stop at the white lines. Which is one of the reasons why I'm extra careful with it. I suspect he hadn't actually seen me until right at the last minute and then panicked.
Still, no harm done ..
