My first van slap :(

[ohnovino]

I've seen videos and read stories about cyclists hitting vehicles, and I've always thought it's a stupid thing to do. Taking a hand off your bars, striking a moving vehicle and potentially risking an angry confrontation - how can that be in the interests of safety? This afternoon I changed my mind...

I was approaching a narrow, blind, 90-degree left bend. This is near my work, so I've ridden it at least 100 times and I've never had a problem there. That's probably why I didn't take a blocking primary position, even though there was a WVM approaching from behind. He started his overtake on the entrance to the bend, then once level with me he started drifting towards the apex. So now I'm stuck in a closing gap between a high curb and a big van, with literally no way out. I gave my usual shout of "Oi", but instinctively I gently tapped the side of the van at the same time.

Thankfully, it worked. He immediately veered to the right, and I was safe. He then slowed down a bit and beeped, but when he saw me gesticulating in his mirrors he drove off. I think the overtake was dozy rather than aggressive, and it probably took him a second or two to realise that I'd hit the van to get it off me, rather than something malicious.

So while I still think some cyclists who hit vehicles are just looking for an argument, I now realise there are occasions where it can genuinely be the safest thing to do, and also that it can be just an instinctive reaction. First time in over three years riding - hopefully I won't need to do it again until late 2014!

 

[wiggydiggy]

Hitting a vehicle with your hand when it gets too close is ok in my book, if you can reach out and touch it they are too close. Even if you are looking for an argument, and some are, they are still too close.

 

[smith34]

I always tap the sides of vans or the back end of cars if they are about to left hook me without realising or are in the process of a rather undesirable overtake. I know what you mean about the confrontation, which is why I tend not to do it to cab drivers.

I think what you did was acceptable, if you could touch his van, he clearly failed to yield to a safe distance.

 

[gaz]

Just don't do it to taxi drivers. they go ape!!

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN0aBCyTP0o[/media]


[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uITje1aBRss[/media]


In both cases there is a lane next to me which the driver can pass in safely, in both cases they choose not to do that, in both cases they are close enough that i can either slap or punch their vehicle as they pass me and that is without a fully stretched arm.

 

[ohnovino]

Funnily enough Gaz, as the van slowed down I had an image in my head of your cab driver with the Maglite!

 

[pshore]

Just don't do it to taxi drivers. they go ape!!

Crikey, as a non-Londoner, I didn't realise those Cycling Superhighways were not so Super. Was that even 1 metre wide in places ? I knew it was bad in London but assumed they had made some effort for something that claimed to be Super.

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

GAZ - that first clip with the cab driver - did you bother reporting/did anything happen? - his overtake was close - his later overtake was clse as well (at the end of the video - with the other cyclists) and his aggresive attitude towards your tap seemed to be assult - i must say you kept you cool there pretty well

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

Second clips not that much better - you are a better man than me - i would have found it very hard not to have lost it knowing that the plod would prob take no interest...

 

[JonnyBlade]

Another ignoramus who thinks we should be in cycle lanes and nowhere else. They really have to teach these nobs the highway code!

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

I’ve posted this before years ago, so apologies if you remember, but a while back I had a very close overtake on a bend (left hand from King’s Street into London Road, Twickenham for those that know the area) – horrible left turn with railings on one side, big crossing island on the other and a lane that narrows from just wide enough to overtake a bike to about the width of a car plus a couple of feet.

Big black 4x4 starts to overtake on the bend and i was really in a bad position having not taken primary, as i got squeezed into the railings i slapped the roof of the car with a flat hand (out of desperation, not that hard a hand slap, and I didn’t have to lean, the handle bars were butting up against the windows). There was no damage to the car but the driver (happened to be a middle aged woman) got really really pissed of that I had touched her car. I started off politely enough in retort but her beetroot red face and swearing just made me want to wind her up further. Every time she told me not to touch her car I touched it again (childish i know, but you had to be there). Ended up, after a few exchanges and me slapping the roof a few times with something like:

HER: You touch my car again and i’ll f***ing call the police you c***...

ME: All I did was that (slap) and i only did that (slap) because you were cutting me up. I don’t think that (slap) is really worth complaining about in tegrand scheme of things. That (slap) isn’t damaging your car and that (slap) was in self defence and I don’t think that (slap) is the kind of thing the police would be interested in; it’s only a tap (slap) on your roof and that (slap) isn’t causing any damage...

So she called the police on her mobile and it was only when she seemed to know the operator and asked for two officers by their first names (cop shop was just a few yards up the road) that i thought i’d make a move!

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

Sorry to harp on BUT - GAZ - At about 3:06 in your first video it’s interesting to note that the driver appears to be fiddling with something at the lights – could be a packet of sweets/could be a mobile phone. Also he has no seat belt on, which cab drivers are exempt from having to put on when carrying a passenger (which he doesn’t appear to be doing) or seeking hire (which he isn’t as his for hire light is off) which leaves the rather ambiguous “answering a call for hire” excuse or a medical reason (is being an aggressive twat a good enough medical excuse?)

Perhaps your high def original footage holds some of the answers Gaz

 

[cycleruk]

ME: All I did was that (slap) and i only did that (slap) because you were cutting me up. I don’t think that (slap) is really worth complaining about in tegrand scheme of things. That (slap) isn’t damaging your car and that (slap) was in self defence and I don’t think that (slap) is the kind of thing the police would be interested in; it’s only a tap (slap) on your roof and that (slap) isn’t causing any damage...


At the end of the day cant be seen, be heard!

 

[HLaB]

Touch wood I've only had to slap a HGV once. I was in the bus lane next to a regular lane where a queue was forming to traffic lights so the HGV started to drift into the bus lane to avoid it. The only problem was I was there and there was ped guard railing on my left. I had the image of being trapped in a horrible sandwich and rapped on his cab, he stopped and as it was a red light I had time to explain, I've got to say he took it very well.

 

[Red Light]

My most satisfying slaps was on the side of a white van that pulled out of a side road on the left in front of me and turned right in a way that left the rear of the van approaching me rapidly. The driver stopped, got out of his van swearing about what he was going to do to me. I could have cycled off quickly but the road on the right was closed by an incident and within seconds three of London's finest attending the incident had him flat on the ground before he'd even got halfway towards me.

 

[BentMikey]

So while I still think some cyclists who hit vehicles are just looking for an argument, I now realise there are occasions where it can genuinely be the safest thing to do, and also that it can be just an instinctive reaction. First time in over three years riding - hopefully I won't need to do it again until late 2014!

Sorry that you had to see the light this way. I too think it's rarely right to slap a vehicle, but sometimes it's the least worst choice.