Nearly got wiped out today

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It went like this - I turned left out of a junction and immediately got in the right hand side of the lane to turn right about fifty yards down the road. I saw a purple Fiesta approaching from the right but it was a good two hundred yards away, so I knew it was coming but I had loads of time to complete my manoeuvre. Two cars were approaching me in the, so I slowed to walking speed, waited for them to pass and then started to turn right across the, now empty, oncoming lane.

To discover the purple Fiesta overtaking me on the right.... At forty miles an hour the side of her car ran down the side of my bike - thank eff I was riding the bakfiets - and thank eff I was no further into my manoeuvre, she'd have driven straight into me.

She stopped. I shouted at her. A lot. I explained quite clearly that people hit at forty miles an hour tend to die. She told me I didn't need to shout at her. I told her that I did since she'd very nearly killed me, that I make the same manoeuvre every day and no one has ever been dumb enough to overtake me on the right when I'm turning right and what the eff other possible effing reason could there have been for me to over on the right hand side of the lane that I had every effing right to shout at her. I asked her what the eff she effing thought she was thinking a few times and she said 'Well at least I stopped!' To which I responded, rather harshly I'll admit, that she didn't get any brownie points for stopping since it was the effing law that she stopped after an accident.


After I told her that I often carry my four year old son in the bike she began shaking. Aw. Bless. Might make her think twice next time. Oh my god I was livid. No damage to me or bike, just a dirty great scratch down every panel of her car.

After making her write out her contact details I crumpled the sheet of paper up, threw it into her open car door and with a 'Read the effing highway code! before you overtake another cyclist', I picked up my bike and rode away.

I won that one I think.
 
Jeez, I'm glad you are alright and I'm glad you didn't have your kid on board. The funny thing I find about right turns whenever I don't signal I'm never overtaken mid manouvre but when I signal strongly I sometimes am; I think the right turn signal means Go Faster!
 

PBancroft

Senior Member
Location
Winchester
Jeez, I'm glad you are alright and I'm glad you didn't have your kid on board. The funny thing I find about right turns whenever I don't signal I'm never overtaken mid manouvre but when I signal strongly I sometimes am; I think the right turn signal means Go Faster!

I always signal, but have noticed that occasionally people floor it to get past me when I do. I think the mindset is oh my god, now I'm going to be stuck here for hours. It really does baffle me why people will wait patiently at junctions, traffic lights, in queues, behind tractors, behind slower motorbikes or scooters... but BYGODITSACYCLISTHSRUINEDMYWHOLETRIPIMGONNABELATEMUSTGETPASTRUNHIMOFFTHEROAD.
 

upsidedown

Waiting for the great leap forward
Location
The middle bit
Bad one, glad you're ok. There's one road in Solihull where this happens all of the time. I've started bailing out and getting off the bike and walking it across.

Hopefully you've shocked some sense into the Fiesta driver; she'll certainly give it some some thought next time.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
Eeek!
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
Crikey mate, I'm glad you're OK. And that you mentioned the four year old since that caused her to start shaking and hopefully means she'll have learnt her lesson.
 

Canrider

Guru
She must have come scarily close to the two oncoming cars as well, unless you left a loooong pause between them passing by and you starting your turn..

Glad you're okay.
 
Jeez, I'm glad you are alright and I'm glad you didn't have your kid on board. The funny thing I find about right turns whenever I don't signal I'm never overtaken mid manouvre but when I signal strongly I sometimes am; I think the right turn signal means Go Faster!

Aye.

If we didn't have lights at junctions - would people speed through them? NO!


Apparently not.


uh-oh - this is going to turn into "you didnt do X so its ALL your fault" thread?
 

400bhp

Guru
Jeez, I'm glad you are alright and I'm glad you didn't have your kid on board. The funny thing I find about right turns whenever I don't signal I'm never overtaken mid manouvre but when I signal strongly I sometimes am; I think the right turn signal means Go Faster!

There is something in this. I think it's the removal of certainty that makes people react with more caution. This applies to all forms of transport.

"hmm, don't know what he's going to do, better hang back"
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
There is something in this. I think it's the removal of certainty that makes people react with more caution. This applies to all forms of transport.

"hmm, don't know what he's going to do, better hang back"

This is exactly why I don't want to look like a normal bicycle. Uncertainty makes people give me more time and space. Knowing that I'm a cyclist gives quite a few people the idea to take a chance they shouldn't.
 
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