Nearly 'left hook' by the bus.

[661-Pete]

Ok, it's a pain, it happens all the time, most of you will have had this sort of thing: I was going quite slowly up to a small roundabout (going straight ahead) and a few yards before the junction this bus comes up from behind, passes me on my right, and takes the left exit cutting across my path. This counts as a 'left hook' I think. There are no railings, at least. Anyway I slammed to a stop, no harm done. If I'd been going faster, however....

Thing is: I've got the reg. no, the bus route no. the bus company, the time and place, all the details (oh the beauty of mobile phones and being able to text-in all this stuff as a memo instantly!). But now, even after drafting up quite a courteous E-mail to the bus company, I just haven't the motivation to take it further. I just don't want to enter into a correspondence, perhaps face a counter-blast (I wasn't 'undertaking' the bus! Honest, guv!).

Not for the first time, I shall probably let this one pass.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Get that email in. If that happened then you have every right to be concerned about the drivers actions, and as a 'professional' driver they should know better.

 

[Dayvo]

Yeah, as CP says: send it off.

If you let it pass, the next time it happens, it might be the last time!

Foresight NOT hindsight is a wonderful thing!

 

[fossyant]

Just drop a polite email in...easy.....don't get arsey, they will look into it. I did it last year, as a passenger....the driver went nuts just 'cos the ticket machine didn't cut the paper and I pulled a little too much roll out...FFS, had it not bern a packed bus, I'd have had a right barney...... anyway, I got an apology, and the driver a talking to.

 

[661-Pete]

I appreciate the support, guys, but no, sorry, I'll let it be: it's just not in me, can't really explain. Hope I'm not putting off anyone else from taking the 'proper' action in a similar situation. Perhaps I shouldn't have started this thread.

 

[gaz]

similar thing happened to me and a group of 3 others today in streatham, some bus drivers are really nice and give you plenty of room, some are total tit's. just like everything else.

 

[beanzontoast]

It's worth reporting.

Slightly OT, but I've just reported a bus stop situation where cyclists are forced to overtake a bus sitting at a bus stop then turn immediately left across the front of the bus to get off the road and onto the entrance to a cycle path via a dropped kerb. I've seen drivers pull away without indicating too - it's a complete recipe for disaster. And it's right outside a hospital A&E!

In principle, I would always report incidents involving buses.

 

[Bristol Dave]

I wonder if bus drivers have a scoring system for how many people they annoy on a daily basis? It seems to be the only answer to some of the petty daft-ness that occurs with buses (pulling across the Toucan so nobody can cross, overtaking yards from a bus stop and pulling in, etc etc etc).

BD

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

If you don’t feel up to it, fair enough. If the event upset/worried/angered you then sometimes just the act of writing it down can be very therapeutic. I might be wrong here, but you sound as if you want to avoid conflict or confrontation with the bus company – and again that’s fair enough, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A politely worded and even anonymous letter might be the way to go – helpful to everyone rather than confrontational, driver informed and might be a little more careful next time, bus company look at their training/assessment, next cyclist not left hooked - and the worlds a slightly better place!!

 

[Billloudon]

I appreciate the support, guys, but no, sorry, I'll let it be: it's just not in me, can't really explain. Hope I'm not putting off anyone else from taking the 'proper' action in a similar situation. Perhaps I shouldn't have started this thread.

C'mon pete. You know it makes sense, report it. As has been said no need for protracted correspondence just an email advising them.
Are you a man or a mouse

 

[wafflycat]

Report it. Keep it factual & polite, but that sort of thing needs reporting.

 

[Typo]

Yup, another "report it" vote here. I had something similar, sent a polite email to report it with my name & address, and had a polite "we'll look into it" acknowledgement back. Then another email a few days later - "we've checked the video(!) & you're quite right, the driver will be spoken to & if it happens again he'll be in deep doo-doo".

Honour duly satisfied.

 

[thomas]

I got this
http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=33139

from a quick email to a taxi company (with a video). I've not always had much luck getting a response from a bus company. Like others have said, keep it simple, state what happened and how you wouldn't expect their drivers to drive like that. Keep it short and to the point.

I would do it. If the company email back wanting to have an argument, rather than just acknowledge it, they've got bigger problems.

I bet a quid that they'll avoid using the word 'sorry' in any response

 

[AnotherEye]

Please, do report it. If not for yourself then do it for all the other cyclists: just one email might save a life.
All these drivers need feedback otherwise they will just repeat the bad driving.
As said above; just facts (avoid judgments). If you draft it I'll look over it for you if you want before you send it (just send me a PM).
What's in it for you? You'll find out how it feels to see this through; if you don't do it you'll never know the outcome.

 

[addictfreak]

I agree report it, these people are supposed to be professional drivers and as so they have a responsibility to other road users.