Official Closest pass video

[magnatom]

Hi,

I've been busy today, thus the lack of posts!
Mr Hippo! Actually I disagree with the suggestion that your post was condescending. To be condescending you need to be talking from a position of knowledge.... Your right about Glasgow being quiet. I've never came across more than one or two cars on each commute, even when I cross Anniesland Cross which is supposed to be the second busiest city intersection in Europe!
Joseph many thanks for the third pair of eyes. That's another pint I owe. I will really have to pop over sometime! I agree that the roundabout isn't that bad. Just occasionally you get muppets like this.

So two independent cyclists have suggested that my line was reasonable. Surely that has to count for something. Will those that still suggest that my line was wrong at least concede that video evidence whilst useful does not give the full picture, and that actually being there might count for something?

 

[col]

Dearie me.

The situation that Mag caused was him being where he was on the road.

He didn't cause the driver to cut him up. That was the driver's choice.

Understand, or do I have to get more basic?

Where is that contradictory?

No,your basic enough i think

 

[Joseph]

The most important here is do YOU realise that perhaps your line may have been a bit wrong?

Although the earlier pages of this thread are now somewhat of a distant memory, my recollection is that magnatom already said he changed and rode with a stronger primary the next day.

 

[Origamist]

Not really, if mag would have been in secondary which he could have been then the driver of the cab would have passed given him loads of room.

Could have, or might not have.

 

[magnatom]

Although the earlier pages of this thread are now somewhat of a distant memory, my recollection is that magnatom already said he changed and rode with a stronger primary the next day.

Exactly. In fact on my very first post in this thread I say that! So what have the last several hundred posts been about?!!

OK. Final question. Three independent cyclists who have been there agree that the line I took was reasonable. So can we agree that it was reasonable, (yes better primary would have been better), and so I was justified in taking this line, remembering the conditions, the comments of independent cyclists, the video and my comments?

Has anyone else cycling ever been under so much scrutiny!?

 

[Origamist]

Has anyone else cycling ever been under so much scrutiny!?

Has anyone else uploaded as much film of their cycling for public scrutiny!

 

[hackbike 666]

No.

 

[snapper_37]

I can't believe the way this has thread has gone. FFS Mag had a car a little too close and acted as he felt at the time.

All this bollocks about how he *should* have rode, from people who weren't there in the situation at the time.

Primary, secondary blah blah blah. He is a cyclist on the road (a road user) and no one can predict what is going to happen with other road users.

It's like picking bones from a sparrow - tedious.

 

[boydj]

Not really, if mag would have been in secondary which he could have been then the driver of the cab would have passed given him loads of room.

As I have said before there is a fine line between guarding your own road space and being an undue hazard on the road.

If Mag had gone into secondary - on the unswept, possibly icy, part of the road - then he would still have had some sort of contention with the taxi as he tried to get back out to pass the pinch-point, because he would have been well into the hatched area of the road before the taxi was past.

(Sorry for adding to the tedium, Snapper)

 

[jezhiggins]

I can't believe the way this has thread has gone. FFS Mag had a car a little too close and acted as he felt at the time.

All this bollocks about how he *should* have rode, from people who weren't there in the situation at the time.

Primary, secondary blah blah blah. He is a cyclist on the road (a road user) and no one can predict what is going to happen with other road users.

I felt that same. This constant if-onlying served very little purpose. There is a class of drivers who deliberately and knowingly drive badly and/or dangerously with the expectation that other traffic will accomodate them.
We saw that on Mag's video, where the taxi driver expected the oncoming traffic to move across and Mag to move to the kerb. The cars did (because who wants a head-on collision?) while beeping the horn. Taxi driver can let that go - no skin of his nose. Mag also moves (because who want to be crushed?), but in the process touches the car. The psychology involved when someone hits a car is really odd, because it seems to make some people act it really over the top ways. I don't know if it's seen as aggression, or repremand, or some deeper violation, but it kicks them off. Mag's driver, moments ago desperate to get through, stopped and gave him a mouthful.

The guy I encountered at 9 this morning here http://is.gd/fcAK also forced his way through a space that didn't exist. I imagine he must caused traffic in the outside lane to move. He certainly squeezed me toward the kerb, while yelling something through the passenger window. I gestured he should move away, and caught his wing mirror in the process. It really was only a handsbreadth away. He then pulled across in front of me - I bailed to the kerb and got off, because there was no way I wanted him behind me. He jumped out, asked if I "wanted to start something", that I should "ride in the GUTTER", said something about his "four grand car", and then stamped on my rear wheel. I shoved him away, and we tussled for a few seconds. He might have hit me, I think I hit him. After we seperated, he got back in the car and reversed it toward me. I had to run, grabbing and dragging my bike behind the lamp post.

Perhaps I could have avoided the situation with a different line, although that would have involved taking an entirely different road. Perhaps I could have avoided this by not hitting his wing mirror. However I didn't deliberately hit it - he really was so close that waving my hand a few inches to the right was enough - and having a car so close at 20mph isn't entirely conducive to rational thought. Perhaps I could have talked my way with a witty riposte, or a gentle explanation of the highway code.

On the other hand, perhaps he was just an impatient nutter who expects everyone to clear out of his way because he so much more important than they are, and those that don't need to be taught a lesson? You can't anticipate idiots like that, or you'd become so frightened you'd never leave the house.

Mag wasn't the responsible for what happened to him. I wasn't for what happened to me. Other than we were riding bikes on the road, of course.

 

[hackbike 666]

Jez+Snapper,I agree.

Jez what happened to you with that prat using his car against you has happened to me and perhaps other cyclists on this forum.

That's what we are up against.

Oh yeah and the non existent space to squeeze through also.

 

[johnnyh]

surely the bottom line is that a duty of care is owed by drivers to other road users, and whatever they think the rights and wrongs of the situation, they should not endanger another road user.

the taxi gimp didnt show this duty of care, and it certainly sounds like the tosser jez had to deal with needs his license revoked!

 

[magnatom]

Has anyone else uploaded as much film of their cycling for public scrutiny!

Yes they have! http://uk.youtube.com/user/mailpauljonescouk for instance!

 

[hackbike 666]

surely the bottom line is that a duty of care is owed by drivers to other road users, and whatever they think the rights and wrongs of the situation, they should not endanger another road user.

the taxi gimp didnt show this duty of care, and it certainly sounds like the tosser jez had to deal with needs his license revoked!

Yeah but that's in a perfect world.

 

[magnatom]

Jez, that sounds horrible! My sympathies (from my experience you shouldn't expect to get too many!)

I agree that the discussion got to te anal stage, however, I think overall it raised the issue of road position on a public forum in a way that it got us all thinking about it. That in itself is a result. I don't take any of it personally, just look at the abuse I get on youtube. If I can take that, I can take what I get on here!

I'm getting more abusive posts again!