Oh. My. God! Who's to blame?

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cd365

Guru
Location
Coventry, uk
100% the cyclists fault, how anyone can see it anyother way bemuses me. If he continues to ride like that he will end up dead with everyone blaming the moton
 

Bicycle

Guest
I have it as 100% down to the cyclist.

I was a motorcycle courier in London in the 80s and still ride a bicycle there.

I think I'm pretty nimble in traffic, but that chap seems to leave no margin at all.

When swinging out in front of the large white 'Newman' van he appears not to look.

He glances to the rear a couple of times as he approaches the van, but appears not to look again as he swings out.

There would have been no margin had anyone approached from either direction.

I'm not sure whether it's a fixed-gear (and he locks the rear before getting sandwiched) or a single-speed (and he's freewheeling while braking).

I suspect it's fixed-gear... Either way, it doesn't seem to have much in the way of brakes...

London cycling (at speed) seems to me to be much like the riding in my courier days. A lot of it is about margins and options.

This chap seems to offer himself no margin and no options.

Scary, scary, scary... and near-miss versions of that video are a daily sight in the Smoke.

Now, where did I put my pipe and my Daily Mail?
 

caesar

Senior Member
Just to point out that by the time the second bloke (blue top) went through the same gap, it was quite a bit wider - vehicles must have moved apart.
 
Just to point out that by the time the second bloke (blue top) went through the same gap, it was quite a bit wider - vehicles must have moved apart.

Maybe I’m just a big girl’s blouse, but unless I was absolutely certain it was one monumental traffic jam that wasn’t going anywhere for hours I would never position myself between a bus and a pickup, especially seeing as either could move at any moment – as for the gap being “quite a bit wider” – well compared to the first gap, even Victoria Beckham is quite a bit wider… still too risky for me
 

caesar

Senior Member
Maybe I’m just a big girl’s blouse, but unless I was absolutely certain it was one monumental traffic jam that wasn’t going anywhere for hours I would never position myself between a bus and a pickup, especially seeing as either could move at any moment – as for the gap being “quite a bit wider” – well compared to the first gap, even Victoria Beckham is quite a bit wider… still too risky for me

Yes, I don't think I would have done it but its hard to say without seeing it from his point of view.
 

MrHappyCyclist

Riding the Devil's HIghway
Location
Bolton, England
I've had a couple bad smashes from riding too fast to read the road ahead well enough
Now I'm really glad that my brakes are so much stronger than my legs! I knew there must a good reason for that.

I think the cameraman ought to have done a shoulder check when moving to the outside as well.
 

ferret fur

Well-Known Member
Location
Roseburn
& of course both of them should not have passed so close to the white van before they move out. In point of fact the standard of their cycling is so crap the incident at the end has the air of inevitability about it.
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
[QUOTE 1406399"]
I've just watched it a few times properly on the big screen. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the positioning of the two vehicles. If you look at the back of the bus at the end of the clip the left side is about 2 feet from the curb, only just out from when it started moving. The truck couldn't have been any further right (look it his line to where he was and he was close enough to the island) and was the right distance forwards to make the turn.

[/quote]

Yes, I have this funny magical power that you only seem to think you have too :whistle:. There was certainly things wrong with the positioning of both vehicles. The pick up truck should have been up to about two foot further to the right at points, as I've said I put this down to a minor error. The bus similarly but much more importantly should have been further to the left by about eighteen inches. This is absolutely crucial and is why I have attributed some blame to the bus driver.

Other people are entitled to their opinions, but there's no point us arguing when some people are saying the bus driver is driving 'straight' and yet I can clearly see him veering to the right rather carelessly by quite a large margin. If people who disagree with me want a simple and easy to understand reason as to why the bus driver is partially responsible, it is this veering? Anyone not understand that?
 

ferret fur

Well-Known Member
Location
Roseburn
Marin..look at the road, at the lane markings and the metal studs. The bus is moving straight. But, quite clearly, everyone but you is wrong

You need to realize that it is a wide angled lens on the camera. Therfore things at the side of the picture appear to move more inwards the closer they get to the centre of the frame. You might as well blame the bus driver for shortening his vehicle as he moves off. Its part of the same optical effect.
 
Very serious error of judgement by the cyclist - he gets off lightly.

I personally don't think comments suggesting he aught to be shot, chinned or 'made to wear his wheels around his nec' are necessary or appropriate.

Interestingly that is the exact spot where twenty or so years ago I ripped off a driver's radio aerial and whipped her car with it in response to a punishment pass.
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
Marin..look at the road, at the lane markings and the metal studs. The bus is moving straight. But, quite clearly, everyone but you is wrong

You need to realize that it is a wide angled lens on the camera. Therfore things at the side of the picture appear to move more inwards the closer they get to the centre of the frame. You might as well blame the bus driver for shortening his vehicle as he moves off. Its part of the same optical effect.

As I sadly seem to be saying more and more often on here as posters get more and more arrogant and assume everyone else is an idiot:-

trivially.
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
[QUOTE 1406420"]

What you seem to not understand is that, fundamentally, no-one had any influence on the riders actions. He, and only he, chose to try to make a gap that it was clear that he couldn't. And because of that he is solely to blame.
[/quote]

I do understand this, it is just a some might say moronically simple view on things lacking in thought. That's fine for a bit of banter, that's fine trying to be funny (if it is) and even for someone posting an 'oh gosh' and sympathy post. It's not fine for assessing an accident.
 
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