Overtaking shenanigans

[BentMikey]

Raised by Fossyant, and something I've considered before. So we all *hate* being overtaken dangerously and closely as per the many car overtakes bicycle videos on here. What makes it OK for us to filter, or to overtake cars still more closely? Isn't that hypocrisy?


(I don't think so and already have a position on this, but I think it will make for a good debate).

 

[summerdays]

Surely the reason has to do with danger... if I'm overtaken really closely at 30 mph without a big metal cage round me I feel unsafe... however if I am in control of a bike doing a max of 10 mph (if filtering) and they are stationary, any contact is going to have a far less dangerous outcome. (And I am the one in control so I know my skill/limits).

 

[fossyant]

Cos when I filter it's at less than 10 mph and I won't hurt anyone......

 

[HLaB]

Surely the reason has to do with danger...

+ 1 when a large metal cage overtakes me close at speed I feel the forces generated by that size and speed of a vehicle; which can sometimes be very scary. When I'm filtering at low speed, I doubt the occupant of their metal box feel the forces generated by me. Its all relative.

 

[Twiggy]

Because everyone is moving slowly, plenty of time to react, even if something happens a few feet away.

When a car overtakes it's almost always at speed, and when they are too close there is no way, even if we both reacted perfectly, to avoid hitting each other if something went wrong.

At low speed there is also the factor of not really causing anyone much damage, maybe they lose some paintwork, that's about it.

 

[Bollo]

I had a think about this after some of the posts on magger's latest video thread. You can take the argument further - drivers expect us to get out of the way at the earliest opportunity, but how often do they make it easier for us to pass when their speed is slower, for example in a jam? Its a rhetorical question as I've never seen it happen.

Also agree with the danger argument. I'll only filter if there's reasonable space so that I'm in no danger of touching a car, and I'll keep my speed nice and slow.

 

[HLaB]

but how often do they make it easier for us to pass when their speed is slower, for example in a jam? Its a rhetorical question as I've never seen it happen.

To be fair I've actually seen it a few times but not very often; unfortunately the driver usually pulls as much right as they can to make space on the left but I'd rather be on the right and the subsequent cars downline haven't bothered/ noticed me or de deliberately pull into the kerb.

 

[cheadle hulme]

If I'm doing the passing, I'm in control. If they're doing the passing, I want 2 arm lengths in a 30 zone minimum.

 

[magnatom]

+ 1 when a large metal cage overtakes me close at speed I feel the forces generated by that size and speed of a vehicle; which can sometimes be very scary. When I'm filtering at low speed, I doubt the occupant of their metal box feel the forces generated by me. Its all relative.

+2

It's simple physics.

 

[col]

I dont filter,i wait in line and move when they move if im caught at lights,i try to avoid them as much as possible anyway.But if i was filtering at five or ten mph,i think the injury could still be bad if someone sticks their head out of a window which does happen,or a door opens.And the attitude of not much damage or just a scratch is a little worrying,why not just not do it?

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

How do you wait 'in line', Col... wouldn't that be seen by the motons as "taking their space" (assuming you're in the main flow of traffic) and possibly anger them... thus causing you an incident for selfishly and dangerously delaying them????

 

[col]

How do you wait 'in line', Col... wouldn't that be seen by the motons as "taking their space" (assuming you're in the main flow of traffic) and possibly anger them... thus causing you an incident for selfishly and dangerously delaying them????

You need to ask someone how to wait in line?Blimey

 

[shunter]

Filter on the outside when on my motorcycle and filter on the inside when on my bicycle so shout at drivers for being too far right one day and too far left the next.

If they were paying attention to what was happening on the road around them they would have already moved but then how many drivers are actually constantly checking the road in front and behind.

Wait in Line !! Only when it makes sense to do so.

 

[benborp]

...wouldn't that be seen by the motons as "taking their space" (assuming you're in the main flow of traffic) and possibly anger them... thus causing you an incident for selfishly and dangerously delaying them????

This does indeed happen, I can remember someone getting very annoyed when they couldn't get three feet closer to the red traffic light because of my presence. Revving, nudging that kind of thing. There was forty odd feet of space just in front and to my left that I could have gone down so he probably thought that I was antagonizing him. Mind you I really didn't want to antagonize the driver in the artic in the right hand lane that was indicating to turn left.

 

[gbb]

In general, i think a lot of the percieved antagonism is just that..percieved. I dont think 99% of motorists care if we filter...most of us do it carefully.

This is true of most poor cycling behaviour. I drove into town last night in the dark. Two Polish (i assume) guys were riding along in the rush hour traffic with no lights...and holding some cars up. Did anyone appear to get agitated ?...no. They waited until a gap opened, then overtook the cyclists.
The irony is, i got more angry than the motorists appeared to be around me. Why ? because i feel their behaviour impacts on 'us'. But no-one else seemed bothered. Its percieved by me..but not apparently by other motorists

For every action you take, you will meet with mostly indifference from motorists, some (a small percentage) will accomodate you (like the drivers who hold back, as they should, and let you do your thing), and some (still a small percentage) will rage at you for doing the right thing, and sometimes the wrong thing.

There's no magic bullet...do your thing and do it safely as you can. Inevitably you will upset some, and you'll meet the occasional accomodating motorist.

I've always thought if anyone did remonstrate with me for filtering...my reply would be 'you wouldnt think twice if a motorbike did that...what's the difference ?'....as well as 'if you dont like sitting there..get a bike mate'

Ultimately, my point is, there is a lot of talk of cyclists alienating themselves from motorists. But my experience, and watching other cyclists much worse behaviour....is that motorists never appear that bothered.