Pinch points

[Matthew_T]

I nearly got squished in the pinch point near where I live. A car started to overtake just as we were coming up to it and I thought "this is going to be close". Then as the car passed me I realised it was towing a caravan!

The car swerved to the left in order not to hit the road furniture which meant the caravan passed me with about 20 cm clearance!

I have complained it the past about the road design as i have to pass it to get home and I get a 'dangerous' pass at least once a month. but so far only have had this response:

Dear Mr Davies

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to you on this matter. Thank you for taking the time to contact us about your concerns.

On looking at the situation I understand the issues you raise within the constrained area on this section of road. We will add your request to the Countywide list for infrastructure requests. We will then score and prioritise. If this request is found to have scored highly and a budget can be secured for it, we would then take it through to feasibility. We currently have over 500 requests for new infrastructure and a limited budget.

We will let you know if either of these requests will be taken forward in future financial years.

Kind regards

Sustainable Schemes Team

Why is it always "over 500"? Sounds like a cop out to me. If they had said "about 530 reports" then it would be more believable.

And what is the criteria for scoring and prioritising? Infrastructure that causes drivers more problems than cyclists is more important? Every genuine complaint should be sorted, not 'scored'.

 

[bianchi1]

Why is it always "over 500"? Sounds like a cop out to me. If they had said "about 530 reports" then it would be more believable.

And what is the criteria for scoring and prioritising? Infrastructure that causes drivers more problems than cyclists is more important? Every genuine complaint should be sorted, not 'scored'.

I know nothing will be done. I just think if I or another cyclist has an accident there it will be easier to apportion blame if the pinch point has already been highlighted as dangerous. Not much use if I'm dead, but makes the news headlines read better!

 

[Matthew_T]

I know nothing will be done. I just think if I or another cyclist has an accident there it will be easier to apportion blame if the pinch point has already been highlighted as dangerous. Not much use if I'm dead, but makes the news headlines read better!

I read somewhere that if a pothole has been reported to the council and after a reasonable length of time (under 28 days). So if someone is injured or has damage caused due to the pothole and the council have not repaired it, you can make a claim and most likely win.

http://ukcyclerules.com/2011/10/10/potholes-cycling-law/

 

[jonny jeez]

This^^^..... always.

I have a long stretch of road on my commute that has 5 of these in a row, so I always take primary and have never had a problem of being squeezed.

If you show drivers your intentions early enough and don't give them the opportunity to try to overtake through them by taking primary then you won't have a problem.

Impatient drivers beeping or revving is another matter.

Ditto, I share some of the same road as Ianrauk, I'm guessing you're referring to the summit of Bromley Hill Ianrauk?

regardless, you have to take a strong primary with plenty of rear ob's and communication to let drivers know how to negotiate these awful things.

EDIT...I should add, this is not your fault, its theirs.

 

[BentMikey]

Sooner or later, though, you will meet a driver who simply does not give a ****, and they will simply come next to you in the median and push you to the kerb. No amount of taking primary, rearward obs, signalling, or glaring will prevent that. The most you can hope for is to have enough warning of cnutishness to be able to avoid their crappy driving.

 

[ianrauk]

Sooner or later, though, you will meet a driver who simply does not give a ****, and they will simply come next to you in the median and push you to the kerb. No amount of taking primary, rearward obs, signalling, or glaring will prevent that. The most you can hope for is to have enough warning of cnutishness to be able to avoid their crappy driving.

Indeed.. once, cycling down the A21 (after the hospital towards Kent) I was doing a fair old lick.. approaching a pinch point when I could hear/sense a car was going to try to overtake. So I guessed it was going to be a case of playing chicken. Do I move or stay in primary. Anyway the pinch point came up very quickly due to the speed. Next thing I heard was the car screeching to slow down lest he hit the pinch point. He wasn't happy afterwards and gave me a punishment pass anyway.

 

[Matthew_T]

Indeed.. once, cycling down the A21 (after the hospital towards Kent) I was doing a fair old lick.. approaching a pinch point when I could hear/sense a car was going to try to overtake. So I guessed it was going to be a case of playing chicken. Do I move or stay in primary. Anyway the pinch point came up very quickly due to the speed. Next thing I heard was the car screeching to slow down lest he hit the pinch point. He wasn't happy afterwards and gave me a punishment pass anyway.

I had a woman do exactly the same thing to me a long time ago. I was approaching this pinch point in primary. However, she just ignored me and tried to overtake whilst I was doing about 22mph.
Due to me not moving out of primary and her ignorance to slow down, she slammed on the brakes and locked up the front wheels on some gravel. I wouldnt have been too bothered if she was driving on her own or in a rush but she had a kid in the back seat.
When she eventually passed me I just shook my head in disappointment.

 

[BentMikey]

Oh, that reminds me of one that really sh1t me up at the time:

 

[veloevol]

We all know that feeling


View: http://youtu.be/I1sq-EsLX_Q

 

[Matthew_T]

Had a young lad in a Smart car try to overtake at a pinch point today. My rear cam shows him throwing his arms up in annoyance however, when he passed me he smiled at me. Very odd behaviour.

 

[perplexed]

Cycling to work yesterday, I heard a 'bad ass' exhaust behind me as I got within a few yards of a pinch point.

'Nobber alert' I thought to myself. Confirmed when a mark 1 Golf revved its nuts off as it shot past me. On the wrong side of the bollards...

 

[ianrauk]

We all know that feeling


View: http://youtu.be/I1sq-EsLX_Q

Sorry, but your positioning is wrong. You invited the overtakes by not taking primary when you could have easily done.

 

[GrasB]

Sorry, but your positioning is wrong. You invited allowed the opportunity for the overtakes by not taking primary when you could have easily done.

His positioning may have been wrong but he didn't invite the overtakes, he allowed the drivers to force the overtake.

 

[ianrauk]

His positioning may have been wrong but he didn't invite the overtakes, he allowed the drivers to force the overtake.

Fair enough.
But cyclists must be more forceful with their riding and positioning in these situations.
If I was that cyclist in that video I would have made my intentions known and moved out far earlier.
At the end of the day some car drivers are bullies, they will always try to force a pass, but you can make it harder for them to do so.
Ok it's not easy to do, sometimes you do need balls of steel and a lot of confidence. But confidence comes with practice and with practice comes confidence.

 

[BentMikey]

Fair enough.
But cyclists must be more forceful with their riding and positioning in these situations.
If I was that cyclist in that video I would have made my intentions known and moved out far earlier.
At the end of the day some car drivers are bullies, they will always try to force a pass, but you can make it harder for them to do so.
Ok it's not easy to do, sometimes you do need balls of steel and a lot of confidence. But confidence comes with practice and with practice comes confidence.

Except I've watched you riding in the same position.

It's the drivers' fault for pushing through here, not yours, not veloevol's, that is all. Confidence and practice are not going to help the vast majority of people who simply choose not to cycle when presented with these sorts of road design.