Right of Way & Good Manners

[quassleberry]

Whilst cycling home tonight I encountered one of the 'not so rare' breed of driver who doesn't give a damn about cyclists.
I have to turn right from a minor road onto a busy road not normally difficult however tonights driver really angered me enough to report it.

As always I check before signalling and moving to the centre of the road, the traffic was just coming off the lights about 300m behind me, no problem the traffic in front was 4 deep waiting to turn right, the last one pulling out as I got to the white lines, not safe to pull out so I prepared to wait for the next safe gap. I heard a car behind me when I looked it was on my left, signalling right and halfway along my back wheel, it continued to rev then was alongside of me, still signalling right.
Now not only do I have to watch traffic going past in front right & left but I've got nugget beside me. If I go so will she and clean me up mid junction, so I decided safety and seeing my kids grow up more important than principles so I waited, she went straight across in front of me grinning as she did so.
I memorised her number and reported her, the police can't do more than note the incident and check her details out, but it's my word against hers so NFA.

By the way I'm not being sexist because
a) I'm female too &
b) a male driver has done the same thing at the same junction last summer I didn't report that because I was too stunned at the arrogance to take his number.

 

[fossyant]

Proper crap driving that. I'm pig headed enough to have got in her/his way though, so won't have come off good.

Good call, well done for reporting.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Well done.

You managed to avoid conflict, and also an accident. You were aware of surroundings and potential threats and rode accordingly.

All this despite not paying road tax, or having insurance?

Welcome on board and well-ridden and reported.

 

[turnout]

quassleberry, the manoever itself was reckless and stupid. The grin was pure malice.



I would advocate remembering that cyclists are the monarchs of the road, we should treat our subjects indulgently, even when the silly little chuffers do stuff like this.

Rise above it.

You are better than her and you don't deserve to let her live in your head rent-free.

Mark it down as a random knobber trouser cough who you had the misfortune to encounter.


















Alternatively, write to the DVLA and ask for the registered keeper's address because her vehicle's blocking your drive.

Buy the house next to her and over a period of years maintain good relations, but engage in a secret war of attrition, order pizzas and taxis to her address, poor paint stripper over her car, smear cow dung on her front door, all the usual stuff.

Finally, install CCTV.

Dress yourself up as your neighbour and a small monkey as a nazi.

Beat the monkey to death in view of the cameras, turn the footage over to the press and police and mutter about "years of hell".



Job's a good 'un.

 

[buggi]

or next time someone pulls up next to you, unclip, place your pedal against their paintwork and wait for them to pull off.

 

[quassleberry]

And there was I thinking you were all respectable kind hearted people!! I love the way you're all thinking, lots of new ideas to try out next time I meet the 'not so rare'.
Is it really illegal to attach a flag to the side of your bike especially if it has a sharpened point? Obviously it would only be to permantly remind them they're too close.

 

[Jezston]

quassleberry, the manoever itself was reckless and stupid. The grin was pure malice.



I would advocate remembering that cyclists are the monarchs of the road, we should treat our subjects indulgently, even when the silly little chuffers do stuff like this.

Rise above it.

You are better than her and you don't deserve to let her live in your head rent-free.

Mark it down as a random knobber trouser cough who you had the misfortune to encounter.


















Alternatively, write to the DVLA and ask for the registered keeper's address because her vehicle's blocking your drive.

Buy the house next to her and over a period of years maintain good relations, but engage in a secret war of attrition, order pizzas and taxis to her address, poor paint stripper over her car, smear cow dung on her front door, all the usual stuff.

Finally, install CCTV.

Dress yourself up as your neighbour and a small monkey as a nazi.

Beat the monkey to death in view of the cameras, turn the footage over to the press and police and mutter about "years of hell".



Job's a good 'un.

I NOMINATE THIS POST FOR POST OF THE YEAR!

Outstanding malice.

Personally, I would have just shot them.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Welcome to the forum.

The one thing I will add though, and please don't take this as criticism or victim blaming, when turning right at a T-junction you may be better off taking the centre of the lane rather than the centre of the road such that it dissuades idiots like you encountered from "undertaking" you and turning across you. Granted, there will always be some moron who will try to squeeze past you on either side to save that precious 5 seconds, but taking the centre of the lane gives you room on both sides should you need it.

Failing that simply launch yourself from your bike when they pass you, opening their door and dragging them from the car and across your chainring. Then beat them to death with a D-lock.... or shake your head in a dissapproving way.

 

[quassleberry]

Usually I would, but at this junction if I do that then the buses turning right (across me from L-R) from the main road cut the corner and I'm more scared of them than the cars.

 

[mickle]

I've said this before and I'll say it again; lazer beam eyes.

Dzzzzzzzz - boom - problem solved.

 

[GrasB]

Rights of way deal with public access to paths etc, it isn't something you ever have over another vehicle. When dealing with traffic you have priority on a given piece of road under certain conditions, this is a example of when yielding your priority is the best thing to do.

 

[John the Monkey]

... this is a example of when yielding your priority is the best thing to do.

Yup. Folk like that are better off up ahead, occasionally you get to catch up & see them in the ditch they couldn't avoid because they were driving like idiots too.

 

[PpPete]

And there was I thinking you were all respectable kind hearted people!! I love the way you're all thinking, lots of new ideas to try out next time I meet the 'not so rare'.
Is it really illegal to attach a flag to the side of your bike especially if it has a sharpened point? Obviously it would only be to permantly remind them they're too close.

Reminds me of an idea I had recently to deter "close-passes" and "accidentally" cause damage to vehicles still doing so... a variation of the reflective "flag"

I have aquired some lengths of thin-wall titanium tube....very lightweight. Easy to create a nice jaggedy end with a hacksaw.
Close to each end I will mount a Smart 1/2 W flasher. At the risk of losing a light, I think I will intentionally create "weak spots" in the tubing that will break off rather than have a vehicle dragging me off.

Just need to determine the optimum height, length of arm, method of attachment.

 

[XmisterIS]

A small minority of people are just born tosspots. I had similar the other evening - a fat ugly retarded teenage chav cow in her stupid little corsa deliberately waited until I was almost ontop of her, then wheel-span out into my path while laughing and shouting abuse at me. I didn't shout back, I wasn't going to sink to her pig-idiot level. Shame she didn't do it to me in the car; I would have demolished her stupid little tin can!

 

[Holdsworth]

I had a similar thing happen a couple of months back at a large junction where I find it difficult to position myself correctly. I had a young woman pull alongside me as I was waiting to turn right. In my case though I was a bit stupid and pulled out as normal and made her wait for being such a p****