Stagecoach bus left hooking

[sabian92]

Agree with everybody else. Know the road or not, you never, ever ride up the inside of a large vehicle - you could be crushed to death.

Really, really bad idea.

 

[ianrauk]

Uncle Gaz hit's the nail on the head again....

 

[lulubel]

If you know there is a bus stop ahead. But if you don't? I have to admit that I generally avoid filtering up the left of large vehicles, but in this case both myself and the cyclist in front were in a cycle lane. Anyway lesson learnt for me. But I still think the bus driver was at fault. Particularly as the leading cyclist was in front of the bus when they pulled away from the lights.

Stupid mistake from you both. Really dangerous unless you really know the road layout and you have the power to out run a bus, neither of you did.

Few cyclists have the power to outrun a bus. They can accelerate a lot faster than most people realise. Under normal circumstances, most drivers take it easy because it would be uncomfortable for the passengers.

From the way he did accelerate, once he realised the lead cyclist wasn't going to do something even more stupid like cut in front of him, I'd guess he was making a point. It looked to me like the bus speeded up quite a lot to get partly in front of the cyclist before he started to move over. I know drivers who would have done that to demonstrate to the cyclist what a stupid, dangerous position he'd put himself in.

I'm not saying it was the right thing to do. If I'd been driving the bus, I would have waited for the idiot who'd got on my inside (who I had seen clearly through the door wondows) to get out of the way before I moved over. But I might not have noticed the second idiot, who was a bit further back, and probably right in the driver's blind spot.

You should consider yourself lucky. If he'd waited for the first cyclist to get through, and not seen you behind him, you could have been killed.

 

[oldfatfool]

I think the main points are: Bus was not indicating. Cycle lane leads into an ASL and the light was at red. Lead cyclist had reached ASL area as lights start to flash and Bus driver must have seen cyclist. Bus jumped flashing amber.

So we are not meant to use ASL or designated cycle lanes in case muppets ignore cyclists. I would certainly not filter up the right especially when there is a cycle lane to the left for fear of being right hooked when the lights change if the lead vehicle sees no traffic approaching I doubt they would check their mirror.

OK having said that I agree the odds are that drivers are muppets and that you where putting yourselves at risk, but not through technical fault on your part. I would most certainly report the driver, afaiac he was just a bullying pillock making a dangerous point because you had the tenacity to use the cycle lane/ ASL.

In fact I am amazed he left space in the ASL most of the idiot buses round here make a point of stopping into the crossing ie stopping over the ASL just to stop cycles getting in front regardless of where they filter from,cycle lane or not.

Edit: lead cyclist doesn't do either of you any favours setting off so slowly though, as mentioned as the second cyclist you should have backed off regardless, I would still report his driving though.

 

[oldfatfool]

Out of interest does anyone think this situation would have been any different had the cyclist been sat to the left in the ASL before the Bus arrived at the red light? Does anyone think the Bus would have stayed behind the cyclist when the lights changed?

 

[gaz]

I think the main points are: Bus was not indicating. Cycle lane leads into an ASL and the light was at red. Lead cyclist had reached ASL area as lights start to flash and Bus driver must have seen cyclist. Bus jumped flashing amber.

So we are not meant to use ASL or designated cycle lanes in case muppets ignore cyclists. I would certainly not filter up the right especially when there is a cycle lane to the left for fear of being right hooked when the lights change if the lead vehicle sees no traffic approaching I doubt they would check their mirror.

OK having said that I agree the odds are that drivers are muppets and that you where putting yourselves at risk, but not through technical fault on your part. I would most certainly report the driver, afaiac he was just a bullying pillock making a dangerous point because you had the tenacity to use the cycle lane/ ASL.

In fact I am amazed he left space in the ASL most of the idiot buses round here make a point of stopping into the crossing ie stopping over the ASL just to stop cycles getting in front regardless of where they filter from,cycle lane or not.

Edit: lead cyclist doesn't do either of you any favours setting off so slowly though, as mentioned as the second cyclist you should have backed off regardless, I would still report his driving though.

Let me correct you on one point. There isn't an ASL.

 

[gaz]

Out of interest does anyone think this situation would have been any different had the cyclist been sat to the left in the ASL before the Bus arrived at the red light? Does anyone think the Bus would have stayed behind the cyclist when the lights changed?

If there was an ASL (see my post above), then the driver would be completely at fault.

As cyclists we should try to take a central position when we stop to try to prevent people from overtaking us far too closely at the start and left hooking us. Sometimes it isn't easy to though...

 

[oldfatfool]

Let me correct you on one point. There isn't an ASL.

Ah, sorry, looked like there was from the expanse of green tarmac between the white line and the actual crossing. I see now there is no second white line.

If you didn't know the road I would say that would be an easy mistake to make, especially with the cycle lane there. I still think the bus driver would have seen the lead cyclist in the clip, and it wouldn't have made a difference to the busses actions had the cyclist been there first.

 

[growingvegetables]

Just an observation - there's quite a lot of poor observation in this thread?

Fwiw, not knowing the road at all, I find it bewildering that the cycle lane passes inside the zig-zags for the light-controlled crossing; that's plain odd. And then the cycle lane quite clearly carries on past the lights.

Since the bus isn't indicating that he's going to cross the lane to the bus stop, and indeed barges across, yes I do think it's worth reporting.

I ......... how to put it ..... wouldn't phrase some of the comments above quite so strongly? I couldn't agree more with what others have said about not filtering on the left of big vehicles at junctions ... but in this situation, I hate to say it of myself, but I would VERY easily have made the same misjudgement. Brain working in "cycle lane mode" rather than "junction mode". Hmm.

 

[gaz]

Just an observation - there's quite a lot of poor observation in this thread?

Fwiw, not knowing the road at all, I find it bewildering that the cycle lane passes inside the zig-zags for the light-controlled crossing; that's plain odd. And then the cycle lane quite clearly carries on past the lights.

Since the bus isn't indicating that he's going to cross the lane to the bus stop, and indeed barges across, yes I do think it's worth reporting.

I ......... how to put it ..... wouldn't phrase some of the comments above quite so strongly? I couldn't agree more with what others have said about not filtering on the left of big vehicles at junctions ... but in this situation, I hate to say it of myself, but I would VERY easily have made the same misjudgement. Brain working in "cycle lane mode" rather than "junction mode". Hmm.

Pelican or Toucan Crossings should be treated similarly to junctions. I bet if that was a HGV you wouldn't be in 'cycle lane mode'

 

[BentMikey]

That sort of situation should be screaming Death Alley to us all. Little green cycle lane on the left of a big vehicle is a no-no.

 

[MacB]

I'm not so sure I'd be so quick to condemn as others on here, my impression was that the bus driver was well aware of what he was doing and there was a deliberate decision to 'assert' his position on the road. He could easily have hung back a bit and let the cyclists go, they were going to pass him at the stop anyway.

It doesn't really matter if you would or wouldn't have gone up the inside as you know full well, as does any bus driver, that plenty of cyclists will follow where the cycle lane takes them.

 

[lulubel]

[QUOTE 1780080, member: 9609"]But then the bus driver should have been aware of the cyclists, (one in front and one easily visible in the near side mirror),[/quote]

Not necessarily. As I said in my post, from the point of view of someone who has driven buses, there's a good chance he couldn't see the second cyclist in his near side mirror by the time he reached the point where he would move over because the road had widened, and there was more space between them. The nearside mirror only shows a fairly narrow band of space close to the bus. If he'd let the first cyclist go in front of him (as I would have done) there's a good chance he wouldn't have seen the second one.

 

[growingvegetables]

I bet if that was a HGV you wouldn't be in 'cycle lane mode'

Not now, having seen this - fine; no probs - something useful I have learned from the video.

BUT

There aren't supposed to be ANY other lane markings inside the zig-zags - not yellows, not cycle lanes, nothing. Cycle lanes are supposed to stop/start at the end of the zig-zags. And that's what I'm used to seeing - and yes, indeed, I go into "junction mode".

Problem is that the "thing" in the video is a botch job. Takes "farcility" to a whole new level. Sitting here at a keyboard, I can Google for the regulations that have been broken (aye, and, sure as ducks lay eggs, be awake for such b@st@rdised infrastructure in the future). But in that split-second cycling?

 

[fossyant]

The bus driver is also in the wrong, but the cyclists put themselves in danger also. Don't forget we have to look out for idiots as much as possible.

Possibly report it, but expect some return about the poor cycling.