Taxi bullying in bus lanes

[Origamist]

Two sides (as always) to this story, but i'm a little bemused by a couple of facts...
You're cycling in the bus lane, its not that wide you say ? With no knowledge of that road, if buses use it, they're a lot wider than a car so i'd assume (again taking into account i have no knowledge of that road) that a taxi should be able to pass with you in secondary.

What do you do if a bus come up behind you ? hold primary or let him pass ? If you let a bus pass (assuming its safe to do so), why won't you let a taxi pass ?

While i respect your need to cycle safely, its a two way street. You, the buses and taxis all have a right to be there.

Or is the road so so narrow it really isn't safe ?

As far as bus lane widths go - the minimum recommended for a bus and cycle to share the lane is 4m (4.5m preferred). Widths between 3-4 metres are problematic for cyclists sharing the bus lane with taxis (approx 2m width) and buses (approx 2.5m width) as passing distances are going to be limited. When the bus lane is only 3m, the min recommended width, I would rarely give up primary. With lanes between 3-4m, its a judgement call when to pull in to let a taxi pass, but I'd be uncomfortable with buses trying to pass

 

[Kindle]

To clarify in most cases I do move over to let aggressive taxi's pass, but the road is full of traffic lights, ill catch him at at the next set no problem and ill have to hang back behind to avoid getting into the same situation.

Sadly the road is also in poor shape, pot holes, stones, glass shards, dodgy manholes litter the kerb so its not always attractive to drift into secondary.

If anyone is interested the road im talking about is commercial road , the stretch from aldgate down to A13, journey ends at east india dock road

Now I expect some people to jump on my here at ask why im not using the CS3 since im so close to it, but I come from the north so going down to CS3 is only adding distance to my journey, going along commercial road is much faster.

Buses I usually don't have a problem with, ive had the odd tailgate where they drive right up my arse, but they generally dont try to overtake because of the bus stops every few hundred yards.

thanks for all the replies and feedback so far, good to know the general consensus.

 

[Adasta]

[QUOTE 1597268"]
South Claphamists. The lot of them.
[/quote]
Splitters!

Taxis around Kings Cross are a nightmare. I'm forever being intimidated by black cabs between Kings Cross and Tottenham Court Road. So, so irritating.

 

[Titan yer tummy]

Some thoughts:

• Hackney cab taxi drivers are required to pass a test called the Knowledge. This is a test of their geography and route finding skills. Their driving skills are not tested over and above the passing of a standard driving test the same as the rest of us.
• Bus divers on the other hand need to pass a PSV test (PCV nowadays I believe). They are highly trained experts in driving.
• IME bus drivers are pretty good and fairly tolerant of cyclists. I am sure there are exceptions but generally I feel much safer round a bus than almost all other forms of motorised transport.
• Also IME Hackney cab drivers are a bunch of homicidal maniacs who have no regard for any other road user they believe they can bully into submission.
• If you you do end up In a collision with a cab you can bet your bottom dollar there will be another cabbie who will conveniently be able to support a story that you as the cyclist were at fault no matter what the circumstances.
• Is it really worth sticking to your rights in the circumstances you describe. If there is a collision you are going to come of worse. IMO it is worth going that bit of extra distance to find a safe route and get out of the way altogether.

I hope this doesn't sound too negative, but I do think it is probably for the best.
With best wishes.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Slightly OT, but signalling clearly that you are going to slow down makes yur intentions unequivocal and then check the bike to see why they are tooting.

A few years ago I used to commute to Haslar and cross the Haslar Bridge.

Slightly OT, that Haslar bridge has changed since I was living down there, when I was down there in the late 60's early 70's it was a foot bridge.

 

[400bhp]

Maintain primary, slow down, stop and take a picture of their registration number. And then report them to the police and to the licensing authority.

This sort of intimidation is precisely the problem with cycling on UK roads, moving aside will not solve it, it only encourages the ****s.

Stand up for yourselves FFS.

So he should do that every time? For all we know this might be happening several times a day.

What you are suggesting is unfeasible.

 

[gbb]

Some thoughts:

• Hackney cab taxi drivers are required to pass a test called the Knowledge. This is a test of their geography and route finding skills. Their driving skills are not tested over and above the passing of a standard driving test the same as the rest of us.
• Bus divers on the other hand need to pass a PSV test (PCV nowadays I believe). They are highly trained experts in driving.
• IME bus drivers are pretty good and fairly tolerant of cyclists. I am sure there are exceptions but generally I feel much safer round a bus than almost all other forms of motorised transport.
• Also IME Hackney cab drivers are a bunch of homicidal maniacs who have no regard for any other road user they believe they can bully into submission.
• If you you do end up In a collision with a cab you can bet your bottom dollar there will be another cabbie who will conveniently be able to support a story that you as the cyclist were at fault no matter what the circumstances.
• Is it really worth sticking to your rights in the circumstances you describe. If there is a collision you are going to come of worse. IMO it is worth going that bit of extra distance to find a safe route and get out of the way altogether.

I hope this doesn't sound too negative, but I do think it is probably for the best.
With best wishes.

Certain elements of the above are undoubtedly true re bus and taxi drivers. The irony is, and this always irks me, that taxi drivers always seem to get special treatment because 'they're providing a service'

What service ? They fill the same amount of road as a car...the vast majority of taxis i see have only one passenger so they deliver NO benefit to traffic, the environment or anything else. Why anyone thinks a taxi should have preferential treatment is beyond me....i'd concede if it had two passengers or more, then perhaps i'd be a little more understanding.
If i had my way, they'd be excluded from bus lanes, just like most other drivers.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Has anybody ever noticed that those guys doing the knowledge never make any kind of social gestures to other road users? They are already completely immersed in a world of their own. At the future expense of other road users....

 

[markg0vbr]

Maintain primary, slow down, stop and take a picture of their registration number. And then report them to the police and to the licensing authority.

This sort of intimidation is precisely the problem with cycling on UK roads, moving aside will not solve it, it only encourages the ****s.

Stand up for yourselves FFS.

report them to licensing my friend is a licensing officer they have to bring the driver in for a formal interview, but make sure you get a picture of there face as around here we have a lot how illegally share there hackney licence and the bloke how turns up for the interview may not be the one how was driving.

 

[mickle]

So he should do that every time? For all we know this might be happening several times a day.

What you are suggesting is unfeasible.

Unless, of course, we all start doing it.

 

[Arfcollins]

Slightly OT, but signalling clearly that you are going to slow down makes yur intentions unequivocal and then check the bike to see why they are tooting.

A few years ago I used to commute to Haslar and cross the Haslar Bridge.

Often you meet a cyclist coming the other way as the lights have a short changeover. As a result the overtake is difficult.... so the Primary is essential on the rise to the brow.

This particular day there was a large 4x4 blaring away and shouting, so I stopped, checked panniers and shrugged before remounting.

By this time the lights have changed and he is now nose to nose with 3 cars coming over the brow so had to reverse back down.... meanwhile I could carry on quite happily.


Really enjoyed that one!

To continue the OT, if that was a dark red 4x4 (and face to match!) he was a renowned bully on the bridge and would regularly force cyclists into the curb. Haven't seen him for a while so maybe the red face meant he was heading to a burst vessel.

 

[Kindle]

Gaz just posted a new video showing EXACTLY what I was talking about in my original post, this happens all the time to me and its really ****ing annoying / risky.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NfKz0rAymY

 

[benborp]

There's a weird thing going on with Black cab drivers. If anyone on the road is going to compliment me, ask a question about gearing or wheels or shout out the speed as they pass it's most likely a cab driver. They are also the type of driver most likely to actively cooperate with me as a cyclist - by holding back to allow a lane change, giving way to allow me progress through heavy traffic, etc.
However, the drivers that actively pursue a course in order to aggressively push a cyclist off the road tend to be cabbies also.

It's almost a routine manoeuvre on the Walworth Rd and I'm wise to it although one got me recently: Taxi 1

Very sweary response from me: Taxi 2

A bit sweary: Taxi 3

You've probably got the idea by now, but: Taxi 4

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

There's a weird thing going on with Black cab drivers. If anyone on the road is going to compliment me, ask a question about gearing or wheels or shout out the speed as they pass it's most likely a cab driver. They are also the type of driver most likely to actively cooperate with me as a cyclist - by holding back to allow a lane change, giving way to allow me progress through heavy traffic, etc.
However, the drivers that actively pursue a course in order to aggressively push a cyclist off the road tend to be cabbies also.

It's almost a routine manoeuvre on the Walworth Rd and I'm wise to it although one got me recently: Taxi 1

Very sweary response from me: Taxi 2

A bit sweary: Taxi 3

You've probably got the idea by now, but: Taxi 4

I sense there's a common theme there! The Lower Road/Jamaica Road can provoke the same kind of taxiopath driving.

 

[growingvegetables]

report them to licensing my friend is a licensing officer they have to bring the driver in for a formal interview

That'd my first response - but Leeds City Council (and I'm sure many others) say straight out that their job is "to make sure the taxi and private hire trade in Leeds is operated in a professional manner and that the correct standards of safety and comfort are satisfied by all vehicles, drivers and operators."

TfL, by contrast, appear to have no more interest than that the driver has four wheels on the vehicle (at least on the day of inspection), and a filing cabinet full of b***-***t paperwork. That's kinda scary - and might explain a lot about London taxi drivers?