The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

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Tetedelacourse

New Member
Location
Rosyth
Had an eventful ride in this morning with both good and bad behaviour on my part.

It all started <swirly effect> in Kirkliston. There's a set of lights then about 400 metres of road which has firstly a 90 deg right, then the brow of a steep hill, then a 90 deg left at the bottom of the hill. I can get up enough speed to move with traffic here so I always take primary, given the layout of the road. A school minibus waited behind me until we were on the steep hill approaching the blind corner. Then she pulls out across to the other side of the road and left hooks me to get back in before the bend, jamming her brakes on. I had my hands full of brakes, back wheel skidding and slowing me enough to miss the back of the bus by ooh, about 8 inches. Off she goes.

I know there will be a queue of traffic about a mile later, so I ponder whether to stop and have a word with her. I thought yes I should but as constructively as possible. So on I went til I caught up with her in a queue. The following took place when I knocked on her window and she wound it down:

Me: Do you realise you nearly knocked me off there?
Her: I was fine. You were in the middle of the road.
Me: You overtook me on a steep hill, approaching a blind corner, then swerved back in front of me jamming your brakes on. I was nearly under your back wheels. (getting angry)
Her: You shouldn't have been in the middle of the road then
Me: I've as much right to be there as you!
Her: I was absolutely fine, nothing wrong with my driving.
Me: Just think about it. Someone will end up in hospital if you drive like that and sadly it probably wont be you.
Her: Fine fine fine fine fine!:?:

Off I went.

Having stopped to speak calmly, I left furious, moreso than the actual incident left me.

On I went into work. When I got to Maybury, I was still thinking about it. I filtered on the left hand side which is something I NEVER do there and a bloke in an Astra cut across a la SMIDSY in a similar proximity to Magna's close overtake video. That one was mostly my fault - atrocious roadcraft. If by any small chance you read this, sorry mate my reaction was uncalled for!:smile:

I think in future I should not stop to debate things with drivers - I don't have the temperament for it!


One footnote; the anger resulted in me hammering it to work in my quickest time this year so far. So not all bad!
 

Wolf04

New Member
Location
Wallsend on Tyne
If you know the bus company I'd report her as from your describtion her driving was anything but fine! Pretty sure nothing would come of reporting her but even if it's a slim chance that she thinks next time a similar situation occurs then it's worth it. Glad you survived shaken but not stirred!
 
Tete, one that works for me and stops me from getting worked up is:

Me: Have you passed your test?
Driver: Yes......
Me: Would you have driven like that on your test?

This tends to confuse them. If they for some obscure reason they say yes, then you just reply

Me: Well be careful then. In the likely event that you loose your licence, you will find it very difficult to pass your retest

Alway best to leave at this point.

I've found if you have something like that prepared and you stick to it, it keeps you calm and you have the upper hand the whole time.

You could also get a helmet camera. Knowing that I have it on film keeps me cool as well.

I am sure I am due some commission......:smile:
 
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Tetedelacourse

Tetedelacourse

New Member
Location
Rosyth
Actually Magna I was thinking afterwards that I would have DELIGHTED in showing the police a clip of that incident once I found out her attitude.

Food for thought.

Wolf I think it was a private minibus (with school sign in the back window). Reg was something like C20 0 ULY
 
Tetedelacourse said:
Actually Magna I was thinking afterwards that I would have DELIGHTED in showing the police a clip of that incident once I found out her attitude.

Food for thought.

Wolf I think it was a private minibus (with school sign in the back window). Reg was something like C20 0 ULY

Helmet cameras are certainly not for everyone. I know of one chap who just got very angry when the police ignored his videos. He eventually gave up using the camera because he got frustrated.

However, I find it helps keep me calm (despite what everyone thinks), and it certainly has helped me improve my cycling and has hopefully helped others. I'd hate to commute without it now.

Oh that reg comes up as a fiat UNO TURBO I E
 

the reluctant cyclist

Über Member
Location
Birmingham
It's shocking how many drivers think that it is not okay that a cyclist is in the middle of the road - I wish there was some way of telling the mass population that the cyclist generally is legal and has a right to be there!!

Well done for not swearing though - I would have lost it when she went "fine fine fine". Silly cow!:biggrin:
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
I'd be very tempted to submit an application for the registered owner of that vehicle, and then complain to her employers.
 

cannondale boy

Über Member
Glad your o.k, i wonder what her reaction would be if she did knock you over, "wasn't my fault" *cough* rubbish. Drivers think that were not meant to be in the middle of the road. When your going pretty much the same speed as everyone else, you have every right of being on the middle of the road.

Not sure what happened on my commute back home :biggrin:, but i hate to say it, that there were alot of woman drivers driving badly today. One of which, going along a busy high st at 20+ primary position, (young) driver decides to overtake me. She didn't get very far though, there was a car indicating to go right.

The other incidents when coming back were:
  • Driver got to close when there was parked cars beside me.
  • Approaching a roundabout 20 yards or so, someone tries to bully me off the road
  • This one made me laugh...going past a school, lights are flashing to indicate a speed limit of 20mph and i was doing slightly more than that, but stupidly enough she over took me over speed humps! :biggrin:
 
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Tetedelacourse

Tetedelacourse

New Member
Location
Rosyth
Yeah, that she was driving dangerously I put down to a mistake / inexperience and felt I should point it out to her. But her attitude when I did so was so off that the red mist descended in me.

Anyone point me in the direction of the DVLA website that tells you if folk are insured etc?
 
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