This mornings idiot

[Cab]

I should add that I have based this on my perception of the space available. You were there cab and the camera does sometimes lie.....

No, you're right, I'm happy in that much road space when things aren't moving. Slaloming a moving car and another moving vehicle behind it (which hasn't seen you, remember) and pedestrians and bollards on the left is what makes this a difficult road section.

 

[4F]

Whilst I agree with you in principle and as you say it was your right of way it looks like you could have got a bus through that gap.

It comes across as you trying to prove a point because you have got your helmet camera on. Sorry

 

[jezhiggins]

Whilst I agree with you in principle and as you say it was your right of way it looks like you could have got a bus through that gap.

Without wanting to comment on this particular reply, a common response to helmet cam footage seems to be along the lines of there was loads of room or it was miles away. It is difficult to tell sometimes too, because the field of vision is often narrow and a lot of cameras fisheye rather. If someone is a disinterested (or uninterested) party, like say a bored desk sargeant, it makes it easier to dismiss the video as irrelevant or not showing what it purports to.

Has anyone with a helmet cam done a "calibration video" showing, for instance, where something two metres dead ahead is, something one metre to the right, and so on?

 

[4F]

Without wanting to comment on this particular reply, a common response to helmet cam footage seems to be along the lines of there was loads of room or it was miles away. It is difficult to tell sometimes too, because the field of vision is often narrow and a lot of cameras fisheye rather. If someone is a disinterested (or uninterested) party, like say a bored desk sargeant, it makes it easier to dismiss the video as irrelevant or not showing what it purports to.

You make a fair point however my comment was based on the amount of room the cyclist in front of cab appeared to have had who was able to pass between the car and and bollards in question.

 

[Cab]

Whilst I agree with you in principle and as you say it was your right of way it looks like you could have got a bus through that gap.

It comes across as you trying to prove a point because you have got your helmet camera on. Sorry

See my reply to Magnatom at 16:07 today. Remember, that car was slowing down because I was slap bang in the middle of the lane and had gestured with an open, outstretched palm at him to stop. That other cyclist got past that car as it was slowing down due to me being in the way; would you be happy with bollards and pedestrians on one side, and an accelerating car on the other (which is the scenario if I'm not in the middle of the lane slowing the car down)?

Edit: And I act that way without a helmet too.

 

[4F]

See my reply to Magnatom at 16:07 today. Remember, that car was slowing down because I was slap bang in the middle of the lane and had gestured with an open, outstretched palm at him to stop. That other cyclist got past that car as it was slowing down due to me being in the way; would you be happy with bollards and pedestrians on one side, and an accelerating car on the other (which is the scenario if I'm not in the middle of the lane slowing the car down)?

Edit: And I act that way without a helmet too.

I can only see 3 peds on the left hand side and they appear to be at the far end of the bollards pushing their bikes towards you. If the pavement was full of peds then I would tend to agree with you more.

My own perspective is that whilst there was not loads of space there was enough for both of you to pass safely if of course the car driver had slowed accordingly.

 

[Cab]

I can only see 3 peds on the left hand side and they appear to be at the far end of the bollards pushing their bikes towards you. If the pavement was full of peds then I would tend to agree with you more.

You're perhaps missing my earlier comments about that; pedestrians appear there very often from quite concealed entrances on both sides of the road; Magdalene college has a gateway on the left (the porters lodge) and on the right, and there are also shops on the right. The pedestrians you can see are not the ones you need to be worried about, its the sleepy students wandering straight out into the flow of people moving, and the people coming out of shops suddenly and making other step out of their way.

My own perspective is that whilst there was not loads of space there was enough for both of you to pass safely if of course the car driver had slowed accordingly.

Yet if you move to the side there is no compulsion for the car driver to slow, which is why there is clear priority given for traffic to go one way at a time there. 'Loads of space' at slow speeds does not equate to 'loads of space' if the motorist is neither forced right to the far right nor forced to slow down.

 

[dodgy]

I haven't read the comments in this thread, so to ensure I don't get coloured by them (as if ), I have to say that you made such a big deal out of that. The pragmatic part of me is thinking there's enough room for cars and bikes, despite the fact I know you have priority. All you're going to achieve there is more antagonstic feelings against cyclists - again, despite the fact you're right.

Dave.

 

[Cab]

I haven't read the comments in this thread,

Might I therefore suggest that you do; I don't agree that your approach is pragmatic for this site, and I've explained (in response to previous comments) why not.

 

[yello]

To be honest, I think I would gone through that gap without thinking anything of it. But then I did ride in central London so my perspective is different. Or maybe I'm just used to not being treated like traffic to be given way to.

Now whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I don't know. It's certainly a thing thing.

 

[dodgy]

Might I therefore suggest that you do; I don't agree that your approach is pragmatic for this site, and I've explained (in response to previous comments) why not.

OK, put it this way, imagine my post was the first response.

Dave.

 

[BentMikey]

I think I would also do the primary thing, slow the car, and then go through on the left. Minus the lecture and telling off to the motorist though.

I'm not sure there's as much room as some people on this topic suggest, since I know how the ATC shows space. I'm also not sure I'd be quite as militant with the lecture.

 

[HLaB]

Just saw the vid, that ones common enough and although the driver is at fault its not worth arguing from 6ft under if they don't stop.

BTW the worst case of this I've had was when I was cycling down a bit of a gradient, to a road narrowing where I had priority. The neds (chavs) in the car coming the other way, despite me being half way past the barrier and in the primary had other ideas. They ignored the giveway and signs and came straight at me.

 

[cannondale boy]

I think you addressed the matter well to a point, and the driver was at fault. I am guessing the driver was not local so did make an error without looking at the sign. If he/she were local i don't think this mistake would of happened. If i was in that position i would of went past the slow moving car and hope it does not happen again.

 

[atbman]

I don't understand those comments about there apparently being lots of room for bike and car. What is it about the legally unambiguous sign, "Give way to oncoming traffic" that you don't understand?

The driver didn't have any right at all to ignore the instruction and the possible amount of room has no relevance whatsoever. You are also assuming that this particular pillock would have sufficient judgement to squeeze past the rider without putting him at risk.

Having faced that problem on Middleton Road in Morley on a fortnightly(ish) basis before I retired from daily commuting, the OP was perfectly correct in what he did. One driver tried it on 3(!) times and I always refused to give way. On the third time he failed to notice the police m/cyclist in his rearview mirror while screaming obscenities at me. Ho, ho, ho.

Officer beckoned me over, made him pull into the side and lectured him at some length, told him he would be recording his reg. no. on the police computer and instructed him to apologise to me. I accepted the apology, smiled sweetly and said that I was glad he now appreciated how cretinously stupid he had been.

I then said goodbye to the sergeant I had recently spent the day with as we trained a bunch of PCSOs in the arcane arts of cycling safely in traffic and went on my way thinking "There may actually be a god, after all".