To** Pot Taxi driver (s)

[CafGriff]

Sorry Peeps! Only I have to VENT .... tonight at 6.00 pm, on the way home from work ( Yet Again another taxi driver ) ..... I nearly DIED!!
He was driving towards me, approaching a x - roads for us both - He was on his correct side of the road, signaling for him to turn to his right. I was cycling down hill toward the x roads, signalling to turn my right ,, I started to make the turn, HE turned to his left eating my road, and scarring the whatnot out of me!!!
I applied the brakes and my feet!! and JUST stopped .... almost hitting his rear wheel arch.

It's dark, it's wet and I have two cycle lights on the handlebars, and a reflective yellow jacket AND a flashing helmet light ... lit up light a Christmas Tree !!

HE leans out of his window a yells something and stops!!
I shouted ' You were turning right'!!?
He shouts ' Look again Stupid I'm turning Left 'inn I ' ... HE shouted and called me stupid 7 times!!!
Peeps!! I'm a 3 rd Degree Black Belt in TaeKwondo !
I'm an Animal Law Enforcement Officer for my city council !!
I am qualified to coach/instruct BAWLA, Badminton, Hockey, Cricket - I'm a County player - Netball, Basketball, Fencing, Korfball and much more, I am FAR FAR away from being stupid
.... Peoples! I can buld a bicycle!!!

I am sooooo annoyed at being called stupid, I'm more annoyed at THAT more than nearly dying
I am so not stupid, I Remendered his 3 digit identication plate and shall be complaining to the local taxi licencing team on Monday.
This is the 5th incident with a Taxi driver in 2013 - all different drivers, different companies - but the same arragant ... 'I made the the driving mistake, I'll shout at the cyclist' attitude with the same - sh*t my pants reaction from me!!!
Still, I LIVE to Vent and still to

 

[welsh dragon]

Sorry to hear that. Hope you manage to stop shaking soon.

 

[davester65]

Totally agree with your vent....a word of caution though.......if that taxi was a 'hackney carriage' (ply for hire) be careful, as they are allowed, by law, to do pretty much anything (or not, as the case may be) with regards to stopping, turning and indicating. (ie, they can if they wish, but they don't have to!) and if there is a collision it's almost always your fault.

 

[CafGriff]

Hey Davester, No this was a private taxi firm, a people carrier.
Total ... U know what, I can't type the words.!!!

 

[CafGriff]

Yep, NOW i'm having my second glass of rosie and wacthing 'The Holiday' on ITV 2!!

Totally agree with your vent....a word of caution though.......if that taxi was a 'hackney carriage' (ply for hire) be careful, as they are allowed, by law, to do pretty much anything (or not, as the case may be) with regards to stopping, turning and indicating. (ie, they can if they wish, but they don't have to!) and if there is a collision it's almost always your fault.

Suely not with peoples safety in mind!??

 

[robjh]

Very glad you're OK if somewhat shaken. Don't take what the idiot said to heart, it would have been an incoherent rant by someone trying to deflect blame, and with no great train of thought behind it. But do report it.

 

[davester65]

Hi CafGriff,

i agree, it's wholly wrong, and there is a difference between hackney licences and private hire licences, in that only hackney cabs can pick fares up on the street (plying for hire or hailing a cab) and that's where the rule applies, it's worded along the lines of "other road users should expect hackney carriages to make sudden turns/stops whilst plying their trade" Check with your local licensing office for the exact rules but they're pretty much the same all across the country.
Private Hire drivers, on the other hand, must obey the normal rules of the road as the rest of us do.

As an aside i think Buses also have similar regs to hackneys ;-(

I agree with Rob though, the verbal abuse is worth reporting as that's always a no no.

 

[Roadrider48]

Most cab drivers are complete A holes. Close passes, cutting you up; the whole nine yards.
It is a frightening experience when something like that happens. But, tomorrow is another day.

 

[Accy cyclist]

To be fair to them most of the taxi drivers i encounter around here never cut me up,and always seem to indicate,and they acknowledge me indicating coming off roundabouts etc, I tend to wear the same orange hi viz jacket at night time or in poor visibility so i presume they've started to recognise me in more ways than one..
However i have had incidents over the years with taxis while i've been cycling walking or driving. My tip is to try and remember or write down the name of the taxi firm then order a fleet of them to take "me and my mates to a destination". The pound signs must appear before their eyes at the thought of ferrying about 20 blokes to a far away destination,but when they arrive at the pub they find no one there. It's an extra bonus to either sit and watch them arrive from outside then see their angered faces as they realise they've been had,even better if you're in the pub to see their reaction! To add to the pleasure you can always phone them to tell them that it's payback for their previous anti social actions,though expect a few threats and choice words though!

 

[gavgav]

I consider myself a courteous driver and always do my best to let people out of junctions into traffic, etc, but I simply never let a taxi driver out because of this arrogant attitude that they all seem to have

 

[Sara_H]

Yesterday, a driver in a parked car pulled out in front of me (oncoming) it was a narrow road lined with parked cars on either side with nowhere to pass, but this didn't deter him, he drove straight at me, slammed his brakes on at the last second. Then he wound his window down. Was he going to apologise? No, he wished to tell me to "Get out of the middle of the road you f*****g s**g." Delightful.

 

[gavgav]

I met a nasty person with dark hair once, now I simply punch anyone I meet who has dark hair.

Was the nasty person with dark hair sat about 2 inches from your back end, weaving around and trying to push you over?

 

[Pale Rider]

"Get out of the middle of the road you f*****g s**g." Delightful.

Very poor, particularly as you are an officially chic cyclist.

 

[Cycleops]

Sorry, I don't know what happens to taxi drivers when they take up the trade but it seems they have all sense removed from their brains. Same the world over, all complete plonkers.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I got called idiot by a black cab driver