Unnerving and (partly) my fault

[4F]

I'm not sure that's a good example to give. Would you filter in a car? Obviously not. Would you filter in this situation on a motorcycle? I'd say the answer would be yes for virtually all motorcycles, including police riders. I'd say there was nothing wrong with his filtering here, and that the taxi driver was just aggressive and trying to put the frighteners on the OP.

Totally agree, the taxi driver only moved over because he was an arse idiot and wanted to stop the OP from filtering.

 

[SW19cam]

The taxi did move over though. He moved to his right to put the frighteners on the OP, or so it seems to me from the video. Of course we're only guessing, but there's no other reason for him to swerve towards the cyclist.

Interestingly, that's not what I see. From the moment you can see the taxi it follows a direct line staying
parallel to the middle line - and in my books that not a swerve towards a cyclist...

 

[4F]

Interestingly, that's not what I see. From the moment you can see the taxi it follows a direct line staying
parallel to the middle line - and in my books that not a swerve towards a cyclist...

That's probably a fair point, however I think he only stays on that line to block the cyclist.

 

[BimblingBee]

Did you miss the bit about getting off and walking?

Nope. I'm just of the opinion that if you like to film yourself cycling and comment on other peoples failings then you should be riding in an exemplary manner yourself, and in this case it would mean stopping before the light before you walk.

 

[al78]

Nope. I'm just of the opinion that if you like to film yourself cycling and comment on other peoples failings then you should be riding in an exemplary manner yourself, and in this case it would mean stopping before the light before you walk.

Not at all, being a hypocrite in itself does not make someone wrong.

http://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/tu-quoque

 

[BentMikey]

Nope. I'm just of the opinion that if you like to film yourself cycling and comment on other peoples failings then you should be riding in an exemplary manner yourself, and in this case it would mean stopping before the light before you walk.

Are you making assumptions about when he started walking?

 

[BimblingBee]

Are you making assumptions about when he started walking?

I wouldn't say that its an unreasonable assumption to make from the footage. I feel the point about setting an example yourself is fair too.

YT is littered with headcam warriors highlighting bad driving/drivers and then post videos of themselves cycling poorly but with no reference to this fact. Personally I feel it devalues their 'crusade' to educate others.

 

[gaz]

I wouldn't say that its an unreasonable assumption to make from the footage. I feel the point about setting an example yourself is fair too.

YT is littered with headcam warriors highlighting bad driving/drivers and then post videos of themselves cycling poorly but with no reference to this fact. Personally I feel it devalues their 'crusade' to educate others.

It's quite possible for someone to start walking next to their bike without actually stopping it and seeing as how the camera is mounted on the handlebars, you would have no way of knowing as to when they got off the bike.

Yes, Youtube is littered with helmet camera warriors highlighting bad driving with absolutely no reference to their own poor cycling. A large proportion of the helmet camera warriors you speak of are submitting content to Silly Cyclists. A series based solely on highlighting such poor cycling. In fact, many of them have submitted videos of them selves making mistakes, although these don't always make the cut.

 

[BentMikey]

I wouldn't say that its an unreasonable assumption to make from the footage. I feel the point about setting an example yourself is fair too.

YT is littered with headcam warriors highlighting bad driving/drivers and then post videos of themselves cycling poorly but with no reference to this fact. Personally I feel it devalues their 'crusade' to educate others.

What does it tell us about you, when you choose to make a negative assumption based on no facts whatsoever?

 

[cd365]

I'm not sure that's a good example to give. Would you filter in a car? Obviously not. Would you filter in this situation on a motorcycle? I'd say the answer would be yes for virtually all motorcycles, including police riders. I'd say there was nothing wrong with his filtering here, and that the taxi driver was just aggressive and trying to put the frighteners on the OP.

I ride a motorcycle as well and there is no way I would filter there, I would sit and wait because it did not look safe to me, i.e. I would be left exposed on the wrong side of the white lines

 

[BentMikey]

I suspect you're saying that just because it's me you're responding to. Regardless, I think that would put you in a minority of motorcyclists and cyclists.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I do not have an axe to grind here, but I'm a cyclist of several decades' keen riding and I encounter the conditions in the OP's clip regularly.

I do not cross into the opposing traffic lane if there is oncoming traffic. Not in a car, not on a bicycle and not on a motorcycle.

I was taught when young to avoid taking unnecessary actions that might cause another road user to alter their speed or direction to make room for me. Crossing into the opposing traffic lane when it's occupied seems to fall into that category. Some will disagree, but it seems to me that it is a matter of courtesy as much as anything.

I've been spooked when cycling to see a car approaching me being passed by another on a single-carriageway road. It can be unnerving on an NSL road. In terms of the clearences available, the OP's video presents a similar scenario, although it is the bicycle encroaching rather than the motorist.

I commend the OP for having the guts to post the video and ask for thoughts. It is not a terrible, ghastly or criminal piece of riding. It is not even bad. One sees it done every day. Well done for posting and asking as you did, but I would try not to ride like that - and if I did I would not look to blame the driver (who appears to be ill-mannered at best) for driving rather closer than he might to me. He does seem discourteous in his driving and could probably move further over, but these things happen.

The Internet is full of squawky helmetcam warriors who bleat about close passes. Some are rightly indignant about shocking driving and some are looking for an argument. Many make the point that bicycles need a certain amount of room when being passed. By filtering in the opposing traffic lane when there are moving vehicles in it, a cyclist chooses by his own actions to limit the distance available to make a close pass.

The driver in the clip is closer than he needs to be (perhaps dangerously and stupidly so), but even if he were scraping his nearside kerb he'd be closer than many would want him to be. For the sake of our collective blood pressure, why do that to save a second and a half?

I've had fewer accidents than hot dinners, but not by much. I am not considered a kerb-hugging or particularly safe rider by those who know me... But I don't filter in the oncoming lane when there are moving cars in it.

 

[cd365]

I suspect you're saying that just because it's me you're responding to.

I don't understand this bit.

 

[campbellab]

Would you overtake in that situation in a car? That was riding on the wrong side of the road.

We keep left when driving, except to overtake. The taxi driver appears to belligerently keep right for no reason (and should maintain a greater gap between himself and the stationary traffic anyway as there's so much road to use). I conclude he is on the wrong 'side' of the road! Although on second watching he appears to be in that position from when he is first seen so may not be as intentional as it appears?

If there was a small road obstruction there would be plenty of room for traffic to cross the line and continue in both directions without issue. No-one would berate the oncoming car drivers for crossing the line in that situation.

You wouldn't overtake in a car in that situation as
a) Its a queue so that's not British
b) You cant squeeze back in if needed
c) 3 cars would definitely require oncoming traffic to slow and take a significantly different path than normal. A normal line down that road wouldn't require a change for a cyclist filtering.

 

[semislickstick]

There looked to be a triangle road sign( road works ahead?) on the taxi drivers side path, so is it possible the driver had moved out ready for that? Looked to be driving in that position quite early on.