Video as bike forced off road by bus

[raindog]

No, it isn't that bad, but it doesn't alter the fact that the driver of the bus should've waited for the cyclist to be clear before steering into the side of the road.

 

[Origamist]

The cyclist had an opportunity to slow behind the bus and to go around it. He chose to go up the side of it, which is a bit daft in my opinion.

It looks like the cyclist wanted to hold his position and was then left with little choice but to jump onto the pavement. I imagine a bit of panic / red mist descended as it's nearly always better to brake and let buses that mistime their overtake pass you, if at all possible.

Doesn't seem that bad to me. Sure, he made a mistake but I had exactly the same happen when I was in London years ago and this kind of thing is commonplace in Leeds, from buses, taxis and private cars.

The consequences of mistakes when large vehicles are involved tend to have far more serious consequences, hence why commonplace, but not necessarily egregiously bad driving should not be ignored or simply brushed aside.

 

[HLaB]

Is this not a commuting type of thread, IMO it belongs there.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

I thought the bus actually hit him... sounded like it. The "going up the inside" was a tad stupid, and I agree that it was this that "forced" him onto the pavement as he realised there was nowhere to actually go.

Didn't it hit him, did I just imagine that bit???

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

I thought so... at 54 - 56 secs in there's a thump, so unless that was him hitting the side of the bus with his fist (could have been) it looked like the bus actually clipped him (although not sure how as it didn't look close enough, but then I don't know where the camera is mounted and what handlebars he has etc.).

 

[Origamist]

I'm surprised the press wanted to make anything of it. It didn't seem that close, and if it wasn't then that kind of thing happens all the time doesn't it?

That's part of the problem, here. Most of us who are experienced and cycle regularly are innured to poor driving (as evinced by a number of posts on this thread), know the danger signs, can anticipate problems, and hopefully take evasive action - apropos, we don't think too much of a near miss or we play down its significance (it's traffic, shoot happens). However, it's driver behaviour like that shown in the video that contributes to the fear of cycling in this country (death by a thousand cuts). Many people will see a large bus nearly squashing a soft cyclist and it will confirm what they've always thought about "dangerous cycling".

What's more, there seems to be an undercurrent when watching videos that are not capturing life or death incidents that they can be dismissed, downplayed or you should simply chalk them up to experience and/or have ridden more defensively.

Hopefully, the press exposure and complaint will make TFL re-examine how bus drivers deal with vulnerable road users (at least for a day) as in this case, the poorly judged overtake was the root cause of the incident.

 

[Eoin Rua]

What I want to know is how his head seems to spin 360 degrees twice!

But as mentioned, I think he did have time enough to react, slow and pass the bus on the right hand side. Nevertheless it does look like there might be some contact which would fully justify his reaction...