Was this bus driver bad?

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nethalus

New Member
Location
In my house
There was a bus driver pulling away from a bus stop that has a short bus and cycle lane. As the bus was pulling away from the stop a cyclist was about to try and overtake the bus, they had just got level with the rear of it. The cyclist shouted "Oi thanks mate" as the bus continued to move. So the bus driver opened the cab window and stuck twos up at the cyclist before accelerating away. Do you think this was bad of the bus driver?
 

LOGAN 5

New Member
this would be totally normal behaviour from a bus driver in London......
 
Hmm, giving them the finger, they should have stayed in their zen bubble (that is presuming bus drivers can have zen bubbles!!) But so should the cyclist.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other I say ;)
 
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nethalus

nethalus

New Member
Location
In my house
Jacomus-rides-Gen said:
Hmm, giving them the finger, they should have stayed in their zen bubble (that is presuming bus drivers can have zen bubbles!!) But so should the cyclist.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other I say ;)

What's a Zen bubble??
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Not enough info there mate, and to be honest if the driver was signaling, then then cyclist should have let the bus go....unless he/she was already well passed the rear end....

But it's probably a student infested area, and lets not go there.. cos the law doesn't count...

Hence why I cycle to my works base, then catch the dreaded bus into town - leave the official cycle routes to those that are stupid !
 
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nethalus

nethalus

New Member
Location
In my house
fossyant said:
Not enough info there mate, and to be honest if the driver was signaling, then then cyclist should have let the bus go....unless he/she was already well passed the rear end....

But it's probably a student infested area, and lets not go there.. cos the law doesn't count...

Hence why I cycle to my works base, then catch the dreaded bus into town - leave the official cycle routes to those that are stupid !
Alright, it's a short bus and cycle lane in Meanwood Road, Leeds that's just after a set of traffic lights. Now before the traffic lights there are two lanes. The only traffic allowed in the left hand lane before the lights are left turners, buses and cycles (who are both allowed to go straight on in the left hand lane, as it goes into the bus lane.) The bus had dropped one person off at the stop just after the lights, was late and the driver was a bit p*ssed off. They'd indicated, checked mirrors started to pull away when this cyclist appeared. They shouted "Oi!!!" so the bus driver gave them a classic two finger reply!
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
It depends if the driver had signalled his intention early enough. IF he did, and IF the cyclist chose to ignore it...cyclists at fault.

If the driver simply pulled out without signalling...drivers at fault.
 
A "Zen bubble" is a state jovially referred to often by cyclists. Its that calm, happy, zen-like feeling you get quite often where things that happen around you just happen, and don;t emotionally affect you, and no matter what idiots cut you up and pull out on you, you still arrive where you are going happy as if you have just been for a Sunday morning jaunt in the country.
 

smallfish

Well-Known Member
Location
Manchester
I'm with J-r-G

Sometimes you just gotta chill - look up the inside of the bus as you approach and if there's no waiting passengers you know the bus is going to pull out soon so slow down and let the bus pull out.

If it's in front of you it can't kill you - that's the mantra i try and keep to - easier said than done sometimes, but always true!
 

gambatte

Middle of the pack...
Location
S Yorks
Netty - Is the road flat? (Just wondering as to slow down to allow the bus out may have had more affect on the cyclist if it was uphill)

Think its good to remember we're commuting, not racing. Its an attitutude we keep saying we'd like all car drivers to adopt.

As to the specific situation. I don't know enough detail to give an overall opinion.
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
nethalus said:
There was a bus driver pulling away from a bus stop that has a short bus and cycle lane. As the bus was pulling away from the stop a cyclist was about to try and overtake the bus, they had just got level with the rear of it. The cyclist shouted "Oi thanks mate" as the bus continued to move. So the bus driver opened the cab window and stuck twos up at the cyclist before accelerating away. Do you think this was bad of the bus driver?

As others have said, there isn't really enough info to know one way or another. I always let an indicating bus out, so long as it's safe to (i.e. I'm not being tailgated by a car, have seen the indication before passing the rear of the bus and can stop in a controlled way).

Not everyone realises that a bike going 20+ mph does need more than a few yards to come to a stop though!
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
Sounds like 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. The bus driver for pulling a sign, and the cyclist for trying to overtake when it seems likely he shouldn't have from Nethalus' description of him only making it level with the rear of the bus.

Of course it's possible the real situation might have been quite different from the point of view of an independent observer.
 
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nethalus

nethalus

New Member
Location
In my house
gbb said:
It depends if the driver had signalled his intention early enough. IF he did, and IF the cyclist chose to ignore it...cyclists at fault.

If the driver simply pulled out without signalling...drivers at fault.

The bus driver was signalling before pulling off, but the cyclist kept comming anway.
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
nethalus said:
The bus driver was signalling before pulling off, but the cyclist kept comming anway.

Highway code rule 167?

167

DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example
  • when a road user is indicating right, even if you believe the signal should have been cancelled. Do not take a risk; wait for the signal to be cancelled
(Other examples removed for clarity) Note that it's a "Do Not" not a must not, which I think means it's not an illegal manouevre.

Also;
223

Buses, coaches and trams. Give priority to these vehicles when you can do so safely, especially when they signal to pull away from stops. Look out for people getting off a bus or tram and crossing the road.


Again, the cyclist may not have felt able to stop safely in the time from seeing the indication from the bus. (Happened to me last week in the rain - I had to do a less controlled stop than I'd have liked because the bus moved out into the main part of the carriageway - wouldn't have been a problem in the dry).
 

frog

Guest
I'd let the bus go. I'd rather have him ahead of me disappearing into the distance than have him up my arse, trying to get past, until the next bus stop.
 
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