What's your opinion with Bad overtakes?

[mjr]

Mr x2 Close Passes left about 5 metres space when he overtook again, either took on board my advice or decided I was dangerously crazy and likely to murder him at the next traffic lights otherwise.

Keep 'em guessing, eh?

To be honest, the ones who clip the far verge as they pass are almost as worrying because I wonder whether they'll hit something in the verge and bounce back... but most likely here is a drain which would stop them rather than bounce them.

 

[Johnno260]

Come on you can't *know* that unless [like my example] there is a deliberate act and acknowledgement of such by the driver. Most people just don't think or react and whilst that's deliberate [in that they didn't do anything to avert danger] it's not a positive act.

The passenger laughing at me through the window or the middle finger to me is the usual give away.

Not all do it, but some seem to treat it as a game.

 

[al78]

Unfortunately, the tribe of inconsiderate car drivers don't think logically. A significant proportion sees one cyclist riding badly, and thinks we all do, no matter how illogical this may be.

Exactly the same mindset as here, or just about any other place where humans frequent. Riding a bicycle does not make you more logically sound.

 

[al78]

Come on you can't *know* that unless [like my example] there is a deliberate act and acknowledgement of such by the driver. Most people just don't think or react and whilst that's deliberate [in that they didn't do anything to avert danger] it's not a positive act.

Exactly. The driver is sheltered from the outside world and is ignorant of how a close pass will affect a cyclist, because they do not get any feedback on the action or its consequences. I would say it is largely ignorance that causes close passes, not malice, just like if pedestrians step in front of me forcing me to come to a stop, they are doing it likely because of either carelessness or are oblivious, not to deliberately antagonise me.

 

[Globalti]

Not sure about Bad overtakin' but I know Bad Uberkingen is a nice spa town in Germany.

 

[snorri]

Because when confronted with opinions from a lot of none cycling vehicle drivers I try to put over a sensible and legitimate argument to counteract the dross that some spout.
A lot of the time you hear "all cyclists are tossers and shouldn't be on the roads" etc etc.
Their argument is usually based on some misdemeanour a cyclist has committed like red light jumping etc.

I don't believe this.
Their arguments are an expression of the awe in which the cyclist is held. Envy that a cyclist can often get there faster than the motorist in the urban situation and at considerably less financial cost. In the rural situation the cyclist really can get way from the crowd and enjoy the freedom of the roads, a pleasure that the motor industry advertisements would have us believe the motorist can buy into. Also a silent admiration for the distances covered by ordinary cyclists on a daily basis or on long summer tours.
I could go on about the jealousy of some car drivers regarding the youthful good looks of many of us older cyclists, but that might be pushing it a bit.

 

[User16625]

What's your opinion with Bad overtakes?

I think they're alrite, but I do prefer nail clippers and stolen digital media.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Video it, and submit to the police. They should not be able to get away with dangerous driving like that.

 

[briantrumpet]

Maybe it is a regional thing (lots of windy country lanes), here I get the occasional close pass but more people leaving plenty of room oblivious of oncoming traffic or a blind corner.

Yup, that about sums it up down here.

Well, apart from the bits of road (one on my commute) where there is a PWABPO (pavement with a bike painted on) next to the road, and every now and again (or rather more often than that) you get someone who thinks you should be on the pavement and uses their 1.5T lump of metal to try to persaude you of the rightness of their wrongheadedness. That irks me more than a little.

Other than that, rarely deliberate close passes, I think, though that wouldn't make any difference if they knocked you off, I realise.

Incidentally, I think it's a myth that you're safer on a bike in France - there might be a slightly more respectful attitude to cyclists, but that's more than counterbalanced by the fact that a lot of them drive like maniacs, overtaking on blind bends, and tailgating and overtaking other motorists in the most ridiculous places. I wince all too often over there.

 

[KnackeredBike]

I could go on about the jealousy of some car drivers regarding the youthful good looks of many of us older cyclists, but that might be pushing it a bit.

It's why I always try and wear shorts and, in wet weather, short shorts so that motorists can bask in the glow from my sexy cyclist legs.

(Mrs KB also enjoys them.)

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Incidentally, I think it's a myth that you're safer on a bike in France - there might be a slightly more respectful attitude to cyclists, but that's more than counterbalanced by the fact that a lot of them drive like maniacs, overtaking on blind bends, and tailgating and overtaking other motorists in the most ridiculous places. I wince all too often over there.

Yeah, it's been my depressing observation that any country I go to has (even) worse drivers than in the UK. The UK seems to corner the market on road rage though.

 

[bozmandb9]

Sorry if there's already a thread on this but I didn't see one. Feel free to move it if there is.

So bassically every cyclist must of been overtaken badly at least one time. I think one of the problems is that the Highway Code just state's "when overtaking a cyclist you must give enough room as you would if you were overtaking a car".
But compared to other countries in their veichle. They state a actual distance. like 1 metre, 1.5 metres 3 feet etc..
So perhaps the problem is actually that other road users in UK. Don't know an actual measurement as there's no measurement stated in the Highway Code. So what's your opinion on this?

I'm less sensitive to it now. If I'm out with somebody who's much newer to cycling, they'll often get really riled up by a pass which I scarcely notice. It can be annoying, but I think it's really important to not let it spoil your ride.

A driver made a really stupid overtake when I was going along the seafront in Brighton last year. He passed me, and then immediately turned left, nearly missed his turning, and only just missed the central island, tyres screeching. If not for the pedestrians waiting to cross who he would have killed, I would have wished he hadn't quite made the turn!

Time to change the law, stupid cycle hating courts, slapped wrists for motorists and though justice for cyclists.

My view now is that those stupid signs on the backs of lorries are a pre-admission of liability, the 'Danger - do not pass on inside'. I saw one today on a Thames Water transit van, and intend to take it up with them. Why should they tell us that we cannot lawfully filter in towns? How can one vehicle prevent others from going about their lawful business, by claiming to be incompetent or dangerous?

If I was mayor of London I would state that vehicles with blind spots which mean that they are a danger to cyclists, should simply not enter the City until they are made fit for purpose (i.e. to use public road without risking killing people). There is simply no excuse in the 21st century. We want to move towards more cycling and less driving, and it won't happen whilst motorists can impede our progress by threatening us with death. Sorry, ranting, will go now!!

 

[sanddancer]

Exactly the same mindset as here, or just about any other place where humans frequent. Riding a bicycle does not make you more logically sound.

This is true but riding a bicycle does force people into being more defensive unless they are really stupid.
Some people in cars are oblivious to the dangers of close passes etc and some know damn well what they are doing.
You only have to read other forums to confirm this.

 

[gavgav]

I had an unusual close pass the other day, a car passed me o.k and then the caravan it was towing which was a lot wider that the car nearly ripped my coat off it was that close. Obviously the driver didnt think about the width of the caravan.

I had this twice over the August Bank Holiday weekend, not fun at all.

 

[Randombiker9]

Like today I cycled to college and all things were fine but a a HGV (Heavy goods veichle) pulled in too close after overtaking me. When ever vehicles rev their engine costnalty that's when they do something stupid and that's what the HGV was doing. nothing happend but annoying when veichles do this it forces you to ride in the gutter.