The other morning I'm aware of a diesel pick up truck trundling behind me which seemed to be content to stay behind whilst I negotiated a roundabout etc and approached a pinch point - traffic island - which is fairly narrow and where I always try to get into the middle to stop overtakes etc.
I'm in a position where I think he can't possibly overtake - wrong. I hear the engine revs go up and turn to see him pulling out (slightly) to overtake. I stick my arm out to ensure he's aware that i'm pulling further over and also sey "hello" in a loud voice. Still no response as he carries on. Well the gap is never going to be wide enough for us both to through it so I'm forced to pull over into the kerb as he passes really close then swings left to line up with the gap. The whole width of his truck takes up the entire road between the bollard and the kerb so there was no way we were going through it together.
He had absolutely no idea what he was doing.
Just goes to show that even in the right position if idiotic morons in charge of motor vehicles choose to drive dangerously and overtake when there's no room then there's not much I can do about it. My positioning at that particular pinch point prevents the vast majority from getting past but there's always one isn't there?
Can't remember the last time I was forced to stop to avoid being squashed because of a bad overtake.
On another thread somebody mentioned that drivers are getting bolder now the mornings/evenings are lighter and he's experiencing more bad overtakes. Must say this is what I've found too. Been cut up several times this week already. The other evening just lost concentration on the last 300 yards before home and got buzzed by another two cars, damn! You can't afford to let your guard down for even a moment without being undertaken by other cyclists, overtaken by motorbikes in the bus lane, swooped on by taxis, squeezed in by buses, buzzed by motorists and the usual with pedestrians stepping into the road who don't look.
Fell off the other morning too after 3 "incidents" with motorists in 20 minutes and after which I lost concentration only to find my front wheel then slipped on a greasy patch throwing me off - ouch! Hole in jacket and trouser leg, nursing sore elbow and knee. Not a good week on the roads for me.
I'm in a position where I think he can't possibly overtake - wrong. I hear the engine revs go up and turn to see him pulling out (slightly) to overtake. I stick my arm out to ensure he's aware that i'm pulling further over and also sey "hello" in a loud voice. Still no response as he carries on. Well the gap is never going to be wide enough for us both to through it so I'm forced to pull over into the kerb as he passes really close then swings left to line up with the gap. The whole width of his truck takes up the entire road between the bollard and the kerb so there was no way we were going through it together.
He had absolutely no idea what he was doing.
Just goes to show that even in the right position if idiotic morons in charge of motor vehicles choose to drive dangerously and overtake when there's no room then there's not much I can do about it. My positioning at that particular pinch point prevents the vast majority from getting past but there's always one isn't there?
Can't remember the last time I was forced to stop to avoid being squashed because of a bad overtake.
On another thread somebody mentioned that drivers are getting bolder now the mornings/evenings are lighter and he's experiencing more bad overtakes. Must say this is what I've found too. Been cut up several times this week already. The other evening just lost concentration on the last 300 yards before home and got buzzed by another two cars, damn! You can't afford to let your guard down for even a moment without being undertaken by other cyclists, overtaken by motorbikes in the bus lane, swooped on by taxis, squeezed in by buses, buzzed by motorists and the usual with pedestrians stepping into the road who don't look.
Fell off the other morning too after 3 "incidents" with motorists in 20 minutes and after which I lost concentration only to find my front wheel then slipped on a greasy patch throwing me off - ouch! Hole in jacket and trouser leg, nursing sore elbow and knee. Not a good week on the roads for me.