Yet another old git tries to run me off the road

[goo_mason]

Blimey, Crankarm - 'tis the season of goodwill to all men and you keep telling people to "&*^% off!"

Remember that Santa knows whether you've been naughty or nice, young man!

 

[MacB]

Blimey, Crankarm - 'tis the season of goodwill to all men and you keep telling people to "&*^% off!"

Remember that Santa knows whether you've been naughty or nice, young man!

You can't blame Cranky here, no other human being in history has had their lives blighted by so many incidents. He can barely stick his nose out the door withour risking attack by car, chav and dog, and that's just his neighbours.

 

[bad boy]

May do. High speed kerb-skimming has extra dangers, you've got a greater risk of a ped stepping out in your way, of crud out on the road in front of you, etc. You're also not likely to be holding anyone else up so much, hence the balance of judgement is moved more in favour of primary rather than secondary.

If you're moving far more slowly than that then you've got more time to adjust for people stepping out, crud on the road, potholes, etc. The balance of judgement may change then but safe positioning is still a judgement call.



The situation Crankarm describes (narrow lanes, no room for a safe overtake, space to overtake safely not far ahead) is textbook primary position territory at pretty nearly any speed. If you're stuck in a lane like that for a longer distance and moving more slowly, then its fair to start looking for space to allow faster vehicles to safely pass you.

Thanks for explaining that to me it does make sense although Im certainly not in a position to comment about Crankarms OP, it does make for interesting reading and serves well to people like me who are failry new to all this.

Regards.

 

[tdr1nka]

May do. High speed kerb-skimming has extra dangers, you've got a greater risk of a ped stepping out in your way, of crud out on the road in front of you, etc. You're also not likely to be holding anyone else up so much, hence the balance of judgement is moved more in favour of primary rather than secondary.

If you're moving far more slowly than that then you've got more time to adjust for people stepping out, crud on the road, potholes, etc. The balance of judgement may change then but safe positioning is still a judgement call.

The situation Crankarm describes (narrow lanes, no room for a safe overtake, space to overtake safely not far ahead) is textbook primary position territory at pretty nearly any speed. If you're stuck in a lane like that for a longer distance and moving more slowly, then its fair to start looking for space to allow faster vehicles to safely pass you.

+1.

 

[Bollo]

car, chav and dog

Sounds like a particularly disreputable solicitors



+Jesus, Crank! I know trouble seems to cluster, but I'd be seeking help from a local djinn, soothsayer or wise woman if I had luck like yours.

 

[MacB]

Sounds like a particularly disreputable solicitors



+Jesus, Crank! I know trouble seems to cluster, but I'd be seeking help from a local djinn, soothsayer or wise woman if I had luck like yours.

Quite right, mystical help may be required, because he was such a 'happy child'

 

[tdr1nka]

Tis' a marvel he leaves the house at all.

 

[BentMikey]

Crankarm old chap, I hope you'll take my post in the manner I intend it - as friendly and caring, but also fair and honest advice.

I'd say you were absolutely in the right based on your description, and there was no excuse for the old git. On the other hand, I'm with the others on how your positioning could have been better. As Cab says, a textbook case for primary, based purely on your own description. That doesn't make you either legally or morally wrong, but it does mean that you could have ridden more defensively. There are two options - either leave the door open and accept overtakes, or close it completely and effectively. "Common sense" won't dissuade overtakes in the situation you described in the OP.

I also tend to make the mistake of sometimes riding too submissively, especially as I come from a country with a much stronger car culture than here.

Primary isn't about holding up cars unnecessarily, it's about reducing the odds of us having a risky incident or even an actual collision. It's give and take - primary when needed, and secondary when it's safe to let others past. Sometimes that will mean pulling over and waiting for a few moments to make it easy for a queue of cars behind to make progress. All good karma stuff, and how to be a good citizen on the road.

 

[Crackle]

Are you sure you got the distance from kerb estimate right Cranky? I'd say, on most roads, travelling in the inside tyre track is three to three and a half feet from the kerb, unless it's a narrow road.

 

[Proto]

Crankarm, this ought to be reported to the police. You have a partial registration mark and a vehicle make/model/description. If the police take any interest (they might not), they should be able to identify the vehicle and its owner quite easily.

PS I've not read all of this thread, so if I'm repeating someone else's suggestion, my apologies.

 

[Crankarm]

Are you sure you got the distance from kerb estimate right Cranky? I'd say, on most roads, travelling in the inside tyre track is three to three and a half feet from the kerb, unless it's a narrow road.

Yeah I was thinking about it earlier Cackle and I might have under estimated maybe about 3 feet out or on the middle to right side edge of the smooth track made by nearside wheels of vehicles but NOT in the middle of the lane which I understand is primary. So vehicles still very much have to stay behind me if it's not safe to pass because of approaching traffic.

This is not aimed at you Cackle, nor so much BM or MacB, but at the other trolls who don't seem to be able to grasp or understand the cogent relevant points I have described in my account because they just want to further their own agendas, rip strips off me and score points. I really now wish I had never posted the account. But hey no going back now. It seems to be par for the course on here that people who post get flamed. I remember poor Thomas or Joe, I can't remember now, who I think posted a similar sort of post some months back about being dangerously close passed and he was unceremoniously flamed by the forum Mafia who concluded it was his own fault. Poor guy. The similarity with other much more serious offences cannot be more striking. A young lady goes into a police station on a monday morning to report a rape which happened to her over the weekend. The desk officer makes some condescending comments then gets a few colleagues to take all the details from her but the whole time they are suggesting that her appearance or conduct might have precipitated the assault on her, what she was wearing, her behaviour or the fact that she had consumed alcohol. And the same thing happens in court if it gets that far. Basically the victim is being blamed for or encouraging the actions of the perpetrator against her when the perpetrator is the person who raped her. Whilst I'm not comparing what happened to me was at all comparable with rape, what I'm saying, is that similarly in recounting my incident of this dangerous driver there are those who are blaming me, my road positioning, for what subsequently happened to me, but the real reason as the trolls genuinely know was that the aggressive and dangerous driver tried to take me out.

Of the very few riders I see on the roads these I invariably scalp, all are riding much closer to the edge of the road, verge or kerb than myself. Neither do any of them look over their shoulders to see what is behind them even when a vehicle is approaching them from behind. So I take my safety very seriously and I am pro-active about it frequently looking behind. SO TO THE TROLLS ESPECIALLY CHIEF TROLL CAB FOR THE NTH TIME I DO NOT KERB HUG OR PEDAL SKIM AS HE PUTS IT.

And I am now bored of this thread. Thanks to the comments of those who have clearly not been TROLLING. I am now out.

 

[Crankarm]

Crankarm, this ought to be reported to the police. You have a partial registration mark and a vehicle make/model/description. If the police take any interest (they might not), they should be able to identify the vehicle and its owner quite easily.

PS I've not read all of this thread, so if I'm repeating someone else's suggestion, my apologies.

Proto thank you for your suggestion but I have previously reported vehicles with partial and even full registrations and the local police have said they couldn't wouldn't do anything. So yes if I had a full reg I would probably report it but not with a partial registration. If I had footage of him in the act I definitely would as his actions were very dangerous. If I see him again I will be sure to film him so I can ID him plus I will let him know I am filming him and maybe have a quiet word that if he ever does anything like that again I will pass the footage to the Police. He's not to know I didn't actually capture it.

Thanks for your concern Proto.

 

[Cab]

SO TO THE TROLLS ESPECIALLY CHIEF TROLL CAB FOR THE NTH TIME I DO NOT KERB HUG OR PEDAL SKIM AS HE PUTS IT.

I am riding about 2 foot out in the smooth track left by the near side wheels of vehicles..

Its not that complicated; you were on a road without space to overtake safely, you took a passive road position, the motorist behind went for the gap you so invitingly left. You very belatedly closed the gap. Such riding invites conflict, said conflict is your regular companion (if your posts here are to be believed, I believe you recently said that someone tries to kill you on a near daily basis).

None of this excuses the behaviour of the driver here. But it does explain why you get so much more of this than pretty much anyone else; your analysis of safe road positioning is flawed.

Trolling? Nope, its quoting how best to use the roads. Its safe road practice. Or, in other words, its disagreeing with you by taking the same line as you'll find from pretty much anyone familiar with what is widely regarded as best practice for cyclists on the roads.

Finally, if your behaviour on the road is in any way related to your behaviour here, then I advise you to seek help. You've got serious anger problems.

 

[phaedrus]

An intriguing thread on so many levels. Crankarm, at what age does one become old enough to qualify as an "old git" and therefore unsuitable for driving? Do you have an upper age limit for cycling as well?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Armchair cyclists who are probably petrol heads ...............

So I say to you,

&*^% off!

We don't handle criticism well, do we Cranky?