You wait weeks for anything bad to happen

[Jezston]

Good grief I'm surprised I made it in to work in once piece this morning. It ALL happened today. Apart from a bell end on a motorcycle yesterday cutting me up then replying to my suggestions that he should know better when I caught him up at the lights with revs from his engine, I haven't had a dodgy incident in weeks. Then today:

1. Driver in trad Land Rover pulls out of side road without looking at all, stops in middle of road as the receive incredulous looks from cyclist me.
2. Lights change at crossroads at Derby 'Cockpit' - THREE cars in opposite lane jump the red lights and turn across me as I'm pulling out.
3. Bus undertakes me after traffic lights into narrow roadworks forcing me off the road, then when caught up with seconds later says I should have been on the left. There was no left! (more info to come)
4. Woman stopped at give way point at side road. Waits. Waits. And THEN pulls out just as I am in front of her.


This is the email I'm sending to Arriva, who's phone lines are currently down.

I am contacting you to make a complaint about the actions of one of your drivers.

This was bus 2906 in central Derby at approx 9:15am this morning (Tuesday 5/10/10). Afraid I'm not sure exactly what route it was, but I think it may have been route 29 or 25.

I was on my bicycle stopped at the red lights shown here on google streetview:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...=t9zw1-eSu4ene0INrIYDGg&cbp=12,295.76,,1,4.57

Currently there are MAJOR roadworks going on on this road and the road has been diverted into the right lane with a wall of red and white plastic barriers either side making a narrow causeway. So, I stopped myself in the centre of the lane at the lights so that when moving off I could keep a central position in this short stretch of road so to avoid encouraging people to overtake where it is not safe to.

The driver however didn't want to allow me to do this. He aggressively undertook me from behind and to my left so that he could get ahead through this section, forcing me to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

The incident left me feeling highly shaken and quite upset and so after catching up with the driver at his next stop which was on my route I confronted him about his behaviour. He was calm and completely unapologetic. According to him I should have been 'on the left', which considering there was no left on this right hand side single file lane was completely inappropriate. If I had stayed on the left I would wager he would have attempted to overtake me in this narrow walled route and I would have been crushed.

I believe the driver acted against his duties as a professional driver, against the rules of the highway code and against laws of motoring, and I would request that this incident is investigated by your company and the driver disciplined and additional training given to your drivers about their responsibilties around more vulnerable road users.

If necessary (although I hope it will not be) I shall be reporting this incident to Derbyshire police as I believe this to be a clear case of Careless Driving.

Any ammendments? Should I formally report it to the police?

 

[BenM]

IMHO you should leave the threats out as you will probably get a better response. Without proof those sentences are just so much wasted space.

So...
"I believe the driver acted against his duties as a professional driver, against the rules of the highway code and against laws of motoring, and I would request that this incident is investigated by your company and the driver disciplined and additional training given to your drivers about their responsibilties around more vulnerable road users."

Becomes

"I believe the driver acted in a manner which falls well below the expected standard of a professional driver. I request that this incident is investigated by your company and, if appropriate, additional training given to your drivers about their responsibilities around more vulnerable road users."

and completely lose the last paragraph.

B.

 

[400bhp]

Currently there are MAJOR roadworks going on on this road and the road has been diverted into the right lane with a wall of red and white plastic barriers either side making a narrow causeway. So, I stopped myself in the centre of the lane at the lights so that when moving off I could keep a central position in this short stretch of road so to avoid encouraging people to overtake where it is not safe to.

The driver however didn't want to allow me to do this. He aggressively undertook me from behind and to my left so that he could get ahead through this section, forcing me to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

I found it difficult to understand how the driver could have undertook you on this section. Are you saying that before the roadworks there was a short section where two lanes merged into 1? Perhaps make this clear. Can you take a picture?

I agree with BenM's post as well.

 

[Jezston]

Fair do's, thanks - indeed just putting them on the defensive may not work out amicably.

400bhp: The road is a bit odd. It's one 'lane' before the traffic lights, with a bus stop on the left taking the space of a lane. The traffic lights themselves are currently untouched by the roadworks and are two lanes wide. In the area marked 'keep clear' the wall comes in diagonally making one lane immediately after. The island between the two directions is currently a hole I believe. I'll try to get a photo on my way home if it's light enough.

 

[jimboalee]

Ya know Jezston, some days I have to glance into shop windows to see my reflection, because I get a feeling I'm frigging invisible.

 

[Crankarm]

Ya know Jezston, some days I have to glance into shop windows to see my reflection, because I get a feeling I'm frigging invisible.

More calories Jimbo that's what you need.

 

[Bird Brain]

Number two.

I bet in a court of law those red light jumping motorists would swear blind that you jumped the red,because cyclists have a reputation for doing this anyway and that has always worried me.

 

[Tynan]

yes, something seems to have happened to the roads, in the last three days I've had at least three near serious accidents, one of which terrifed me at the time and nearly made me jack it in

one left hook at Aldgate that actually made contact with my right glove and nearly pushed me into the rider to my left, I was in primary to stop someone turning left across me

one right hook through a gap that suddenly opened in two lanes of traffic to my right, very close, got that, have to upload it

and someone swerving into my lane from the right as I as in primary dong 25mph, I sensed something in the corner of my eye and turned to see a blue van headin at me, inches from my rear right side, presumably in the act of braking very hard

tonight someone pulling out on me at Aldgate that had to have been looking right at me with a bloody Exposure Ride on flash, he hadn;t seen me because he emergency stopped at the last moment

it's bloody unerving

 

[ufkacbln]

Number two.

I bet in a court of law those red light jumping motorists would swear blind that you jumped the red,because cyclists have a reputation for doing this anyway and that has always worried me.

This is why helmet cams are so brilliant

I always write a polite letter (email) stating briefly what happened and use the "below the standard" quote above, then ask what they are going to do to prevent a recurrence. However I never mention or attach the video... I let them lie and deny the offence first and hen disprove their claims as most employers hate being lied to.

In one case I had a driver from a local delivery firm force me off at a crossing island. When I complained to the firm the driver stated it was my fault as I was "all over the road and totally unlit" - hje had been taking avoiding action after he saw me at the last moment and I had swerved in front of him at the

I thoroughly enjoyed writing the letter that started :

"I regret to inform you that your employee has been less than honest with you over this matter"

Then adding the video showing a perfectly steady line and his vehicle lit up by the 720 lumens headlight as it drove at speed between me at the island with inches to spare!

A very apologetic reply was received and the driver dismissed (due to his dishonesty rather than his driving though)