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Near Miss of the Day 230: Cyclist squeezed between parked vehicles and close-passing van (includes swearing)

Our regular feature showing close passes from around the country - today it's Hampshire...

Today's video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows something that will be familiar to any cyclist - a motorist overtaking a rider as they pass a line of parked vehicles, causing them to get squeezed between the two.

It's made worse in this case by the fact there is a vehicle coming in the other direction too - meaning the van driver gives even less space to the cyclist being overtaken.

It was filmed on Monday in North Parade, Portsmouth by road.cc reader Adam, who told us: "My language is a bit colourful as the van passes, but I composed myself and just looked at the driver at the traffic lights.

"I could not believe that he overtook me whilst I was passing parked vehicles and there was an oncoming vehicle on the other side of the road.

"He seemed to realise his poor spacial conduct, but then could have given more passing space after the lights to redeem himself.

"This is one of many closes passes that I have experienced on Northern Parade, and my lack of confrontation this time may mean that I am starting to become immune to it."

> Near Miss of the Day turns 100 - Why do we do the feature and what have we learnt from it?

Over the years road.cc has reported on literally hundreds of close passes and near misses involving badly driven vehicles from every corner of the country – so many, in fact, that we’ve decided to turn the phenomenon into a regular feature on the site. One day hopefully we will run out of close passes and near misses to report on, but until that happy day arrives, Near Miss of the Day will keep rolling on.

If you’ve caught on camera a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with another road user that you’d like to share with the wider cycling community please send it to us at info [at] road.cc or send us a message via the road.cc Facebook page.

If the video is on YouTube, please send us a link, if not we can add any footage you supply to our YouTube channel as an unlisted video (so it won't show up on searches).

Please also let us know whether you contacted the police and if so what their reaction was, as well as the reaction of the vehicle operator if it was a bus, lorry or van with company markings etc.

> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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23 comments

Avatar
Pushing50 | 5 years ago
1 like

Ignorance is bliss.

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
1 like

I'm ignoring Don's shenanigans, but obviously have to post about it otherwise he wouldn't know that I know that he knows that I'm ignoring him.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
1 like

HawkinsPeter wrote:

I'm ignoring Don's shenanigans, but obviously have to post about it otherwise he wouldn't know that I know that he knows that I'm ignoring him.

And I'm supporting both you and Don by immediately ignoring both of you.  Please ignore this post.

Avatar
CygnusX1 replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
1 like

burtthebike wrote:

HawkinsPeter wrote:

I'm ignoring Don's shenanigans, but obviously have to post about it otherwise he wouldn't know that I know that he knows that I'm ignoring him.

And I'm supporting both you and Don by immediately ignoring both of you.  Please ignore this post.

I'm sitting on the fence for this one. Please ignore these posts.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to CygnusX1 | 5 years ago
1 like

CygnusX1 wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

HawkinsPeter wrote:

I'm ignoring Don's shenanigans, but obviously have to post about it otherwise he wouldn't know that I know that he knows that I'm ignoring him.

And I'm supporting both you and Don by immediately ignoring both of you.  Please ignore this post.

I'm sitting on the fence for this one. Please ignore these posts.

This is the only way I can think of topping your post

 

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
0 likes

HawkinsPeter wrote:

I'm ignoring Don's shenanigans, but obviously have to post about it otherwise he wouldn't know that I know that he knows that I'm ignoring him.

What the hell are you talking about, man?

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to don simon fbpe | 5 years ago
2 likes

don simon fbpe wrote:

HawkinsPeter wrote:

I'm ignoring Don's shenanigans, but obviously have to post about it otherwise he wouldn't know that I know that he knows that I'm ignoring him.

What the hell are you talking about, man?

No idea - that must have been written by a spoof account.

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
1 like

HawkinsPeter wrote:

don simon fbpe wrote:

HawkinsPeter wrote:

I'm ignoring Don's shenanigans, but obviously have to post about it otherwise he wouldn't know that I know that he knows that I'm ignoring him.

What the hell are you talking about, man?

No idea - that must have been written by a spoof account.

Spoof account? Well I never...

 

I don't know what this is about either...

burtthebike wrote:

HawkinsPeter wrote:

I'm ignoring Don's shenanigans, but obviously have to post about it otherwise he wouldn't know that I know that he knows that I'm ignoring him.

And I'm supporting both you and Don by immediately ignoring both of you.  Please ignore this post.

Avatar
bigbiker101 | 5 years ago
3 likes

I would say virtually all my close passes are the same reason as this.... the overtaking driver decided to overtake when there is an oncoming vehicle or obstruction which causes them to move over, the sheer lack of observation is appauling and this is something that somehow needs to be addressed.

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to bigbiker101 | 5 years ago
1 like

bigbiker101 wrote:

I would say virtually all my close passes are the same reason as this.... the overtaking driver decided to overtake when there is an oncoming vehicle or obstruction which causes them to move over, the sheer lack of observation is appauling and this is something that somehow needs to be addressed.

I had one coming head on at me this evening. Cyclist just doing what they do, I was coming in the opposite direction and the oncoming van decided to overtake.

Result, a dangerous overtake. For those that know Hoole Road at rush hour, a completely pointless overtake.

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 5 years ago
0 likes

Outrageous!

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
0 likes

Almost certainly a hire van, so possibly not experienced, but that is no excuse.  If you aren't experienced you take more care, not less. 

Overtake made worse by the fact that if the driver had waited literally a second, they could have passed safely.  As Adam says, he probably realised how bad his driving  was, and at the lights he is well over to the right.

Avatar
EK Spinner replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
9 likes

burtthebike wrote:

 

Overtake made worse by the fact that if the driver had waited literally a second, they could have passed safely.  

 

And had they waited 10 seconds they would have been stopped at exactly the same place in the short queue for the light, not only was it a dangerous pass it was a completly pointless one

Avatar
Hirsute | 5 years ago
3 likes

Shocking

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet replied to Hirsute | 5 years ago
1 like

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

 

And.....here....we......go!

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet replied to Hirsute | 5 years ago
0 likes

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

 

And.....here....we......go!

Avatar
CygnusX1 replied to Hirsute | 5 years ago
2 likes

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

Some might say egregious.

Avatar
CycleLondon replied to CygnusX1 | 5 years ago
1 like

CygnusX1 wrote:

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

Some might say egregious.

An egregious maneuvre maybe, but sorry - what exactly is 'shocking' about it?

This is the standard behaviour of the vast majority of drivers who don't give a damn about others.

I was nearly killed by a driver a few weeks back.  You can admire my youtube video where I have a fantastic exchange with the driver. You cannot hear it though as there is no sound, but believe me that my rapier wit was cutting and I left the fool destroyed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKaeEik6P8k&t=13s

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to CycleLondon | 5 years ago
3 likes

CycleLondon wrote:

CygnusX1 wrote:

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

Some might say egregious.

An egregious maneuvre maybe, but sorry - what exactly is 'shocking' about it?

This is the standard behaviour of the vast majority of drivers who don't give a damn about others.

I was nearly killed by a driver a few weeks back.  You can admire my youtube video where I have a fantastic exchange with the driver. You cannot hear it though as there is no sound, but believe me that my rapier wit was cutting and I left the fool destroyed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKaeEik6P8k&t=13s

Is this a parody account of Cycle.London?

Not cool.

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
2 likes

HawkinsPeter wrote:

CycleLondon wrote:

CygnusX1 wrote:

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

Some might say egregious.

An egregious maneuvre maybe, but sorry - what exactly is 'shocking' about it?

This is the standard behaviour of the vast majority of drivers who don't give a damn about others.

I was nearly killed by a driver a few weeks back.  You can admire my youtube video where I have a fantastic exchange with the driver. You cannot hear it though as there is no sound, but believe me that my rapier wit was cutting and I left the fool destroyed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKaeEik6P8k&t=13s

Is this a parody account of Cycle.London?

Not cool.

Shocking!

Avatar
bikeman01 replied to CycleLondon | 5 years ago
0 likes

CycleLondon wrote:

CygnusX1 wrote:

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

Some might say egregious.

An egregious maneuvre maybe, but sorry - what exactly is 'shocking' about it?

This is the standard behaviour of the vast majority of drivers who don't give a damn about others.

I was nearly killed by a driver a few weeks back.  You can admire my youtube video where I have a fantastic exchange with the driver. You cannot hear it though as there is no sound, but believe me that my rapier wit was cutting and I left the fool destroyed.

 

Will you be posting a link to your youtube channel in the comments on every near miss of the day video?

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to bikeman01 | 5 years ago
4 likes

bikeman01 wrote:

CycleLondon wrote:

CygnusX1 wrote:

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

Some might say egregious.

An egregious maneuvre maybe, but sorry - what exactly is 'shocking' about it?

This is the standard behaviour of the vast majority of drivers who don't give a damn about others.

I was nearly killed by a driver a few weeks back.  You can admire my youtube video where I have a fantastic exchange with the driver. You cannot hear it though as there is no sound, but believe me that my rapier wit was cutting and I left the fool destroyed.

 

Will you be posting a link to your youtube channel in the comments on every near miss of the day video?

That's no way to talk to someone on their first post. How about an apology and a  proper welcome for them now?

Avatar
cycle.london replied to bikeman01 | 5 years ago
3 likes

bikeman01 wrote:

CycleLondon wrote:

CygnusX1 wrote:

hirsute wrote:

Shocking

Some might say egregious.

An egregious maneuvre maybe, but sorry - what exactly is 'shocking' about it?

This is the standard behaviour of the vast majority of drivers who don't give a damn about others.

I was nearly killed by a driver a few weeks back.  You can admire my youtube video where I have a fantastic exchange with the driver. You cannot hear it though as there is no sound, but believe me that my rapier wit was cutting and I left the fool destroyed.

Will you be posting a link to your youtube channel in the comments on every near miss of the day video?

Well, 'I' might.  But since 'I' didn't post the above comment, the issue is really academic.

The person responsible for the spoof account has been banned.

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