Idiot driver – just need to vent

kamoshika · 2013-03-08T11:51:00+00:00

Sorry for the rant, but just need somewhere to vent. Cycling to work this morning (my commute is only a mile or so each way) and coming down a hill to a roundabout, with a side-road on the right just before you get there. I'm behind a car, close enough that there's no gap to pull into but far enough back so the car isn't obscuring me. Of course some numpty pulls out right in front of me forcing me to brake hard to avoid an accident. I stop alongside him at the queue at the roundabout and tell him needs to be more careful, to which he replies "Where's your hi-viz jacket?". I point out that his car isn't painted bright yellow to avoid accidents and in any case I was wearing a bright red jacket in daylight and if he didn't see me it's not to do with what I'm wearing. At that point he starts getting out of his car and threatening me. He quickly got back in and drove off, but it's left me really angry and frustrated that people think it's OK to behave like that towards someone just trying to get to work. I'm 99% sure he did see me and was just trying to intimidate me, without any regard for my safety. I've only been back on my bike a couple of months after suffering a broken ankle being hit by a car on a roundabout, and I'm sure incidents like this are becoming more frequent. I refuse to let it put me off cycling, but it definitely worries me that every time I go out on my bike I might encounter someone who is quite happy leave me injured or worse just because I choose to get around by bike. Have just ordered a helmet cam, so I will at least have some evidence of what's happened if I report an incident in future. Phew - that's better! Back to work :)

This topic has 27 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 3 months ago by mancsi.

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March 8, 2013 at 11:51 am #18170

kamoshika

Sorry for the rant, but just need somewhere to vent.

Cycling to work this morning (my commute is only a mile or so each way) and coming down a hill to a roundabout, with a side-road on the right just before you get there. I’m behind a car, close enough that there’s no gap to pull into but far enough back so the car isn’t obscuring me. Of course some numpty pulls out right in front of me forcing me to brake hard to avoid an accident. I stop alongside him at the queue at the roundabout and tell him needs to be more careful, to which he replies “Where’s your hi-viz jacket?”. I point out that his car isn’t painted bright yellow to avoid accidents and in any case I was wearing a bright red jacket in daylight and if he didn’t see me it’s not to do with what I’m wearing. At that point he starts getting out of his car and threatening me. He quickly got back in and drove off, but it’s left me really angry and frustrated that people think it’s OK to behave like that towards someone just trying to get to work. I’m 99% sure he did see me and was just trying to intimidate me, without any regard for my safety.

I’ve only been back on my bike a couple of months after suffering a broken ankle being hit by a car on a roundabout, and I’m sure incidents like this are becoming more frequent. I refuse to let it put me off cycling, but it definitely worries me that every time I go out on my bike I might encounter someone who is quite happy leave me injured or worse just because I choose to get around by bike.

Have just ordered a helmet cam, so I will at least have some evidence of what’s happened if I report an incident in future.

Phew – that’s better! Back to work 🙂
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March 12, 2013 at 4:03 pm #720901
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mancsi

Hi Farrell, I cant really
Hi Farrell, I cant really remember exactly where it was, the road to my left had a railway bridge on it? I was so shocked that it had happend. I know how terrible that road it so was being extra safe but still get the DICK dastardly’s!!

March 12, 2013 at 10:41 am #720899
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farrell

Whereabouts did it happen
Whereabouts did it happen Si?

Just wondering if there would be any CCTV to pick up the cars reg plate.

The A6 is just wacky races material at certain points.

March 12, 2013 at 10:17 am #720897
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kamoshika

mancsi wrote:He swears he
mancsi wrote:
He swears he indicates and always does

Because of course that would make it perfectly fine to left hook a cyclist.

My brother had a fairly similar incident – he was cycling along a main road, and a car coming the other way turned right, across his path, into a side road and took him out. Apparently the guy wasn’t at all apologetic and said “I was indicating”. Do these people genuinely not realise that turning on your indicator doesn’t give you right of way over cyclists?!

March 10, 2013 at 8:50 pm #720895
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foxyloxy

Thanks Mancsi,it usually
Thanks Mancsi,it usually shuts them up,last spring I was out training down near the A1,not far from Newark,in country lanes,coming up to a T junction where I was going to turn left,and this pratt turned Right on my side of the road,he was driving a powerful convertable,showing off to his young son.Fortunately I was not hit,he started the verbals by saying,”When you get a tax disc on that bike,then you can grumble.”So I gave him my little ditty,he got really mad,but what I was not aware of was the two other cyclists who came along behind him,he turned tail and drove off.Have been riding and competing 57 yrs this year and still loving it,all the best my friend.Foxy 😉

March 10, 2013 at 11:58 am #720893
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mancsi

Notfastenough, cheers for the
Notfastenough, cheers for the well wishes. You know the stupidity of myself and the pure rage ripping through my veins at the time meant I never took his details. I didnt even realise my phone was smashed till I get home. Lessons here for everyone, take pics and registrations! :”(

March 10, 2013 at 10:01 am #720891
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SevenHills

graham_f wrote:Hmm. It was an
graham_f wrote:
Hmm. It was an Audi that pulled out me too. Are Audis the new BMWs?

I hate to quote the anti-christ Clarkson but he has put forward the theory that as all the “Cocks” drove BMWs they were recognised as such. They then thought that they could hide by switching the car that they drove and not be regarded as a Cock. Unfortunately they all seemed to switch to Audis. I have had two people run in to my car and both failed to stop. Both times the other car was an Audi.
Be aware and treat as you would a Beemer!

March 10, 2013 at 9:29 am #720889
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kamoshika

Hmm. It was an Audi that
Hmm. It was an Audi that pulled out me too. Are Audis the new BMWs?

March 10, 2013 at 1:52 am #720887
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Leviathan

I am surprised it was black
I am surprised it was black not white. There are a lot of this type of car (and driver) around here. I call them Cheshire Polarbears. Sad to hear they are now bold enough to venture into town.

March 9, 2013 at 10:10 pm #720885
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notfastenough

mancsi wrote:I cant believe
mancsi wrote:
I cant believe the attitude of car drivers. I was out yesterday for a cycle up around Macclesfield. Heading home going through Levenshume towards Manchester a black Audi A8 turns left in front of me. No indicators nothing, I was into the passenger window and over the bonnet. The back of my helmet was smashed, my phone screen in my jersey smashed and a serious road rash. Luckly nothing serious and my bike was fine. The guy approaches me and said ”You were lucky you were wearing a helmet!” He swears he indicates and always does (LIE). What do we do?

Eh-up – black A8, white driver in his 40’s/50’s?

“Last week I was overtaken by a huge Audi A8 that gave me no space at all, despite a clear road, and it being perfectly safe and legal for him to cross the white line while overtaking. When he stopped at the lights I asked him to ‘leave more room please’. He wound down his window to tell me that he would then have been ‘on the other side of the road’. Not only would that have been a good manoeuvre, but it hadn’t occurred to him that if it wasn’t, he simply should have waited until it was safe to overtake. An extra second or two on his journey was worth more to him than my safety. The irony of course is that then we were both at the lights together anyway.”

I posted this here on 19-12-12:
http://road.cc/content/news/66901-olympic-success-has-positive-impact-motorists-view-cyclists-according-survey

He wasn’t acting maliciously, just with literally NO consideration for me, which sounds like exactly what’s happened to you.

Hope your road rash heals quickly and that the fool is paying for your phone/helmet etc.

March 9, 2013 at 8:58 pm #720883
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mancsi

Perfectly put foxy.
Perfectly put foxy.

March 9, 2013 at 8:17 pm #720881
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foxyloxy

BIG CAR BIG DICK,small
BIG CAR BIG DICK,small brain!! 😉

March 9, 2013 at 5:47 pm #720879
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mancsi

I cant believe the attitude
I cant believe the attitude of car drivers. I was out yesterday for a cycle up around Macclesfield. Heading home going through Levenshume towards Manchester a black Audi A8 turns left in front of me. No indicators nothing, I was into the passenger window and over the bonnet. The back of my helmet was smashed, my phone screen in my jersey smashed and a serious road rash. Luckly nothing serious and my bike was fine. The guy approaches me and said ”You were lucky you were wearing a helmet!” He swears he indicates and always does (LIE). What do we do?

March 9, 2013 at 2:56 pm #720877
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londonplayer

fair enough!
fair enough!

March 9, 2013 at 11:50 am #720875
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kamoshika

londonplayer wrote:If your
londonplayer wrote:
If your commute is just one mile, why don’t you walk it?

Quicker to cycle, and am usually taking the littl’un to or from nursery by bike trailer that adds an extra couple of miles onto the journey at one end of the day or other.

March 9, 2013 at 8:23 am #720873
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Bob's Bikes

Thanks for the suggestion
Thanks for the suggestion Trikeman I will give it a try.
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