Near Miss of the Day 573: Close pass van driver asks cyclist, “Two feet is enough, isn't it?”

I didn't see a smiley, so I have to check that this is irony, right?
(Although on second look I note that's not a DPD van)

No, it's genuine, not irony. APC, not DPD, committed the gross offences on this shot, but this was the case where Lancashire Constabulary came up with the bent-and-barmy excuse for taking no action at all: they wanted my immaculate video confirmed by footage from the offending vehicle. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't any. The most charitable interpretation of LC's inaction is that they just can't be bothered, and the worst is that officers enter into private arrangements with the offenders. My evidence was impeccable.

I am in the process of waiting for a reply from Northumbria police for a similar but much more squeaky bum moment I had last week.  A contract Driver for a national tipper firm decided to overtake me on double white lines into the face of oncoming traffic.

I had to almost take to the verge, and the oncoming driver had to take evasive action to avoid the collision.   The lanes on the road in question are just wide enough for the wagon.  I can't upload the image of the overtake (because of the fact I am waiting for the police), but this is a picture of another wagon that overtook me just a few seconds prior,  roughly at the point of the overtake, as an illustration of how little room there was for a bike, car and lorry to be 3 abreast

I have a nieghbour who drives for DPD, not sure if he is independant or not, we were talking about driving standards the other day (he is very good, the guy who does his run of a weekend is not).

He told me something I found interesting as I always though that the drivers were keen to be quick in order to finish or get more parcels etc, however thier rounds have predicted times on them and they cannot scan a parcel to record it's delivery before the start of it's predicted delivery window.

Yeah - I've had the bizarre situation where the same driver was delivering two seperate parcels to me on the same run, and had to wait after the first was delivered while the scanner thing counted down for a minute or so before they were allowed to deliver the second. 

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

I think we have mentioned that alot of the Couriers firms are working with "independent" contractors, even if they happen to have branded vans. I'm not sure if DPD is one of these but their drivers seem to be one of the worst examples. I had one overtake me and imediately left hook whilst I was doing 23 down a 30 side road here. (I had just reached the last cottage garden when he overtook). 

I did some hand signals indicating the pass distance etc and carreid on and was then was close passed by the following jag on the bridge straight after. Unfortunately it appeared the Camera hadn't turned on at the start of the ride so both drivers were not reported.

The only hand signal DPD drivers understand involves a closed fist and a single finger.

I'm not sure that necessarily contributed to either of these though. If the van driver believes 2ft is adequate & I'd be willing to bet he wouldnt if the roles were reversed, it doesnt matter how central you ride does it,he's still only giving you 2ft ?

On the 2nd one it's a lousy position the DPD van puts you in, but I dont like riding into gaps like that, as you can run out of space real quick, so I'd have been tempted however annoying or wrong the situation was to ease off and let the van go through at least a car length or two ahead.