Commuting 'incidents' report or move on?

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Commuting 'incidents' report or move on?

22 posts & 20 voices | Started 1 year ago by Jackass123456789 | Latest reply from irc

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Jackass123456789 - Member

So riding home tonight on my commute I had to go a different way after calling into the bank. On the way out of town, on a busy, wide residential street there was some temporary traffic lights and the traffic was queued back a LONG way. As the road is wide there was a nice gap between the queuing traffic and the kerb which I carried on my way going up through, no issues, even got past a huge lorry with a tank on the back. Anyway got to a point and just as I started to go past one car he starts to pull into the pavement squashing me between his car and the kerb.
I gave a big thud to the side of his car a couple of times, bit of shouting and before he could block me off completely I was able to just get in front of him. I stopped and stared at him with my arms in a position of WHY? and he just looked blank at me, no sorry I didn't see you but also no angry response to reason as to why he did it.
In the end I gave him a old man style fist shake at him and rode on. Funnily enough not for him to pass me again so I really wasn't even going to hold him up later on.
Thinking back over it tonight, I really can't understand why he did it as there was no (un)logical reason to pull close into the kurb other than to block me or try and knock me off.

This little event which I am sure won't be the last now that I have committed to a life of commuting has made me wonder if in such events I should remain cool headed and get details of the car / driver and report to the police or just carry on as one of those things.
I can certainly see why some people film their commute and I am sure they have had worse encounters but next time this guy could knock off and seriously injure someone.

Posted 1 year ago #
monksie - Member

He was annoyed because he perceived you were queue jumping and would possibly slow him down when you both got to move off.
I'd not report it. What's anybody going ot do about it?
I would however be having a word with myself about going up the inside of traffic (stationary or not) including a lorry!. Nutter!
Actually, I've been up most of the night...have I just been sucker punched by a troll?

Posted 1 year ago #
coatesy - Member

Mate of mine had something similar happen, but without the panel-beating. The driver followed him until he eventually stopped, then got out of his car, apologised, and explained that he'd moved in to avoid somebody hitting the other side of his car.These things happen, it's fine to cycle up the inside as long you exercise caution. Expect the unexpected, and treat everybody as if they're an idiot that's out to get you, and you'll have a much safer journey.

Posted 1 year ago #
allthepies - Member

If you report that then you'd spend most of your commuting days on the phone to the police. Move on happy in the knowledge that matey was so upset sat in his metal box that he had to perform that daft manoeuvre

Posted 1 year ago #
Keva - Member

always pass stationary /slow moving traffic on the outside if possible. Only use the inside to pass if you really really must get by, at your own risk be it. From the outside as soon as the traffic begins to speed up all you need to do is pull back over.

Try to keep a cool head, shaking your fist at people is quite aggressive behaviour really, a loud 'tap' on the side of the car is enough to let the driver know he is too close.

I would only get the police involved if I or my bike became injured through someone else's wrong action. I've been knocked off several times, never badly hurt though... welcome to the world of commuting. Some people can't drive, worse than that some people don't look where they're going, worse still some people don't seem to care where they're going even if they do see you... you'll get used to it.

Kev

Posted 1 year ago #
BigJohn - Member

It was a lesson that may save your life. Never ride up the inside of traffic.

Posted 1 year ago #
snakebite - Member

my bike became injured

that made me smile.

Posted 1 year ago #
lowey - Member

Tell you the truth guys, passing stationary traffic on the outside scares me. You are so close to oncoming traffic, it only takes a pedestrian or some such to move out and your into oncoming traffic.

I always take the inside line unless the traffic is moving, in which case I move with it.

Posted 1 year ago #
burmaboy - Member

What Keva said is good advice. Never pass on the left unless you know lights have just gone red and even then I'd filter on the outside.

A good website to report stuff on is

http://www.stop-smidsy.org.uk/

stands for 'sorry mate I didnt see you' .

Posted 1 year ago #
packer - Member

How you can commute in a big city without riding up the inside of traffic is beyond me. Far more dangerous to ride down the middle of the road with traffic on both sides in my opinion.

Posted 1 year ago #
sing1etrack - Member

I suspect there's a difference of opinion depending on where you're riding - going down the left in, say, central London is I would suggest a no-no, but rolling past a queue of traffic at a set of lights with no turn offs in your average town probably isn't so fraught with danger, and is probably safer than riding towards oncoming traffic on the RHS?

Posted 1 year ago #
Jackass123456789 - Member

I guess it's personal preference but I always worry that if cars are bumper to bumper and it's stationary, if you go on the outside you end up stuck in the middle on the road as soon as the traffic starts moving as no **** will let you back in. I did this once and the car behind tried to undercut me and I ended up on his bonnet!

Depending on the traffic and queue size I will either slowly work my way through the traffic or wait my turn, however in this instance, as the road was wide and the cars were positioned more to the centre of the road it was (for the most part) easier to go up on the inside.

I agree in this case it was minor enough not to report but I wonder what stance should be taken against drivers who deliberatly take actions against you.

Posted 1 year ago #
The Flying Ox - Member

Don't pass on the inside? Erm.... aren't most cycle lanes on the inside? In fact seems to be actively encouraged in Edinburgh. Where there's otherwise no cycle lane marked, at traffic lights you get about 20m of cycle lane going up the inside leading to the big red block at the front of the queue.

Posted 1 year ago #
theboatman - Member

I suspect there's a difference of opinion depending on where you're riding - going down the left in, say, central London is I would suggest a no-no, but rolling past a queue of traffic at a set of lights with no turn offs in your average town probably isn't so fraught with danger, and is probably safer than riding towards oncoming traffic on the RHS?

Very true, IMO, but far too reasonable for STW. Expect to be ignored

Posted 1 year ago #
DezB - Member

I can certainly see why some people film their commute and I am sure they have had worse encounter

Get a cheap bar cam - it makes these sort of incidents "funny" (for want of a better word), rather than annoying. I just think ha! that's another one caught on camera. (7dayshop.com do bar cams for £16.99 or Ebay if they've run out)

How you can commute in a big city without riding up the inside of traffic is beyond me

You can't. And none of the know-it-alls on here can tell you when and where you should overtake or undertake - UNLESS they do the same commute as you and know where it is safe to do these things. I will never judge how another person rides, but there are some on here so up themselves that they think it is their place to tell you what is correct.

Posted 1 year ago #
billyboy - Member

The Highway Code allowed overtaking on the inside in slow moving traffic. (and I'm a sad barsteward....I've just checked...it still does...rule163.. 2nd to last sentence)

I think that if I saw someone closing the gap in front of me, I wouldn't be accelerating into that closing gap because it would be potentialy dangerous to me to do that. I'd also resist the temptation (and mostly I have done during my cycle commuting life) to shout etc because you just do not know who you are putting yourself in confrontation with. And whoever they are, they are armed with a car which they can run you over with if they chose to.

Your journey is all about getting to your destination safely. If you end up in hospital, or in a fight or some other stressy altercation, then I would suggest that you have failed.

Posted 1 year ago #
bigyinn - Member

Where's TJ with his commuting ~~wisdom~~ FACT when you need him?

Posted 1 year ago #
ourmaninthenorth - Member

I'm another of those moderate, stay-alive boring arses.

I know it doesn't fit in with the image of cyclist as urban warrior seeking every opportunity to vigorously enforce his rights against "cagers", but getting from A to B without unnecessary incident is essential.

Just because we're on bikes doesn't mean we're always right. In fact, there is rarely a distinct "right or wrong" situation on the road - human interraction isn't that prescriptive.

Sounds like the OP was fine to choose to filter, just that next time a driver swerving left won't be so unexpected and he'll be more prepared.

Anticipate and ride accordingly..!

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

I certainly wouldn't bother reporting that - although I have reported a couple of incidents over the years.

I used to get all angry but decided a few years ago to calm it down - nowadays my key thing is to spoil their day more than it spoils yours - so don't get het up about it - laugh at them and ride off. A nice line in imaginative insults helps as well

Posted 1 year ago #
hels - Member

I have always opted to pass on the inside.

If drivers ever look for a cyclist (some do) that is where they look. Just time it carefully NEVER undertake a truck and keep one eye on the traffic lights. You can always jump on the pavement if the worst happens.

I always think passing on the right is much more dodgy, esp if two lanes of traffic. All very well on a motorbike when you have the speed and can slip into the line of traffic if the lights change, but tres iffy on push bike. And you can't always depend on the pattern of the lights at the intersection favoring a right hand overtake - seen somebody caught out by that a few times ! Light is just turned red so away he goes - only to find a line of annoyed drivers coming towards him..

But anyway yes you do need to get a bit more Zen if a regular bike commuter.

Posted 1 year ago #
DezB - Member

I always think passing on the right is much more dodgy, esp if two lanes of traffic

Depends entirely on where it is, amount of traffic etc etc. As OMITN says Anticipate and ride accordingly..!
THERE IS NO HARD AND FAST RULE!

By the way, I've definitely noticed that traffic is more likely to notice you and move over a bit to allow you to undertake when you're using a flashing front light.

Posted 1 year ago #
irc - Member

Choose your battles. I don't think the incident is worth reporting.

To put it in perspective it's worth reading the troubles a QC has had getting the police to do anything about a couple of serious incidents, both of which had good evidence. I've linked to one below. The other on the blog is a threat to kill from a driver.

http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.com/2010/12/police-caution-for-unprovoked-assault.html

A car moving left as you undertook it? I don't see the police doing anything. My take on passing queues on the left? Only if they are stopped. If they are stopped they can't move left.

Going inside or outside depends on the circumstances. Each case is different. I'll undertake trucks and buses as well but only if I am sure there is no way they are moving. In fact I can't think of the last time I undertook either. Both usually occupy so much of the lane there is no gap at the kerb so I'd be going outside anyway.

Posted 1 year ago #

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