Riding down the road happily on my way to work,nobody behind me, nobody in front of me, approaching a layby on my left, suddenly the single car coming the other way pulls across in front of me to do a u-turn in the layby, no indcation, nothing, just yanked on the steering wheel and into the layby.

Me hauling on the brakes pulling my best “oh sh111111t!” face as I roll alongside the (now facing the same way as me but in the layby) car , trying to make eye contact with the driver, who is looking straight forward I might add, he then pulls out of the layby right beside me narrowly missing taking me out again!

Now, perhaps I should have mentioned my setup this morning….

> Commuter with Neon Orange Hi-Vis Bar tape
> Exposure Maxx D on the bars, on low but still….
> Hi-Vis Yellow waterproof jacket
> bright blue shorts

> and oh, yes, pulling a **** great trailer with a Hi-Vis Neon Orange dry sac on it, and comical hi-vis flag on a pole!

I couldn’t have been more visible if I’d tried.

People pulling out of junctions I can anticipate, people turning left in front of me without indicating I can plan for, even people pulling across me into side roads give some warning, but random u-turns in front of you when you’re the only two vehicles within 100 yards just caught me by surprise…

grrrrr

He wouldn’t have noticed you kicking his wing mirror off then

Now, perhaps I should have mentioned my setup this morning….

> Commuter with Neon Orange Hi-Vis Bar tape
> Exposure Maxx D on the bars, on low but still….
> Hi-Vis Yellow waterproof jacket
> bright blue shorts

> and oh, yes, pulling a **** great trailer with a Hi-Vis Neon Orange dry sac on it, and comical hi-vis flag on a pole!

Frankly dressed like that you deserved everything you nearly got…maybe he did it on purpose to get such an abomination off our roads?

I’m beginning to believe they have seen me but just don’t give a shit.

Only beginning?

> Hi-Vis Yellow waterproof jacket

I don’t believe it, you must have been wearing black, as we’ve been told that hi-vis prevents stuff like this.

Only beginning?

I only ride on the road occasionally as I feel a lot safer flinging myself down wooded single track at inappropriate speeds.

Always keep a few pebbles in your pocket.

Deviant – Frankly dressed like that you deserved everything you nearly got…maybe he did it on purpose to get such an abomination off our roads?

that thought had occurred actually, I was very careful to take a route where I was least likely to be seen by anyone I know.

I don’t believe it, you must have been wearing black, as we’ve been told that hi-vis prevents stuff like this.

I was wearing black socks, maybe that was it, their invisibility field must have leaked out over the rest of me

Why didn’t you ring your bell?
Were you wearing a helmet?

Not using the above? It’s your fault.

Why didn’t you ring your bell?

dammit, I knew there was something I forgot

Were you wearing a helmet?

yes, yes I was, can’t get me on that one! ner ner!

Note the reg and call plod to report a suspected drunk/drugged driver.

If he/she’s paying that little attention they could well be under the influence and if nothing else getting a knock on the door should put the wind up them.

I’m beginning to believe they have seen me but just don’t give a shit

more than likely this ^^^

Note the reg

too late now, but I’ll try and remember for next time, in between braking, and swerving, and pulling funny faces, and being incredulous, but I might have to forego one of those, I’m not sure my multi-tasking is up to it.

Yup. This why, despite my intention to rise above things, I end up kicking bodywork, spitting through open windows and using very unpleasant language.

Try and ride with an onboard camera and just report this type of incident to the police. Every road cyclist should do it. Once the police get flooded up to their eyeballs with thousands of reports maybe something will start getting done. Id love to be able to submit camera footage of a dangerous overtake or near miss / dangerous manoeuvre and see the registered owner get an immediate fine through the post. If its not paid in 14 days then add 3 points too.

You probably jumped a red light earlier

Try and ride with an onboard camera and just report this type of incident to the police. Every road cyclist should do it

But then I’d turn into some kind of wheeled hooligan who goes looking for incidents to post on you tube…. apparently

was it your wife???? just a thought like 😉

you were obviously going too fast

Yeah, people don’t care. I spent a week in Germany this Summer and I saw hundreds of cyclists on the roads everyday. 99% didn’t wear helmets, 100% of them didn’t wear any hi-viz s**t. I rode a massive “city” bike there too, wearing sandals and no helmet. I was shocked that on every junction I had right of way, I didn’t even have to look if there are any cars joining from the side roads, pulling out from the shop car parks, etc… If the drivers could not overtake me leaving a whole lane gap – they just stayed behind. No beeping, no swearing, no fighting for your place on the road…

It’s a culture thing. In the UK “bikes don’t pay road tax” – we all know that issue…

But don’t worry! In Poland, my home country, you’d need to run across the road on a pedestrian crossing, hoping that nothing will run you over… LOL

Probably drunk / drugged / half asleep / fiddling with satnav / phone.

Don’t let it distract you from the real menace – cyclists RLJing and riding like they own the road, blah blah etc, lycra, blah, silly helmets, no insurance etc.

You Some other person on a bike probably jumped a red light earlier

…or rode on the pavement

Some other person on a bike probably jumped a red light earlier

yes, must be that, maybe i’ll kick someone else’s car later to get him back…

In this situation I am tempted to grab my U-lock and lob it at the car.

Not done it yet though.

EDIT and apparently if you’d not had high viz on it’d have been your fault.

I was riding a road section mid afternoon , good lighting ,wearing an orange jacket with reflective stripes on sleeves .passing a t-junction – I’m on the main carriageway .an old lad pulls slowly up top the junction and stops, looks both way several times and exactly at the moment I am directly in front of her she pulls out pushing me accross the road and .fortunately stopping as I am falling over half way accross the road with a car coming the other way.She kept saying she hadn’t seen me and was shaking like a shitting dog.I stood around to question whether she was fit to be driving but had to get riding again before everything stiffened up .

I’m beginning to believe they have seen me but just don’t give a shit.

This

On Friday a taxi performed a U turn in front of me.

He had his window down and was looking straight at me.

I said “Hey!” (not too aggressively just trying to get him to acknowledge my existence) He just looked right through me so i said “Just ignore me then” and In response I got “Aye I f***in will ignore you ya f****in p****”

Conclusion: There are many arseholes in this world and some of them drive taxis

I’m a champion of tbe hi viz route, but nothing will protect you from idiots.

Better driver training, enforcement and punishments are the only long term solutions. Then I will stop wearing hi viz and using lights in daylight.

punishments

I’m a firm believer in this. If you can catch them.

Is this not the second incident recently of someone on here wearing a yellow top and blue shorts and having a motorist try to take them out. Fashion rage?

richmtb – Member

I’m beginning to believe they have seen me but just don’t give a shit.

This

On Friday a taxi performed a U turn in front of me.

He had his window down and was looking straight at me.

I said “Hey!” (not too aggressively just trying to get him to acknowledge my existence) He just looked right through me so i said “Just ignore me then” and In response I got “Aye I f***in will ignore you ya f****in p****”

Conclusion: There are many arseholes in this world and some of them drive taxis
At the risk of soundling like an internet hardman, that sort of nonsense would have resulted in the red mist descending and damage to his taxi ensuing whilst i utter the words “ignore this then you f’ing c**t”.

I’m beginning to believe they have seen me but just don’t give a shit.

Unfortunately this plus lots. The Audi estate was a prime example of this on Tuesday night. He was determined he was coming past no matter what. The part that really got my goat was the bicycle wheel visible in the boot of the car as he squeezed past. Utter chump of the highest order. Oh and I was wearing a yellow jacket, yellow gloves and yellow overshoes with a 100 lumen rear light and reflectives on everything.

There seems to be a lot of idiots out there, who don’t seem to comprehend that they are incapable of driving a vehicle safely and then blame others for it. Had it this morning at a roundabout on a dual carriageway, I was in middle lane to go straight on (in big black 4×4, lights on) White van man in inside lane pulls away (also going straight on) then sticks half his van in my lane nearly taking my front end off, causing me to brake. Then decided to stick his finger up as I went passed, because I beeped my horn at him.
These idiots just seem to drive from A to B with absolutely no consideration or concept that the roads are there for everyone to use, not just solely for themselves. Trouble is there are no Police out and about to ‘educate’ these neanderthal morons!

Yeah, people don’t care. I spent a week in Germany this Summer and I saw hundreds of cyclists on the roads everyday. 99% didn’t wear helmets, 100% of them didn’t wear any hi-viz s**t. I rode a massive “city” bike there too, wearing sandals and no helmet. I was shocked that on every junction I had right of way, I didn’t even have to look if there are any cars joining from the side roads, pulling out from the shop car parks, etc… If the drivers could not overtake me leaving a whole lane gap – they just stayed behind. No beeping, no swearing, no fighting for your place on the road…

They also have laws that give cyclist’s & pedestrians right of way over cars. If they hit you they are automatically in deep doo doo 😆

an old lad pulls slowly up top

had to get riding again before everything stiffened up

You are Wayne Rooney and I claim my £5 😉

Mister P – Member
….. reflectives on everything.

Brings a whole new perspective to willy waving…

Bet if you road through a red light or on the pavement they would see you 😉

She kept saying she hadn’t seen me

She probably hadn’t.

Lost in the Saccadic Masking and all that:

What an RAF pilot can teach us about being safe on the road (London Cyclist) – should be compulsory reading for anyone on the road!

Presumed liability should definately be introduced:

Linky

It won’t, though. Too much of a war on the poor downtrodden motorist… 🙁

And agree 100% that SMIDSY is usually code for SMIDSYBIDGAF (“sorry mate, I did see you but I didn’t give a f***”)

At the risk of soundling like an internet hardman, that sort of nonsense would have resulted in the red mist descending and damage to his taxi ensuing whilst i utter the words “ignore this then you f’ing c**t”.

A former courier friend of mine did exactly that.
Properly smashed a car up using a D-lock. The driver sat there too terrified to get out in case the lock was used on him and he had no avenue of escape. Not advocating that by any means but I can see why it happened – the final incident that broke the camel’s back.