I did last night – guy was driving in heavy traffic into Brixton and was absolutely not looking where he was going. Didn’t hit anyone or cause an accident as far as I could see (may have done earlier, who knows).

Usually I just stay away but this time I felt like making a point. When he stopped in the traffic jam I just went up and tapped his window, he rather hurriedly dropped his phone (which he was still using) and wound the window down. I just asked him to stop using his phone as it was bloody dangerous. He collected himself enough to have a pop at me for touching his car – asking if I had insurance… at which point I felt the point had obviously been made and rode off…

Now on the one hand, it feels like I can intervene and therefore should, after all, people do get killed and it is illegal.
On the other hand, the next one could be more psychopathic… or it might just reinforce the idea in the head of an idiot that cyclists are all a bit ‘houlier than thou’…

So, generally speaking, do you get involved or stay out? And what have your experiences been when you do get involved?

I had someone pull a knife on me once when I asked them if they could perhaps give me more than 3″ of space the next time the overtake me.

i have a horn on my bike – it has 2 settings … one is horn like…. the other sounds like a cop car doing it pulling you over siren.

phones go flying when you pull upbeside folk on their phones in traffic reading facebook etc etc and toot it 😉

I wouldn’t get involved as directly as that (if they’re using their phone then they’re probably not a decent enough person to see reason) but it’d be worth reporting them to the plod.

Leave it have a few people get a bit ‘stabity’ over small things when I lived in London. 😉

Intervening is fine when it actually changes something. If I thought it would actually change someones behavior then I would get involved.

As I don’t think it would would drivers on the phone, I don’t.

glupton1976 – Member

I had someone pull a knife on me once when I asked them if they could perhaps give me more than 3″ of space the next time the overtake me.
Knew you from on here did he? 😆

trail_rat – Member
i have a horn on my bike – it has 2 settings … one is horn like…. the other sounds like a cop car doing it pulling you over siren.

I think I need one of these in my life

often tempted to gt some stickers made up

“I drive and use my phone”
“I don’t indicate”
“I drive like a …”

etc. point made to all and sundry, driver probably never know who stickered them…

Unfortunatley interventions like this with a motorists can make you and other cyclists a target for a “punishment pass” or worse… if you feel you have to do something note the car reg and report to the police; that way they “should” get a phone call about their behaviour. It probably will make no difference to their behavour but at least you have done something, and done it correctly.

Work colleague was whinging the other day about a visit from the police after being reported to be on his phone in traffic… there were two witnesses so he has been given points and a fine, which buy totting up means he is very close to license losing… and since he lives 60 miles from work his only option is to drive blah blah blah… he was on about appealing or contesting the points… but surely his best option would be to not speed or be on the bloody phone then 🙄 .

I tend to avoid confrontation with drivers whenever possible. I am a small fella and wobbling round on road shoes and cleats is not great if it gets physical. There are some proper nutjobs out there and I am not equipped to deal with them.

I think ‘stabity’ should be spelt ‘stabbity’, not sure why though.
I would leave it as people who are being arsey rarely stop when its pointed out to them, if youre really fussef about it take a pic or note of the numberplate rather than confront them and place yourself in danger.

Take a photo and their reg, send it to the police if you feel like trying to change something.

As above, getting involved with idiots in cars can sometimes backfire. I rarely do it now unless I feel seriously at risk.

I do remember a long time ago when I was always up for arguing with drivers, pulling up in an ASL green box next to a car that was already parked there in it. I suggested to the guy through his open window that he try learning to drive and not park in the cycle area. He spat at me (which missed and went through my frame). Well you know how when you’ve been cycling hard and your mouth is full of really sticky gob? That’s what he got back which landed on his passenger footwell. He started to get out of his car and the guy behind him who was the size of a small truck, jumped out and told him to get back in his effing car.

Which was nice.

Have you thought of a career change? Traffic warden maybe?

I had a guy miss me by about 3″ when I was sat at red lights in the cycle box (but still to the left of the road). I was just about to knock on his window when I realised his battle-axe of a wife, who was in the passenger seat, was already giving him a severe grilling for his actions: “Did you even bloody see that cyclist Norman!”. I could tell instantly he was one of those poor blokes who’s wife has his balls in a vice so I decided not to add to his misery.

Niiiiice, spitting at people (both of you). 🙄

I suspect the risk of something unpleasant happening far outweighs the probability of the driver seeing the error of their ways and changing their behaviour for the better.

A couple of times I have very pointedly sat in front of cars that stopped in the advance cyclist’s box at lights, and nearly got intentionally rear ended by said drivers in return.

They don’t give a ****, on an individual basis we’re unlikely to change them.

Did nearly shout at a pedestrian walking down road with headphones on, oblivous to me behind her or the pavement three feet to her right….collectively people are idiots and nothing short of a massive asteroid strike is going to stop that.

Should have performed a citizen’s arrest.

Confrontation only serves to increase people’s “arsehole factor” I find.

Brake fluid in a water pistol 🙂 just kidding…..

Talking on your phone these days is inexcusable. There can’t be any phones around that can’t bluetooth to a hands free earpeice.

Texting, tweeting or facebooking etc is just stupid.

I’m amazed that the police don’t do more about phone use. That’s got to be one of the easiest nabs. Stand by a busy road and you’d get 4 or 5 in 15 mins.

2 things I have noticed a massive increase in:
Texting whilst driving.
Not wearing a seatbelt.

What irks me is the amount of ‘professional’ drivers (people who drive for a living) seem to be regular perpetrators. I appreciate the need to make / get calls, but (as mentioned) get a handsfree, or how about letting the other 3 guys squeezed in the front cab take the call for you? Don’t get it.

OH reliably informs me that a “professional” driver in charge of a large vehicle is instantly Dangerous Driving. At least one bus driver knows this to their cost.

I’m amazed that the police don’t do more about phone use.

On my commute home the other week, I passed a copper who was in slow moving traffic, head down while texting/Facebooking away on his phone

Driving around in a T5 its amazing what you see, shame the Police cant do similiar it would get the message across, then the Insurance companys need to sting those who are caught with a good bit of press coverage problem would dry up.

Double post, bloody Blackberries

Last time I had a go at a person for their driving (woman in an A3 who overtook me as I got to a mini-roundabout and cut left immediately in front of me; only just stopped in time), she proceeded to reverse at me, then get out of the car and tell me it was a shame she hadn’t run me over.
Apparently though, I was a ‘small, rude, pathetic little man’ for giving her the coffee bean gesture.

I pointed out that she had nearly put me in hospital and perhaps she should learn to drive which sent her on even more of a tirade.
She wouldn’t answer my question about whether she was even aware of what she had done to provoke my reaction, but just proceeded to call me a rude, pathetic man etc. before getting back in her car and driving off.

Highest heart rate ever recorded on my Garmin was caused by that incident! So, no I probably wouldn’t bother speaking to drivers on mobile phones unless they directly put me in danger and I let rip.

How about folk taking a “selfie” or FaceTimeing at the wheel? As demonstrated by a girl on the M80 in fairly heavy traffic last week?

Dales_rider – Member
Double post, bloody Blackberries

Driving?

Passed someone this morning dawdling along whilst playing on an iPad that was propped on the steering wheel.

When he’d finished he started making up for lost time, overtook me and made 6 lane changes undertaking others in the next 200m.

Few years back at a red light in Hackney; I told a postie he’d been driving his van way too fast (he must’ve been doing 50+ in his big old bedford van). When the lights went green he ran into the back of me (buckled back wheel). Police turned up, but just my word against his, they couldn’t do anything.

Note to self: keep your smart-arse mouth shut.

I’m amazed that the police don’t do more about phone use.

A copper I know said, if he’s not on a blue light run, there are two things he always pulls drivers for: phone use and crossing double white lines. He tells them he’s been to fatal RTCs caused by whichever, and that’s why he stopped them. Then the attitude test applies.

There just aren’t enough police out and about.

I just give them an obvious, disappointed shake of the head.

At present I mostly give disapproving looks, and the odd loud comment / gesticulation (Normally when they’re moving so can’t really stop to lamp me) as indication of my opinion of their choice to use a phone while driving.
This is mostly met with hostile language and gestures in return and probably won’t improve their driving or my chances of being hit, so is pretty counterproductive.

I don’t think I’d ever tap the window though, while I’d hope most drivers aren’t mental, some are extremely funny about you actually touching their little “safety bubble” and the old “fight or flight” instinct comes out when direct and hard to escape conflict arises, they’ll either drop the phone and blank you/play dumb, or tell you to **** off and get all threatening and road rage-tastic.

IMO escalating the issue then and there has a fair chance of get out of hand, you simply don’t know the mindset of the person you are challenging and it could result in you coming off worse simply for wanting the law to be observed. Plus it’s not really your job, sounds a bit apathetic but the Police are the body we pay to enforce these sort of things…

That said an unchallenged mobile using driver is one that still thinks they can get away with it…

My own opinion is that a decent wide angle helmet cam that can get driver’s face/mobile and Number plate all in one shot is the way to go, don’t bother to mention it to them, email it straight to the police, when they choose not to act pop it on You Tube…

Observe the offence, attempt to gather some evidence without placing yourself at undue risk, pass that on the relevant authorities and if they can’t be arsed then your final recourse is to try the name & shame via the web type approach…

Have shouted “get off your phone” through open window before while overtaking a stationary car at lights that had just been weaving all over the place as he went past me moments before, if he’d been any taller he would’ve bumped his head he jumped that much.

Felt good for a moment but then realised he’s probably now going to be telling his mates about the self-righteous cyclist that shouted at him in a traffic jam 🙁

If you wanted to be all passive aggressive about it it would be better to pull up in front of them at the next lights/ASL and make a point of slowly inspecting their number plate and looking like you’re writing it down or putting it in your phone, then look the driver straight in the eye and not say a word before pulling off when the lights change, but I imagine that would just make them angry and as others have mentioned, angry people in cars is the exact opposite of what you want.

Correct thing to do is obviously make a note and report it.

My own opinion is that a decent wide angle helmet cam that can get driver’s face/mobile and Number plate all in one shot is the way to go, don’t bother to mention it to them, email it straight to the police,

Anyone done this? Does it work, ie do the police ever do anything with it?
I find just getting my own telephone out (while stationary or a pedestrian of course) and pointing it at them as if to take a photograph makes them drop the telephone.

To the OP – unlikey to change drivers attitudes & not worth the risk, although it can embarrass the driver if you are loud enough to make the person on the other end of the phone hear too – twin air horns & a quick blip of the throttle on my old guzzi was quite gratifying

Sadly, I agree with those who suggest ‘stay out’ – partly why I posted. If you’re uncaring enough about risk to others to use your phone in the first place then you’re unlikely to be mature enough to take it on the chin when caught by a cyclist.
IMO it’s so widespread that there will never be enough police to deal with it properly and that making it the handset manufacturers’ legal responsibility to make phones unusable by the driver would be a better option to explore. The tech for this is already being developed: from the Economist Technology Quarterly:

Dr Patel is currently developing software that uses a smartphone’s existing microphone and speakers and enables the device to detect its position in a car. Just like SoundWave, it would produce inaudible tones that reflect off the car’s interior. It might then be possible to begin and end calls using gestures—or could, Dr Patel suggests, form the basis of an opt-in service that locks the phone from the driver, keeping him from texting or making calls while driving.

So there is hope 🙂

On my commute home the other week, I passed a copper who was in slow moving traffic, head down while texting/Facebooking away on his phone

Yep, I use to commute on a m/c and found that just riding alongside and stopping (or slowing down if they were moving) at the edge of their vision was usually enough for them to drop their mobile (big white m/c and dayglo clothing).

They then normal gesture/shout but I’m already gone and up the road 🙂