Knocked off bike by Bus Wnaker - any point in making complaint?

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Knocked off bike by Bus Wnaker - any point in making complaint?

40 posts & 33 voices | Started 8 months ago by geordiemick00 | Latest reply from Duggan

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i grew up on farm

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geordiemick00 - Member

Last night I went out for a ride with some local lads and then rode home to my GF's. About ten yards from hers is a bus stop, as I got to about ten yards away from bus stop a bus came to my side (indicating) and then cut in to the kerb and nudged my bar making me take evasive action and ended up getting off bike as there was literally nowhere to go.

Naturally I was mega pissed off so I slapped the side of the bus as he was about to pull away. I got to the doors and started shouting 'are you f'ing stupid or what?" and after a bit of him playing dumb his parting shot was 'well you should've got out of the way!"

He then closed the doors in my face and went to drive off so I kicked the doors and he then swerved back to the kerb as if to scare me, opened the doors again and told me I was committing criminal damage and it was on CCTV blah blah blah.

I couldn't believe why he didn't see how close I was to the bus stop and pull up behind me and I wasn't invisible, having two bright rear flashing lights and a hope 4 and hope 2 on the front lighting up the way ahead of me.

I understand my reaction was aggressive but as far as I can see his manoeuvre was reckless to say the least and totally un-called for. Not only did he endanger my life but put his passenger who was alighting the bus in danger too.

question is, any point in complaining to First Bus and the Police? I've never had a fight in my life but I really wanted to rip his head off

Posted 8 months ago #
stumpy01 - Member

I'd call the bus company at the very least, probably the Police too depending on the bus companies reaction.

I had a local bus company bus force me off the road a couple of years back. I got home absolutely steaming & rang the bus company. When I gave him the reg of the bus, the time & place the guy knew straight away who it was, was very apologetic and assured me the bloke would be dealt with.
I should have followed it up, but never did.

Posted 8 months ago #
steveh - Member

Yes, complain to both and your local public transport executive as soon as possible.

Posted 8 months ago #
ilovemygears - Member

this happened to me once, i dialled 999 and they actually puled over the bus and arrested the driver!

Posted 8 months ago #
TheBrick - Member

Report it to both. It dose go on their record. In London bus drivers now have some extra cyclist awareness training due to lots of complaint like this and IME of London bus drivers while cycling it has really helped as their driving seems to be much better now than it was a few year ago.

Posted 8 months ago #
sc-xc - Member

Happened to me. I got a phone call and letter from the bus company (travel west midlands)

I was on the bus for about 10 minutes shouting the odds before I got the **** name though. Refused to get off until he told me.

I later heard from a guy I knew that drove for them that he had been taken off the route and put on some less busy roads - so it's worth kicking up.

Posted 8 months ago #
thomthumb - Member

complain. if we can't expect professional drivers to be better than average how do we expect the public to get any better. bus drivers should, imo, be the best drivers on the road.

Posted 8 months ago #
DrRSwank - Member

I've had this twice.

I got knocked off my motorbike years ago by a bus. Got all his details but he didn't report it so the bus company told me to f-off.

Then recently got ridden into the curb (this time on mountain bike) by a bus driver over taking me on a blind summit. He'd had to swerve into me to avoid a head on with the police car coming the other way. Now that was rather funny.

Personally - it's worth complaining just to vent your spleen - but don't expect to get anywhere.

Posted 8 months ago #
ilovemygears - Member

ring the police its a criminal offence and he will lose his job if you report it to the POLICE!!!! don't even waste you time with the bus company.

Posted 8 months ago #
sc-xc - Member

he will lose his job if you report it to the POLICE!!!!

No, he won't.

Posted 8 months ago #
Gary_C - Member

Years ago I was cut up by a bus when I was on the road bike, & said bus came to a stop at the next lights. My protestations to the driver were just met by the idiot sat there grinning like a loon. The smirk was soon wiped off his face though as I pushed the big black button on his bus just above the engine cover that was marked 'Emergency Engine Stop'....

Left him & his bus full of passengers stranded....

Posted 8 months ago #
ilovemygears - Member

o yes he will, leaving the seen of accident is the end of his bus driveing days... get a brillo pad pull it down ur arm if needs be, but ruin the **** life.. i got in a fight with some guy in a white mini once won the fight, then rung 999, got the guy arrested, got him done, then he lost his job, and will never work again as he as a charge of assault on his record, i know that united utility's fired him and he would lose his house as his wife contacted me through their solicitor and begged me not to press charges, i lol at her and told her that bed and breakfast wasn't that bad ...

Posted 8 months ago #
andyl - Member

this happened to me once, i dialled 999 and they actually puled over the bus and arrested the driver!

brilliant! Wish I had seen that.

edit: just saw the next bit of your story - not sure I could do that to someone. But I guess you have to be in the victims shoes (or see it) to know how bad the offence was. Next time he could kill someone (or a childs face, bombers, baby robin etc etc).

Posted 8 months ago #
sc-xc - Member

I love your posts.

Posted 8 months ago #
HoratioHufnagel - Member

I'd definitely be complaining to the bus company and contacting the police.

If it happens again the next person might not be so lucky.

Posted 8 months ago #
Munqe-chick - Member

Complain to both. Most buses have external cctv cameras (intended for their protection in insurance claims) and from professional experience its not something a driver can access/download/delete and police are likely to have a spoc who deals with a specific contact.
If he is prosecuted he may well lose his job depending on company policy. And deservedly so. Bus drivers are worse than lorry drivers when it comes to poor quality and aggressive driving.

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Worth complaining.

Posted 8 months ago #
martymac - Member

im a bus driver,
i think you should definately complain, i dont want members of the public thinking all bus drivers are like this guy.
i work for stagecoach, they would take a complaint of this type very seriously indeed, i imagine first would take a similar stance.
he may get the sack, or not, but frankly, thats his outlook, he could easily have defused the situation by apologising for his lack of attention.

Posted 8 months ago #
nibby - Member

o yes he will, leaving the seen of accident is the end of his bus driveing days... get a brillo pad pull it down ur arm if needs be, but ruin the **** life.. i got in a fight with some guy in a white mini once won the fight, then rung 999, got the guy arrested, got him done, then he lost his job, and will never work again as he as a charge of assault on his record, i know that united utility's fired him and he would lose his house as his wife contacted me through their solicitor and begged me not to press charges, i lol at her and told her that bed and breakfast wasn't that bad ...

Are you serious? If the answer is yes maybe consider some anger management courses... JESUS!!

Posted 8 months ago #
anotherdeadhero - Member

I've complained about First Bus Bristol drivers that have tried to kill me on a few occassions, **** all gets done.

Next time I'm just going to the Police.

Posted 8 months ago #
Underhill - Member

Definitely report him to the company, he's already told you it's on cctv. They will take it very seriously as they do not want the next incident to end up with a news report of injury caused by their employee.

Posted 8 months ago #
Onzadog - Member

I'd complain to anyone who will listen. If the bus company is the main provider in your area then it might even be worth talking to the local authority public transport team as well. As for your reaction at the time, it's not unnatural considering someone just tried to kill you with several ton of bus. Just make sure you come across as rational and collected from here on in.

Posted 8 months ago #
Quirrel - Member

i work for stagecoach, they would take a complaint of this type very seriously indeed, i imagine first would take a similar stance.

Do they balls.

The missus had a bus driver who

1. Told her to f>>>>> off back to her own country.
2. Told her he didn't understand f....ing foreigners and she should learn to speak English properly.
3. Stopped the bus short of the bus stop, waited 5 minutes, then drove to the bus stop and open and shut the doors before driving off.

I complained about him three times, all I got was a polite email saying that they would deal with it.

Last time she went on that route he was still there driving it.

Posted 8 months ago #
maxray - Member

get a brillo pad pull it down ur arm if needs be

spat my coffee then .. Look officer I have a very slightly pink soapy arm.. you know how buses are renowned for causing that sort of damage.

Posted 8 months ago #
Yorkshire Pudding - Member

Maybe he was dazzled by your Hope 4 and Hope 2! It must have been a dark street to need that sort of beamage!

Posted 8 months ago #
rewski - Member

Yes, otherwise you'd always wished you had.

Posted 8 months ago #
yesiamtom - Member

Of course, contact the bus company directly (in person?) and the police. I would also contact your council and ask who to speak to. I once saw a taxi driver making some stupid manouvers. The council ended up telling his employers to warn him, not much but hopefuly he'll think twice before doing it again.

Posted 8 months ago #
martymac - Member

@ quirrel,
im surprised that first didnt get rid of the guy for those type of comments.
no need for it.

Posted 8 months ago #
oldnpastit - Member

Just for a bit of balance, bus drivers in Cambridge (Stagecoach) seem to be pretty good at bike awareness, noticeably improved over the last 5 years or so.

Posted 8 months ago #
poly - Member

To add some balance (there are three sides to every story):

The bus driver's version of events is probably that he overtook the cyclist with no contact (the OP says "nudged his bars" so probably no damage to the bus). Contrary to the OP's title he wasn't knocked off he "got off because there was nowhere to go"

Next thing the bus driver knows the cyclist is banging on the side of the bus and hurling abuse at the driver. And kicking the bus doors.

Now I'm not suggesting busses should go round knocking people off bikes or even cutting them up, but a little proportionality in your response might have got a more constructive response from the driver.

I don't see from your description how he endangered his passenger's life either.

If you are going to ride on the road then learn to live with driver stupidity - as it sounds like you were more likely to get hurt after the incident than from the original "nudge".

Posted 8 months ago #
bigyinn - Member

ilovemygears - Member

o yes he will, leaving the seen of accident is the end of his bus driveing days... get a brillo pad pull it down ur arm if needs be, but ruin the **** life.. i got in a fight with some guy in a white mini once won the fight, then rung 999, got the guy arrested, got him done, then he lost his job, and will never work again as he as a charge of assault on his record, i know that united utility's fired him and he would lose his house as his wife contacted me through their solicitor and begged me not to press charges, i lol at her and told her that bed and breakfast wasn't that bad ...

You really are a nasty spiteful little brat aren't you.

Posted 8 months ago #
binners - Member

ilovemygears - Yor answers and posts on here are always measured, balanced and considered.

Couple of questions. what is it you actually do? Are you a social worker?

Do you like doing doing battle recreations at weekends. Specific ones where you get to dress as Mussolini? Or Pol Pot?

Do you think you need to up the dosage on your medication?

Posted 8 months ago #
project - Member

Its happened nobody got hurt, bus drivers have a really hard job to do, the ignornt passengers who dont know wher theyre going, the ones with no change, the pensioners who complain about the bs being to hot or cold etc ,etc.
Then you have car and bike riders not letting the bus out, traffic congestion, the need to keep to a timetable, and possibly 70 passengers all siting behind you wanting to get to work, and a lot of them thinking, you should drive faster.

Oh and a bus can be up to 40 foot long, with the steering wheels situated behind where the boot would be on your car, finally all the rear view you have is the viwe from two mirrors that would make a budgie proud.

Posted 8 months ago #
aracer - Member

Its happened nobody got hurt, bus drivers have a really hard job to do

You're right - no harm done, why not let the driver get on with his life? After all with such a difficult job to do he should be allowed to cut up cyclists just as much as he wants to - it's not like he can put his full concentration into driving all the time, so he's bound to run over somebody sooner or later without it being his fault at all. What was the OP on getting all upset like that at the bus driver just trying to do his job, get his passengers to work on time and making sure he's early enough so he gets 5 minutes to read the paper when he gets to the bus station.

Posted 8 months ago #
project - Member

Aracer, at last a balanced and well thought out view, well done.

Posted 8 months ago #

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