I'm going to contact the bus company to make a complaint but nobody's answering the phone yet, but should I also complain to the police?

Big double decker overtaking me on a sharp left hand bend causing me to stop quickly otherwise I'd have probably met with the side of bus and be under it now, driver knew I was there as he had to wait from pulling out of the stop 25 meters from the bend for me but then just decided to overtake on a dangerous corner anyway.

I know the police are probably too busy for something they will see as trivial but surely this is dangerous driving and what happens if next time it's some kid on a bike who's not paranoid about every other road user?

👿

Yup phone bus company – Not sure unless you have witnesses the police woiuld necc be interested?

that's bad.

One of my freinds was knocked down by a bus on a zebra crossing and hospitalized.

Despite having multiple witnesses saying that the bus driver had seen him and then accelerated (**** knows why) etc the bus company refused to accept resonsibility 'the dirver says you jumped out in front of him').

It was only after my freind pointed out that the bus driver had, in fact, had a driving ban imposed by the courts for the offence that the bus company eventually admitted liability.

So, I think you should complain but I wouldn't expect them to do much by way of apology…

Go to cops! IME bus co's are not interested.

Not expecting a great deal to happen but just think something like this needs to be made a fuss of a bit, and I'm still fuming, having the side of a bus coming towards you as it cuts across a corner isn't something I want to happen ever 😯

Phone up the company.
Though when this happens I prefer to catch up the bus and the next stop, get in and explain to the driver in no uncertain terms what I think.

Had the same happen to me last week. Road was clear but driver of a double decker decided he wanted to pass me at about 12" me. The draft of the bus pushed me into the curb.
I got to work and phoned Bus company and gave them the time and place of the incident but because I didn't have the bus number there was nothing they could do apparently. 👿 Had I had the number I would have phoned the police.

I had a bus overtake me on the approach to a mini-roundabout, not get past me fast enough & pull back in anyway forcing me off the road. Luckily there was no kerb, but a grassy strip I was able to ride along. I got the reg number of the bus (it was designated as a school bus).
When i got home I rang them up & spoke to someone who was very apologetic. When I mentioned the bus in question, it sounded like he was almost expecting me to say that particular one.
I told him next time I'd wouldn't be getting in touch with him, but would be going direct to the Police.

Not sure that it did any good.

Folk are too soft. I believe this should go to the cops ASAP.

If you geniunely feel that he/she was driving dangerously and he/she had seen you then CALL THEM.

I phoned a large distribution firm after he pushed me into the kerb, then proceeded to press a female onto the pavement 100m's down the road. Caught up with him (he was wearing black sunglasses on a grey morning) and he just looked at me as though he was the Terminator.

Explained in detail to a nice lady who had rung me back (to clarify and gain more detail). She even called me back to update me on what they were doing- investigating and disciplinary.

Well, 3 times I've called the bus company but no answer, just get put on hold for ages, pee'ing me off even more now, think I'll email them and will contact the local police to complain too!

Think he was driving without due care and attention, I wouldn't even consider overtaking something in a car on that corner let alone a bus and he new I was there as I said previously he went to pull out from a stop but braked and stopped as I was passing at the time, maybe that pee'd him off?

I have reg number, bus number, time, road etc.

I bet he left mud on the road too.

Phone the Police. Its also a traffic offence. They wont appreciate your call as it'll add to their workload and they'll try and class it as 'solved' under their figures however you could have ended up as part of the NHS system with grieving relatives.

On my commute, I came across a large pool of blood from a cyclist who had been crushed by a truck (that afternoon) turning left. Theres still old flowers at the scene.

At the very least this Driver will get a wake up call. Hes supposed to be a professional driver not a stressed-trying to get to work on time type.

Write a letter or email to your local authority or whoever it is in your area who are responsible for awarding contracts for bus services. Do a bit of googling to find out the name and position of the person in charge, write to them, but copy in the bus company and whoever else you can find high up on the council. This is, I belive, likely to get you a better response

I did this and had a few grovelling replies.

I got to work and phoned Bus company and gave them the time and place of the incident but because I didn't have the bus number there was nothing they could do apparently.

I'm guessing that if it was a double decker it was in a busy city.
We could almost certainly identify any of our drivers by time and location. It would take a bit of work cross referencing which driver was on which bus and which bus was on which route, but we have done it before when the police have been searching for a missing person or a suspect and wanted to speak to the driver of a specific bus.
That's on rural buses though, with scheduled hourly or half hourly services.
Maybe on a city route where they run every two minutes it wouldn't be so easy.

Yrah … and he's probably gonna make sure he gets me next time!

Whats the name of the bus company,somebody may have contact details.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiGkI53PeRw&NR=1

No cyclists where involved in the making of the above video :-)]

I wouldn't bother ringing the Bus company. tried that myself and the guy said I was breaking the Law because I was undertaking the Driver and that I should be more carful!! he nearly squished me into some railings on a bend!

Also without witnesses and a regnumber or name of the driver, I doub't the fuzz will care to presue it but maybe worth a try.

Yrah … and he's probably gonna make sure he gets me next time!

He wont remember what you were wearing. How many cyclists does he come across on each route?

Saying that when a couple ranted and raved at me once (I shut the drivers door when the guy tried getting out)- his wife then got out and told me she was going to kill me and ensure I die etc etc. I didnt commute on my bike for two weeks after that! With hindsight I should have called the Rozzers with their reg number but upto that point the blame was 50:50.

Well, I emailed the company after no luck from calls and this was the response, just hope they do do something about it even if they just remind their drivers to be more aware:

Hello Mr 'kojak' 😉

"I am concerned to recieve your e-mail this morning and read your discription of what happened when you were cycling west bound in Newhaven today.

Please accept my apologies for the anxiety and distress you must obviously have felt as a resultof our driver's actions as you described them. I can imagine how upsetting and annoying this must have been.

We aim to provide the highest standards of professional driving and the safety of other road uses is our top priority. Please rest assured that following receipt of your e-mail arrangements are in hand for this to be the subject of a full investigation within our internal procedures so that we can ensure appropriate action is taken and we are confident there will no recurrence.

Once again thank you for your e-mail and taking the trouble to write although I am sorry that you have had cause to do so.

Yours sincerely

Sean
Customer Advisor"

Didn't happen in an inner city, just a quiet coast road, but that bit where it happened is always a nightmare – the one way system in Newhaven, E. Sussex if anyone knows it, the turn to go up the hill towards Brighton.

I lost my rag with a bus driver who did a similar thing to me recently. Ended up over taking the bus later on during my commute and he pulled out on me when there was still people waiting to get on. Clearly a total tube. So I ended up thumping the drivers window to get his attention as I went by to stop him hitting me and to have words… The windows shattered in all over him so I bolted!

I felt so guilty the next day I called the bus company to pay for the window. It turned out that the bus driver had said that a bunch of neds put a half brick through the window. I explained the full story to the bus lady and she was very interested. Basically the driver got a bollocking for aiming at the cyclist and I didn't have to pay for the window!

So yeah – tell the bus company – they are better than you would think!

I've had 2 similar occurances, one I was crushed against the kerb by a wagon (inches from the wheels, only the fact that I fell toward the kerb saved my legs) – couldn't remember the wagon reg – gutted.

Second time I'd been overtaken twice by the same bus who mis-judged his length and cut me up. 2nd time I overtook and shouted "watch where you're driving" through his open window. It seems he closed it and ignored me as the 3rd time I overtook again and punched his window in repayment for a 3rd attempt on my life, it didn't break but it was one hell of a bang and the whole bus heard and several ducked. On later thought I guess it just looked like a nutter cyclist had got millitant to them.

that Newhaven one way is a nightmare in a car and there's railings in various places too which always make me feel nervous on a bike – you've no escape if someone cuts a corner.