Only a bit of fun

I commute thru Edinburgh . Good observation is essential. I try to look at and in every car around me ( yes I look over my shoulder every 10-20 seconds) and when stopped at traffic lights I check out every car around me to see what stereotype it fits.

so ranked from the ones that put me in the most danger to the least

1) Private hire taxi
2) Black Cab
3) School run Dad
4) School run mum ( not as aggressive as dad but just as inattentive)
5) Trophy wife in range rover – inattentive and doesn’t care about others
6) First buses ( the out of town company here)
7) Young women in nice hatchback – aggressive as anything
8 ) White Boy racer – aggressive but at least can usually handle the car and you hear them coming
9) granny / grandad in tatty old hatchback – all over the road, no idea whats happening
10) White van man
11) anyone else not stereotyped above
12 – the best – LRT buses. Well trained, courteous, never aggressive and give way to bikes – a revelation!

an yes – this could be construed as sexist ageist racist and loads of other ists. I put white boy racer as the lads of Asian descent are so proud of their cars they don’t want a cyclist smeared all over them – I see lots but can’t think of a single incident with them

I really do watch every car and make a quick assessment of what they are likely to do based on these sterotypes.

So what type of driver is your danger sign?

Who pays the most for car insurance? That covers most bases.

It was a trophy wifey in a Range Rover who caused me to buy a dashcam for my car by nearly hitting the front. A week later she made me regret not getting another for the back window.

The one behind the wheel.

Who pays the most for car insurance? That covers most bases.

Younger people?

(edit) Amongst any group, doesn’t it start to vary with any kind of claims record?

School run mum driving a clapped out VW Passat… I’ve been had twice by these – once in the car, once on (or rather off…) the motorbike. Neither trivial, both write-offs, both turning across main roads without so much as a sideways glance. I’m running out of lives!

I’m in Edinburgh too.
I’ll agree with the taxis being the worst and the LRT buses the best.

Other than that I find its location based as opposed to who is driving. Anywhere busy with lots of traffic lights and lanes that merge into each other or swap position, especially if road markings are worn away. Lothian Road/Morrison Street area is bad as is Leith Street/Elm Row which is just basically a massive meat grinder

In descending order:

Buses.
Taxis.
Retired Grandparents ‘out for a drive’.
School run parents.
Young females.
Everyone else.

Car-wise:

German models (BMW, Audi, Skoda, VW, Seat)
Trendy car (Mini, 500, DS3 etc)
Modified in some way.
Everything else.

Scotroutes – if it was ” what sterotype is likely to chuck their car thru a hedge backward at speed” the order would be somewhat different. This is only looking at one type of danger – those who scare me when on my bike

With the exception of Glasgow Black Cab drivers, who are a special breed of arsehole, the bad driving is too random to really reach a conclusion.

BMW’s not indicating is a cliche for a reason though!

I really do watch every car and make a quick assessment of what they are likely to do based on these sterotypes.

Every car, how can you see who’s driving a car when they’re passing from behind in the dark?

I commute by bike and as above instances of bad driving are way to random and making assessments based on car/driver type is a dangerous game to play.

I really do watch every car and make a quick assessment of what they are likely to do based on these sterotypes.

A shorter term for which is: ‘confirmation bias’.

Unless you also clock each time that the observed do *not* conform to your existing negative stereotypes and hence do not further ‘confirm’. In which case you are commendably unbiased and my hat is off.

Over the decades I’ve grown to treat every single motorised vehicle and driver as a potential and unpredictable hazard to both self and bike.

I can’t see who is driving it but I do try to see the type of car. should be “try to watch” which is what I thought I typed

Its all streetlight as well.

confimation bias indeed but its just how it appears – and as I said just a bit of fun

the most aggressive drivers I have encountered recently have all been young women in new trendy cars.

Where I live – pensioners who drive a Honda Jazz

Generally unpredictable driving.

Not noticed a pattern, just random t**ts.

I can’t see who is driving

So how do you know its a trophy wife, white male, mum, dad, etc.

Interesting about LRT buses. I have had a few problems with them trying to kill me, but now I think about it none of these were recent – maybe they have had some better training in the last few years.

In these parts it’s drivers of Tata’s finest Indian tractor, the Range Rover particularly on narrow country roads where they believe it gives them some sort of entitlement to force anyone else out the way, whether in a vehicle, on bike or by foot. I’m particularly impressed by the ones that have the radar that can detect whether there’s anything coming other way as it permits them to take blind bends at speed on the wrong side of the road!

Tom – they have indeed and are now the best drivers towards cyclist. A huge change over the last ten years or so

anyone gripping the steering wheel as if holding an polaris missile at intercontinental speed.

They will often have a facial expression to match. this can be seen as sheer terror or completely unaware of surroundings (unable to process information). it can also manifest itself as sheer concentration as if trying to steer said missile between a the kerb and the cyclist coming the other way!

most often seen as:

7) Young women in nice hatchback

9) granny / grandad in tatty old hatchback

Mine:

1. Private hire taxis
2. Tradesmen, usually accompanied by a puff of sweet smelling vapour out of the window.
3. HGVs.

Gary = by looking in the car – its all street lit and often I am in daylight. 9 months my commute is in daylight. some of the observation is when stopped at lights ( around 20 sets on my commute) When a car is alongside you and then moves into your lane you know who is driving, when a driver leans out of the window to rant at you you know who is driving

I also ride around town on my days off

Where I live – pensioners who drive a Honda Jazz

Generally unpredictable driving.

Ditto, although you can predict two things.
Any Honda Jazz will be driven by a pensioner, and it will never exceed 40mph.

you have forgotten the category

survivalist offroader.

distinct from the farmer/ suv driving mum types/ proper overlander equipped offroader

these are they guys who have a tow rope and and ironic stickers on their 90s disco/ landcruiser. most likely to be wearing a gilet and belt mounted phone/ gerber like some little englander utility belt.

Don’t get them in urban Edinburgh thom

In no particular order –

Tradesmen in vans – usually with a smartphone in their hand
Trophy wives in big 4x4s – again often with phone in hand
School run mums
Anyone driving an Audi Q7, or any other large Audi for that matter.
HGV drivers
most drivers under 25
most drivers over 75

Gary = by looking in the car – its all street lit and often I am in daylight. 9 months my commute is in daylight. some of the observation is when stopped at lights ( around 20 sets on my commute) When a car is alongside you and then moves into your lane you know who is driving, when a driver leans out of the window to rant at you you know who is driving

I’m confused, you either can or can’t see who’s driving!

I can’t see who is driving it but I do try to see the type of car. should be “try to watch” which is what I thought I typed

Minicabs – especially Addison Lee
Rubble trucks (the rigid 4 axle types, typified by Cappagh)
Elderly drivers, who although not aggressively dangerous are unaware/unreactive to rapidly changing situations.
Pedestrians with phones glued to their ears or faceaching stepping off the kerb at complete random.

After that, it’s a mishmash, although I’ll admit to a deep suspicion of any white SUV with black wheels. London cabbies are generally pretty good, although you do get the odd one who f*cks around with you just for shits’n’giggles. Buses and HGVs get given lots of room. Don’t generally have too much issue specifically with the german cars that get a lot of other riders hot under the collar.

On the whole I generally find London traffic not too bad these days. Most drivers are pretty well conditioned to bikes and I’m usually the fastest moving thing anyway. Sheffield is worse as the traffic flows more freely and the drivers are less used to bikes.

Around mine it’s the old folks, by a country mile.

Any car about to join Dundas street from any side road.

To be honest, lately it’s been “business guys”. You know, big saloon car, jacket hung in the back, wearing a white shirt and tie.

They flock in and out of the city at rush hour using every small back street possible to avoid a lights, and enjoy jumping out into the smallest gaps, even if I’m there on my bike!

Gary – yo asked me firtstly what happens in the dark – so then sometimes I can’t see them but usually I can because its streetlit. However most of my cycling is in daylight. Perhaps not explained well but do you really need to nitpick and question so much on a thread meant to be a bit of fun?

the most aggressive drivers I have encountered recently have all been young women in new trendy cars

This is a fair shout, and indeed a recent trend. They seem to have been given a special dispensation to never move out of lane 3 of the motorway as well

Do LRT fit CCTV to their PSVs now? McGill’s, Stagecoach and First Bus do in the west and their staff driving standards have improved greatly of late. Camera records the driver as much as anyone, should be compulsory.

Definitely not 11, cos that’s me!

Old people and school runners I’d say from general experience plus one commute I did this year at 3pm-ish.

You forgot Bin lorry drivers,who like bus and taxi drivers think they own the roads,and thats coming from a white van driver,

Oh and the females who apply make up whilst driving like F’n loons

Perhaps not explained well but do you really need to nitpick and question so much on a thread meant to be a bit of fun?

Yes, of course. Why not?

Anyone who drives for a living, the fuzz excepted. Always too fast and close. As if they are more important. Followed by German car drivers. Dovthey think they are superior? They seem to.

Fuzz included. They remember that one bit in Roadcraft about indicating and never do it again. Great example.

Addison Lee mini cabs
Mazda 6
Vauxhall cars with Irmsher badges
Cars with Nurbergring stickers