It happened today:

Commuting to work on my motorbike, on a narrow country B road with no road markings. A couple were happily riding a tandem in the same direction, and between me and them was a non articulated truck. It decided to overtake on a bend, with no view of the road ahead (on a quiet but well used rat run) and pulls in after the move, just enough to miss their front wheel.

Would you:

A. Follow the truck, wait until it stops and give the driver a mouthful.
B. Overtake, and forget about it
C. Report the driver to his company

A: drag him out his cab and beat his brains out. 🙂

then shove a potato up his exhaust 🙂

C. Report the driver to his company
OR the Police. They usually need at least two people to report the incident before they’ll do anything though. If the cyclists reported them as well then they’d ‘have a word’ with the driver at least.

C.

definitely C. Shame you weren’t using a head cam! I see that kind of dangerous driving a lot. Why can’t people just hold on for a few seconds until they get to a safe overtaking spot?

C

Being honest, probably D: nothing

Would like to think C, but as I tend to see 2 to 3 acts of madness on the road daily, you do get, well, sort of blasé about it.

Not saying its right, just being honest.

c

c

I keep posting this but we must expect ‘professional’ drivers to be better than average. this imo is the only way to get better driving on the road.

were they riding remotely near the swinley area? i overtook a youngish looking couple on a tandem between wokingham and crowthorne yesterday 😀

fear not Phil, your license is safe

C

Normally when I catch up to drivers like that (normally at traffic lights) I have a ‘polite’ word with them about how dangerously close they came and please give a little more space. In fact, I had such a word with a woman today, who, despite me having a ludicrously bright hi-vis jacket on proceeded to tell me “I never saw you”.

I do notice though, that when I ride country roads, drivers seem to overtake in stupid places where they can’t see what’s coming around the corner, or over the crest of the hill.

I’ve also reported numerous lorry drivers to their companies. Not sure they’re aware their branding is all over their vehicle.

What do you mean you don’t carry one?

Would love to “deal” with him myself, but, in reality C.
Not long back, I was following a flatbed lorry ( in the car) which had a pack of mdf on the back. The wooden “skids” under the pack had slipped and the straps were no longer holding it down, so as the truck took bends it was sliding precariously.
I rang the number of the firm painted on the back of the truck and spoke with their transport manager.
Within the next mile the truck pulled over and I drove past. There was a toot from the trucks horn as I went.
2 hours later I got a call from the driver, thanking me for calling his boss and for pointing out something he was totally unaware of.

hehe i didnt overtake badly, i kept back, gave them lots of space and only overtook when there was no traffic coming in the other direction and a clear visual line… much to the annoyance of the VW golf behind me who kept revving up to my bumper and slamming on the brakes to try urge me on.

healthy looking couple, wanted to wind down the window and wish them a jolly good day but i probably would’ve swerved into them attempting to do so (cant afford electric windows like deadlydarcy).

Most days on my commute drivers overtake me on a blind corner, there is a roundabout just after said corner which they’d need to slow for anyway. It amazes me what these drivers do to save themselves possibly 2 seconds on their journey. What gets me most is that these motorists tend to have ‘Baby on board’ window stickers.

I hate them all

Edit: answer C. And possibly rant about it a bit too my friends, colleagues and fellow STWers

Lets face it you dont need to be bright to be a professional driver.