This morning, on my cycle commute i was sitting at lights in left hand lane, left foot on kerb. Only other car was in right hand lane looking to turn right. As soon as lights changed a VW golf coming from behind came flying through the space between me and the other car at what I’d guess was around 40mph (in a 30 zone). If i’d been 6″ further out i’d have been injured (or worse) for sure.
So, red mist descends and i decide I’m going to have a “polite word” with the driver. Pedal like crazy and catch up with him at next lights, chap the window, he puts it down and I let rip with the full Ferguson style hairdryer treatment. Not really sure what i said exactly as I was so angry but he got the message.
Actually a bit embarrassed about losing it like that but he scared the absolute sh1t out of me and adrenaline took over.

So, was I wrong to approach him in the first place? I know i could have discussed it reasonably instead of berating him so that’s a given. I’m not proud….

As long as you don’t insult people, which causes fights, a blast of genuine anger can be quite effective.

There’s waay too much of this kind of close-to-serious-injury-and-death driving going on at the moment and without some kind of reaction from somebody it’s not going to get any better is it?

However, IME when someone drives like that, they don’t have the confidence and maturity to cope with an adult discussion about the fact they were driving dangerously, so you’re best letting them go…

I can’t imagine it would have been a reasonable discussion if you’d tried that approach anyway…

Not sure what the driver did wrong really… You’re guessing his speed from a static POV which always looks worse but the lights were on green and he passed without hitting you or the other car.

Always two sides etc.

I used to think it was alright.

The drivers caution for assaulting me has made me reconsider this stance though.

😯

atp +1

Unless the driver’s action seems (to me) to be deliberately life-threatening or otherwise malicious I just shrug and ride on, in fact I usually just do that anyway.
If your well enough to chase a car down the road and get shouty then you’ve not been injured, just upset.
Never seen how escalting a near miss to a road side shout-out improves either party’s life.

somouk said » Not sure what the driver did wrong really…

…apart from flying through a gap that was only about as wide as his car

Lets knock the speed down to 30 as an estimate and he could still have really hurt the OP

OP – take the centre of the lane in that situation in future. It’ll give drivers behind less reason to try and squeeze you.
You’ll be faster accelerating from the lights which will give enough time to take the usual left handside of the road position (if that’s a safe position) before the cars catch you up

Lets knock the speed down to 30 as an estimate and he could still have really hurt the OP

So could any other car on the road doing 30 mph or more.

I appreciate he went through a narrow gap and it was alarming to the OP so can understand a little frustration but to chase after him and give him a telling off for doing nothing wrong?

I did the same once guy revved it and edged forward as he was forced to wait while I passed his junction, 12 years of commuting never lost it like that b4 managed not to swear which was good as I didn’t realize he had his kids in the back, think was just the adrenaline . scared myself

take the centre of the lane in that situation in future

Yep, take the lane at Junctions.

somouk said » Not sure what the driver did wrong really…

Really? For him to pass me with only a few inches to spare on either side at excessive speed was ok? 😯
I hope you don’t have a driving licence.
As for the speed thing, I actually thought he was going faster than that but I agree that the estimation of speed from a stationary position is usually overestimated so i cut it down. The fact is that even if he had been doing 20 mph, there just wasn’t the space available for the manoeuvre he pulled.

but to chase after him and give him a telling off for doing nothing wrong?

He did do wrong by flying through that gap. Just because he didn’t hit the OP doesn’t mean it wasn’t a wreckless and stupid thing for the driver to do.
The OP was wrong to hairdryer the guy, but if that guy now reassesses doing that to a cyclist in the future then a positive will have come out of two negatives

I hope you don’t have a driving licence.

+1
Or if you do i hope you don’t live anywhere near me.

Flying through a narrow gap right alongside a stationary cyclist with minimal clearance is one thing, but to do it in a situation where any reasonable driver would be expecting the rider to pull forwards and away from the kerb at that very moment is just nutty and dangerous.

According the OP’s description, if he’d have pulled away at that point and taken secondary, the car could easily have taken him out.

I think I’d echo the advice about taking the centre of the lane in those circumstances.

he passed without hitting you or the other car.

Ah, the standard “But I didn’t hit you though did I?” response.

By the same argument doing 120 past a school is fine as long as you don’t actually hit any of the children.

Yes, should’ve taken the lane. I’m certainly not consistent in doing this (I guess I only take the lane when there is traffic around) so it’s definitely a learning point for me.
Bizarrely a bird shat on my handlebars about 5 minutes beforehand. I remember thinking that a bird crapping on you is meant to be good luck…

Sounds like it was 🙂

I remember thinking that a bird crapping on you is meant to be good luck…

Not on a first date it isn’t.

i was sitting at lights in left hand lane, left foot on kerb.

This was your mistake really. As others have said, take the lane and prevent any knobbish driving before it actually occurs.

I don’t think there’s ever any positives from the “hairdryer” approach (apart from you letting off steam and feeling better) only potentially very serious consequences to you if the driver turns out to be a nutter so personally I wouldn’t even consider it.

By the same argument doing 120 past a school is fine as long as you don’t actually hit any of the children.

In fact it’s probably decreasing the risk as you spend less time passing the school so less chance of hitting someone…

By the same argument doing 120 past a school is fine as long as you don’t actually hit any of the children.

Well that would be illegal wouldn’t it.

note the reg. and tell the cops. even if they do jack, there might be a mark against them for the next time they drive like a prat.

see similar things here all the time, but usually ped crossings. I’ve sat waiting at red light, and on more than one occasion a ped will chance it as the ped crossing bit has gone red, because he’s running for a bus, only to have a car in an adjacent lane see the light go green and “floor it” thru at the speed limit. and on more than one of those, the guy has been stranded in the middle of 3 lanes, and actually it’s the 2nd or 3rd car that actually stops to let him continue.

By the same argument doing 120 past a school is fine as long as you don’t actually hit any of the children.

No the rules are you can park anywhere you like as long as it is really convenient for you…..no other rules apply.

PS dont feed the troll no one is that bad a driver [ save me your protestations that you really mean it]

for doing nothing wrong?

Well scaring another road user and making them fear for their life is pretty wrong…

If OP had had a tiny wobble, been a little further out or the driver had misjudged gap slightly it could have been a bad collision, the fact that he didn’t hit anything != not doing anything wrong.

brooess:

However, IME when someone drives like that, they don’t have the confidence and maturity to cope with an adult discussion about the fact they were driving dangerously, so you’re best letting them go…

Some do, though I’ve met plenty as you describe. Most drivers I’ve talked to didn’t realise what they were doing wrong and were mortified at the thought of hurting someone else. It takes a calm but forceful approach to put it across though, and that only comes with practice.

chief1409, glad you’re okay. Don’t really blame you for losing it at them, I’ve done the same.

dont feed the troll no one is that bad a driver

Okay 120 past a school would be a bit ridiculous, but here’s a story about a guy going 96mph in a 30 past a primary school near me. It happens.

My overall point was made better by amedias, just because chief1409 was fortunate enough not to be hit, doesn’t mean the driver did nothing wrong.

As Nach says I think the majority of drivers are so used to driving a couple of feet from the tin box to the side of them that they don’t realise how scary passing a cyclist at the same (or even less) distance is. I’ve bought a bullet cam to record my commute because I genuinely believe it’s a case of when I’m involved in an incident not when. I try not to let close passes bother me, if I was to post video of each one I’d never be off YouTube!

dont feed the troll no one is that bad a driver

I did not mean you Graham I meant somouk

i thought the speeding was a good point, I got it and I agreed with it; I was just being sarccy with my reply and would never call you a troll.

😳

sorry for the lack of clarity

STW would be nothing without a wee bit of hyperbole every now and again

The worst comeback I’ve ever heard, from someone who came within a couple of inches of my bars to get to a red light 30 feet away: “But I’ve got a baby in the car. I wouldn’t do *anything* dangerous”.

I was just being sarccy with my reply and would never call you a troll.

No worries JY – love you too xx

STW would be nothing without a wee bit of hyperbole every now and again

Just for you:

😉

The situation described by OP is effectively an overtake at speed without leaving the lane.

I would (after a heavy sigh) refer anyone wondering what is wrong with that to both the highway code, and legislation covering ‘driving without due care and attention’.

Note that ‘driving without due care and attention’ is an offence regardless of whether a collision occurred or not.

The worst comeback I’ve ever heard, from someone who came within a couple of inches of my bars to get to a red light 30 feet away: “But I’ve got a baby in the car. I wouldn’t do *anything* dangerous”.

Had that one too. Mind audibly boggled.

I just don’t get where the stance of ignoring such scenarios would get you, and fair play to the OP as I bet that driver will give cyclists reasonable space in future. A lot of people seem to treat cyclists as an obstacle (like a speed bump or traffic management) rather than another person, so a more assertive stance might remind people of this.

Had a similar situation but I was out in the road when it happened, Audi* tore past me just as the lights changed.

*was it one of you? 👿 [shakes fist]

The first mistake the OP made was assuming there would be no bellends driving on the roads today.

Secondly, sat at lights left foot on the kerb and leaving enough width for a car to pass without hitting the bike or the other stationary car is almost indicating that you’re leaving enough space for cars to pass on purpose.

If you don’t like being buzzed passed, don’t leave the space??

“But I’ve got a baby in the car. I wouldn’t do *anything* dangerous”.

Had a variation of that one after a car overtook me riding down a hill, then immediately slammed her brakes on as there were oncoming cars and the road narrowed. I skidded and hit the back of her, but her get out line was ‘but I’m pregnant’!

Oh great, so just because you’re expecting a baby, that gives you an excuse to drive like a moron?

From a lot of these kind of driving stories, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that people have some kind of mental breakdown when they get into their cars – it’s almost as if they lose touch with reality
and no longer understand that the people outside the car (pedestrians and cyclists) aren’t real people who are really there who will actually die if you hit them…

It’s be interesting to get a neuroscience experiment done where you put people in identical risk scenarios, one in a real car and one in a simulator to test if they respond in any way which suggests they know there’s a difference…

I’ve found making eye contact when possible seems to make a massive difference. It’s like that’s the point where a driver stops treating me as an object.