So I had my first incident with a driver

Leeds city centre near corn exchange, going towards the station… I’m waiting at a red light, it goes green and I cycle into the bus/taxi/cycle only Lane about to bear right.. Beeping behind me and a very close pass (it’s a single lane) by a black and white cab. Close enough for me to bang on his window a few times without wobbling.

I just don’t understand why he did it.. You can’t drive fast down there as there lots of lights and people dashing across the road etc.. Once he’d overtaken he couldn’t get away from me due to busses and what not, your lucky if to can sustain more than about 15mph down there.. I guess he just took objection to the fact I was there, his overtake accomplished nothing.

Anyway I caught up with him at the taxi rank outside the station and had a bit of a shout at him (he wouldn’t wind his window down).. Amazing how Sheepish some people become when they realise the fact thier car won’t protect them..

Anyway, rant over.. I feel better now!

I’m with the taxi driver on this one. You shouldn’t have been on the road.

I bet you don’t even pay road tax

It’s funny innit. I went on a fuel-efficient driving lesson through work and above all it taught me not to treat a journey as a race to the next junction. It’s common sense, it saves money / fuel and probably lives if everyone did the same. But no, must get past whatever’s in front of me NOW. The majority of drivers are berks.

Had that a few times. I catch up then lean on the taxi at the next lights.
They love that. Usually the window comes down then!

.

get camera phone out and take picture of them,

some dont like their picture being taken

Or become a proper “bike messenger vigilante” and use a Kryptonite* D lock to put his windows in or a dent in every panel?

*Other D locks are available. 😉

Nah, I’d sooner just put their skull in with my Dlock if things get aggressive.

I actually use a compact kryptonite Dlock, lol!

Speaking as someone who has gone “full screaming mental” at a driver & committed criminal damage to the vehicle by punching the door mirror off & punching dents in the van bodywork, I can honestly say its REALLY not worth it.

Yeh I’m just venting really, it’s not something I’d do unless under extreme duress!

I quite like marvs suggestion though!

I screamed so bad once at a driver he cried! It was one of those moments when I was stood down the road holding my bike watching myself shouting into a strangers face.

You feel awful afterwards, though it was completely justified at the time. Made me feel rotten all day.

mattyfez – Member
… had a bit of a shout at him …

I am trying to imagine you shouting at him now … 😆

What did you say exactly?

its a cab – licensed with a number take a pic of the plate and driver and write to the license authority to complain . they have to log it officially .

I don’t really recall something along the lines of “what’s your ******* problem you ****** ****’ at that point I could see he saw my point of view so I pretty much just left it at that!

mattyfez – Member
I don’t really recall something along the lines of “what’s your ******* problem you ****** ****’ at that point I could see he saw my point of view so I pretty much just left it at that!

Wearing cycling tights while shouting?

So funny … 😆

No, I ride a hard tail mtb, full civvy gear, shirt, trousers and sensible shoes! Although I did have my right trouser leg tucked into my sock, if that counts haha!

Leeds is a terrible place to cycle in my experience. Just this evening on a short 28 mile ride I’ve had to carry out a full emergency stop after some plonk decided to pull out of a junction in front of me (this is whilst wearing hi-viz and with a bright flashing front light). We also had some numpty try and force his way into the middle of our group of 6 as the road narrowed before some traffic lights. I can only assume he didn’t like the fact we were riding 2 abreast. Hopefully he’s got a nice big scratch down the side of his car…

And to add to that I was actually knocked off my bike on my very first ride in Leeds – I was only going 3 miles up the road as well, and it was broad daylight at about lunch time!

Speaking as someone who has gone “full screaming mental” at a driver & committed criminal damage to the vehicle by punching the door mirror off & punching dents in the van bodywork, I can honestly say its REALLY not worth it.

I beg to differ. Years ago was a courier in London. Got nearly done by van. Caught him in heavy traffic, red faced fat bloke. Pulled up next to him and asked him what his game was. He spat at me. To my everlasting happiness I whipped the D-lock off the bars and smashed his light. Happily he jumped out of the van and started to chase me. I was able to stop at least once to give him a sporting chance. Then the traffic started to move and everyone behind him started beeping. I thought he was going to combust. As he returned to his van spelling out in detail exactly what he was going to do to me I made my escape through a local park. I guess he’s not a friend of cycling now, but then he never was..

Maybe a month on a bike in a city should be made part of the driving test..
I know that sounds difficult and extreme, but it would certainly change attitudes, and teach people how to drive progressively and efficiently, they’ll even save money on fuel!

I say this as both a driver and a cyclist before anyone accuses me of being a stravaa! /go pro nazi! Lol!

Leeds is going to get better. I first rode to work there 18 months ago and was ‘slightly taken aback’ by quite how rubbish the roads were. Like pre-1990 London, with added motorway junctions.

Last week I had another go. The cycle superhighway they’re building is like nothing in the UK – segregated, wide and continuous. From Bradford to Leeds in luxury (well, apart from the bits that aren’t yet finished). I was amazed – there are imperfections but it’s way beyond what I expected.

Plus more people are riding already, add to that that more people will ride because the infrastructure has improved and the critical mass will improve things.

I second the fact that Leeds isn’t a very cycling friendly city. There’s a reason why they call Otley Road / Woodhouse Lane “suicide alley,” and don’t get me started on Sheepscar junction at rush hour.

Chapeltown Road was another bad one if I remember. Had a few near death experiences riding to uni when I lived up by Potternewton Park.

Leeds is a terrible place to cycle in my experience.

Lived in Leeds centre for two years. Horrible place. It’s actively hostile to people in any mode of transport, just really badly “designed”, if you can even use that word to describe what’s been done to the place. It’s no defence for being a ****, obviously, but I’m not surprised the taxi drivers are often even bigger nutcases than usual in Leeds.

I reckon the council farmed out their post-war civic planning by giving a load of wax crayons to a cage full of gibbons on cocaine. It’s the only explanation for insanity like the loop road, or the completely batshit-mental half-underground mini-motorway with junctions off the central reservation. I lived in London before Leeds, and I found driving in and around the capital was less stressful than a Leeds centre/M62 commute. I never even dreamed of riding my bike in the centre at the time, it was too horrible to contemplate.

I commuted across the centre of Leeds on foot and on my bike for 5 years. It was great, never had a spot of bother. Easy to navigate and, once in prime position, safe to cycle.

Don’t dent the panels, fold the mirrors in and grab the keys through the window if they actually deserve retribution (nb this may get your face slammed against the car if you can’t do it fast enough)

😀

Clovers comments about the cycle superhighway are interesting, I’ve not seen the Leeds end but by golly the Bradford end has pissed the un-evolved off in Bradford (see T+A comments section passim/ad nauseum)

I want to ride it now. On a tandem. With an inflateable lady on the back seat. Perhaps do some stoppies down a hill…

grab the keys through the window if they actually deserve retribution (nb this may get your face slammed against the car if you can’t do it fast enough)

Or a broken arm!

Gotta be innit to winnit.

I don’t tend to have a problem cycling in Leeds. Maybe it is crap and I’m just used to it by now, I don’t know, but I’ve only had one incident with actual contact (several years ago now) and I very rarely get any verbal abuse or deliberate aggression. Maybe it’s because I’m female?

his overtake accomplished nothing

During rush hour, I’d be surprised if even half the cars that overtake me accomplish anything / speed up their journey by doing so. The one and only time I’ve banged on someone’s window for doing something stupid was overtaking me on a blind bend, then pulling in very suddenly in front of me when a car came the other way, all so that he could get to a queue of stationary traffic (that he could see) 1.7 seconds earlier than otherwise. This guy wasn’t “sheepish” – he just screamed at me to **** off, repeatedly.

I totally feel your pain.

I totally feel your pain.

Might be time to let it go.

I had an incident with a driver a few weeks ago. Queue of cars waiting at a junction so I cycle up behind first car but to right of second car, stopped but failed to unclip and started falling toward car. Managed to soak up any force of the fall in my arm when my hand landed on car bonnet, and prevented handlebars hitting car too, luckily. Instantly turned round, sh!tt!ng myself, appologising and much relieved to see friendly woman driver.

So good result, just a bit of embarrasment.

just seen this statement. & LOL’d

gofasterstripes – re: bradford’s cycle superhighway

I want to ride it now. On a tandem. With an inflateable lady on the back seat. Perhaps do some stoppies down a hill…

well funny.