Near Miss of the Day 266: “Please check your mirrors” says cyclist forced to jump onto pavement to avoid being knocked off bike

Billy1mate wrote:

She will always look from now on (hopefully).

https://7pinkelephants.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/pink-elephants.jpg

PRSboy wrote:

A bit like the Range Rover driver who decided to overtake me as I was cycling past a line of parked cars on a narrow road by actually driving half on the pavement at 25 mph across people's driveways.

At last ... someone using a Range Rover for a bit of off road. Never thought I would live to see the day

srchar wrote:

Aside: why is it that criticising someone's driving usually leads to much frothing at the mouth?  The type of person who would laugh off, say, a lack of basic maths skills, inability to spell or ignorance of recent history will often turn into a ball of rage at the merest suggestion that they haven't mastered the skill of driving safely.

its weird isnt it, I had that this morning car gave me no room when they passed me, I raised my hand in a what the hell are you doing trying to cut me off so badly,as of course less than only maybe 10 car lengths further along the traffic lights were already red, and they had to stop, so I caught them up and passed them on the drivers side as I was turning right anyway at a road that wasnt controlled by the lights even if I had been going straight on they were just then about to go green, but as I stared across the driver was going all crazy foaming at the mouth and rageified waving his finger and pointing at me and the traffic light, and Im just like ffs you are the one who should be looking at their standard of driving not me not deflecting it on to me

I dont know people  wrap so much of their psyche in the vehicle itself, any criticism of them just triggers an OTT reaction

Awavey wrote:

srchar wrote:

Aside: why is it that criticising someone's driving usually leads to much frothing at the mouth?  The type of person who would laugh off, say, a lack of basic maths skills, inability to spell or ignorance of recent history will often turn into a ball of rage at the merest suggestion that they haven't mastered the skill of driving safely.

its weird isnt it, I had that this morning car gave me no room when they passed me, I raised my hand in a what the hell are you doing trying to cut me off so badly,as of course less than only maybe 10 car lengths further along the traffic lights were already red, and they had to stop, so I caught them up and passed them on the drivers side as I was turning right anyway at a road that wasnt controlled by the lights even if I had been going straight on they were just then about to go green, but as I stared across the driver was going all crazy foaming at the mouth and rageified waving his finger and pointing at me and the traffic light, and Im just like ffs you are the one who should be looking at their standard of driving not me not deflecting it on to me

I dont know people  wrap so much of their psyche in the vehicle itself, any criticism of them just triggers an OTT reaction

Like the "How dare you touch my car?!?" thing...

srchar wrote:

Aside: why is it that criticising someone's driving usually leads to much frothing at the mouth?  The type of person who would laugh off, say, a lack of basic maths skills, inability to spell or ignorance of recent history will often turn into a ball of rage at the merest suggestion that they haven't mastered the skill of driving safely.

This reaction is not quite exclusively masculine, but almost so.  Some women will get stroppy if you say 'you're a shit driver'.  But most men will actually respond with physical aggression if you cast aspersions on their ability as a driver.

It's one of the aspects of the British 'car culture' that needs to change.   We have a 'sickness' that links things like cruelty to animals, meat-eating, sports and of course, ownership and driving of fast, powerful cars to notions of masculinity.   Any man who departs from this orthodoxy, is considered 'feminine'.  I'm vegan, and although I work in an office with very smart, mature people, I still get the jibes about how I'm 'less of a man' than my colleagues who eat meat.  If we go out for lunch, not only do they all order meat (which frankly, is a case of 'whatever' .. I don't care), but they will all make sure to talk about how meat is 'masculine', making loud 'nom, nom..' sounds as they talk about how bacon is the best thing since sliced fucking bread.

I have an old(ish), clapped-out Skoda, and the fact that I don't read Car magazine and get wood at the thought of a Porsche 987-or-whatever-the-fuck-the-number-is, means I'm somehow 'effeminate'.   I mention that I'm a cyclist, and it's immediaetely, 'hi-viz' or 'red lights' or 'road tax'.  

And so on.  

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

This reaction is not quite exclusively masculine, but almost so.  Some women will get stroppy if you say 'you're a shit driver'.

That doesn't match my experience.  In fact, the opposite; the most aggressive overreactions I've experienced have been from women.  Everyone is alpha when they've wrapped in a ton of metal.

srchar wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

This reaction is not quite exclusively masculine, but almost so.  Some women will get stroppy if you say 'you're a shit driver'.

That doesn't match my experience.  In fact, the opposite; the most aggressive overreactions I've experienced have been from women.  Everyone is alpha when they've wrapped in a ton of metal.

The most aggressive overreaction I have ever received was from a woman (one who had literally just turned right across my path, almost taking me out, but was determined to show how much it was all my fault for riding too fast) but also the best reactions I get are generally from women ... normally that they didn't see me, asking if I was OK and apologising several times. 

Their driving was still shocking, and I would much rather they drove better than reacted so well to the incident, but in the main I find women far more likely to acknowledge that they should have done better. 

HawkinsPeter wrote:

What was the driver even trying to do?

That section of the cycle lane had a solid white line which would make it a "mandatory bike lane" (rubbish name) and thus cars are not allowed onto it at all (I believe the solid white line demarks the side of the carriageway, so it would be equivalent to a car just driving on the pavement).

That driver should retake a driving test as it looks like she was just clueless about how to drive safely and what the road markings mean.

Stationary car in the middle of the lane turning right, it was obviously implausible for the driver to wait a few moments as they probably had very important things to be doing.

MrSimonMills wrote:

HawkinsPeter wrote:

What was the driver even trying to do?

That section of the cycle lane had a solid white line which would make it a "mandatory bike lane" (rubbish name) and thus cars are not allowed onto it at all (I believe the solid white line demarks the side of the carriageway, so it would be equivalent to a car just driving on the pavement).

That driver should retake a driving test as it looks like she was just clueless about how to drive safely and what the road markings mean.

Stationary car in the middle of the lane turning right, it was obviously implausible for the driver to wait a few moments as they probably had very important things to be doing.

Thanks - I hadn't spotted that.

Basic roadcraft - check your mirrors before performing a maneouvre.

HawkinsPeter wrote:

MrSimonMills wrote:

HawkinsPeter wrote:

What was the driver even trying to do?

That section of the cycle lane had a solid white line which would make it a "mandatory bike lane" (rubbish name) and thus cars are not allowed onto it at all (I believe the solid white line demarks the side of the carriageway, so it would be equivalent to a car just driving on the pavement).

That driver should retake a driving test as it looks like she was just clueless about how to drive safely and what the road markings mean.

Stationary car in the middle of the lane turning right, it was obviously implausible for the driver to wait a few moments as they probably had very important things to be doing.

Thanks - I hadn't spotted that.

Basic roadcraft - check your mirrors before performing a maneouvre.

It's not even about the mirrors. Simply should not even be attempting that illegal and dangerous maneuovre. Must not enter the compulsory cycle lane.

Revoke licence, must pass a theory test and extended driving test, simples.

That section of the cycle lane had a solid white line which would make it a "mandatory bike lane" (rubbish name) and thus cars are not allowed onto it at all (I believe the solid white line demarks the side of the carriageway, so it would be equivalent to a car just driving on the pavement).

Basic roadcraft - check your mirrors before performing a maneouvre.

[/quote]It's not even about the mirrors. Simply should not even be attempting that illegal and dangerous maneuovre. Must not enter the compulsory cycle lane.

Revoke licence, must pass a theory test and extended driving test, simples.

[/quote]

Please can we stop with this "mandatory bike lane" "compulsory cycle lane" thing?

There is no such thing and it adds fuel to the fire that people on bikes MUST use them to keep out of the way of motor vehicles.......

mikepridmorewood wrote:

Please can we stop with this "mandatory bike lane"

That's the official term though
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/362/schedule/9/part/7/paragraph/...

hirsute wrote:

mikepridmorewood wrote:

Please can we stop with this "mandatory bike lane"

That's the official term though http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/362/schedule/9/part/7/paragraph/...

Mandatory that motor vehicles keep out, not mandatory that cycles HAVE to use it which is how certain motorists seem to be applying it....

mikepridmorewood wrote:

hirsute wrote:

mikepridmorewood wrote:

Please can we stop with this "mandatory bike lane"

That's the official term though http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/362/schedule/9/part/7/paragraph/...

 

Mandatory that motor vehicles keep out, not mandatory that cycles HAVE to use it which is how certain motorists seem to be applying it....

But its still called a "mandatory" cycle lane, so I'm not sure what your objection was?

mikepridmorewood wrote:

hirsute wrote:

mikepridmorewood wrote:

Please can we stop with this "mandatory bike lane"

That's the official term though http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/362/schedule/9/part/7/paragraph/...

 

Mandatory that motor vehicles keep out, not mandatory that cycles HAVE to use it which is how certain motorists seem to be applying it....

Sure, but that does not change the official name.

mikepridmorewood wrote:

Please can we stop with this "mandatory bike lane" "compulsory cycle lane" thing?

There is no such thing and it adds fuel to the fire that people on bikes MUST use them to keep out of the way of motor vehicles.......

Well, that's kinda it's official name, so posting here isn't going to change that. But I'm sure changing it's name to something like "non-driving lane" or "pavement" is highly likely to stop drivers illegally and dangerously venturing into it with gay abandon.