Motorcyclist encounters obstructive motorist (YouTube)

[Bonefishblues]

Anyway, I have to say that lately I've found that rather than blocking me, more and more drivers have been aware that I'm going to filter and have moved to help me get through - more awareness of cyclists, or more drivers who have taken up cycling?

Both, methinks. Welcome either/both ways.

[Phil Fouracre]

Blimey! It must be me! I'm amazed at some of the comments on here. Perhaps I'm looking at things the wrong way? But, the m/cyclists attitude seems fairly clear from the beginning (get out of my way?) I'm not convinced that you can see any malice in the driver, 'I'm turning right, so move over into the right lane', going by most motorists, probably didn't even register that there was a bike approaching. Transfer the riders attitude to a driver and what have you got? 'Get out of my way, I'm coming through. Brings us full circle to all the complaints about drivers expecting cyclists to keep out of the way of cars, ride in the gutter or the cycle path?

[TonyR]

Blimey! It must be me! I'm amazed at some of the comments on here. Perhaps I'm looking at things the wrong way? But, the m/cyclists attitude seems fairly clear from the beginning (get out of my way?) I'm not convinced that you can see any malice in the driver, 'I'm turning right, so move over into the right lane', going by most motorists, probably didn't even register that there was a bike approaching. Transfer the riders attitude to a driver and what have you got? 'Get out of my way, I'm coming through. Brings us full circle to all the complaints about drivers expecting cyclists to keep out of the way of cars, ride in the gutter or the cycle path?

Or you could look at it the other way and consider the motorists we encounter every day who pull into the kerb to stop us filtering on the inside or out into the lane to stop us filtering on the outside. Much the same as here. They have every right to position themselves wherever they like on the road but it doesn't stop us getting annoyed when they do it so as to block our progress. But then perhaps when that happens its all our fault for having a Get out of my way attitude.

[reohn2]

Blimey! It must be me! I'm amazed at some of the comments on here. Perhaps I'm looking at things the wrong way? But, the m/cyclists attitude seems fairly clear from the beginning (get out of my way?)

That's not the way I see it at all.I see someone trying to filter through standing to slow moving,going nowhere traffic,just looking for a safe passage.

I'm not convinced that you can see any malice in the driver,

Agreed but then again I can't see that there may have been either,see below...

'I'm turning right, so move over into the right lane', going by most motorists,

So I'll move right over to the outside of the lane even though a wider BMW in front of me,didn't see the need to move out so far,if you look closely there are cars down the inside of the BMW,in the left turning lane with plenty of room between them and the BMW's nearside.

probably didn't even register that there was a bike approaching.

Isn't that the whole problem?
That if the manoeuvre wasn't a deliberate block,it was lack of attention to other traffic on the road which amounts to the same thing,other than one being malicious and the other being stupid!

Transfer the riders attitude to a driver and what have you got? 'Get out of my way, I'm coming through.

As I said above,I really only see someone whose chosen a better mode of transport for gridlock conditions,and is trying to filter through when his way is blocked needlessly,deliberately or not that's his gripe.
His swearing at the driver I don't agree is warranted,but if it happens on a regular basis perhaps he's on a short fuse as a result.

Brings us full circle to all the complaints about drivers expecting cyclists to keep out of the way of cars, ride in the gutter or the cycle path?

It's blowing a gale here and I've been out for a ride on a carefully calculated route with minimum exposure to it,but on one of the unavoidable exposed sections it didn't stop a 7.5ton box van nearly taking my right elbow off,and later on two cars doing the same on another road where I was pedalling into a 20mph+ head wind whilst trying maintain forward progress and stay upright at the same time.All three incidents happened on wide roads that other driver managed to give me more room than I normally get on less gale like days.
I'm afraid all three would have had some choice words from me given the chance .
My point is that there are simply to many introverted richardheads who see no further than the end of there noses,and even though the trees are bending over double,and their vehicle is being rocked by the same force,can't seem to think of anything other than their own little world!

[Phil Fouracre]

Totally agree with your last paragraph. Richard Heads everywhere. Don't know how you overcome the problem. My real question with the vid was that it was a little one sided, and, as I think I mentioned, like a few others I've seen. Just not sure that having a camera always brings out the best in people, in front, or behind the lens!

[snibgo]

HA 1835 s78 says cyclists should keep left so we don't obstruct overtaking or oncoming traffic. And exactly the same is true of white Fiats and motorbikes. This is how the roads work.

We should also take any action necessary to avoid collisions. If that means ceding priority, then we should.

As a cyclist I often and wilfully but briefly obstruct traffic. Engineered pinchpoints are wide enough for lorries so could be wide enough for a bike and a car, at a squeeze. I dislike squeezes so I check the traffic, indicate and take primary, in the dead centre of the pinchpoint so even the smallest car wouldn't attempt to get past. I give a wave of thanks to anyone I have inconvenienced. In the highly unlikely event of the police trying to prosecute me for this, I would argue Bikability and Franklin and the fact that traffic is always obstructing other traffic for various reasons, etc.

I've been on the receiving end of car drivers who find their side of the road blocked by cars, so they use my side of the road, expecting me to get out of their way as I'm "only on a bike". I don't take kindly to this.

[SeikenBiker]

Ha! I am amazed by some of the comments but I cannot expect people to see it all in the video. A lot of you made an assumption that this action was not deliberate... It was absolutely deliberate. The driver has been shouting and pointing on to my lane as she was moving towards me. Yes it is my vid, LOL. I just wanted to help out your heated discussion. Carry on.

[Graham]

Thanks for that crucial bit of clarification SeikenBiker.

Thus it was a piece of bloody-minded obstruction.

I had quite a few similar incidents when I was cycling around London, back in the old days, before the popular explosion of cycling in the city.

[reohn2]

Ha! I am amazed by some of the comments but I cannot expect people to see it all in the video. A lot of you made an assumption that this action was not deliberate... It was absolutely deliberate. The driver has been shouting and pointing on to my lane as she was moving towards me. Yes it is my vid, LOL. I just wanted to help out your heated discussion. Carry on.

I've suspected all along that the driver's manoeuvre as a deliberate,blocking and aggressive driving,but couldn't see otherwise through her windscreen.
Thanks for clearing that up,there is far too many trouble makers on our roads IMHO.

[Postboxer]

I still don't buy it, they both move into the space at the same time, obviously the driver is pointing at the end as they've been ridden at by a motorcycle that had nowhere to go when it pulls out.

[661-Pete]

Welcome to the forum, Seikenbiker. You'll find a lot of debate about 2- (and 3-) wheeled travel here, powered or unpowered, I don't guarantee that everyone will agree with you, or with everyone else, though!

If you want my view - yes the car driver did appear to deliberately obstruct, but was it worth the burst of Anglo-Saxon?

[Bonefishblues]

I had the benefit of listening to the commentary last night, also seeing the post from the bike rider, and have thought about my response to it.

I think that my observation would be that it was not perhaps the best chosen example to illustrate the point being made - I found it rather hyperbolic in the context of what was an incident at the milder end of the spectrum - some users on this forum (including me), who are likely to be inherently sympathetic to the biker's POV weren't certain it was a deliberate move on the part of the driver, I note. I take the biker at his word that it was indeed deliberate, but for me the incident is best categorised as discourtesy, as opposed to some of the rather more extreme statements being made.

The biker's response to the woman at the end does nothing other than cement her preconceptions, I'd suggest, which is unhelpful to (even more) vulnerable road users such as cyclists.

Just my thoughts. Bit sad all round

[Phil Fouracre]

Exactly!

[SeikenBiker]

I found it rather hyperbolic in the context of what was an incident at the milder end of the spectrum

incident is best categorised as discourtesy, as opposed to some of the rather more extreme statements being made.

It not unusual that the video does not fully show the danger or on opposite to make a quite safe maneuver to look very dangerous. I have to be honest that I am used to car drivers not paying attention and I do believe it is my job to make sure I find safe gaps in traffic. However when I realize that someone is putting me in danger - yes I had to run away and try to fit in a column of cars while unsure if the cars on left are not going to do another stunt which is not letting me in. Normally this can be done fluently and there are no issues. I accept that I may need to do an emergency rejoin due to changing conditions but not that someone thinks they can use their car as some people use an elbow on the bus.

The biker's response to the woman at the end does nothing other than cement her preconceptions, I'd suggest, which is unhelpful to (even more) vulnerable road users such as cyclists.

Just my thoughts. Bit sad all round

I respect your opinion. However what do you think should be done? Just letting her on her way thinking she made the right thing and carry on feeling like she is the citizen of the year? Do you think THAT will help other vulnerable road users? Maybe if she sees herself on YT and reads some of the comments she will think twice (and people like her who will watch it) before she decides to pull that off on another vulnerable road user? She will not change her mind (no matter what) but maybe she will be a little more worried about the consequences.
That is how I think about it.

[snibgo]

Perhaps she has had a car scratched by a motorcyclist misjudging a gap.