Cheeky - moi?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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661-Pete
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Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 8:45pm
Location: Sussex

Cheeky - moi?

Post by 661-Pete »

Witnessed a little fracas as I was cycling into town this morning, with much hooting.

A little way head of me, a motorist was coming out of a side road on my left, turning left, having not seen the car in front of me bearing down on her. Her view was momentarily obscured by another car waiting at the same side road, turning right.

Now, I think I can tell the difference between a warning toot and a 20-second 'get-outta-my-way' blast! Anyway Mr Hooter gave her the full works as he squeezed past with inches to spare. I got a glimpse of Ms Hooted-at (an elderly lady) as I cycled past: she'd come to a complete stop, a bit grey about the gills, looked scared out of her wits.

Well, I easily got in front of Mr Hooter a bit further on at some lights, so I thought I'd put myself in primary for a while :twisted: . I held him on my tail for all of 300 to 400 yards: then I had to 'release' him since I was turning left. I was rewarded with a few choice adjectives from Mr Hooter as he roared past. :shock: But no hooting. Perhaps he'd got the message?!

Question: for this piece of barefaced chutzpah, ought I to stand in the naughty-corner for a while? :twisted:
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Bicycler
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Joined: 4 Dec 2013, 3:33pm

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by Bicycler »

Well done. You've now unleashed an already angry driver with a (justified) grievance about the selfish behaviour of a cyclist. This will reinforce everything he's ever been told about those sponging lycra louts. Glad I wasn't the next one he encountered.

I've no idea how you thought you were helping...
Flinders
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Joined: 10 Mar 2009, 6:47pm

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by Flinders »

Things is, the driver pulling out was 100% in the wrong. If they'd pulled out in front of you rather than the driver in front of you, they could have killed you.
The driver may have been pretty shocked about what happened too, and could have been hooting to try to get the other driver's attention before they pulled so far out a collision was unavoidable.
Someone like her pulled out in front of my father on a road with a 60mph limit. (Luckily he was going slower for other reasons.) Had he not reacted quickly, seen the other side of the road was clear, and steered right, she would have been t-boned rather than having an almost side-to-side collision in which fortunately nobody was injured. Had dad been on a bike, or had there been traffic on the other carriageway, he (and she) might not have been so fortunate.

Far too many drivers make a manouvre unless they can see reason not to, rather than only when they can see it is safe. The driver who pulled out when her view was not clear was doing exactly that, and it is stupid and dangerous. I hope she learns her lesson before she kills someone.

I find when I'm in the same position as she was at a junction, unable to see through/past a car or other vehicle on my right, when I wait until I can see it is clear, I get a lot of hassle from drivers behind me who may have a clearer view because they are further back. They may be able to see I could 'go' but are too stupid to realise that where I am, it's not possible to see that it is safe.
Flinders
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Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by Flinders »

(both cars in my Dad's case were write offs)
Ellieb
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Joined: 26 Jul 2008, 7:06pm

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by Ellieb »

Who gave you the right to annoy someone to prove a point? It's stuff like this which makes UK roads such hellish places.
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661-Pete
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Location: Sussex

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by 661-Pete »

I don't claim any 'right' - and it seems the answer to my question is 'yes'. fair comment.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
james01
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Joined: 6 Aug 2007, 4:48am

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by james01 »

There's the issue here of over-use of car horns which gets everyone stressed. They're supposed to be a last-ditch warning when an incident appears to be imminent. They are not designed for use as punishment-noise. I can't remember when I last needed to use my car horn. Anyone who uses their horn often should have a think about the standard of their driving and the near-miss situations they're obviously getting themselves into regularly.
Bicycler
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Joined: 4 Dec 2013, 3:33pm

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by Bicycler »

I agree, though "last ditch warning when an incident appears to be imminent" may be a bit far. Their correct use is to alert other road users to your presence. That doesn't require an imminent emergency
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Neilo
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Joined: 11 Dec 2013, 4:15pm
Location: Swansea Valley

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by Neilo »

james01 wrote:There's the issue here of over-use of car horns


Try Kathmandu :roll:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKtqD8PyJuU
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gy3kRVUvx0
If it aint broke, fix it til it is.
flat tyre
Posts: 565
Joined: 18 Jul 2008, 1:01pm

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by flat tyre »

I don't think it's a particularly good idea to set out to further antagonise an angry motorist, you're putting yourself in danger.
Tonyf33
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Joined: 17 Nov 2007, 3:31pm
Location: Letchworth N.Herts

Re: Cheeky - moi?

Post by Tonyf33 »

Sorry Pete but unless you had reason to hold the lane from your safety POV then you were in the wrong. people get angry/frightened/shocked when others impinge on their safety, using the horn can actually alleviate all of these in an instant and not actually draw out those feelings any longer (like having a good old shout when your work mates/boss/underlings really hack you off), not only to signal that she was about to cause a crash.

I had some clearly blind person (middle aged woman) pull out on me at a roundabout this Friday, I was in my car so gave her a hefty honk as she was about to crash into the side of my car, I was at a stop, gave a searing look and she then waved at me to get a move on. Bare faced cheek I thought, so I drove bang on the speed limit as indicated (mine is about 28 at 30 going from several sources) for the next mile until she turned off.
I wasn't holding her up, just proving a point about her speed/lack of actually looking, in my younger much more short tempered days I would have got out the car and gave her more than an extended horn's worth of abuse for being such a 'cracklespluttersplat'(self removed naughty words)

Admonishing someone with your horn I don't think is really anything at all (those cyclists with horns do it often enough) and frankly that police get hot and bothered over such is just idiocy on a level beyond understanding as to why people do it and not realise what it actually really does accomplish..
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