One Bad Apple

[Jdsk]

Thanks for sharing. That preparation was smart.

Would you have done anything differently with the benefit of hindsight? Apart from the camera.

I honestly don't see what else I could have done. It's a small roundabout (not a mini) so no option of being in a different lane. I had lights and reflectors back and front as always, plus some reflective bits too. I was already going slow as I'd had to stop at the roundabout before entering. I'm happy I did all the right things.

I wonder, if I was in a car, would the same guy have done the same thing?

Thanks

On that last question: It's no great secret that I'm uncomfortable with much of the othering of other road users in this forum. But in addition to the impact of adverse events when you're responsible for a massive mobile metal object I'm pretty convinced that there are systematic reasons for SMIDSY. I just wish that they were better understood.

Jonathan

[Pebble]

Thanks for sharing. That preparation was smart.

Would you have done anything differently with the benefit of hindsight? Apart from the camera.

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan. I honestly don't see what else I could have done. It's a small roundabout (not a mini) so no option of being in a different lane. I had lights and reflectors back and front as always, plus some reflective bits too. I was already going slow as I'd had to stop at the roundabout before entering. I'm happy I did all the right things.

I wonder, if I was in a car, would the same guy have done the same thing?

Geoff.

folk still pull out in front of you when you're driving a 44t artic. I put that down to them making a mistake, may be its the same when on my bike, but I then think it is malicious.

Mount a camera on the bike and tether it to a battery pack, my set up gives 20 hours run time, need only remember to charge it up every 10 days or so.

The good thing about the camera is, when an incident like that occurs it no longer spoils the rest of my ride, the thought of them getting 3 points is quite ameliorative. (then by the time I get home I have forgot about and don't do anything)

[CyclingBlob]

I did ride with my action camera on most trips, but got out of the habit. After today, I'll get back to making it a regular thing.

That's an excellent point that the thought of them getting a fine/points will certainly help not spoil the rest of my ride. I let these things get to me far too much, which is something I'm always working on. Not easy when you're already not feeling too great.

Geoff.

[cycle tramp]

Deleted

[CyclingBlob]

It's not you, its them....

My partner had this happen a last week, whilst she was on a roundabout - whilst she was driving. She described the driver as an older gentleman who then became angry that she didn't stop for him, forcing gentleman to brake and stop... denying him entry to the same road space that she was about to occupy...
... a few weeks back I did a spell on the councils phones dealing with those people who had got car parking tickets and tickets driving in the bus lanes...
...not wishing to be too rude, there is a percentage of road users who are either (a) willfully ignorant of the highway code and/or (b) believe that many of the highway laws do not apply to them.... and this is across the whole sector of society including one vicar, who during the course of the half hour call, decided that he wasn't going to make an appeal against his fine but stated that he would get the press involved and go to court to fight it....before angerly slamming the phone down on me...

..should anyone else should seek to challenge these road users assumptions, or point out that they may be in the wrong either, either completely fails to register or must be furiously dismissed using threats to mask their poor understanding, by such people.

In such circumstances the best you can do is congratulate yourself that you've spotted them, acted in a way to prevent yourself from becoming involved in their petty dramas and keep an eye out for the next one...

Great post. I come across such people all the time in life, not only on the roads.....but mostly. I'm sure most people aren't like this but the few who are tend to stick in our minds more.

Another incident that occurred to me yesterday, which I do have on video, was of a young girl (toddler age) intentionally standing just in the road, in the gutter, calling to her Mum to boast she was in the road. I don't blame the child one bit by the way, she looked to have mental health problems and didn't know any better. It's a narrow stretch by a park entrance, which in itself in an accident waiting to happen. I had already slowed down due to lots of people coming in and out of the park, but when I saw the child I went even slower. I saw her Parents approaching her from behind and they didn't call her back, then as they got to the girl, the Mother also stepped into the road and grabbed the girl's hand. I'm certain they were just about to cross, but I was going past exactly at that moment so I called out to warn them.

I would post the video but looking back at it, you cannot clearly tell that they were actually going to walk in front of me. It's possible the Mother was about to look before crossing, but as she was already in the road and her momentum didn't seem to stop, I'm pretty sure she planned to keep on going without looking.

The mentality of some people is so far beyond my understanding, especially when it involves children.

[Ayseven]

You can't let any of these Debby Downers get to you. It does seem like the whole world has become more self centred, but that's probably a reaction to overcrowding in the world generally. That, and an inexplicable increase in constipation. That's what i think of when my space around my bike is not being respected.

[Biospace]

Thing is, it's not necessarily an impatient driver, lack of attention or rest which poses most danger in my experience. It's too often laziness or inability to check a vehicle is safe.

My concerns are usually for agricultural sorts driving poorly maintained vehicles, often with trailers attached and at speeds which raise alarm. Builders' pickups are also watched for, I've seen various items fall off or out of them.

However a glorious day's ride on Saturday saw another hazard - a camper van with a side locker which had unlatched. If this had been top-hinged, it may have attracted the driver's attention with banging open and closed, but the hinges were at the bottom with a metre of metal locker door hanging out, waiting to harm whatever soft item it met. Several cars were stuck behind it, nobody appeared to be making any effort to draw this lethal weapon to the driver's attention.

The transfer of policing of our roads from people to AI will surely only encourage more and more laziness and poor habits from vehicle users.