I know I shouldn't, but...

[Terry D]

....I did anyway. Chase after the car that is.

I'm not normally inclined towards this sort of behaviour, but seeing as
the incident took place at the turn off to the street where I live, I
thought perhaps something should be said if only to avoid possible
future unpleasantness.

This is what happened. There is a rather peculiar double mini roundabout
at a staggered junction just before the point where I turn right into
our Crescent. I have adopted the strategy of moving to the right-hand
side of the straight on lane in order to move to the centre of the road
as I leave the roundabout(s). This puts me in a good position to turn
right into the Crescent. Unfortunately for me many motorists can't see
the sense in this manoeuvre and several have been known to demonstrate
their displeasure by driving very close to me and in some cases shouting
abuse. This evening's exponent of the Art Of Showing The Lycra Brigade
How You Feel was behind me until just before I reached the right turn
for the Crescent. There was a car waiting to turn right and another
behind him waiting to go up the main road. The gentleman in question
then made his move, he pushed between me and the second car in order to
take up his place behind the car turning right. Not only did I have to
move right to avoid being hit, I was also forced to cross the white line
as I did so. I was not a happy bunny.

That is where it would normally end, possibly with a shout of "Oi,
******!" as the car drives off into the distance. This time it was
different, this time I knew I could catch up with the stupid bugger. The
road he was turning down only goes to the Close or the Crescent. I
followed him. He went into the Close and parked in his drive. I greeted
him with a cheery "What was the point of that little episode back there
then?". "What episode?" he replied. "The bit where you tried to push me
off the road" says I, quick as a flash. I was building up to a good
reasoned argument with somebody who was definitely going to lose, I was
looking forward to it, one up for the Lycra Brigade and all that.

He wasn't giving up easily though, he tried to turn the tables with a
question of his own. "What were you doing in the middle of the road
anyway?". Ooh, gotcha mate, I thought as I parried with right on my
side. "Turning right!".

Wrong answer. This guy knew all about cycling and how it should be done
properly, how it used to be done by cyclists in his day. He went on to
explain that I should wait at the left hand side of the road and cross
when the road is clear of traffic. I was so sure I had been doing it
right all this time, but I have been shown the error of my ways. So much
for Cyclecraft and the Highway Code and all the U.R.C. gurus. They are
all wrong. The only man who knows how to turn right on a bicycle is a
belligerent old fart in the next road to me.

Please take heed of this warning, he could be coming your way tomorrow.

Terry Duckmanton

--
It's not me that's stopping you from overtaking, it's all them cars
coming the other way!

 

[Simon Proven]

Terry D wrote:


> Wrong answer. This guy knew all about cycling and how it should be done
> properly, how it used to be done by cyclists in his day. He went on to
> explain that I should wait at the left hand side of the road and cross
> when the road is clear of traffic. I was so sure I had been doing it
> right all this time, but I have been shown the error of my ways. So much
> for Cyclecraft and the Highway Code and all the U.R.C. gurus. They are
> all wrong. The only man who knows how to turn right on a bicycle is a
> belligerent old fart in the next road to me.

Since you know where he lives, perhaps you could leave a copy of
the highway code under his windscreen wiper, with a note that he
should keep his knowledge up to date.

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <jYLtc.81$984.10@newsfe5-win>, Terry D
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Wrong answer. This guy knew all about cycling and how it should be
> done properly, how it used to be done by cyclists in his day. He went
> on to explain that I should wait at the left hand side of the road and
> cross when the road is clear of traffic.

Take his registration number and go and lodge a complaint at the police
station. They will send someone round to talk to him.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Morning had broken, and there was nothing left for us to do
but pick up the pieces.

 

[Terry D]

Simon Brooke wrote:

> in message <jYLtc.81$984.10@newsfe5-win>, Terry D
> ('[email protected]') wrote:
>
>
>>Wrong answer. This guy knew all about cycling and how it should be
>>done properly, how it used to be done by cyclists in his day. He went
>>on to explain that I should wait at the left hand side of the road and
>>cross when the road is clear of traffic.
>
>
> Take his registration number and go and lodge a complaint at the police
> station. They will send someone round to talk to him.
>

Hadn't thought of that. I'll have a chat with the plod contingent in the
hostelry tomorrow evening. Less formal, more likely to get a result. Ta!

 

[Danny Colyer]

Simon Brooke wrote:
> Take his registration number and go and lodge a complaint at the police
> station. They will send someone round to talk to him.

That seems rather overoptimistic, based on my experiences with the police.

I prefer Simon Proven's suggestion. I actually typed part of the HC
along with a brief note and left it under the windscreen of a
neighbour's white van a few years ago. I got much more room whenever he
passed me after that.

(Actually I like the suggestion of complaining to the police, as well,
but realistically I'd expect to be fobbed off with an explanation of why
they can't do anything without witnesses).

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Terry D]

Danny Colyer wrote:

> Simon Brooke wrote:
>
>> Take his registration number and go and lodge a complaint at the police
>> station. They will send someone round to talk to him.
>
>
> That seems rather overoptimistic, based on my experiences with the police.
>
> I prefer Simon Proven's suggestion. I actually typed part of the HC
> along with a brief note and left it under the windscreen of a
> neighbour's white van a few years ago. I got much more room whenever he
> passed me after that.
>
> (Actually I like the suggestion of complaining to the police, as well,
> but realistically I'd expect to be fobbed off with an explanation of why
> they can't do anything without witnesses).
>
I still favour a chat with Ex Inspector Plod down the pub. It's not what
you know.....

Terry D

 

[Mike Gayler]

Terry D <[email protected]> writed in
news:jYLtc.81$984.10@newsfe5-win:

> ...I did anyway. Chase after the car that is.

> at a staggered junction just before the point where I turn right into
> our Crescent. I have adopted the strategy of moving to the right-hand
> side of the straight on lane in order to move to the centre of the
> road as I leave the roundabout(s). This puts me in a good position to
> turn right into the Crescent. Unfortunately for me many motorists
> can't see the sense in this manoeuvre and several have been known to
> demonstrate their displeasure by driving very close to me and in some
> cases shouting abuse. This evening's exponent of the Art Of Showing
> The Lycra Brigade How You Feel was behind me until just before I
> reached the right turn for the Crescent.
Lots of the above snipped

The blokes obviously a t*ssp*t - but the skool of 'ard knocks teaches us
to treat all other road users as such. There's a similar arrangement
near where I live, and experience has shown me that clear, unambiguous
hand signals of where I intend going, along with defensive road
positioning is the only way to approach it. Paradoxicly the junction I
now have most encounters of the third kind tends to be the one at the
end of my cul-de-sac. Most vehicles turn left, or right - it's only the
few (select few!) who go straight on into the cul-de-sac. Pesuading the
t*ssp*ts that I'm in the middle of the road and NOT turning right seems
to be well nigh impossible.

Mike - Leicester

 

[Terry D]

Mike Gayler wrote:

> The blokes obviously a t*ssp*t - but the skool of 'ard knocks teaches us
> to treat all other road users as such. There's a similar arrangement
> near where I live, and experience has shown me that clear, unambiguous
> hand signals of where I intend going, along with defensive road
> positioning is the only way to approach it. Paradoxicly the junction I
> now have most encounters of the third kind tends to be the one at the
> end of my cul-de-sac. Most vehicles turn left, or right - it's only the
> few (select few!) who go straight on into the cul-de-sac. Pesuading the
> t*ssp*ts that I'm in the middle of the road and NOT turning right seems
> to be well nigh impossible.
>
> Mike - Leicester

I've been cycling the same route home for a shade over three years now.
The last bit of the home stretch was scary at first, but I developed a
way of dealing with it which made most of the other road users respect
the fact that I was there and that I knew where I was going, even if
they didn't. There are no cycle farcilities along this last stretch as a
cyclist I am entirely on my own. The biggest problem is the number of
cars which park on the right hand side of the road (as seen by me
cycling homeward) forcing the oncoming cars to move into the centre of
the road and restrict the available space. Hand signals are dodgy to say
the least. If there are cars coming up on my left I like to let them
know that I intend to turn right, but the oncoming vehicles make the
process of sticking an arm out a bit of a gamble. I would hate to lose
an arm just to let some t*ssp*t know that I was in the middle of the
road for a reason.

I think I can feel a letter to the local council coming on.

And one to my MP.

And possibly another to that Bob geezer on ****** off Britannia or
whatever it's called. (Perhaps that last one was OTT?)

Terry Duckmanton
(aka "Annoyed a lot, of Guildford")



Don't worry about me too much, I'm going to watch England play the
Barbarians tomorrow, I'll get rid of all the agression at Twickenham.

 

[Richard]

Danny Colyer wrote:

> (Actually I like the suggestion of complaining to the police, as well,
> but realistically I'd expect to be fobbed off with an explanation of why
> they can't do anything without witnesses).

I used to be that jaded ;-) but a recent experience made me much more
appreciative of the boys in blue. A pair of morons decide to buzz me
close, the passenger leaning out of his window and giving me a shove as
they passed, with the obligatory incoherent whoop. Got his
registration but no witnesses, so didn't expect much. Police came
round, took a statement, and phoned me back a few days later - they'd
chatted with the driver twice, first at his house in front of his wife,
then at his work (heheh). He'd had a sudden attack of amnesia, it
seems, and forgotten who was in his car that day and indeed the entire
incident - and regretfully, without witnesses and all, there wasn't a
realistic chance of conviction - but in the words of the policeman, "he
was scared shitless" ;-)

 

[Terry]

>
> few (select few!) who go straight on into the cul-de-sac. Pesuading the
> t*ssp*ts that I'm in the middle of the road and NOT turning right seems
> to be well nigh impossible.

I suppose you've tried the old 'I intend to go straight ahead' sign
for driver to policeman ahead.I usually raise my right arm to the
side, flexed at 90deg at the elbow and try to exude confidence .
Although it probably lacks modern official recognition I would say it
still is understood if delivered sensibly and definitely in the right
circumstance.I don't do it often.
It helps to look them in the eye in a cheery way as well.
Sometimes it may be clearer to point to where you are going.
Some drivers are just not willing to think at all,but most will
respond if you make the effort to be nice .

Come to think of it I did 90 miles through notts and lincs yesterday
and had not one single bad driver incident.The motorbikes seemed to be
reasonably behaved.Even the unlicenced scramble bikes only were to be
seen in remote fields where no-one was bothered.Perhaps I was high on
endorphins and just didn't notice.
TerryJ
TerryJ