I made a mistake this morning...

paul said:

... and if I hadn't been aware of that fact while I was
making it, i'd possibley not be typing this.

Very nasty. A real bowel-emptying moment. You see how
dangerous cycle lanes can be, especially for inexperienced
riders? You were aware of the left hook and you still nearly
got caught. I'm glad you're alive to tell the tale.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. -
Mark Twain

paul typed:

Quoted message said:

So full of rightous indignation at the two henous crimes
being committed I dit a Really Stupid Thing. I attempted
to get to the front of the queue using the death trap
feeder, to prove I had right of way. VERY SILLY. the
lights changed as I was about half way along the lorry. he
sets off, and totally oblivious to me, turns left. Its a
tight corner, and his near side rear wheels (its a 6
wheeler) mount the curb as he goes round. The gap I was
attempting to occupy disapears, i turn into the curb, fall
of and pull the Gh to safety. He's still totally unaware
of my existence, and the REALLY SCAREY thing is that he
could have ceased that existence and been none the wiser.

At least you saw what was coming .. and are all the better
prepared for it .. 🙂

--
Paul ...

(8(|) ... Homer Rocks

On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 23:51:36 +0000 (UTC), paul
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

full of rightous indignation at the two henous crimes being
committed I dit a Really Stupid Thing. I attempted to get
to the front of the queue using the death trap feeder, to
prove I had right of way. VERY SILLY. the lights changed as
I was about half way along the lorry. he sets off, and
totally oblivious to me, turns left.

Fresh underpants for Paul.

I would write to the council and tell them what a death trap
that feeder is. In this circumstance it sounds like the
feeder should either be between lanes (if there is more than
one) or to the right of the motor traffic.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

Just zis Guy, you know? typed:

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 23:51:36 +0000 (UTC), paul
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

full of rightous indignation at the two henous crimes
being committed I dit a Really Stupid Thing. I attempted
to get to the front of the queue using the death trap
feeder, to prove I had right of way. VERY SILLY. the
lights changed as I was about half way along the lorry.
he sets off, and totally oblivious to me, turns left.

Fresh underpants for Paul.

I would write to the council and tell them what a death
trap that feeder is. In this circumstance it sounds like
the feeder should either be between lanes (if there is
more than one) or to the right of the motor traffic.

Sounds to me like it's a single lane, and traffic can turn
either right or left .. If there _has_ to be a cycle lane,
then the left hand side would seem most appropriate, though
with [censored] taking up the cycle spaces I doubt it would
matter which side the cycle lane was on ...

Makes a good case, though, for cyclists _not_ to try passing
large vehicles when approaching traffic lights, 'specially
if they've been stood a while already and are likely to
change mid-manouvre .. 😉.

--
Paul ...

(8(|) ... Homer Rocks

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Just zis Guy, you know? typed:

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 23:51:36 +0000 (UTC), paul
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

full of rightous indignation at the two henous crimes
being committed I dit a Really Stupid Thing. I
attempted to get to the front of the queue using the
death trap feeder, to prove I had right of way. VERY
SILLY. the lights changed as I was about half way along
the lorry. he sets off, and totally oblivious to me,
turns left.

Fresh underpants for Paul.

I would write to the council and tell them what a death
trap that feeder is. In this circumstance it sounds like
the feeder should either be between lanes (if there is
more than one) or to the right of the motor traffic.

Sounds to me like it's a single lane, and traffic can turn
either right or left .. If there _has_ to be a cycle lane,
then the left hand side would seem most appropriate,
though with [censored] taking up the cycle spaces I doubt
it would matter which side the cycle lane was on ...

Makes a good case, though, for cyclists _not_ to try
passing large vehicles when approaching traffic lights,
'specially if they've been stood a while already and are
likely to change mid-manouvre .. 😉.

Indeed, it was only rightous indignation that put me in a
foolish situation. The wagon driver is still a twunt, but I
could have avioded the situation... Remember its no good
being right, if you're dead.
--
.paul

If at first you don't succeed... Skydiving is probably not
the sport for you.

paul said:

Remember its no good being right, if you're dead.

That's being dead right

Tony

"paul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

[snip]

Quoted message said:

So full of rightous indignation at the two henous
crimes being

committed

Quoted message said:

I dit a Really Stupid Thing. I attempted to get to the
front of the queue using the death trap feeder, ..

Here in London about a quarter of all cyclist fatalities are
caused by left turning lorries. The Transport for London
leaflet on the subject says, "Cycle lanes and advanced stop
lines are there to help you - but take care not to get
trapped by a lorry as it turns."

As I understand it, the purpose of cyle lanes is to
encourage novice cyclists to ride in places where they
otherwise wouldn't

Jeremy Parker

Jeremy Parker said:

Here in London about a quarter of all cyclist fatalities
are caused by left turning lorries. The Transport for
London leaflet on the subject says, "Cycle lanes and
advanced stop lines are there to help you - but take care
not to get trapped by a lorry as it turns."

Has there been any call about getting lorries equiped with
mirrors that enable them to see what's in that blind spot
there? It's a recurring discussion in the NL but AFAIK
nothing has actually come of it.

Roos

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Roos Eisma

B'Jeremy Parker said:

Here in London about a quarter of all cyclist fatalities
are caused by left turning lorries. The Transport for
London leaflet on the subject says, "Cycle lanes and
advanced stop lines are there to help you - but take care
not to get trapped by a lorry as it turns."

Has there been any call about getting lorries equiped with
mirrors that enable them to see what's in that blind spot
there? It's a recurring discussion in the NL but AFAIK
nothing has actually come of it.

Roos [/B]

Not just on a bike either! I haven't been brave enough to venture onto a road with the slightest sniff of heavy vehicles yet. However I was side swiped on the motorway last year by a wagon changing into the left hand lane (which was already occupied by myself). After hitting me he still didn't see me and pushed me around in front of him pushing me about 300 yards down the road sideways - then he saw me! Fortunately he knew how to controll the situation and apart from a written off car, whiplash and shot nerves I was fine. Could have been much nastier. If his wagon had had better mirrors he would have seen me.

On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 15:41:24 +0100, "Jeremy Parker"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

As I understand it, the purpose of cyle lanes is to
encourage novice cyclists to ride in places where they
otherwise wouldn't

Like up the side of lorries? ;-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

So, lesson learned with only damage to my pride. The
busier the road, the more important it is to adopt the PRP

If you must filter your way into the ASL (And take control
of it!) do so to the right of the inside lane. That way you
are less likely to be side-swiped in the event of the
lights changing.

Thus speaks the voice of (similarly close) experience.

Jon

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Here in London about a quarter of all cyclist fatalities
are caused by left turning lorries. The Transport for
London leaflet on the subject says, "Cycle lanes and
advanced stop lines are there to help you - but take care
not to get trapped by a lorry as it turns."

Has there been any call about getting lorries equiped with
mirrors that enable them to see what's in that blind spot
there? It's a recurring discussion in the NL but AFAIK
nothing has actually come of it.

My mum is actually trying to get a LH blind spot mirror for
her Megane. The plan was to pick one up in France and see if
it would work, but the French apparently hate them which
makes them hard to find.

One up from a cyclist. A driver of ours nearly killed 4 old
ladies by turning a lorry left across the Micra they were
in. They all survived with no injuries, but there were
concerns about shock-related heart attacks! Blind spot
mirrors for lorries... damn good idea!

Jon

Jon Senior said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Here in London about a quarter of all cyclist fatalities
are caused by left turning lorries. The Transport for
London leaflet on the subject says, "Cycle lanes and
advanced stop lines are there to help you - but take care
not to get trapped by a lorry as it turns."

Has there been any call about getting lorries equiped with
mirrors that enable them to see what's in that blind spot
there? It's a recurring discussion in the NL but AFAIK
nothing has actually come of it.

My mum is actually trying to get a LH blind spot mirror
for her Megane. The plan was to pick one up in France and
see if it would work, but the French apparently hate them
which makes them hard to find.

One up from a cyclist. A driver of ours nearly killed 4
old ladies by turning a lorry left across the Micra they
were in. They all survived with no injuries, but there
were concerns about shock-related heart attacks! Blind
spot mirrors for lorries... damn good idea!

Jon

Halfords do small blindspot mirrors you glue into the
existing mirror glass. Little wedge shaped things. Work
very well, they're effective, and available from any
halfords/car place.

--

Velvet

Jon Senior said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

So, lesson learned with only damage to my pride. The
busier the road, the more important it is to adopt
the PRP

If you must filter your way into the ASL (And take control
of it!) do so to the right of the inside lane. That way
you are less likely to be side-swiped in the event of the
lights changing.

Thus speaks the voice of (similarly close) experience.

It seems such a common occurance. I'm amazed councils are
still putting these left side feeder lanes in. Here in
Southampton they've just painted them at the lights on
Portswood High Street.

Simonb [email hidden] opined the
following...

Quoted message said:

It seems such a common occurance. I'm amazed councils are
still putting these left side feeder lanes in. Here in
Southampton they've just painted them at the lights on
Portswood High Street.

As I understand it from other comments here, the feeder is
necessary to legally allow bikes to cross the first stop
line. I'm not sure whether this means that you actually have
to cross it there, or whether the presence of the feeder
allows you to cross it anywhere. I prefer the latter
solution as the former is likely to be fatal.

Jon

Jon Senior said:

If you must filter your way into the ASL (And take control
of it!) do so to the right of the inside lane. That way
you are less likely to be side-swiped in the event of the
lights changing.

I recently persuaded the guys at our council to put in a
centre feeder to the ASL at a newly-signalised junction
where there are two lanes and you can't go straight on. They
had planned a nearside feeder.

It mainly works, but more motor vehicles go right than left,
so some of the more impatient drivers turn right, usually
without signalling, from the left hand lane. Will try to get
some arrows painted on, but other ideas are welcome.

Colin McKenzie

--
The great advantage of not trusting statistics is that it
leaves you free to believe the damned lies instead!

Colin McKenzie [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

I recently persuaded the guys at our council to put in a
centre feeder to the ASL at a newly-signalised junction
where there are two lanes and you can't go straight on.
They had planned a nearside feeder.

Good going.

Quoted message said:

It mainly works, but more motor vehicles go right than
left, so some of the more impatient drivers turn right,
usually without signalling, from the left hand lane. Will
try to get some arrows painted on, but other ideas are
welcome.

I'm sure Mr Larrington will oblige!

Jon