In article <
[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> > I was once run off the road by a bus in Oxford. The
> > driver deliberately pulled closer to the kerb as he
> > pulled alongside me.
>
> O.K so far. But could you see enough to be sure he wasn't
> moving closer to the curb simply to avoid another
> vehicle on his offside ? A lorry parked on the other
> side of the street maybe ? Another line of traffic ?
I see what you're getting at but... no excuse. If you need
to avoid a vehicle that is in your lane and can do so by
changing lanes then there is a procedure to follow. It
begins "Mirror, Signal". Had the OP been a car there would
almost certainly have been significant damage to both the
car and bus.
> > He seemed to take offence at me passing him (safely) on
> > the inside (using a bicycle lane) while he was in a
> > stationary queue.
>
> But this is pure conjecture on your part. You can't
> possibly know that. That would also seem to imply that
> he's never been passed by cyclists before on his inside.
> Which for a bus driver would be rather strange, to say
> the least.
I've been given grief by bus drivers for doing this before.
I'm now a strong enough cyclist to overtake rather than
undertake on most occasions but sometimes I get caught out.
I actually managed to almost replicate this on Sunday.
Two lanes at the junction. The left one becomes a bus / taxi
/ cycle lane, the right is "normal". It's a sunday, so there
are cars parked in the bus lane, but the lane is wide enough
to allow a cyclist through with room to spare. A bus is next
to me in the right hand lane. The lights change and we move
off. The bus matches my speed, pulls slightly forward (I'm
now about halfway down its length). Signals left and leaving
now time, pulls into a bus stop. A number of people in the
bus and at the bus stop learnt a whole new manner of
swearing as I locked my rear wheel and headed kerbwards in
an attempt to avoid being mashed. The bus stopped, I went
round the front (still screaming) and cycled off down the
road, shaking slightly. The driver had to be at least
partially aware of me, as we had made eye contact while sat
at the junction.
The resultant adrenaline rush meant that I shot straight
past the turning I was meant to take and had to turn around
and ride back up the hill.
> If you don't see it coming yes. But that seems to suggest
> he moved across sharply. I have drops and a mircycle which
> would get a nudge every other month while riding in
> Central London, among slower moving traffic admittedly, if
> it wasn't for the use of preventive measures.
Why? Why should I (or anyone else) have to cycle
defensively? I got caught out, but these days I tend to take
a lane as mine where possible and dictate when / where I
will be overtaken. I would be less agressive about it if I
hadn't had quite so many close escapes.
> Did you actually make eye contact with the driver in his
> near side mirror ? Are you sure he actually saw you?
> That's no excuse admittedly, but its maybe more comforting
> than automatically assuming evil intent.
I rank not checking mirrors as evil intent. 7.5T+ of metal
being moved around the roads should be a cause for concern.
Edinburgh seems to have gained a new shift of bus drivers
recently because I've noticed more stupid / bad driving from
them in the last week than over the preceding two months.
> As you sensed the bus drawing closer did you try and take
> any preventive measures? Did you for instance bang on the
> side with side of the bus, with your hand ? This is a
> useful thing to learn as it immediately alerts the driver,
> if he didn't already know, the passengers, and anyone on
> the pavemnet at the time, to the fact that something is
> going on. It's a more neutral sound than shouting which
> can came from any source and immediately denotes anger and
> unreasonableness.
As a general rule, when people try to kill _me_, I get
angry. That seems reasonable. Banging on vehicles is a
better strategy, but often both hands are engaged in "death
avoidance" and kicking at things could well prove fatal.
> Don't be reluctant to do this to cars either where
> necessary, but maybe not quite so loud or angrily. They're
> in the wrong, end of story. Normally a shrug to them
> afterwards in the near side mirror will do the trick.
> After they recover from the shock. Although learning to
> unhook and wield your Citadel lock within two seconds flat
> can come in useful too.
I like it. I'm still quite interested in getting a machining
company to produce some Bar-Endz (see Sheldon Brown).
Jon
