near misses or bad drivers



islandboy

New Member
Jun 15, 2005
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Thought I would say "hi". I am new to this forum and finding it extremely enlightening (replacing my marinoni this year - thread in touring forum). Most of my riding has been commutor style, distances of 40 to 70 km a day. I have also enjoyed some single track and off road cycling, though my mtn bike sits idle of late. My partner and I are getting very serious about long tours ( She cycled across Canada in 2003 - my turn is coming before I turn 50 - 4 yrs, 2 mo, and tick, tick, ticking down on me) and we are planning a 2 mo. trip to see New Zealand in Feb/Mar. 06 (see thread in Aussi forum)

PS: One thing I have noticed here in Victoria, (British Columbia, Canada) is that drivers seem to be more aggressive this year towards cyclists. It has me thinking that a seperate forum where we could post license plate, vehicle and incident descriptions (just the facts, not the *#@$&*#&$*& responses) may help us as cyclists locate and pursue through the authorities the repeat offenders (a quick search of the plate # on the forum) that otherwise are being "brushed off" as close calls. What are the legal implications? It may be a long shot, but we have a couple of court cases going on here that would have better to have been prevented.
 
islandboy said:
One thing I have noticed here in Victoria, (British Columbia, Canada) is that drivers seem to be more aggressive this year towards cyclists. It has me thinking that a seperate forum where we could post license plate, vehicle and incident descriptions (just the facts, not the *#@$&*#&$*& responses) may help us as cyclists locate and pursue through the authorities the repeat offenders (a quick searh of the plate # on the forum) that otherwise are being "brushed off" as close calls. What are the legal implications? It may be a long shot, but we have a couple of court cases going on here that would have better to have been prevented.
Do you think that the increase in aggression you've witnessed is a response to the increasing power of the cyclist (via cycling organisations), and the increased demands cyclists are making (for improved cycle lanes and the like)?

If you do find out the implications of recording license plates and there aren't any problems, then I'd be more than happy to host such a list on my www.wheelism.co.uk website.
 
No Way! You're from Victoria too?

I was riding home yesterday, actually when someone unexpectedly cut me off to make a sudden turn. I didn't have any space, so my handle bar smacked into the mirror of a parked car, so I could avoid the moving car. No damage done to my bike or to the parked car, but I flew forward off my seat a wee bit and hit my crotch on my handle bar. But other than being a bit ****** off and sore, I was fine.

People say Victoria is bicycle friendly, which it is, if you are riding the Galloping Goose or Lochside Trail. But once you hit the busy streets, you have to ride aggressively and you have to let drivers acknowledge your presence. Unfortunately, you even have to ride aggressively against cars when you are in a bike lane.
 
Well hi there fellow gear grinders. I'm new to the forum and from Bolton in England, UK. We have the same problem here with less than considerate drivers. I usually go riding with my wife, Chrissy and two year old daughter, Shannon. I use one of those Spokey Joe child trailers. We just got back from a ride today to one of the local parks. Just as we were approaching the site car park, an elderly lady in a Vauxhall Corsa overtook me and took the left hand corner like a rocket sled on rails. I had to slam the brakes on which caused the trailer to almost jack-knife and my wife just touched it while braking to try and avoid it. My daughter started screaming as a result and my language to the lady is unprintable to say the least. Completely oblivious to what happened, she carried on merrily. Luckily the rest of the day was uneventfull.

Despite the huge list of casualties and deaths on the roads of the world, certain drivers never learn through the mistakes of others that they are driving a potential loaded gun. Call me pesimist, but I can't see the problem ever improving.