Author Topic: tnaR  (Read 58946 times)

Re: tnaR
« Reply #75 on: 14 July, 2014, 09:14:50 am »
Many thanks to the driver of the RV1 bus between Blackfriars Bridge and London Bridge south of the river who alerted me to the fact that my work ID had fallen from the pannier this morning.

contango

  • NB have not grown beard since photo was taken
  • The Fat And The Furious
Re: tnaR
« Reply #76 on: 16 July, 2014, 02:51:30 pm »
Today on the road between Hampton Court and Walton-on-Thames a pickup started to turn right in front of me. As I reached for the brakes and prepared to shout some choice phrases at him he stopped abruptly, held up his hand in apparent apology. So I waved back in acknowledgement, and proceeded on my way.

ETA: And another Cappagh truck that followed me for a time before executing a perfectly considerate pass when the road was clear.
Always carry a small flask of whisky in case of snakebite. And, furthermore, always carry a small snake.

Re: tnaR
« Reply #77 on: 21 July, 2014, 09:19:52 am »
Back in the winter (and I've only recently found this thread) I'd like to make particular comment towards the delivery driver from one of the major courier firms but unfortunately I cannot remember which. Who spotted I was having a mechanical issue outside the place he was delivering. On his way out offered to take my bike and I back into town where I could walk it home and get it fixed.

By then I had resolved my problem and was about to get on my way but thanked him very much.
Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped

Re: tnaR
« Reply #78 on: 21 July, 2014, 07:29:27 pm »
Coming home through the village today. Most of the main road has parking on both sides and it's not always clear who's turn it is to go first if two vehicles arrive at the constriction at the same time.
This time, there was a local service bus arriving as I and a younger chap on a road bike were about half way along. There was room for us to pull in and let him through, but he waited with the right hand indicator going until we'd passed. Cheery waves were exchanged. The roadie commented, as he overtook me, "the bus drivers are nice round here".
'Tis true. I very rarely have anything but very good behaviour from them.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: tnaR
« Reply #79 on: 22 July, 2014, 10:31:04 am »
"the bus drivers are nice round here".
'Tis true. I very rarely have anything but very good behaviour from them.

Same hereabouts.
I have often been chaperoned in traffic by drivers on Route 32.(Hanley-Uttoxeter-Derby)
It probably helps being an ex-bus driver* & knowing many of the drivers :)

*dons flak jacket & tin hat

Re: tnaR
« Reply #80 on: 02 December, 2014, 08:38:14 am »
Thank you to the builders merchant lorry this morning who when he found me here http://goo.gl/maps/Q4WBy riding off the carriage way to the left of the white line (to let cars flow past) and with stationary oncoming traffic realised that squeezing through was too tight.

Instead you hung back for the next half mile until I turned off.  :thumbsup:

unfortunately I didn't get the firm so I can't email them to commend you.

Re: tnaR
« Reply #81 on: 28 January, 2015, 10:03:34 am »
Last night I had two vehicles approach behind me and think about overtaking:

the first had pulled out and then thought better as they wanted the approaching left turn and they backed off rather than left hook me  :thumbsup:

the second gained enough visibility through the bend to see the oncoming traffic and backed off, they then followed me for ~400m turned left behind me, followed me for another 500m and took a side turn,  :thumbsup: all nice and patient as I maintained a steady 15-18mph.

Reg.T

  • "You don't have to go fast; you just have to go."
Re: tnaR
« Reply #82 on: 30 January, 2015, 11:54:52 pm »
On the A4 approaching the village of Saltford at 9am this morning, a Sainsbury's lorry backed-off as there was a pinch-point, then held well back (about 40m+ for most of the way) all through the village, down the hill and out the other side until the road widened - that's a total of 2km.
Unfortunately, riding East on a bright sunny morning meant I couldn't read the reg plate as it passed, or I'd have sent a message, but I did make my appreciation clear at the time.
Just turn me loose let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies

Re: tnaR
« Reply #83 on: 31 January, 2015, 03:22:16 am »
Their vehicle tracking is probably up to the job of identifying the wagon and thence the driver from that level of detail ...

Reg.T

  • "You don't have to go fast; you just have to go."
Re: tnaR
« Reply #84 on: 31 January, 2015, 02:41:17 pm »
Thanks for that thought - I'll drop a line anyway.  :thumbsup:
Just turn me loose let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: tnaR
« Reply #85 on: 31 January, 2015, 05:49:56 pm »
Interesting that it was a Sainsbury's waggon. I've found that riding up the A38 towards Gloucester, there are lots of articulated lorries from Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer - I think they have a distribution centre just outside Gloucester - and the Sainsbury's drivers are always much better than the M&S (who are sometimes horrendous). So the difference could all be down to a tracking system? Or perhaps just one or two drivers regularly working the same route?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: tnaR
« Reply #86 on: 01 February, 2015, 04:09:50 am »
Probably down to differences in corporate attitude and training, at a guess.

(Google reveals that Sainsers has commissioned a truck, I think for urban use, that's intended to be safer around cyclists.)

Re: tnaR
« Reply #87 on: 05 February, 2015, 02:38:37 pm »
Are you sure that they are actually Sainsburys or M and S drivers. Most of the supermarkets outsource their distribution to logistics companies. The give away for my local Sainsburys is that, whilst the trailer is done out in Sainsbury's colours - the tractor unit is plain white with no company logo. Christian Salvesen used to do a lot of Sainsbury's deliveries. I don't know if they still do though. I can't comment about M and S. Tesco don't even bother to hide the fact that Stobarts are doing a lot of their distribution. If the M and S vehicles and Sainsburys vehicles are both coming out of the same depot it points to the fact that they have probably both outsourced to the same logistics company in your area. The supermarkets usually have contracts with several hauliers so all their eggs aren't in one basket, anyway.

Re: tnaR
« Reply #88 on: 05 February, 2015, 02:42:49 pm »
The little bit of googling I did suggested that Sainsers do have quite a lot of directly employed LGV drivers. It surprised me a bit - and no idea about proportions.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: tnaR
« Reply #89 on: 06 February, 2015, 12:43:42 pm »
Don't know. I'll have to look at the cabs - I usually find the trailers more concerning! I'm not sure they're both coming out of the same depot either, they're simply using the same road, regularly, and I seem to remember seeing (or did I hear/read about it?) an M&S depot just outside Gloucester.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: tnaR
« Reply #90 on: 06 February, 2015, 02:39:09 pm »
Today, the driver of a white Fiesta pre-emptively obeyed the usually ignored Rule 170 (he was driving towards me and wanted to turn into the side road on his left, which I was approaching on foot; he stopped before I'd got there and waited for me to cross).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: tnaR
« Reply #91 on: 14 April, 2015, 01:54:00 pm »
Riding out of Wickwar on Friday the car waited until we had negotiated the blind corner and gone over the blind brow.

I think the driver must have borrowed the Audi A6 from a friend.
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Re: tnaR
« Reply #92 on: 01 July, 2015, 04:07:35 pm »
Just like to give a thumbs up to Gordon Haulage.

Saw one of their big dump trucks in town today, nothing happened.

However, they are plastered with stickers advising (1) cyclists to ride sensibly (2) drivers to give room to cyclists in equal numbers and advertising Cycle Training

I went over to their website and saw http://www.gordongroup.uk.com/news/Gordons+Get+On+Their+Bikes

It really shouldn't be news, but it is.

Oh ******

I was just about to hit "post" on the above when I thought I'd poke around a little more, and found

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cyclist-dies-after-being-hit-by-lorry-in-victoria-10055594.html

and

http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/cyclist-death-plant-firm-had-gone-through-training-programme

Not much hope, is there?

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: tnaR
« Reply #93 on: 08 February, 2016, 01:17:15 pm »
Heading downhill out of a small town yesterday. The road would be wide enough for two cars to pass or even a car and a lorry, but of course it's made narrower by cars parked on the left-hand side. There's someone reversing into a space halfway down. Coming towards me is a car. According to all the general rules of the road, they have priority: the obstruction is on my side and they're heading uphill. But no, they stop and wait not just until I'm past the parking car but past them!

And maybe it was because of the weather but later, when I was having two off-bike moments, two separate drivers stopped to ask if I was ok. I was, of course: the first time I'd stopped to walk a bit in order to warm up my soggy toes and see what my rear lights look like from a couple of hundred yards (answer: the one on the saddlepack is very visible, the one on the seat stay is also eye-catching but obscured from many angles), the second time was to eat a sandwich (which I then decided to keep for later).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

JJ

Re: tnaR
« Reply #94 on: 17 February, 2016, 10:19:26 am »
Top marks to the driver of the NHS-labeled double-length artic outside Addenbrookes this morning.  As he was waiting at the lights, signalling to turn left, I watched a middle-aged lady ride up the inside, admittedly on a (skinny) cycle lane, between him and the "safety" fence.  She got about half-way when the lights changed, and he started moving.  I watched, horrified,  as the gap rapidly shrank, before he spotted her and stopped.

I missed the lights as a result, but caught up and spoke with her at the next set.  She could see nothing wrong with what she had done.

As for him, he must have some kind of sixth sense. I don't know how he saw her.


Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: tnaR
« Reply #95 on: 15 March, 2016, 01:33:50 pm »
I nominate 95% of all drivers in Wales. Or at least, of those who were driving in the Chepstow, Hay and Abergavenny areas on Saturday. I don't know whether it's some Welsh cultural characteristic of care and compassion or just the quieter roads allowing them to overtake properly.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: tnaR
« Reply #96 on: 15 March, 2016, 05:30:54 pm »
I nominate 95% of all drivers in Wales. Or at least, of those who were driving in the Chepstow, Hay and Abergavenny areas on Saturday. I don't know whether it's some Welsh cultural characteristic of care and compassion or just the quieter roads allowing them to overtake properly.

Striking, isn't it?  They also demonstrate above average awareness of the size of trailers.

Combined with a less half-arsed approach to road maintenance (IME Welsh roads are usually either in decent nick, or utterly knackered - you don't get the same strata of bodged repairs as you do around here) makes for some pleasant cycling.  When the weather's behaving, anyway.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: tnaR
« Reply #97 on: 15 March, 2016, 08:41:52 pm »
It was certainly striking on Saturday. It's true about the roads, too, or at least the llovely llittle llanes. Though some of them which were perfectly smooth a couple of years ago are beginning to wear out now.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: tnaR
« Reply #98 on: 17 March, 2016, 09:22:07 pm »
feedback just sent to Reading Busses to compliment the driver of the number 4 who this evening chose not to overtake when they were stopping at the bus stop 100m down the road and then when they caught me at the top of the hill gave me plenty of space.  :thumbsup:

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: tnaR
« Reply #99 on: 20 March, 2016, 03:04:54 pm »
Yesterday, on an A road parallel to the M4 between Swindon and Wootton Basset, I hear the roar of a large vehicle and there is an HGV behind me. The road's fairly wide but not extremely wide, he's not going to overtake me on this left-hand bend is he? No. He waits until a long, straight clear stretch and then goes nice and wide. In these circumstances I always like to know what the trailer's doing (though you have more problems with a caravan or other car-drawn trailer in fact) so I glance behind me. No, the trailer is not drawing in to me. There are the back wheels, passing me now. And he's not pulling in. I give him a wave to say "you're clear" and he pulls in, giving a friendly indicator-flash as he does so.

Not only does this show that something as seemingly inconspicuous as a black-gloved hand can be seen in a nearside mirror if the driver is paying attention, but I think it helps to humanise lorry drivers for cyclists and cyclists for lorry drivers.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.