Silly overtaking...

[spindrift]

Be prepared for an angry motorist to have a go at you. Don't even think about trying to reason with them, let them go off in a huff.

No.


Let  them go in a minute and a huff.

[Cunobelin]

MY wife is normally the calm one, but she got cut up by a numpty on a mobile phone - very close indeed!

t the nxt set of lights he was still on th phone, so she calmly opened his rear nearside door and shouted "Put the (unladylike) phone down you prat!

Then calmly cycled off leaving an amazed driver in a queue of traffic and unble to move off because his rear door was wide open.

He had to get out, go round the back of his car and close the door before he could move off.... by this time he was being tooted and abused by the drivers behind - poetic justice.

[dkahn400]

Cagers trying to overtake when there's stationary traffic ahead.
Why do they do it?

Golden Rule, innit?

[dkahn400]

I've had quite a lot of silly overtakes (what is it about the no 18 bus?) but there was a gem a couple of years back when I first moved up to Liverpool.  Traffic was moving stop-start at about five miles per hour on an ordinary suburban main road.  I was behind a bus in primary waiting for an opportunity to overtake.  The lady behind me, with a kid in the passenger seat, was getting more and more unhappy, beeping, revving, and generally getting cross.  I dropped back at the next traffic light for a quick chat. 

She was incandescent with rage: What was I doing in the middle of the road? I explained that since I was doing the same speed as the rest of the traffic, it didn't really matter; she was behind me anyway.  Bikes aren't allowed to overtake cars! Yes they are, madam, just like cars are.  No solid white line means I can overtake.  She refused to give ground, so I wished her a good afternoon and carried on.  At which point she revved her Polo mightily, swung right, and then drove into me.  Fortunately I was able to get out the way, but her car got slapped and I regret to say I made her child cry by screaming 'murderer!' in her ear.  Hope it spoiled her afternoon. 

I'd have reported the crazy bitch.

Intentional contact? Definitely. Every time.

Generally it's a mistake to engage them in conversation. If they were rational, intelligent beings they wouldn't be behaving that way in the first place. If they attempt to talk to you, pretend to be from foreign parts. Phil's knowledge of Ancient Greek could have been used to good effect here.   

[JJ]

David,
I clearly remember you  quoting the number of  the Highway Code clause that states:
"You MUST overtake pedal cycles REGARDLESS of prevailing road conditions."
I think there were some addenda regarding behaviour in the presence of a police officer, perhaps you remember those.

[dkahn400]

David,
I clearly remember you  quoting the number of  the Highway Code clause that states:
"You MUST overtake pedal cycles REGARDLESS of prevailing road conditions."
I think there were some addenda regarding behaviour in the presence of a police officer, perhaps you remember those.

You left out a word from the Golden Rule:

"You MUST overtake pedal cycles immediately REGARDLESS of prevailing road conditions."

I don't think it has an official HC number. My theory is that examiners pass it along to newly qualified drivers along with the pink slip.

I don't recall the addenda, you'll have to remind me.   

[iakobski]

The overtaking just before a junction/roundabout etc does get irritating, especially when you know you can clear a junction far quicker than a motor so would not hold them up anyway. It's so common it's hardly worth mentioning: I get it virtually every day at the queue to the roundabout just before the station - after being there daily for several years at exactly the same time, a few drivers have worked out not to bother trying, but still get people trying it several times a week and running out of space. Normally they just sit stony-faced (I don't filter, wait in turn like the other vehicles) but a few get angry and shout at me for not getting on the cycle path or "not indicating".

Classic one this morning: overtaking into a junction: on a country lane, approaching turning on the right into smaller country lane. Check behind, milk float (transit type) some way off, I indicate right and take correct position. Car coming towards us, so slow to the junction and milk float catches up, car passes, I make turn. Milk float decides to overtake while turning - unfortunately there's a car in the road we're turning into coming towards him. Cue plenty of screeching, swerving and sounding of horns. After that, he passes me properly, I smile and wave "thankyou!" but his gaze is fixed firmly ahead.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

What about crazy undertaking?

In a queue of traffic this morning, approaching a crossroads with traffic lights and ASL. Traffic coming the other way so couldn't filter up to get to the ASL, just stayed in the queue. As I got to the ASL box, the light changed to amber and by the time I was in the box it was red, so I stopped. And a giant orange TNT delivery lorry came barrelling up my left hand side, through the red light and away. Luckily I was waiting to turn right so I was quite far over to the right.

Of course, TNT lorries have their phone number right across the back and it's easy to remember. I continued on my way and phoned them later, spoke to a contact centre wifie who was very concerned that I sounded very shaken, but I was just out of breath from the hills. She got Dalton from the local depot to phone me back - I've just spoken to him. He was very nice, very apologetic, and even said that they're not even that busy today and the drivers can't even try the excuse of being under pressure to deliver quickly! I understand that without the number plate they can't do much other than speak to all their drivers who cover that area and hope one of them owns up, but at least they seem to be taking it more seriously than some places.

Why don't drivers understand that if they're in a liveried van with a phone number emblazoned across it, it's not that hard to report them? That's two in a week have over or undertaken me at a red light.

[rafletcher]

Why don't drivers understand that if they're in a liveried van with a phone number emblazoned across it, it's not that hard to report them? That's two in a week have over or undertaken me at a red light.

#

Because it (the reporting of an incident) almost never happens. Most people after similar incidents take some time to calm down, and then mark it off to experience, just human nature these days. Did you report both incidents or just this last one? Glad your'e ok by the way.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I reported the last one too, and giggled as I did. The company in question was GSL Lifts and Hoists, who I have professional dealings with regularly - probably once a week for the past two years. Their reception staff know me well. Stairlift and hoist companies aren't generally well known and this lot are from the west coast, so I suppose the driver wasn't expecting to be spotted and reported by an occupational therapist who deals with his firm every week!

[rafletcher]

Well done you then 

[JJ]

"You MUST overtake pedal cycles immediately REGARDLESS of prevailing road conditions."

I don't think it has an official HC number. My theory is that examiners pass it along to newly qualified drivers along with the pink slip.

I don't recall the addenda, you'll have to remind me.   

I think they were something like this:
a) the Golden Rule does not apply in the vicinity or suspected vicinity of police officers.
b) Addendum a) does not apply to police officers.

PS.  I'm sure that the members of HM Constabulary who frequent these pages are part of the unnoticed multitude who are careful and considerate and to whom neither the Golden Rule, nor its addenda were ever divulged.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

More annoying undertaking today. Heading east on Peffermill Road, planning to go straight on at the crossroads onto Niddrie Mains Road. The junction includes Duddingston Road West and Craigmillar Castle Road. From my direction, there's a lane for left turns only (into D Rd West) and a lane for right turns and straight on. I'm heading straight on, so I'm in the right hand lane. The traffic is moving very slowly (it was backed up all the way along) so I'm keeping pace with it and definitely not holding anyone up. As I approached the lights and crossing the junction, an APC delivery van NA07 WMU behind me decided to pull into the left turn lane and then undertake me and cut in front of me at the other side of the lights.

Luckily the traffic was all stopped at the other side so I could manoeuvre round and get into a safe position but if the traffic had been moving quickly I'd have been squeezed, and not in a good way. It was an absolutely pointless move on his part - he got 3 yards ahead 10 seconds faster than he would otherwise have done and then sat in a queue on Niddrie Mains Road rather than Peffermill.

I just rang them and the bloke I spoke to was very apologetic, said he's a cyclist himself - "Yes it's hard cycling around there where there are no proper cycle lanes"he said, and will pass it on to the manager Henry Pullar.

Oh, and the feral kids of SE Edinburgh have a new game - walk in the marked cycle lane on the road at the point where Old Dalkeith Road is narrowest and the traffic is moving fast, and refuse to get back onto the pavement. Luckily the car behind me could see what was going on and held back and let me move out.

[Rhys W]

Here's my psychotic overtaking story - this week's one at least.

A group of about 12, heading out of Cardiff on the Wednesday night ride. We take a quick route of the city, out through marshy farmland between Cardiff and Newport, dotted with the ocassional small industrial estate - reasonably traffic-free at 6:30pm.

I hear some revving behind, as I look round I see a blue transit-type van trying to overtake. Hang on, we're just coming up to a roundabout!

No problem, he floors it, and goes round the roundabout the wrong way. The roundabout in question is in a little dip, with the central island a raised grassy area, i.e. you can't really see around it. I don't think I could have found any sympathy for him had he encountered a big lorry coming the other way.

[TheLurker]

My contribution, but by way of a change this is a countryside one.

On my way home last night heading out of Quenington down Fowlers Hill,  20 yards or so before a blind left hand bend.  On what is not much more than a single track road.

In Nodnol and other urban centres I assume it's the particulates in the diesel that causing oxygen starvation that gives rise to the brain damage.  Hereabouts? Dunno. Could be the cider I suppose.

[richie_b]

I was wondering on my commute in to work this morning whether it was Glasgow "Drive like a twunt" day, but it seems that it might have been a national event!
Of the several suicidal/homicidal overtakes today, one stood out as particularly stupid.  I was coming down a hill at c25mph approaching a blind right hand bend with the right turn I needed to take straight after, so I moved out to the right half of the lane & signalled.  Normally traffic would slow & pass inside when safe to do so (it's not a busy road), but a blue Saab estate decided that it needed to shave 5secs off its journey time & passed me on the right (yes, approaching a blind bend).  This was stupid enough, but the Corsa following tried the same maneouver as we were round the bend 20m before the turn that we were both taking.  He obviously hadn't noticed that I was signalling right & abandoned the maneouver a couple of metres from my back wheel.  After the right turn, I'd put 50m between us just on relative cornering speed, he then floors it to get past me.  I'm moving at 30mph by now & there's a red light & a traffic queue 150m ahead.  He got to stop 5s seconds quicker this way, which obviously helped him.  He may not have noticed that I sailed straight past since the lane I wanted had no traffic....

I don't mind the suicidality of these maneouvers so much, but would prefer that if they do want to end their own lives, they could pay a bit of attention to not taking me with them! 

[Rapples]

I went out on Sunday for about 40 miles and mistakenly ended up for a short stretch on the Ermine Way between Waddon and Wimpole.

Head down into the wind and virtually on the left hand white line, whoosh, nearly RIP Rapples.  Some twat boy racer had overtaken in the opposite direction, must have been doing well over 70mph.  I'm sure he hadn't seen me, I hadn't seen or heard him luckily so my shorts stayed clean at least

[drossall]

I changed my route to work because a country lane was relatively narrow. All drivers would wait behind me on the straight bits if there was oncoming traffic, because there simply wasn't room to overtake. However, every now and then one would go on to overtake on the blind corners, because they couldn't see any oncoming traffic, so it wasn't there (the ostrich approach to overtaking).

I once caught one such, owing to a hold-up just round the bend, and suggested that his overtaking had been cynical with regard to my safety. He said he hadn't thought of it like that. I believe him. I just don't think that our driving teaching system conveys to every driver an understanding of why Rule 166 and similar advice exists. Therefore, when it's a bike, it doesn't seem relevant to follow it.

Of course, it was a small minority of drivers who had this problem, but in the end a bypass opened and made possible an alternative route that was less demanding of the skills of that minority, so I took it.

Now I just get drivers wanting to overtake on a smallish (but not mini-) roundabout when we are both going left. That's a daft thing to do, but there isn't actually advice against it.

Again, a minority of drivers don't seem to realise that all vehicles straighten out bends, so if you overtake on one you're going to get nearer to the bike (or car) than you thought you would.

[iakobski]

Now I just get drivers wanting to overtake on a smallish (but not mini-) roundabout when we are both going left. That's a daft thing to do, but there isn't actually advice against it.

There is this:

167: stay behind if you are following a cyclist approaching a roundabout or junction, and you intend to turn left

Doesn't say you can ignore that if you think the cyclist is turning left.

[Mr Larrington]

The other day I was in my motorcar, close to Larrington Towers.  The road is narrow and has many vehicles parked thereupon so it is frequently necessary to wait while oncoming vehicles clear the narrow bits.  Which I was doing when Mr. A. Twatinasmall4x4 overtook me (forcing the oncoming car to stop violently)  and immediately turned left

[drossall]

A Random One - yes, but in my view it's only somewhat less daft if both are going straight ahead, or indeed in any small to medium roundabout. For one thing, you can't give the clearance depicted in Rule 163.

[Deano]

Had a great one tonight - a busy but quick road, idiot in estate car decides to overtake and gives me plenty of space.  Unfortunately, he was veryvery  close to the car coming in the other direction, which was forced to swerve...

The oncoming car was a police car with lights a-flashing.  Both driver and passenger administered Stern Looks.  Hopefully, chappie's number was taken for future reference.