Dublin bus drivers trying to kill me.

scotchy

Hi
I had an incident with a Dublin bus on the N11 yesterday evening (nothing new) . Now I’m not going into what happened but I wasn’t in the cycle lane( I consider parts of it unsuitable and unsafe for cycling), anyway, this was the worst case of a Dublin bus driver trying to run me off the road that I have yet encountered, and that’s saying something.

Now, Dublin Bus drivers trying to deliberately kill me is a near daily occurrence. I cant be the only person this is happening to. So.

1. Has anyone successfully complained to Dublin bus about a drivers deliberate dangerous driving to run a cyclist off the road?

2. What is the law in relation to cycling on the bus lane/road when there is a cycle lane present?


Sorry if this has been covered before on the forum, but my short search hasn’t given me the answers I’m looking for.

Thanks.

penexpers

I've never had a problem with buses trying to run me off the road, but then I assert my position in the lane so the bus will not have a chance to overtake me in the bus lane.

Harrybelafonte

Sorry dude, never had a problem with Dublin Bus, when cyclin or driving. They're actually one of the more considerate groups of drivers in my esperience

mikemac

scotchy wrote: »

Now, Dublin Bus drivers trying to deliberately kill me is a near daily occurrence.

Ease up on the drama there.

They are the best drivers in the city in my experience

Planet X

Yes. N11, I've also had problems over the years.
Get the Bus number like 46A for example, get it's registration. Know what time it happened. Phone Donnybrook bus depot, Yellow Pages or phone book. They're very receptive to complaints and will get back to you.

Some of them have a very nasty streak. I cycle in the bike lanes AND STOP FOR RED LIGHTS ("some" cyclists don't abide by the lights!) but still get the buzzcocks driving in the bike lane. Points offence but it will never happen.

interested

Planet X wrote: »

Yes. N11, I've also had problems over the years.
Get the Bus number like 46A for example, get it's registration. Know what time it happened. Phone Donnybrook bus depot, Yellow Pages or phone book. They're very receptive to complaints and will get back to you.

Some of them have a very nasty streak. I cycle in the bike lanes AND STOP FOR RED LIGHTS ("some" cyclists don't abide by the lights!) but still get the buzzcocks driving in the bike lane. Points offence but it will never happen.

You could also consider approaching anyone getting off the bus for their ticket. Theres some numbers on these that match the bus, route etc to a specific driver for financial reasons.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

I find the bus drivers very courteous on the road. When the N11 is quiet, they will usually swing out when overtaking an leave a gap of a couple of metres.

Was the traffic busy when you had your run-in? He could have been trying to squeeze past and not had room to pul out if it was bumper to bumper in the normal lane.

Planet X

@Sean K. Sorry for hijacking but I go from Stillorgan in to town. I get hammered in Donnybrook usually where they constantly mount the bike lane, taxis also. Don't mention the Blue Bus!!!!! and the speed they go.

paddyb

I've never had any problems with them when im on my bike. Have complained on other issues and found their customer service excellent each time

blorg

@OP- I think I know exactly what you mean and it has happened to me (more than once) and other people I know, also on the N11 when not in the cycle lane. Most recent was the bit between Stillorgan and Foster's Avenue, where the cycle lane is in bits and hops up and down over driveways. I was in the bus lane, the other two lanes were perfectly clear with plenty of space to overtake, but the driver decides to overtake me very very close, and then deliberately turned into me before he had passed, forcing me to jam on my brakes to get behind him before he hit me. When I confronted him about it when I caught him he confirmed that he had indeed done it deliberately, to "teach me a lesson" about not using the cycle lane.

Other posters- 99.9% of Dublin Bus drivers are indeed good drivers and perfectly courteous but there is that 0.1% who are homicidal maniacs.

Report him to Dublin Bus (and the gardai for that matter.) Someone is going to be killed one day from this sort of behaviour.

tunney

penexpers wrote: »

I've never had a problem with buses trying to run me off the road, but then I assert my position in the lane so the bus will not have a chance to overtake me in the bus lane.

Dublin Bus are pretty bad but no where as bad as Bus Eireann drivers. They are angry angry people.

cantalach

scotchy wrote: »

1. Has anyone successfully complained to Dublin bus about a drivers deliberate dangerous driving to run a cyclist off the road?

Just over 5 years ago I was a passenger on the 25X (Lucan to UCD) which was being driven by a very aggressive young driver who worked the various 25- routes. I'd had some particularly hairy, high speed journeys with him over the previous months. Anyway, on this particular morning, we were going over the canal on Baggot St and he came way too close to a female cyclist who was tottering slightly on the humpback of the bridge and forced her onto the kerb. To make matters worse, he then shouted "c*nt!" at her as passed by. I was standing right next to him as I was just about to get off the bus so I rebuked him loudly in front of the whole bus and also turned to the other passengers and encouraged them to report the guy. I rang the Conyngham Rd depot as soon as I got into the office and the guy on the other end of the phone was almost speechless. Sure enough, I never saw that driver again. Perhaps it was dealt with similarly to how the Church dealt with dodgy priests, i.e. they just moved him to another route. But at least something happened. So in answer to your question, yes, I have successfully complained.

scotchy

blorg wrote: »

@OP- I think I know exactly what you mean and it has happened to me (more than once) and other people I know, also on the N11 when not in the cycle lane. Most recent was the bit between Stillorgan and Foster's Avenue, where the cycle lane is in bits and hops up and down over driveways. I was in the bus lane, the other two lanes were perfectly clear with plenty of space to overtake, but the driver decides to overtake me very very close, and then deliberately turned into me before he had passed, forcing me to jam on my brakes to get behind him before he hit me. When I confronted him about it when I caught him he confirmed that he had indeed done it deliberately, to "teach me a lesson" about not using the cycle lane.

This is exactly what happened to me yesterday evening, except on the opposite side of the the same stretch of road coming from town. It was late in the evening with very little other traffic on the road.


.

Stark

Has happened to me a few times on the N1/R132 from Drumcondra to Swords (plenty of room for the bus to overtake, but driver decides to be an asshole for the sake of it). I usually just stay clear of the N11 altogether to avoid any potential incidents.

rubadub

scotchy wrote: »

1. Has anyone successfully complained to Dublin bus about a drivers deliberate dangerous driving to run a cyclist off the road?

I complained, would not call it successful

Amongst my comments were

There are no yield signs at the 3 bus stops on the apparent track which should have signalled to your ignorant drivers that it is not a legal track, and that the track is in fact on the road.

Your drivers also sometimes allow passengers to alight at the bus stop just prior to the church, walking straight out onto the apparent cycle track.

Your drivers often continue to beep at me as though I am in the wrong, then they often pass extremely close with no slowing down, as if to "teach me a lesson", I have come close to falling off a few times due to the wind gust caused by them.

I have now decided to illegally cycle on the apparent track and I want to know if you will be willing to pay my fine if I am caught by the gardai. If not I will begin to take the numbers of your buses and report them to the gardai for dangerous driving

Dear Mr xxx,
Thank you for your e-mail.

Your comments in relation to this area have been noted and forwarded to
our Donnybrook depot. I have asked that drivers are advised on this
matter.

I thank you for contacting us and I apologise for the inconvenience
caused.

Thanking you,
xxx
Public Affairs.

scotchy wrote: »

2. What is the law in relation to cycling on the bus lane/road when there is a cycle lane present?

A lot of the alleged cycle tracks are technically footpaths, since they do not have correct signage.

Also in a previous thread somebody gave this law as an argument not to use the lanes.

Act 14 of 1993, Section 67

Road users' duty of care.

67.—(1) It shall be the duty of a person using a public road to take reasonable care for his own safety and for that of any other person using the public road.
(2) It shall be the duty of a person using a public road to take all reasonable measures to avoid—
( a ) injury to himself or to any other person using the public road,
( b ) damage to property owned or used by him or by any other person using the public road.

You could argue any point of that.

Caroline_ie

... a bus tried to kill me yesterday too ... one of these private coaches ...
$%&^$$**&!!!

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Caroline_ie wrote: »

... a bus tried to kill me yesterday too ... one of these private coaches ...
$%&^$$**&!!!

They're the absolute worst of the worst.I tend to give them a wide berth as they seem to have no training in driving with anyone else on the road :rolleyes:

blorg

Ahem. Worst of the worst are construction trucks. Cement mixers and this sort of thing:

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Ahem. Worst of the worst are construction trucks. Cement mixers and this sort of thing:

I'll see your cement mixer and raise you white van man:

blorg

Still not as bad as construction traffic, I can assure you. It's almost as if they are not trained to drive on the road at all and have no idea that their truck is actually wider than a Nissan Micra. Generally pass close while speeding. I get quite a lot of them out between Sandyford and Enniskerry.

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Generally pass close while speeding.

This is my main beef with white van man.

We could have them square off and see who kills the most cyclists on the trip from Enniskerry to Sandyford.

unionman

I still shudder when I recall my first (and only) trip back into town on the N81. Practically had a shave from one of this big construction lorries, and did a fair old wobble as its slipstream hit me. Not too bad, just prompts a lot of 'what if' scenarios in my head.

The same truck passed Tiny and el tonto in much the same fashion, neither of whom seemed particularly rattled. Hard men them fellas.

Dublin Bus drivers, in the main OK, but that 0.01% of homicidal maniacs drive like they're in some sort of cyclist flattening club.

Muppets on the N4? What next, Fraggle Rock natives on the N7?

TinyExplosions

unionman wrote: »

I still shudder when I recall my first (and only) trip back into town on the N81. Practically had a shave from one of this big construction lorries, and did a fair old wobble as its slipstream hit me. Not too bad, just prompts a lot of 'what if' scenarios in my head.

The same truck passed Tiny and el tonto in much the same fashion, neither of whom seemed particularly rattled. Hard men them fellas.

The joys of black shorts

I think you get used to it after a while... I do remember that truck, and commented on how close it was

Howitzer

Bus drivers are ok from my experience - not to say you couldn't find a bad one out there. I guess they get good training.

Chips Lovell

unionman wrote: »

The same truck passed Tiny and el tonto in much the same fashion, neither of whom seemed particularly rattled.

What truck?;)

unionman

el tonto wrote: »

What truck?;)

You were probably too preoccupied getting back for lunch to notice it. I seem to remember that was the priority that day:D;)

DirkVoodoo

blorg wrote: »

Most recent was the bit between Stillorgan and Foster's Avenue, where the cycle lane is in bits and hops up and down over driveways.

I cycle this every day and you pretty much have to cycle in the bus lane. I wish they would just get rid of that cycle path, its insanely dangerous to have one so close to people's driveways.

I also find most bus drivers a lot more understanding than taxis and other motorists. You will always get the odd few who might have had a bad day or are just angry in general and try to take it out on a cyclist. Dangerous, but it does happen.

Definitely report someone if you feel you have been endangered.

Also what unionman was saying about the "what ifs", ive had this a few times myself. I guess all you can do is forget about it and move on, I've nearly made myself ill thinking about some of the near misses I have had.

Chips Lovell

unionman wrote: »

You were probably too preoccupied getting back for lunch to notice it. I seem to remember that was the priority that day:D;)

It's the priority every day.

amjon

scotchy wrote: »

Hi
I had an incident with a Dublin bus on the N11 yesterday evening (nothing new) . Now I’m not going into what happened but I wasn’t in the cycle lane( I consider parts of it unsuitable and unsafe for cycling), anyway, this was the worst case of a Dublin bus driver trying to run me off the road that I have yet encountered, and that’s saying something.

Now, Dublin Bus drivers trying to deliberately kill me is a near daily occurrence. I cant be the only person this is happening to. So.

1. Has anyone successfully complained to Dublin bus about a drivers deliberate dangerous driving to run a cyclist off the road?

2. What is the law in relation to cycling on the bus lane/road when there is a cycle lane present?


Sorry if this has been covered before on the forum, but my short search hasn’t given me the answers I’m looking for.

Thanks.

if you think dublin bus are bad you should try stagecoach in manchester:mad: