Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

buffalo

Coming up to a three lane red light at http://goo.gl/maps/BKOFw

Big Bus Eireann coach is spread-eagled across lanes one and two, with most of him in lane one, but a bit of his arse in lane two. This lad doesn't look like he really knows what's going on, I'll pull in behind him to be safe.

First cyclists moves up the inside. I passed him earlier - he's a fast fellow, and has just about enough space at the front to be in the driver's direct vision. He'll live. Then one, two, three, four little ducks follow him, stopping all in a row, on the inside of a large vehicle which has the potential to squish them if the driver just straightens up a bit, and because of his angle, they're probably all in his blind spot too. Smooth move lads.

Lyaiera

I had a bit of a close call today close near the river ferry in Passage West. Something I didn't even dream could happen but I guess no-one pays attention to cyclists. I was close to getting rear-ended when I was cycling 25km/h on a straight road when I thought I was all on my lonesome. I was wearing a bright red jersey, it was no where near sunset and a small van had to brake hard not to rear end me. I was cycling along and I heard the sound of the van decelerating; tyre squeal and brake squeal. I looked behind me, and he was maybe 10/15 meters from me. He had dropped to a walking pace with the car, the squeals had sounded close and I had cycled on a second or two figuring out what had happened before I looked back. I have no idea how close he came to hitting me from behind while obviously going quite fast. To me that's a "You wouldn't have survived" moment. The only upside is it would have taken me completely by surprise and I'd be dead before I know it. :mad:

I looked back at him with a bewildered look. He looked at me sheepishly and did the four-fingers off the steering wheel salute. He overtook me a few seconds later and I just stared at him through the passenger window as he gave me another sheepish glance. He obviously just wasn't paying attention. There's nothing I could have done to make myself more visible, there's nothing I could have done to avoid it.

I didn't think about it for the rest of the trip. At no point did I see a dangerous situation. The first I heard of him was the tyre squeal and by that point a crash had already been averted so I knew I was safe. There was no few seconds of panic or fear from me, just a few seconds of "What the feck?!" It's only thinking back on it now putting the pieces together that I realise how bad it could have been.

doozerie

I drove to Mullingar today to collect my wife (after she'd completed a 400km ride - g'wan NamelessPhil!). Having exited a large roundabout in the last few kilometres to Mullingar I found myself driving towards an oncoming cyclist on my side of the road. It was a 2-way road, she had an entire legal/safe lane at her disposal on the other side, I'm still at a complete loss to explain why she'd choose to cycle on the wrong side, and towards a large roundabout whose size is presumably an indication of how much traffic it caters to.

She moved marginally closer to the kerb as I went past, so she didn't seem obviously suicidal, so I'm left to assume she was simply thick. I was so surprised, shocked even, that I didn't even think to blow the horn before I was past her. Instead I instinctively reacted as I would if I were on my bike, I threw my hand up and uttered "what are you doing?", all of which was utterly wasted on her 'cos she didn't even glance at me and my words were not loud enough to escape the car interior. My next car will have a removable roof, and preferably one that, once removed, can be used to slap some sense into any thicks that I encounter. "You could have been badly hurt!" *slap* "C'mere and I'll feckin' kill ya for doing something dangerous that you were lucky to survive!" *slap*, etc. ...I've finally turned into my father.

buffalo

I finished Rás Mumhan today. Just getting around was an achievement, considering my training preparation...

Hmmzis

buffalo wrote: »

I finished Rás Mumhan today. Just getting around was an achievement, considering my training preparation...

And this proves that cake is good for you and helps improve racing performance.

rollingscone

Hmmzis wrote: »

And this proves that cake is good for you and helps improve racing performance.

A1 here I come!

doozerie

buffalo wrote: »

I finished Rás Mumhan today. Just getting around was an achievement, considering my training preparation...

I think it's spelled "tapering", not "cake".

There is probably a good market for "taper cake" actually. Might need to work on the name though.

CramCycle

Cycling home Friday evening, I am taking my time, enjoying the sunshine, I have two bikes with me as I had to bring my wifes home with me. Happily pootling along the canal path. I come upto the junction at Leeson St. and stop for my red light. Taxi coming the opposite direction has a green, and just as he reaches the light a couple with child in a pram push out in front of him. He slams on the brakes and was lucky that he could stop in time. The light went amber as he stopped. He beeped the horn to alert the guy to his stupidity. The pedestrian then started to read him the riot act, blah blah, blah. The taxi driver rolls down his window, calmly and says I had a green, I could have killed your child. The man responded with "it was turning yellow you pr*ck". Much like myself the taxi driver had no response.

Anyway the guy and his OH then move on and walk with the buggy in the cycle path for about 35 metres before changing their mind and moving up onto the foot pad. As I went by, I just couldn't help it, I slowed down, and politely said "the taxi was in the right you know", I got the same blast of polite rhetoric. To which I replied "You should be ashamed of yourself, do you care so little for the life of your child?" and then pootled along once more, Its times like these pedestrians need license plates so you can report them to the Gardai :pac:

CramCycle

Just chatting to the Garda who took my report about the bus 2 weeks ago. The driver has identified himself, and fully admits he was the driver in the video. His company though initially said they have their video of the incident, the Garda made a request, they said they would have it in a day or two, now all of a sudden this week they are having difficulty downloading it?!? I know that the bus has both front and driver based cameras so not only would they see his manoeuvre but his expressions, tone and intent (well you can see it but proving it maybe more difficult). I imagine that they can see him saying it was intent to teach me why the bus lane is unsafe and feel sorry that they can't defend him.

Oddly enough, different driver any day I have crossed this route for the past few weeks.

eeeee

Had a very close one on Monday, I thought I would add it here.
So I was going towards town from the Rock Road, got to Northumberland road after Ballsbridge. There is a Bank of Ireland on the left hand side. I was pedaling along and a lady in a grey Santa Fe pulled in right in front of me. I stopped literally an inch and a half from the passenger door. I let out a bit "Jeeeeeeeessuuuuuuuss Chrrriiist" followed buy many more coupled with numerous "You nearly killed me!" 's. I pulled in in front of her, still shocked and with the 'Jesus christ ya nearly killed me'. She apologized, and said "Look there are cars behind me'. Me: 'You have to look where you're going". Her: 'I didn't see you'. So she missed a cyclist coming up on her left whilst turning left. This and the fact that I was wearing yellow tights, a green dress, had a red bag, one purple arm warmer, one red one, and a chrome and metallic electric blue bike coming down the road in the direction she was driving in at 30kmph. And she didn't see me. Hmmmmm. Fine example to the kid in the back.

Whilst cycling off, there is a traffic island after the junction with Baggot street and before the canal. There were cars parked just in front of it, so I was on the right hand side of the middle of the lane moving out to go round the cars when a taxi comes up and squeezes me between himself and the parked cars. Was shook till I got to Westmoreland street!

Bloggsie

gadetra wrote: »

Had a very close one on Monday, I thought I would add it here.
So I was going towards town from the Rock Road, got to Northumberland road after Ballsbridge. There is a Bank of Ireland on the left hand side. I was pedaling along and a lady in a grey Santa Fe pulled in right in front of me. I stopped literally an inch and a half from the passenger door. I let out a bit "Jeeeeeeeessuuuuuuuss Chrrriiist" followed buy many more coupled with numerous "You nearly killed me!" 's. I pulled in in front of her, still shocked and with the 'Jesus christ ya nearly killed me'. She apologized, and said "Look there are cars behind me'. Me: 'You have to look where you're going". Her: 'I didn't see you'. So she missed a cyclist coming up on her left whilst turning left. This and the fact that I was wearing yellow tights, a green dress, had a red bag, one purple arm warmer, one red one, and a chrome and metallic electric blue bike coming down the road in the direction she was driving in at 30kmph. And she didn't see me. Hmmmmm. Fine example to the kid in the back.

Whilst cycling off, there is a traffic island after the junction with Baggot street and before the canal. There were cars parked just in front of it, so I was on the right hand side of the middle of the lane moving out to go round the cars when a taxi comes up and squeezes me between himself and the parked cars. Was shook till I got to Westmoreland street!

to my eternal shame I had an incident some years ago(I was still a young un at the time) I was cycling down Booterstown Avenue when a door opened from a parked car about 10 yards in front of me, I swerved to avoid her but was blessed that nothing was going up the avenue. I went back to the car & unleashed a verbal volley at her, in mid blast I noticed her 2 children in the back seats mouths open in shock.
I turned away & cycled on. my bad.

eeeee

Bloggsie wrote: »

to my eternal shame I had an incident some years ago(I was still a young un at the time) I was cycling down Booterstown Avenue when a door opened from a parked car about 10 yards in front of me, I swerved to avoid her but was blessed that nothing was going up the avenue. I went back to the car & unleashed a verbal volley at her, in mid blast I noticed her 2 children in the back seats mouths open in shock.
I turned away & cycled on. my bad.

Yeah I suppose I'm lucky it was just the old JC that came out! I bizzarely tend to be quite polite after being nearly creamed. No idea why, I'm a hoor for cursing! I can go into uber polite mode (but sounds horribly patronising. ). One of my closet calls i went with a Hyacinth Bouquet (or should that be Bucket?!) -esque 'Do you realise what you just did was Extremely dangerous'. He went with the standard 'i didn't see you', followed by 'i wasn't looking'. I can never think of something really good/witty/hard hitting to say back, the shock makes me just say the same thing over and over again. Hyacinth got a good outing that day...

buffalo

On the way to Batterstown along the N3 last night, coming up to the crossroads before M50 spaghetti junction. Four lanes of traffic, with the left-most (apart from the turn) for M50 southbound and N3 traffic. http://goo.gl/maps/AIjDv

It's a fun run-in at the best of times, but I've found the best option is to take the lane on the left-most straight route, so that the fast M50-bound cars can see me from a way off, and don't try squeeze by. Any N3 traffic has the choice of another two lanes, and my path also leads naturally onto the N3, without having to swerve across the M50 feeder.

Last night I'm about 200m from the traffic lights, and have moved out to take the lane while it's clear (a little sooner than usual due to the poor visibility). A car comes up behind me. *beeep* Ignored. *beeeeeep* Friendly wave, acknowledge I've heard them. Approach the lights as they turn to yellow, red. Slow to stop.

Glance behind, young woman in the driver's seat. She gestures that I'm in the middle of the lane. I smile, and indicate through a series of waves, clicks and whistles that I have to move right up ahead. She gestures to the middle again. I smile and nod, and give her a thumbs up. (I think I've mellowed in my old age.)

Lights go green, and off we go. Turns out she's taking the N3, and could've easily gone into the next lane if there weren't cars there already. Yet no doubt she blames me for holding her up. She overtakes me in the next lane after the M50 split, no harm done. Why all the beeping so?

lennymc

buffalo wrote: »

Why all the beeping so?

She was horny?

Chips Lovell

Many motorists mistakenly believe that it is illegal for a cyclist to ride in the middle of a lane.

CramCycle

buffalo wrote: »

Why all the beeping so?

lennymc wrote: »

She was horny?

Its all that stupid sexy lycra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6vPQL_aYfI

(I really hope this is the right quote as I have no sound on the work computer)

Chips Lovell

Come to think of it. He was wearing a skinsuit last night.

mathie

Last weekend out for the hill of Howth and making my way back home.
On the stretch from Sutton to Baldoyle (https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3982938,-6.1310345,15z)
No traffic in front of me, traffic flowing heavily in the opposite direction.
I hear a beep behind. Then again.
I look around.
A guy in a jeep telling me to pull over so he can overtake.
Its a narrow road and the left of it is in awful condition.
(https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.39313,-6.119891,3a,75y,320.66h,84.97t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sQkZQsYEjF8Y4NW73c5BxEQ!2e0)
I was about a third of the way from the left.
He continues to beep for about 15 seconds.
Then finds a break in the oncoming traffic and overtakes... only to realise we'd caught the traffic ahead.

Three small kids int he car too.

CramCycle

mathie wrote: »

Then finds a break in the oncoming traffic and overtakes... only to realise we'd caught the traffic ahead.

I always presume that there is alot of drag racing in Ireland and that they are in training, the amount of times you hear/see it only for them to run into the traffic jam that was less than 100metres up the road.

Brian?

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Many motorists mistakenly believe that it is illegal for a cyclist to ride in the middle of a lane.

I was cycling through Straffan yesterday, anyone who knows it will atest to the fact it's like a minefield of holes. I'm out in the middle of te lane to avoid the worst of said holes, no cars behind me. A fella in a honda civic passing the other way rolls down his window and shouts at me to "get out of the middle of the road". Idiot.

eeeee

Got dangerously squeezed by the 133 bus again today on my way home from tainig after Nutley lane on the n11. Bus Eireann and Guards getting an email each!
He stayed behind me for ages, the lights were red at Nutley lane, he was a couple of cars behind the row of stopped traffic. I took off on green with the rest of the traffic. I don't cycle in that cycle lane, it's really uneven, full of glass and just a succession of drains. After leaning on the horn he pushed me right into the left hand side of the cycle lane in by the footpath (pad?). I said the reg out to myself several times as he went on but I have it forgot now :mad:

Harrybelafonte

It's not the end of the world if you forgot the reg for buses. The time, place and number bus should be enough for the correct authority to determine the driver at the time.

A few weeks ago I reported a driver to Matthews coaches. I also made sure to mention this was a repeat incident on this section of road and that their drivers clearly do not understand particular rules of the road. I was polite in all correspondence and tried to avoid the smug cyclist talk, went with a general "it's tough out there for all of us" schtick. Seemed to be sorted in 48 hours. However, I still avoid that section of road now.

doozerie

While track standing at a set of lights at Baggot Street yesterday a handful of pedestrians strolled casually across the road (on a red pedestrian light, at it happens), some passing in front of me, one of them passing behind me. The guy who passed behind me bumped into my rear wheel, and kept on walking without a backward glance or any sign of acknowledgement.

I find myself wondering how someone has survived until adulthood when they appear incapable of controlling their own legs and stopping them from colliding with stationary objects, at walking speed, in broad daylight. Next time this happens (this is by no means the first time it has happened) I think I may have to capture the other party/poor craytur, and bring them to the city pound for mindless gob****es, where they can remain safe with their own kind, away from the terrible dangers (signposts, steps, doors, decisions, etc.) posed by being out in the wild of society.

CramCycle

I presume its the junction beside Baggot St. bridge. I have seen people walk into poles there while texting, another fell over stepping of the kerb (in a fashion that he did not realise there was a step), or when peds having green cyclists who roll into the ped crossing and stop. Peds going to or away from town and not with the canal also seem to have blind faith that cars on Baggot St. don't turn left. If they had their head up I presume they were trying to do a Verve/Bittersweet symphony impression.

Zyzz

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

It's not the end of the world if you forgot the reg for buses. The time, place and number bus should be enough for the correct authority to determine the driver at the time.

A few weeks ago I reported a driver to Matthews coaches. I also made sure to mention this was a repeat incident on this section of road and that their drivers clearly do not understand particular rules of the road. I was polite in all correspondence and tried to avoid the smug cyclist talk, went with a general "it's tough out there for all of us" schtick. Seemed to be sorted in 48 hours. However, I still avoid that section of road now.

buffalo

Pedalled out to UCD yesterday after work to meet a friend. I'm not a fan of the N11 cycle track at the best of times and freely admit to avoiding it by choice most of the time, but when you hit sections like this: http://goo.gl/maps/CWMzL there really is no choice. Subsidence, bad surface, drains in the middle? Bus lane it is.

As I approached the UCD flyover, I centred myself in the bus lane in anticipation of moving into the right-hand lane for the turn over the N11 and into the campus (http://goo.gl/maps/NxmZ7).

*beeeep*
*sigh*
*beeeeeeeep*
Here it comes! whooooosh, Dublin bus goes by with inches to spare as I retreat toward the kerb.
It pulls in on the flyover ramp to let off a passenger, I pass by in the other lane, ready to make my turn.
"Haven't you heard of cycle lanes?"

He pulls up behind me to take the same turn, and continues to shout at me. I try to explain that it's not possible to get from the cycle lane to the correct turn lane safely*, but he shouts me down. Fine then.

Home, email Dublin Bus, give them bus number, position and time, ask them to retain any camera footage and that I was making a complaint to the Gardaí. Next port of call was Donnybrook Garda station, expecting a call back - soon hopefully.

I'm sick of drivers - especially so-called professionals - taking the law into their own hands and using their vehicle as an intimidating weapon. I don't think any amount of emails or calls to Dublin Bus is going to make the slightest bit of difference, not unless there's a strong possibility of legal repercussions. Which I'm not even sure there will be in this case, but I'll give the Gardaí the benefit of the doubt for now.



*This is somewhat misleading, there is a "safe" route. From examining the junction, it looks like one could use the cycle path to cross a side road (http://goo.gl/maps/p9ija - conflict with cars), and through a bus stop (conflict with pedestrians, particularly disembarking passengers - http://goo.gl/maps/UaneB).

Then you choose between dismounting and crossing with the pedestrians, going right then left (two light cycles?) and remounting on the road, or cycling through another couple of pedestrian conflict points and to the far crossing, which has a dedicated bike lamp. However, the bike lane on the other side of that crossing is on the road, so once you cycle across the bike crossing, you're legally stranded, and have to dismount again. This is all based on my readings of Google Streetview, so it might've improved since then.

CramCycle

buffalo wrote: »

Home, email Dublin Bus, give them bus number, position and time, ask them to retain any camera footage and that I was making a complaint to the Gardaí.

Prepare for the video footage to be either missing or unavailable after it has been reviewed, sorry, I meant after they attempt to download it :mad:

Zyzz

buffalo wrote: »

Pedalled out to UCD yesterday after work to meet a friend. I'm not a fan of the N11 cycle track at the best of times and freely admit to avoiding it by choice most of the time, but when you hit sections like this: http://goo.gl/maps/CWMzL there really is no choice. Subsidence, bad surface, drains in the middle? Bus lane it is.

As I approached the UCD flyover, I centred myself in the bus lane in anticipation of moving into the right-hand lane for the turn over the N11 and into the campus (http://goo.gl/maps/NxmZ7).

*beeeep*
*sigh*
*beeeeeeeep*
Here it comes! whooooosh, Dublin bus goes by with inches to spare as I retreat toward the kerb.
It pulls in on the flyover ramp to let off a passenger, I pass by in the other lane, ready to make my turn.
"Haven't you heard of cycle lanes?"

He pulls up behind me to take the same turn, and continues to shout at me. I try to explain that it's not possible to get from the cycle lane to the correct turn lane safely*, but he shouts me down. Fine then.

Home, email Dublin Bus, give them bus number, position and time, ask them to retain any camera footage and that I was making a complaint to the Gardaí. Next port of call was Donnybrook Garda station, expecting a call back - soon hopefully.

I'm sick of drivers - especially so-called professionals - taking the law into their own hands and using their vehicle as an intimidating weapon. I don't think any amount of emails or calls to Dublin Bus is going to make the slightest bit of difference, not unless there's a strong possibility of legal repercussions. Which I'm not even sure there will be in this case, but I'll give the Gardaí the benefit of the doubt for now.



*This is somewhat misleading, there is a "safe" route. From examining the junction, it looks like one could use the cycle path to cross a side road (http://goo.gl/maps/p9ija - conflict with cars), and through a bus stop (conflict with pedestrians, particularly disembarking passengers - http://goo.gl/maps/UaneB).

Then you choose between dismounting and crossing with the pedestrians, going right then left (two light cycles?) and remounting on the road, or cycling through another couple of pedestrian conflict points and to the far crossing, which has a dedicated bike lamp. However, the bike lane on the other side of that crossing is on the road, so once you cycle across the bike crossing, you're legally stranded, and have to dismount again. This is all based on my readings of Google Streetview, so it might've improved since then.

Knew the exact location before clicking on any of the links, such a mess of a design. Had so many run ins with traffic and pedestrians there as I only live down the road.

Take the path/cycle lane and you run into mindless pedestrians, take the bus lane and you get the worst possible Dublin Bus/Aircoach drivers that could not give a rat's arse about your safety.

Chips Lovell

Recently rang a private bus company to complain about something very similar from one of their drivers.

The employee I spoke to openly acknowledged that the law allowed cyclists to use the bus lane but then said that it was "frustrating for drivers to be held up by cyclists". I then pointed out that it hardly excused almost killing someone. "Well no, absolutely not, but it is really annoying that...."

Jesus wept.

Chips Lovell

On the broader issue, I think a lot of this dangerous/aggressive driving is caused by ignorance of the law combined with misleading signage and the misaprehension that driving a public service vehicle gives you the same power as the Garda Siochana to enforce road traffic law.

Specifically, the problem appears to be with bus lane signs. There is an aggresive minority of PSV drivers who think that you're only allowed cycle in a bus lane if it has a bus and a bike in the sign.

Might be worth starting an email campaign with local authorities about replacing these signs. I cycle about 10,000km a year and 99 percent of my road rage incidents occur with two private bus companies on the same 1km stretch of road.