Abusive Driver meets Off Duty Guards Cycling

Lusk_Doyle

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

is it so much to ask to use your head, pull in a little bit and slow down to let them go? Is it really going to inconvenience you that much?

Right back at you - is it really going to inconvenience you that much to wait until it is "safe" to overtake?

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

You are on a public road at the end of the day, and you are on a bike while they are in a car.

What does this even mean?

MayoAreMagic

Fair enough, I wasn't trying to have a go at anyone at all or start a big argument. I just think that people on both sides can be more reasoned about it, and if people worked together a bit more everyone would be better off.

TonyStark

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Im not trying to get into a big argument here, but my point is a little understanding goes a long way, and this militant view that has built up, on both sides, isn't helping anyone. Put yourself in the other person's position. It might be within the letter of the law to go 2 abreast, but if there is a big line of cars building up, is it so much to ask to use your head, pull in a little bit and slow down to let them go? Is it really going to inconvenience you that much? Maybe there is a child who has to go to the doctor in that car that just cut you off? You are on a public road at the end of the day, and you are on a bike while they are in a car. That is what I do and personally I don't like the idea of me being the reason that people couldn't get to where they genuinely needed to be because me and my friends wouldn't consider them in what is my hobby. Maybe that is just me?

How fast do you think the average cyclists go? Your first point is about area of the road they take up and now the point is they are going too fast.

If the child is in the need of urgent medical attention... then I think you will find that the Ambulance service have sirens which can alert cyclists, or if an ambulance cannot be found the Gardaí can provide an escort.

Plenty of drivers out on the roads use their cars as a hobby, the souped up subaru and mitzy gang spring to mind. I don't begrudge them of it.

Johnny Jukebox

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

The thing with that is though rp, and indeed others too, you are assuming that all overtaking manoeuvres have to be perfect, they don't, they just have to be legal and reasonable, and sometimes even that isn't enough. You know this yourself from driving. Consider a situation where you are driving and are behind 2 cyclists for a period. You are driving slowly behind them until you can overtake, as you should. You then reach a part of the road where you can overtake and you start accelerating, get outside them and then another car comes over the brow at speed. you end up nearly having to cut them off a bit because you are driving a small car that lacks acceleration, and you cant go slowing down because they are not moving quickly enough to overtake you. These things happen and it isn't anyone's fault - the guy coming towards you might be just within the speed limit. This is why I don't like this militant attitude, people will end up badly hurt because of it.

Your use case above demonstrates that the driver of the car is at fault because they started an overtaking maneuver that they could not complete safely because they could not see what was coming over the brow of the hill.

All regular cyclists are subjected to dangerous overtaking maneuvers and in my experience these happen more frequently when I am riding alone and in single file. The reason is because motorists are not prepared to wait until there is no oncoming traffic and prefer to maintain speed and squeeze through the gap, which inevitably places me in danger.

Go and ride up and down the Enniskerry road next weekend for this experience.

MayoAreMagic

Id just point out to the guys responding to me that the mod has made a point of deterring me from making an argument. I would like to answer some points raised as I believe I have genuinely fair answers for them but it has been indicated that I shouldn't.

RayCun

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

You then reach a part of the road where you can overtake and you start accelerating, get outside them and then another car comes over the brow at speed.

You clearly haven't reached a part of the road where you can safely overtake, if you can't see far enough in front of you to know that you can complete your overtaking manoeuvre safely.

RainyDay

detones wrote: »

Seems a sorry state that it has to be a Garda that can only see any justice done when affected personally by abusive behaviour on the roads. The rest if us just gave it put up with it.

Unless we have a helmetcam to record the incident.

conditioned games

Cyclists on the road doubling up with the intention of obstructing traffic are one of the worst offenders on the road at present. To me they are fair game and I always try to knock the outer one off the bike when going past. Better to meet like with like when it comes to the rules of the road.

RainyDay

conditioned games wrote: »

Cyclists on the road doubling up with the intention of obstructing traffic are one of the worst offenders on the road at present. To me they are fair game and I always try to knock the outer one off the bike when going past. Better to meet like with like when it comes to the rules of the road.

Make sure to smile nicely for the rear-facing helmetcam as you approach, so that you look your best in the video that will be handed over to the Gardai, and the press, and will reach your employer when it gets around on YouTube.

Zyzz

conditioned games wrote: »

Cyclists on the road doubling up with the intention of obstructing traffic are one of the worst offenders on the road at present. To me they are fair game and I always try to knock the outer one off the bike when going past. Better to meet like with like when it comes to the rules of the road.

What a stupid post.

Chips Lovell

Thread locked. Troll banned.

Discussion has moved away from the OP to very well trodden ground, with predictable results.