Thinking of giving up my commute

irlirishkev

Hungrycol wrote: »

Wow commute last night home was very stressful. There's something with the traffic lately that has become quite agressive or just not looking (or looking and not caring or don't have the spacial awareness to consider the speed of a bike). I was more stressed when I arrive home than I was leaving work!

Yeah I've had some close calls the last week or so. Combination of crappy weather and volume of traffic I guess. People get stressed out and do silly things.

OP I'm another advocate to the canal option. I purposely go a good few extra km on my commute via the canal, as it's safer, and a lot less stressful than the alternatives. Mostly to avoid the N7, but in town, to avoid inchicore up to James' Street.

LpPepper

Hungrycol wrote: »

Wow commute last night home was very stressful. There's something with the traffic lately that has become quite agressive or just not looking (or looking and not caring or don't have the spacial awareness to consider the speed of a bike). I was more stressed when I arrive home than I was leaving work!

+1 to this, all of the below happened in one two hour spin to Phoenix Park yesterday. There seems to be a lot less care/more aggressive behaviour in December for sure...

https://youtu.be/9kYORxvvtXc

CramCycle

LpPepper wrote: »

+1 to this, all of the below happened in one two hour spin to Phoenix Park yesterday. There seems to be a lot less care/more aggressive behaviour in December for sure...

I wouldn't say aggressive so much as stupid. I was looking at the part where you were in the wild open and the DL reg gave you loads of space and then hauls on the brakes after giving you acres of space, therefore realising you were there. I mean, why?
That or the AA want you dead.
Contract on your head or stupidity, really hard to tell, could be both.

DaveyDave

I feel your pain, ever since I started commuting through the city I've all but given up on cycling. I used to go from Church St, left past the Four Courts, onto the South Quays towards Heuston. This was to avoid going up the hill to Christ Church. Then I changed my commute to go down the canal at Inchicore/Drimnagh to Lucan. I'm only on the quays from Liam Mellows Bridge (at Bargaintown) and it's even worse.

It's fine up until going past Guinness and the bus lane widens. It's usually full of cyclists to it's easier for me to take the lane as I pass them but taxi drivers cut me up constantly just to stop at the lights, even worse is when they cut me up just before the turn then move back to the right lane past the luas tracks. They go the same bloody direction.

I don't remember all these issues, 5 years ago when I was out cycling for 2 hours in the evenings. Now I'm worried anytime I don't have my bloody GoPro recording because if I'm hit, the driver will deny everything and say I ran red lights, cut them off etc. and nobody is ever your witness.

I was coming back from the airport one weekend, leaving Santry heading back to town and a taxi driver cut in front of me in a bus lane from the right lane. It was the second time he done so as he was in and out of traffic. Up ahead a cyclist pulled out from a side road. Plenty of time, the taxi passed him as if he wasn't there, didn't move over whatsoever. I confronted him and asked him what the minimum legal distance is, started saying "what's your problem?" which they all seem to say. Told him he was in the wrong, then started saying I was all over the road etc. Since when is going around pot holes all over the road? Started saying how he has passengers as witnesses and "had a camera" somewhere in his rearview mirror. I pointed at the GoPro on the handlebars and he suddenly wasn't such a tough guy. The cyclist was next to us at the lights, banged on his bonnet and started supporting my argument. They really don't give a damn, and why should they? They get away with it.

All 3 times I've called Traffic Watch is because of taxi drivers. Made statements, two of which I was the passenger of a car so didn't count! Third instance I provided video evidence but didn't hear anything back...

JazzyJ

DaveyDave wrote: »

asked him what the minimum legal distance is

Ehhh.... just enough so you're not hit. :pac:

magicbastarder

DaveyDave wrote: »

All 3 times I've called Traffic Watch is because of taxi drivers. Made statements, two of which I was the passenger of a car so didn't count!

do you need to be a driver/cyclist to make a statement?

CramCycle

magicbastarder wrote: »

do you need to be a driver/cyclist to make a statement?

Not at all. Not sure why Dave was fobbed off.

DaveyDave

magicbastarder wrote: »

do you need to be a driver/cyclist to make a statement?

CramCycle wrote: »

Not at all. Not sure why Dave was fobbed off.

I was told in two different stations that because I was the passenger my statement wouldn't count if it was brought to court even though I was asked if I'd go to court myself. A statement would have to be made by the driver as "they were the one effected"...

One of the instances was a taxi flashed us because we moved into the fast lane on the M50 with plenty of room but he sped up to tailgate us. When we moved to the middle lane, he drove over the line beside is and cut in front of us then slammed his brakes and our wheels skidded and it nearly caused an accident in rush hour traffic.

I was told because this was intent/done on purpose he was going to be sent to court for the offense rather than just have a warning but I was told without a driver statement it wouldn't go anywhere.

Now I'll only be reporting instances where I'm the driver or just as a cyclist. I wouldn't have bothered going out of my way for these especially as the shifts Gardai work make it a bit of a pain.

Parchment

I had a horrible commute home last night - a man in a van decided to drive up my a$$ and rev his vans engine, I kept going but actually thought he was going to hit me so slowed and stopped to look around at him - I could do this as it was slow moving traffic.

He was screaming expletives at me and revving the engine. A complete gentleman in a car in the opposite lane saw what was happening and started beeping his horn at the van driver and shouting out his window at the van man to stop. It seemed to work.

The rest of my cycle home was stress fuelled as a result.

cajonlardo

Parchment wrote: »

I had a horrible commute home last night - a man in a van decided to drive up my a$$ and rev his vans engine, I kept going but actually thought he was going to hit me so slowed and stopped to look around at him - I could do this as it was slow moving traffic.

He was screaming expletives at me and revving the engine. A complete gentleman in a car in the opposite lane saw what was happening and started beeping his horn at the van driver and shouting out his window at the van man to stop. It seemed to work.

The rest of my cycle home was stress fuelled as a result.

That is exactly the type of behaviour Traffic Watch was set up for to deal with. If he was contacted by the Gardai and informed that he had been reported do you think he'd do that again? And if he did repeat offend and was reported a 2nd time he'd be up the creek.

I don't believe in ringing T.W every single time someone messes but your experience sounds on dangerous end of the scale

CramCycle

DaveyDave wrote: »

I was told in two different stations that because I was the passenger my statement wouldn't count if it was brought to court even though I was asked if I'd go to court myself. A statement would have to be made by the driver as "they were the one effected"...

One of the instances was a taxi flashed us because we moved into the fast lane on the M50 with plenty of room but he sped up to tailgate us. When we moved to the middle lane, he drove over the line beside is and cut in front of us then slammed his brakes and our wheels skidded and it nearly caused an accident in rush hour traffic.

I was told because this was intent/done on purpose he was going to be sent to court for the offense rather than just have a warning but I was told without a driver statement it wouldn't go anywhere.

Now I'll only be reporting instances where I'm the driver or just as a cyclist. I wouldn't have bothered going out of my way for these especially as the shifts Gardai work make it a bit of a pain.

Your a witness who wanted to report dangerous driving. in a civil case, maybe it would be questionable as you would have a presumed bias (but your statement would still be taken into account). When I have a situation in a car like what you described, I am not the only one affected, the passenger is, the people in the back are, everyone in the vehicle is. The Garda fobbed you off but wrongly so. i suspect if you were the driver the same Garda would have just said there was no crash and it would be a your word vs their word (barring a dashcam, well worth getting). Did you go to the station direct or through traffic watch, my understanding is that going through traffic watch, in some stations, leads to more of a push from above.

JigglyMcJabs

OP checking in here.

So I gave it a couple of days and tried variations on a new route, turning right onto the canal at Harolds Cross, then along the cycle way as far as possible, then a couple of different ways getting from the end of the cycle way to Connelly. It was definitely an improvement and I got to enjoy the ride more, so I'll stick with the bike for the moment!

Still nowhere near stress free, but at least there are less buses and Luas tracks to deal with. I will say (at the risk of annoying some people) there are a lot of cyclists on the new route that seem to have a death wish.

I saw some crazy cycling, one fall on cobbles (she was flying along on a Dublin bike, obviously didn't notice all the other cyclists taking it very handy on the slippy surface, then touched her brakes when a pedestrian stepped out onto the road) and one nearly head on collision on the cycle way (because slowing down and abandoning the overtake of 4 bikes didn't seem to be an option when faced with bikes coming straight at him in the other direction), but I guess that's up to them, at least I can feel a bit more secure being segregated from traffic for most of the journey now.

Thanks all for the advice!

AndrewJRenko

I agree on the recommendations for the route change. Also, get a helmetcamera (or two), so that if something crazy does happen, you have really good evidence for the Gardai.

wtlltw

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I agree on the recommendations for the route change. Also, get a helmetcamera (or two), so that if something crazy does happen, you have really good evidence for the Gardai.

I went for a cycle on the weekend and the person in front of me had a helmet cam. She proceeded to break very light and then tried to weaved between cars, pointing at her helmet cam. The sad part was that she had a child seat on the back of her bike. (minus the child - hoping she didn't lose it along the way )

jon1981

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Also, get a helmetcamera (or two), so that if something crazy does happen, you have really good evidence for the Gardai.

But don't be like this guy...

CramCycle

wtlltw wrote: »

I went for a cycle on the weekend and the person in front of me had a helmet cam. She proceeded to break very light and then tried to weaved between cars, pointing at her helmet cam. The sad part was that she had a child seat on the back of her bike. (minus the child - hoping she didn't lose it along the way )

There is a guy on the Clonskeagh road like this. Doesn't point at it too much but shoals up around people who have overtaken him and constantly breaks reds.

eeguy

City centre is a nightmare for cycling, especially in this weather.

Pedestrians staring at the ground when they cross the road, trying to avoid puddles and potholes, trying to cross the Luas tracks at the right angle so you don't get stuck and the usual sh*t of motorists and busses cutting across you and forcing you into the footpath.

I was coming down O'Connell St. last week, green lights all the way when these two women walked out in front of the bike. No matter, I moved a foot to the left to give myself more space when a third woman (headphones in, staring at her phone), just walked straight in front of my bike. I had a busy footpath on the left and the first two women on the right, no choice but to slam on the brakes and hope I didn't do too much damage. Ended up just bumping her leg and got the dagger look, like I was in the wrong.

Lemmings.

jon1981

eeguy wrote: »

Lemmings.

I find a loud roar wakes them from their day dream, they nearly leap back onto the footpath from the fright they get, quite comical and much more fun than a bell...

I do slow down in and around the city streets when coming to junctions as pedestrians only see cars. Maybe i need to make a "vroom vroom" sound as i speed along the quays

Chuchote

Jiggly, +1 on the route change.

I don't generally cycle through the centre city at the moment, but when I do, I don't go along the old road from Christ Church along Clanbrassil Street, which is kind of meh to me. Instead (going towards Harold's Cross), I turn left just after City Hall, go along that lovely old road and left past Beshoff's, and straight down along to Rathmines, on a quiet and calm road.

On your way home, you could circle around by Summerhill, take Capel Street and come straight into that. Others can advise on Summerhill - I always think of it as a bit haunted by lorries, my greatest dread, and would personally avoid it - but I may be wrong in this.

In relation to making the city centre safer for all of us, could I suggest that you send a polite but strongly-worded complaint about the individual bus driver in to Dublin Bus - especially using the magic words "I was frightened by his dangerous driving". Also, the people who are planning the cycle routes for Dublin are not the council but the National Transport Authority. If you send a letter to the Head of Transport Division there, with a terse, short, clear list of the places you've been endangered and how, he will definitely take it into account.

And since the National Transport Authority is dependent on the Department of Finance for its meagre funding, and that Department has a lot of TDs hanging out of it whinging for sweeties, what about cc'ing your letter to all of your local TDs, all of the TDs of the constituencies you cycle through, the Minister for the Transport (hah!) and the Minister for Finance. You'll get PFOs "The Minister has received your letter and wishes…" but every letter like this increases the likelihood of funding for safer cycling.

Chuchote

mtbireland wrote: »

Try this site and select 'safest' as the route type.

http://brouter.de/brouter-web/

A little bit more info about it here

http://www.thebikecomesfirst.com/take-the-sting-out-of-your-commute-by-optimising-your-route/

Edit: I just did safety and alternative1 route and brings you on a nice safe route down the canel and on to the quays before bringing you in through the docklands and up Sheriff Street. It's longer than your normal route but with much less stress and interaction with buses.

I can't seem to work this thing, it jumps around all over the place on my MacBook. Is there a video guide to how to use it for the spatially less abled?

Chuchote

Is there any way to get http://brouter.de/brouter-web/ to offer you a route between two points that you can then tweak, not by clicking on one then the other, but by naming the points?

I'm finding it difficult to use the method where you drag a line, because inevitably I get to the edge of the map, and there seems to be no way of temporarily leaving the line where you last had it, moving the map and then picking up the line again to drag it further.

Chuchote

What mapping software (Mac) do people recommend for testing out Brouter.de GPX routes on maps?