Near misses - mod warning 22/04 - see OP/post 822

Danbo!

amcalester wrote: »

That's an annoying attitude from the gardai.

That bus clip makes me feel very uneasy every time, I take that route home and only use the cycle lane after the bus stop.

It was a bit pedantic of me to shout “there is no cycle track” seeing as there’s a sign saying cycle track, but it just leads onto a residential street where I’ve had a few close calls with people reversing out of driveways with their view obscured by all the parked cars. While there isn’t a lot of room out on the main road, I’ve been cycling it daily for years and only really had incidents, both the ones in the video. Most others are patient and, while I’m usually doing 30-35kph here, aren’t really held up waiting for a break in oncoming traffic. I just love how the guy beeps as if he’s in a hurry but has plenty of time to stop and shout at me, only to get stuck in traffic 500m up the road again.

WAPAIC

Danbo! wrote: »

Gardai came, said it's a civil matter. :rolleyes: Wouldn't watch the clip. Asked about reporting to traffic watch "Ah, they'll just give it back to us though". Didn't have it in me to follow up. Got cash from driver, while he maintained I cycled into him.

You're probably in his blind spot, assuming he checked his mirror. Blind spot in my commercial jeep is surprisingly large on the left. He should still indicate and take the time to make sure his turn is safe. If I was making that turn I'd move to hug the kerb before I turned so that you couldn't get up the inside.

amcalester

WAPAIC wrote: »

You're probably in his blind spot, assuming he checked his mirror. Blind spot in my commercial jeep is surprisingly large on the left. He should still indicate and take the time to make sure his turn is safe. If I was making that turn I'd move to hug the kerb before I turned so that you couldn't get up the inside.

Probably in his blind spot and assuming he checked. Keep fighting the good fight:rolleyes:

CramCycle

WAPAIC wrote: »

You're probably in his blind spot, assuming he checked his mirror. Blind spot in my commercial jeep is surprisingly large on the left. He should still indicate and take the time to make sure his turn is safe. If I was making that turn I'd move to hug the kerb before I turned so that you couldn't get up the inside.

Most blind spots, are not actually that blind and easily overcome by small movements. There are exceptions where vehicle design means there are but in a typical Jeep, lifesavers and moving back and forth takes care of most "blind spots". I say this from experience as I drive a Jeep type vehicle. You will notice drivers do this at T junctions where they lean forward before moving, essentially, looking into their blind spot.

Idleater

I was beeped at by a not stopping 45' truck merging from a slip road this morning.

Now, I'm, if I do say so myself, experienced enough to handle an oncoming artic and "easily" merged myself into the first "car lane", but the beeping at me as if I was somehow in the wrong after I got out of his way took the biscuit.

Naturally, traffic was slow so I looked back and he was wildly gesticulating to the left - aah we have a cycle lane policeman. Now the "cycle lane" is a parallel dead end road that goes over a different bridge so I choose not to take that diversion.

Next the merge lane ends and the bus lane starts and yer man continues driving in it roaring out of the window how I'd better use the cycle lane as otherwise he'd "probably end up killing me".

On the flip side, my first call to traffic watch was a pleasant experience.

WAPAIC

CramCycle wrote: »

Most blind spots, are not actually that blind and easily overcome by small movements. There are exceptions where vehicle design means there are but in a typical Jeep, lifesavers and moving back and forth takes care of most "blind spots". I say this from experience as I drive a Jeep type vehicle. You will notice drivers do this at T junctions where they lean forward before moving, essentially, looking into their blind spot.

I think we're in agreement so - the driver didn't check his blind spot properly? The cyclist was 100% blame-free here and I hope he follows up with the Gardai on it.

TheJak01

Coming up towards bakers corner (https://goo.gl/maps/q5wRFQn2gsj but with more traffic/parked cars) today a bus decided he was going to overtake regardless of whether I was on the road or not. I'll admit, I'd made a bit of a mistake of not reading the road early enough and was therefore over a bit too far on the left on the lane approaching a line of parked cars on the left, but I'm not really sure that gives much excuse for what followed. I was clearly in front of the bus about to round the cars, when I found the space I was about to occupy suddenly filled with the front of a Dublin Bus. I had a bit of a feeling he wasn't going to slow, and I was lucky because I was able to hit the breaks and pull in on top of the line of cars. I watched, pretty incredulously as the driver left about 15 inches between the side of the bus and the row of parked cars as he overtook with oncoming traffic. I don't really know where he expected me to vanish to, the driver left no space for me, not to speak about any sort of safe passing distance. Incredible, incredible stupidity, because had I been paying as little attention as the driver clearly was I'd have been minced. To make matters better, he pulled into the bus stop about 20 meters up the road and I managed to overtake without him getting anywhere near me again due to the traffic.

I put in a complaint to DB and I'm hoping to get some kind of response to the matter. In fairness it was pretty measured and I was pretty kind as I find the overwhelming majority of their drivers great to deal with on the road. This one might want to get his eyes checked though. I'm sure it'll be a standard response letter regardless though. Oh well, get this camera in Aldi and start reporting these things to Traffic Watch I guess - hopefully somebody will start getting the picture.

amcalester

TheJak01 wrote: »

Coming up towards bakers corner (https://goo.gl/maps/q5wRFQn2gsj but with more traffic/parked cars) today a bus decided he was going to overtake regardless of whether I was on the road or not. I'll admit, I'd made a bit of a mistake of not reading the road early enough and was therefore over a bit too far on the left on the lane approaching a line of parked cars on the left, but I'm not really sure that gives much excuse for what followed. I was clearly in front of the bus about to round the cars, when I found the space I was about to occupy suddenly filled with the front of a Dublin Bus. I had a bit of a feeling he wasn't going to slow, and I was lucky because I was able to hit the breaks and pull in on top of the line of cars. I watched, pretty incredulously as the driver left about 15 inches between the side of the bus and the row of parked cars as he overtook with oncoming traffic. I don't really know where he expected me to vanish to, the driver left no space for me, not to speak about any sort of safe passing distance. Incredible, incredible stupidity, because had I been paying as little attention as the driver clearly was I'd have been minced. To make matters better, he pulled into the bus stop about 20 meters up the road and I managed to overtake without him getting anywhere near me again due to the traffic.

I put in a complaint to DB and I'm hoping to get some kind of response to the matter. In fairness it was pretty measured and I was pretty kind as I find the overwhelming majority of their drivers great to deal with on the road. This one might want to get his eyes checked though. I'm sure it'll be a standard response letter regardless though. Oh well, get this camera in Aldi and start reporting these things to Traffic Watch I guess - hopefully somebody will start getting the picture.

Here's the response I got when I complained to Dublin Bus about a driver who ignored a yield sign and as a result nearly hit me from the left.

We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused to you.

The safety of our customers, staff, pedestrians and other road users is our primary concern. We are committed to the highest standards of safety and our Safety Manager monitors and reviews all practices to ensure we provide a safe and efficient service across the network. It is compulsory for all our drivers to attend the annual Road Safety Authority approved Certificate of Professional Competence.

All reports regarding unsafe driving are taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly. From the information you have provided me with I have been able to identify the driver involved. Whatever action is deemed necessary to prevent a recurrence will be taken.

We appreciate our customers letting us know if they have experienced an issue with our services and thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention.

I wonder how similar your reply will be.

Weepsie

Had my closest pass in a long time on Tuesday eve. Inches at high speed with another lane for the car to have gone into. MY camera will catch him at least and I won't let it go i thought. Left the memory card in the laptop ffs

Lambay island

A car made slight contact with me yesterday as they passed me.
I was in a cycle lane at the time and 2 previous cars had just passed me with plenty of space. The next car literally brushed my elbow which momentarily made me lose control but manged to regain stability without hitting the kerb. Both wheels of the car on the passenger side were in the cycle lane.
I cant be 100% sure but it looked to me that the woman was using her phone, her head was definitely looking down at her lap. I don't believe she actually saw me at all, probably didn't feel any contact and drove off without a bother.
I was a little shook but more angry at the situation to be honest. I only got a partial view of the reg but got the first 4 digits and the model. There were no other cars, peds or cycles so no one else saw this.
My question is, is there any point reporting this without the full reg ? as by sounds of previous posts here, even with full reg and video evidence not often is anything done. Battery in my camera was dead :-(

WAPAIC

Lambay island wrote: »

A car made slight contact with me yesterday as they passed me.
I was in a cycle lane at the time and 2 previous cars had just passed me with plenty of space. The next car literally brushed my elbow which momentarily made me lose control but manged to regain stability without hitting the kerb. Both wheels of the car on the passenger side were in the cycle lane.
I cant be 100% sure but it looked to me that the woman was using her phone, her head was definitely looking down at her lap. I don't believe she actually saw me at all, probably didn't feel any contact and drove off without a bother.
I was a little shook but more angry at the situation to be honest. I only got a partial view of the reg but got the first 4 digits and the model. There were no other cars, peds or cycles so no one else saw this.
My question is, is there any point reporting this without the full reg ? as by sounds of previous posts here, even with full reg and video evidence not often is anything done. Battery in my camera was dead :-(

I think so, you can ask the Gardai to help you identify the vehicle using the databases they have access to or CCTV in the area. Or you can try to figure out the full reg yourself - there's a few tools online where you can put the reg in and it will tell you the model. If you're only missing the last two digits, it will take you at most 100 attempts. If it's three digits...the gardai might be a better bet.

papu

Lambay island wrote: »

A car made slight contact with me yesterday as they passed me.
I was in a cycle lane at the time and 2 previous cars had just passed me with plenty of space. The next car literally brushed my elbow which momentarily made me lose control but manged to regain stability without hitting the kerb. Both wheels of the car on the passenger side were in the cycle lane.
I cant be 100% sure but it looked to me that the woman was using her phone, her head was definitely looking down at her lap. I don't believe she actually saw me at all, probably didn't feel any contact and drove off without a bother.
I was a little shook but more angry at the situation to be honest. I only got a partial view of the reg but got the first 4 digits and the model. There were no other cars, peds or cycles so no one else saw this.
My question is, is there any point reporting this without the full reg ? as by sounds of previous posts here, even with full reg and video evidence not often is anything done. Battery in my camera was dead :-(

Put the first 4 digits into cartell.ie and then iterate through the rest of the digits until you get the model of car you're looking for.

cdaly_

Lambay island wrote: »

A car made slight contact with me yesterday as they passed me.
I was in a cycle lane at the time and 2 previous cars had just passed me with plenty of space. The next car literally brushed my elbow which momentarily made me lose control but manged to regain stability without hitting the kerb. Both wheels of the car on the passenger side were in the cycle lane.
I cant be 100% sure but it looked to me that the woman was using her phone, her head was definitely looking down at her lap. I don't believe she actually saw me at all, probably didn't feel any contact and drove off without a bother.
I was a little shook but more angry at the situation to be honest. I only got a partial view of the reg but got the first 4 digits and the model. There were no other cars, peds or cycles so no one else saw this.
My question is, is there any point reporting this without the full reg ? as by sounds of previous posts here, even with full reg and video evidence not often is anything done. Battery in my camera was dead :-(

Report it as hit-and-run. Seek insurance details and raise it with the insurance company also. I don't know if a claim could ensue but they'll surely be talking to their customer at renewal time...

Danbo!

amcalester wrote: »

I wonder how similar your reply will be.

Word for word what I got. Twice.

TheChizler

papu wrote: »

Put the first 4 digits into cartell.ie and then iterate through the rest of the digits until you get the model of car you're looking for.

Just if you're getting the full plate via this means let the Gardaí know you used Cartell at least. You're probably right but you're still essentially guessing information yourself, and it's unlikely but you could get an innocent party in trouble. Best just to give them the partial and the make and model.

Borderfox

tbh if you give them a partial plate and make and model you will not hear from them again

check_six

Borderfox wrote: »

tbh if you give them a partial plate and make and model you will not hear from them again

Had a weird incident recently where a fellow hit my car and then took off. There was only a scrape, but I was upset that the guy just drove off as I was standing there talking to him. The Guard I spoke to was very enthusiastic about tracking this man down, but even with the full plate and a photo of the car with the guy in it, their system only had a partial address for him and they couldn't locate it!

Sometimes all the clues still won't lead you to the door of the perpetrator. Time to start agitating for giant inflatable dayglo registration plates for all humans at all times!

Borderfox

one three separate occasions I reported suspected drink drivers with descriptions and full reg plates to Gardaí as they were just getting into their cars and they had no interest in pursuing the matter.

Lambay island

Borderfox wrote: »

tbh if you give them a partial plate and make and model you will not hear from them again

Thought as much.

Lux23

Borderfox wrote: »

one three separate occasions I reported suspected drink drivers with descriptions and full reg plates to Gardaí as they were just getting into their cars and they had no interest in pursuing the matter.

But sure how would they prove anything after the fact, they actually have to catch them in the act, turning up on their doorstep isn't an option here.

jive

Borderfox wrote: »

tbh if you give them a partial plate and make and model you will not hear from them again

I got doored by a taxi before, driver asked out window if I was alright then took off fairly lively. Some damage done to myself and bike, minor, but I wanted the repairs for the bike covered. I got the reg as he drove off but got a digit wrong, didnt even have make and model of car I was so frazzled after being hit.

Guard took down details and it didn't match any registered taxi. He got a list of all taxis registered in Dublin and found the reg, contacted the driver and I met the driver who gave me the €40 to cover the reparations, no questions asked.

Definitely worth recording it with the guards if someone hits you with their car regardless. If you're very lucky you'll get a guard as good as I did. Still can't believe to this day that he managed to track the car down tbh.

CramCycle

If you find the right Garda, alot gets sorted very punctually. Unfortunately or maybe correctly, those days are going. I understand why, but there was something to be said for the quick, quiet word. Not charging anyone with anything, just letting them know, it was seen, it was reported and if a pattern is noticed, then the next time they knock on the door it might be more serious.

ED E

Anyone have a traffic watch operative say they're "writing it down"? Why arent you typing it into pulse....did it ever reach pulse?

Kaisr Sose

Slightly off topic. Finally upgraded the laptop - principally for video editing. What free software packages are you guys using to compress / convert / edit on your equipment. I tried Vimeo but it's slow and has upload restrictions on the free account.. Cycliq recommend Smart Convertor and Video Pad. I was not able to download on the old PC (too old). I have two clips I would like to show AGS the clips are quite long so need to shorten and then compress to save to disc.

ED E

VIRB is free for all and quite good, has GPS overlays that you can use with data from Strava or other.

Kaisr Sose

ED E wrote: »

VIRB is free for all and quite good, has GPS overlays that you can use with data from Strava or other.

I have a drift and fly6. Just looking for advice on best computer editing software packages.

Edit : virb has a free package? I must check that out. Handbrake is another I heard of but have no knowledge of using.

twinsen

ED E wrote: »

VIRB is free for all and quite good, has GPS overlays that you can use with data from Strava or other.

Virb is decent its just export quality isn't the best. I am using avidemux, handbrake and Vegas steam edition.

ED E

HB is just an encoder not an editor.

You can bump the output on VIRB if you want to.

Kaisr Sose

If I want to take 1 min off a 10min or 30min clip what options do I have? I guess virb will do this?
Thanks

queldy

A fresh one:
was with a friend of mine cycling from Dublin along the coast - approaching this traffic light at a speed of 25/30 km/h I hear my colleague from behind screaming to be careful.
https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2945428,-6.1342017,3a,75y,102.62h,75.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s32kD9E5bIlcP1kkjzkFi6g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
So apparentely a bus driver, that had to turn right into Marine Rd decided to overtake us both passing us at a reasonable distance of 15/20 cm; in the meanwhile the light went orange and he had to break suddenly.
On top of that there is a ramp approaching the light - so the professional bus driver, carefully considering the situation, decided to overtake us accelerating in one of the most busy spot of Dun Laoighre, on a ramp, approaching an orange light, having to turn right, in a spot (you may know) that is very busy with buses stopping on left, pedastrians crossing from dart station, cars coming from everywhere.
Do you think this is the end of the story? No it is not.
My colleague managed to jump on the pavement, I stop the bike myself before the light with the bus at 15 cm, then I slowly overtook after he stopped, looked at the driver and politely (yes, surprisingly politely), I made a gesture to say "why are you doing this?"
He made a gesture to say "I did nothing, I am perfectly right"
So I gave up for 2 seconds - after that I thought "I will follow the advice of people on the cycling forum, I could speak to him and politely ask to be more careful and respectful of a life of cyclist (people in general)", so I went at the window and asked him if he could open.
Here it starts the funny part (for which I am so angry at myself, because I still believe in the human race): he didn't care at all, he was just so smug about it, acting like " I do not care who you are, I don't care of you words, of your life, of your colleagues, of your rights - I just do not care, here I am the boss of the road".

I stopped in front of the bus and politely asked him to wait, I took pictures of his proud face and of the plate.
Then I spent the whole training thinking that whatever I'd do, this guy is gonna go home tonight not giving a single s... about me and the risking my life today.

Safe cycling guys

PS at least it feels good to write in this forum here, kinda terapeutic...