Near Misses Thread Volume 2 (So close you can feel it)

randomname2005

Effects wrote: »

Direct hit this morning. Cycling through Dún Laoghaire shortly after 7 am. A bee came out of nowhere, didn’t indicate, and flew straight into my mouth and immediately stung me on the lip.
Swelled up straight away and extremely painful!
Bee kept going but I pulled the venom sack and stinger out so she’s probably dead by now.

Ouch!

Duckjob

Pinch Flat wrote: »

ah stop. First time back on the bike in a while. Only a few minutes from my house on a sunday morning. Cycling along the cycle lane, but a motorist had decided to park his car, straddling both the cycle lane and pedestrian lane - nothing was getting past. I bunny hopped down and would have given him a shake of the head as I passed, but not content with parking on the cycle lane, he also nearly doored me when he swung his door open as I was passing. Happened here:

https://goo.gl/maps/W4GsfWxt46joxwqz8

"not a great place to park, you nearly doored me there" says I. He was like a primed fuse. "Well where the fcuk am I meant to park". "well not on a cycle lane anyway". at this point, I decided to disengage, as I see if over an above my call of duty to find parking for motorists who couldn't be arsed to find it themselves. A torrent of abuse followed as I waited at the red light " you fcucking cyclists, rabble, rabble". I cycled off shaking my head - I mean, he's committed a few offences with his sh!tty parking but it;s somehow my problem?

Incidentally, there are three parking spots, all within a 30 second to one minute walk away. here https://goo.gl/maps/6czDARicVugfK4S56, here https://goo.gl/maps/cwbHHGoeLVGdGDsx7 and here https://goo.gl/maps/T4j1ZPf4YaW4cHDs6. The last one the council kindly took away a few football pitches to facilitate the chronic antisocial parking on the porterstown road.

Remind me again why we don't use cycle lanes?

The icing on the cake is that he's probably the type that rants loudly and often about dem cyclists not using "perfectly good" cycle paths (that his road tax paid for of course)

Bunch of utter f***ing hypocrites, those types. Utterly sick of their sh*te.

Seth Brundle

Just saw this on twitter...

https://twitter.com/yascaoimhin/status/1298527182097199104

Stark

Yeah here presumably https://goo.gl/maps/k8xsJtuewVcVBgKU9 . It's one of those pedestrian crossings with the cycle lights before some gimp complains that he should have dismounted. One of those ones where you have to watch for traffic ignoring the red light alright.

magicbastarder

accessibility/permeability for cyclists who join from north strand itself, maybe?

Stark

Well there's accessibility for people joining from above at the other bridges. On the other side you're on a public road for a while though before rejoining the canal way so probably not an insignificant amount of work to have a grade separated crossing.

buffalo

kenmm wrote: »

Ouch, hopefully no lasting injuries..


I bet that's at the crossing of n strand road/ Amiens st- used the new path a couple of times, but people fly through that crossing.

From the structure in the background of the pic, it's more likely to be Sheriff Street Upper:

https://goo.gl/maps/sbtaQLLQM9DxLT919

edit: from memory, the problem here is that the crossing isn't synchronised with the junction, which is very close by. So drivers coming around the corner aren't looking for another set of lights so soon. It would be better if they all went red together.

buffalo

An aside, look at the rake of cyclists in the Google Streetview. Always heartening!

triggermortis

Had 2 close passes within 6 minutes of leaving home today. Second one was a truck that squeezed me towards the ditch as he passed. Morons






First car has barely touched the white line with its wheels, the second one was worse than it looked as it was moving in towards me

Seth Brundle

triggermortis wrote: »

Had 2 close passes within 6 minutes of leaving home today. Second one was a truck that squeezed me towards the ditch as he passed. Morons

https://iili.io/dPCPx1.jpg

https://iili.io/dPCiWF.jpg


First car has barely touched the white line with its wheels, the second one was worse than it looked as it was moving in towards me

What exactly is the legal situation there in terms of overtaking a cyclist with an adjacent white line?
Am I right in thinking it is not allowed?

Idleater

Seth Brundle wrote: »

What exactly is the legal situation there in terms of overtaking a cyclist with an adjacent white line?
Am I right in thinking it is not allowed?

Not sure about that. Isn't the rule that you must not cross the white line. I've overtaken many on wide stretches of road on the motorcycle.

That is not to in any way say that the pictured overtake was legal never mind courteous.

magicbastarder

you must not cross the white line.

9. An authorised continuous white line along the centre of a roadway shall indicate that traffic must drive to the left of the line, and when on a stretch of roadway on which such a line has been provided a driver shall, save for the purpose of entering or leaving land or premises adjoining the right hand side of that roadway, drive to the left of the line.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1964/si/294/made/en/print

equally, you are not allowed dangerously overtake.

magicbastarder

from the ROTR (assuming they accurately reflect the law)

magicbastarder

sy_flembeck wrote: »

IIRC there's even a speed below which you can overtake, something in the region of 25kmh.

i suspect you'll have trouble finding that in the road traffic acts.

magicbastarder

sy_flembeck wrote: »

There is though.

maybe not in law, though. unless you can find the discretion?

if you've a solid white line on a blind bend, i suspect the law wouldn't be kind to you if you made that overtake.

buffalo

kenmm wrote: »

ye - I'd even cautiously wave someone on if I was absolutely sure I could see clear in all directions (but can be risky if you cant and end up leading to an accident..)

I'd never wave anyone on, unless I was pulling in. If it's that clear and safe, they should be able to see themselves.

I've had it happen in the past where I've waved on traffic and it turns out there's a coach and they can't accelerate quickly enough to be safe. You don't want to be responsible for indicating to a driver to do something that leads to an accident.

Breezer

buffalo wrote: »

I'd never wave anyone on, unless I was pulling in. If it's that clear and safe, they should be able to see themselves.

I've had it happen in the past where I've waved on traffic and it turns out there's a coach and they can't accelerate quickly enough to be safe. You don't want to be responsible for indicating to a driver to do something that leads to an accident.

I agree with this, and was told the same when learning to drive. I will leave a gap in traffic or whatever but I won’t ever wave anyone out.

On the other hand, I’ve been waved on by friendly drivers, on the bike and in the car, into the path of traffic, loads of times. Thankfully I’ve been alert to it each time.

Waves can be well meaning, but dangerous!

I have, however, waved drivers behind me on, when I’m on the bike and pulling in to let them pass.

Alanstrainor

I was sideswiped this morning, not a close pass, actual contact with my hand/arm/shoulder by a pass just before a roundabout. Haven't looked at the footage, but will log this one with traffic watch shortly. I'm furious, the guy just drove through me. I did stay upright, and wasn't injured really but my shoulder was sore just after. I'm gobsmacked frankly.

Alanstrainor

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I was sideswiped this morning, not a close pass, actual contact with my hand/arm/shoulder by a pass just before a roundabout. Haven't looked at the footage, but will log this one with traffic watch shortly. I'm furious, the guy just drove through me. I did stay upright, and wasn't injured really but my shoulder was sore just after. I'm gobsmacked frankly.

I rewatched and my blood is boiling. Just off the phone with the extremely helpful traffic watch. Call logged there, but she suggested I go straight to the station given contact was made, and this was more likely a hit and run rather than a dangerous overtake. One way or another I should have contact from Gardai soon.

I'd like to show the video, but for now I'll sit on it before posting it online.

Seth Brundle

...and another hit & run reported (thanksfully yours wasn't as serious Alanstrainor) - looks like the car had a mind of its own and left the scene according to the gardai :rolleyes:
https://twitter.com/IrishCycle/status/1300693763304689664

Stark

Self driving cars on our streets already, wow.

magicbastarder

stupid passes seem to be getting more common recently; in each of my last two cycles, i've had to do the 'snap the arm out with open hand facing back' as a 'do not overtake' gesture, and both times the brain dead asshole behind the wheel gunned it.
today, northbound on the R130 towards garristown, a car pulled out to overtake a cyclist, heading towards me, just as the guy behind me pulled out to overtake me, hence the gesture. but he floored it.

Seth Brundle

tnegun wrote: »

I hear you on the no where to go and probably more absent minded than malicious but he was way too fast around that bend and I was a bit hyped after the left hook a few mins earlier

I was on that same road yesterday morning. Plenty of pedestrians out walking. Stupid for any driver to be doing that speed with blind bends, etc.

Stark

Probably because the traffic is usually cack when it's raining so it takes them twice as long to get anywhere.

Seth Brundle

Seth Brundle wrote: »

...and another hit & run reported (thanksfully yours wasn't as serious Alanstrainor) - looks like the car had a mind of its own and left the scene according to the gardai :rolleyes:
https://twitter.com/IrishCycle/status/1300693763304689664

Apparently the victim, Thiago Cortes, has died in hospital.

Allegedly, the car, a 2005 Focus, was bought by some teenagers and not registered. Four people were seen running from the car when it was left abandoned.

DoraDelite

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Apparently the victim, Thiago Cortes, has died in hospital.

Allegedly, the car, a 2005 Focus, was bought by some teenagers and not registered. Four people were seen running from the car when it was left abandoned.

I was thinking about this the other day when seeing all the Garda Traffic twitter posts where the driver is usually already disqualified. Is it time for a law where you can't purchase a vehicle unless you provide evidence of a valid licence? perhaps some sort of website that sellers can query also and submit the buyers details? also add a sanction for a seller that sells a vehicle to an unlicenced or disqualified driver.

magicbastarder

DoraDelite wrote: »

Is it time for a law where you can't purchase a vehicle unless you provide evidence of a valid licence?

if it was a private sale, and the buyers ignored the law anyway, there's no way of enforcing this.

DoraDelite

magicbastarder wrote: »

if it was a private sale, and the buyers ignored the law anyway, there's no way of enforcing this.

I'd be thinking some kind of law where if the seller doesn't verify the buyers licence then they get a large fine if caught, even in a private sale. So if a DQ driver was stopped and found to have bought a car from a seller unverified then the seller is in trouble too.

Johnny Jukebox

magicbastarder wrote: »

if it was a private sale, and the buyers ignored the law anyway, there's no way of enforcing this.

How about the seller remaining legally responsible for the vehicle until change of ownership is complete and change of ownership being contingent on government issued photo ID ?

magicbastarder

struggling up herbertstown/harbourstown/herbestown this evening, i heard a car engine behind me. narrow road, but wide enough for a car and a bike, so i pulled in to the side of the road without slowing down (i was going slow enough anyway!) and a chap driving a vehicle recovery truck roared past doing, at a guess, close to sixty, with not much more than a foot to spare. was more of a flash of anger than fright he gave me, i briefly turned the air blue in a loud fashion. not that he heard me.

Dr_Colossus

That old nugget of the roundabout at the Castleknock end of Chesterfield Avenue again this morning, coming from Farmleigh direction and taking the 3rd exit onto Chesterfield Avenue. 06:30 in the morning with little traffic but a sleepy woman in a <snip> grey BMW decides to ignore the strong front light (was flashed earlier by an oncoming driver that took umbrage with it) and continue into the roundabout without yielding. I let a roar and she braked hard stopping the car halfway through and I continue on noting the reg. No wave of an apology or any acknowledgment, just totally transfixed on the car in front and never looked.

Still the most dangerous section of my commute which includes the full length of the quays and this supposed to be a recreational park. The hard should in the park as the cycle lane is a great improvement but they need to replace the unsightly cones with a permanent solution. Going through the park yesterday evening and a car clipped one of the cones in the cycle lanes sending it a good 0.5m inwards, if a cyclists was inline they’d have been felled.

Seth Brundle

F**ks sake
https://twitter.com/dublincycling/status/1301622633448996865?s=19

Seth Brundle

average_runner wrote: »

Do we actually know what happened here except for the toe rags in the car.
Did the car break the lights as well?

In the Thiago incident?
Nothing has been disclosed to my knowledge apart from images of the car. The damage to the car from the impact would indicate that the car was travelling at a considerable speed (in my view).

thebourke

i have been cycling in dublin for a long time but my biggest fear on the roads is the motorists!

Stark

I was waiting to cross at the Seville Place end on Wednesday in order to head on to the new stretch of greenway. (Where the Dublin Commuter Coalition guy got ran over). There were two Gardaí in full hi-viz stationed at the junction of Seville Place and Guild Street. They were literally screaming "wtf are you doing, the light is red you idiots" at the cars driving through the red light there without a care in the world.

5uspect

Watching the cars and not the road

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8hDuvMM8KY

Seth Brundle

5uspect wrote: »

Watching the cars and not the road

One big disadvantage to parking on the right hand side of the road.

5uspect

CramCycle wrote: »

It happened because he gunned it from stationary, and never looked again. It's not the pillars fault, he should have pulled out a bit, slowed, re looked to make sure and then, in this case, stop as he would have seen the cyclist. I can see how it happens but that is because of poor driving technique, nothing else.

She shot out because she thought there was a gap. She was only watching the oncoming car who let her out and the car in front of me.

DoraDelite

Trying out my new rear camera after one close pass too many. This was the on Merrion road today. The car didn't deviate or cross the line of the next lane when skimming me. I felt this one was dangerous at speed and I estimate no more than 1-2cms from my handlebars. The outer lane was also clear for them to move into.
For context my rear tyre is 6cms wide and my handlebars are approx 32cms on either side of the tyre.

This one is going to traffic watch.

MojoMaker

You won't get far with that.

On the "bad" scale, it barely registers (sadly).

crosstownk

Seth Brundle wrote: »

One big disadvantage to parking on the right hand side of the road.

VonLuck wrote: »

Not defending the driver at all, but I can see how it happens. Car pillars can easily block the view of a cyclist when they're a much smaller object than a moving vehicle. Need to be doubly sure when you look over your shoulder for oncoming traffic.

In some states in the US it's an offence to park on the opposite side of the road. The video above certainly shows the reasoning for such a law.

Seth Brundle

I had to pick up some stuff earlier from near Park West so rather than take the car, I hopped on the bike and got in a bit of exercise.
Typical! Met Eireann app tells me no rain due but of course there was plenty.

On my way home, this bin lorry came a bit close at Adamstown. At the time it felt bad, especially the second pass.
Looking back at the footage, I'm having second thoughts about it - am I just used to close passes or was he too close in your view?
https://streamable.com/zi8euf

DeadSkin

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I had to pick up some stuff earlier from near Park West so rather than take the car, I hopped on the bike and got in a bit of exercise.
Typical! Met Eireann app tells me no rain due but of course there was plenty.

On my way home, this bin lorry came a bit close at Adamstown. At the time it felt bad, especially the second pass.
Looking back at the footage, I'm having second thoughts about it - am I just used to close passes or was he too close in your view?
https://streamable.com/zi8euf

The rear view of the second pass looks bad - to answer your question in the video I think he is fckin stupid.

Seth Brundle

suffering golfer wrote: »

Took up cycling to work during the lockdown. Thankfully no near miss until this morning. Going straight through a four way junction with the lights in my favour. Taxi coming in the opposite direction turning right somehow didn't see me and turned on me, missing by millimeters. Think he genuinely didn't see me but really dumb move.

You must have done somehting wrong because a taxi driver is a professional driver and therefore surely wouldn't drive without due care and attention.

suffering golfer wrote: »

Main cause of ire for me is the teenagers using phones when cycling. Seen a few of them around and they are a goddamned menace to themselves and other users. Have no common sense whatsoever!! I almost knock over one or two off them when they suddenly swerve on the road. Seem to be popular on Amiens street and North Strand road for some reason.

Just give teenagers a wide berth if you see them.

magicbastarder

general advice for life in general, not just cycling?

irlirishkev

magicbastarder wrote: »

general advice for life in general, not just cycling?

Beat me to it

Seth Brundle

magicbastarder wrote: »

general advice for life in general, not just cycling?

Being the owner of two teenagers, I'd say it's general advice for life!

Duckjob

CramCycle wrote: »

Took me by surprise as well but it made a miserable day into an acceptable one, and to be honest, it was all I needed after a rough week. It's amazing the power of a kind word.

...especially from a most unlikely source

Seth Brundle

Meanwhile in the UK, the West Mercia Police show that cycling on a road is just too dangerous for their officers (it's worth looking at her other responses in the twitter thread)...

https://twitter.com/SuptBrighton/status/1305471453811310592

Seth Brundle

breezy1985 wrote: »

Does that mean all drugs busts are cancelled too.

I'm trying hard to come up with something funny but I simply can't think of anything funnier than her statement to the public.
Tragic but funny!