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

CramCycle

He says wanker in such a nice tone, if you didn't know the word you'd swear he was saying something nice.

Overtaken by a 05 car, on a bend where the oncoming bus was already visible. I dropped anchor, as did the bus. Car then pulled in to their house about 5 seconds up the road. I pulled in on the far side, waited for them to get out (which took an age). Then asked was this where they were rushing too. They looked confused. I muttered an explanation of why it was careless driving but before I'd even finished I'd given up. They didn't know or care what had went wrong, there will be no punishment unless they hit something and even then, it would be an inconsequential punishment. I just gave up caring.

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736444#Comment_119736444

It depends on the Garda.. That is only used when a garda does not want to do their job. A simple question to ask is: We're there kids around or people to get offended, Gaurd?

Some Garda are just hopeless, uncaring and lazy.

Steoller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736444#Comment_119736444

I know that the video I submitted to Celbridge station was full of effing and blinding, and they took it all the way to court.

Admittedly, it did take them a year, but they did not give coarse language as an excuse to ignore it.

DaveyDave

Swearing doesn't change the fact he ran a stop sign. I'd argue the dangerous overtake/close pass too but as a cyclist is involved in that part they'd likely ignore that aspect of it...

CramCycle

Guy skimmed me on a downhill to the point if I was less confident I'd be over the bars. Caught him at the bottom of the hill and he genuinely had no idea what I was on about. It wasn't malice, it wasn't intentional, he just couldn't see the issue. I was quite calm and he just waved it away with a "go away out of that". Young fella but with the mindset of an auld lad in the 50s dismissing the little women. Awhile ago I would have went full rage, instead I just shrugged and said, learn how to drive and cycled off. He had caught up with traffic so I imagine he was still at the same set of lights when I was getting off my bike a few minutes later.

Is there any point even complaining, no one in Dublin gives a flying f*ck. Cars flying up the bus lane. One driver ran a red and cut off a taxi driver, didn't give a hoot. Another appeared to be knocking one out while using his phone on the Rock road in rush hour traffic.

Mundo7976

Going to turn right here, check behind & car far enough back, move to middle of lane stick my arm way out & start to move, cnut in his poxy bmw decides to overtake at this point, giving me filthies as he does so. I think the motorist behind slowed way back on seeing what was happening. Thankfully had my wits about me!

Viscount Aggro

Hedgehog and a BMW....

With a hedgehog, the pricks are on the outside

Thargor

Had an Amazon van follow me for about 2 km today beeping at me like mad for no reason, I stopped at a zebra crossing and went back to eat the head off the pr1ck but then he told me my phone had fallen out of my pocket a good bit back, went back and found it in the middle of the lane, must have had about 50 cars pass over it but no damage 😊

CramCycle

Ford transit, yellow reg, driver had a Donegal accent, turned in on me, thankfully as I was making the turn as well so I was able to squeeze tight.

He wound down the window to give me a bollicking and didn't seem to understand me.

At the next lights he wound down again to ask what he could have done, he had given me a cycle lane width (His front wheel was 30 cm from the kerb when I stopped. Apparently he was paying so little attention he thought I had hit his van before it turned for being close to the cycle lane. It took me a moment to process what he was saying. I explained that I was on his inside when he started turning across me, I didn't hit the back of his van but the side. He seemed then to process he was wrong but just drove off.

magicbastarder

they may also know who the driver was as in many of those courier companies, drivers work set routes. so no harm to pass on thanks as per Cabaal's suggestion.

https://twitter.com/AlanDub13/status/1582358476558589953?s=20&t=R1Vb4INtYel7UwKGz2_M4A

....

https://twitter.com/righttobikeit/status/1583133783200366593?s=20&t=WPKYOrxOrcz_w43Vvzgwpg

Tweet says it all

Why is he flashing him ffs 😂

Weepsie

This is the same road he was on before and expected others to yield were they didn't have to.

Shite self entitled driving, but again It's another example of his crap sense of entitlement that he sometimes displays.

If that was a car, I'd be pissed of it wasn't signalling.

He'd be better off getting into the lane from the off.

Wildly Boaring

He's in one lane. The trick is in another. Truck is fine surely. Even if his arm's out, indicator dies not equal move.

Did he then decide to cycle in front of the truck on a different route than he intended to take, purely to piss off the driver?

standardg60

Why was he so far out from the kerb prior to the merge? Truck was well past by the time they got to it.

No wonder the truck driver was pissed off, and even then they performed a perfect overtake.

He really doesn't help himself.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772257#Comment_119772257

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772024#Comment_119772024

he has form for this, on this very stretch as if he expects traffic in a separate lane to yield to him though he doesn't even signal.

He knows the road well enough that he'd be better off taking the lane in the first instance. It's one of those I'd love to know what happened moments before as i never feel like the whole story is there with his videos.

He has great handling, and ability to stay upright, but he has some awful situational awareness. He does things that if someone in a car did, he'd be rightly lambasted

Wildly Boaring

As i shot down bellewstown at over 50kph some dopey middle aged woman in a 5 series drove sraight out in front of me.

Luckily I thought she might and had fingers on brakes. 100kg at 50k takes a bit of stopping on rims. Managed to not lock up and controlled it to go in between her back wheel and the ditch.

Amazingly she still hadnt seen me!! Was looking back into her own house at something as she hit 5kph. She then wobbled toward the other side of the road as her adjusted something in the car before finally jumping out of her skin as I roared at her!!

She then stopped and I headed on inside her. I was on the road for another 1 or 2k and never saw her again..... No idea.

magicbastarder

another pass into a blind bend earlier, between the grallagh and jordanstown. the oncoming motorist got quite a scare i'd say, had to come to a near stop.

it was one of several such overtakes today on a shortish cycle, and not the worst in terms of where it happened, just the one where there did happen to be a car coming around the bend.

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772257#Comment_119772257

There's a pair of cnuts in that.

I lived in Crosshaven for 8 years and cycled and drove those roads a lot.

Truck driver is going to gain no time on a cyclist from where the video starts to the left turn onto the Rochestown road. Blowing horns and lights is grade a d1ckhead stuff

It's very unlikely that truck is going beyond Pepsi, about 1.5km from the roundabout.

I was never a fan of how we do merges here, but expecting truck to yield to you isn't smart

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119781095#Comment_119781095

Technical answer, 100%. Real world answer, if he had indicated while riding the line there the lorry would have held back. He didn't, possibly subconsciously knowing it would get a warning beep. I live near a port so have become accustomed to large trucks as lots use small storage yards down country roads. If he had center lane knowing the truck would be passed before a merge was necessary, it wouldn't have happened. If he genuinely felt he needed to go earlier and had indicated, the truck would have held back. And if it didn't, he could have stopped and posted that as the driver is still a ****. Many times he is right but videos like this make it look like he is the one starting sh1t. Even worse he doesn't realise it as if he had left either half out, he would have looked less like it was intentional.

Does that excuse the driver, not even remotely.

magicbastarder

i've occasionally wondered what fibs motorists have to concoct when they get home for their wives or husbands, to let some of their righteous steam vent after they've an interaction with a cyclist, but are afraid if they accurately relate what happened they might look foolish.

anyway, it was an overtake into oncoming traffic (am getting a lot of those lately) and the oncoming motorist blew her out of it, but her opening line to me when we met at the next junction was 'you were in the centre of the f*cking road!'

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119783489#Comment_119783489

I was out for a run one evening.

Country road but white line down the middle so not tiny, big long straight with plenty visibility.

Chap in a Leaf came within mm of my elbow with even slowing much, and I roared at him.

He stopped and I stopped to see what he'd say after the ridiculous pass.

1. I was in the "Middle of the road"
2. I could have just gone on the grass
3. He couldn't stop as the road was mucky and it would have been dangerous
4. He had kids in the back
5. There were cars oncoming (no **** Sherlock)

I asked why he didn't just slow down and stop for a second like everyone behind him now had to do as he was stopped "in the middle of the road"

He told me to F off and run on the grass next time

I then asked him if he was out with his kid would he expect to have to go on the grass for cars.

He had no answer and flew into a rage for me mentioning his kid.

magicbastarder

i did engage with that lady - this happened eastbound on collins avenue extension.

i told her yes, i was 'in the centre of the road' (it wasn't the time to get into the semantics of the difference between 'road' and 'lane'). that because of the parked cars, and needing to stay out of the door line, i was in the correct position. and that she'd overtaken me into oncoming traffic, so the fault was hers. i cycled off then so didn't hang around for her response.

i'd already become quite wary of her before she performed that overtake - she'd tried to overtake me while going through the junction of collins avenue and the malahide road, despite not really having the room to her side, and me being only 2m from the small commercial van in front, so she genuinely had nowhere to go. and then she literally just gained 50m before i caught up with her again.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119785812#Comment_119785812

i have on occasion wished for a flip chart so i could more easily explain the 'here's why it makes no difference whether i'm cycling in the 'middle of the road' or in secondary position' for people who complain about this.

TheChizler

More of a head scratcher than a near miss. Had a strange one today, pulled up behind a queue of cars at traffic lights, lashing rain and starting to get dark. Driver ahead of me doesn't pull off when the light goes green. I wait a few seconds and overtake, but then he flies around me and pulls in in front and reverses until I'm by the passenger window, nearly catching my handlebar with his mirror.

Says something about how I should either turn off my flashing light or go ahead of him. I was slightly confused and indignant considering how he could have either gone ahead of me or let me go but chose neither option, so let him to repeat himself a few times. Said I'd go ahead of him, and then very satisfyingly got through the lights as they turned red.

The Fly12 light does point slightly higher than I'd like when oriented for the proper camera angle, but his behaviour didn't make sense if he truly was being blinded. Must have a look at the video in the morning.

Shotser

Yesterday I was cycling up the Carysfort Ave cycle lane with my son on his balance bike. On the road passing us was a man on his bike. I noticed a line of traffic up ahead and as I approached it was cause by a Garda SUV stopped in the middle of the lane with the Garda chatting the the cyclist. I stopped to see what was going on. The Garda left and I had a chat with the man who told me that the Garda was lecturing him on how he should be using the cycling lane. This man was an informed cyclist (I heard him telling the Garda he was a member of the Dublin Cycling Campaign) and told the Garda that he was completely incorrect. He then told me that the Garda said that he would get a clip of a mirror if he wasn't in the cycle lane! The man tried telling the Garda that that would be the fault of the driver and that close passing is illegal but the Garda just left.

What hope is there?

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119799151#Comment_119799151

Christ.

(This is all third hand)

A colleague has a cyclist "just cycle right into me as I was turning left".

Apparently this left hooked cyclist took a photo of insurance details and called the guards.

Guard arrived, and my colleague was delighted to recall, admonished the cyclist for not wearing hi-viz and "cycling up the inside of cars".

My colleague has rang her insurer to make sure they don't pay out, really hope she'll be disappointed.

Weepsie

Not a near miss, but waiting to cross a road, today I saw a woman on Lombard street going through to Westland row driving, head down, no hands on wheel both hands tapping away at the phone. A new level of just danger on a road that is pedestrian heavy.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119802177#Comment_119802177

You sound surprised. I'm now never surprised by people rolling inot the bus or cycle lane while on their phone. Coming along the rock road the other day a Merc rolled into the bike lane while on his phone, stopped to finish his text and looked miffed when the guy in front of me let a roar at him. Genuinely looked confused at why the guy was angry.

Weepsie

I'm not surprised really, but normally I see some vague effort to keep an eye on something. She has obviously developed a higher sense

magicbastarder

the fines are doubling, so thankfully what Weepsie saw today is now a thing of the past.

DaveyDave

The amount of people against fines doubling is nuts. The usual "money making racket" spiel. Even if that was the case, why shouldn't we profit off of people breaking the law? The rest of us have no problem abiding by them. Should be triple, then maybe we could afford to actually have dedicated road units pulling people all day for any and all offences they see.

sy_flembeck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119802340#Comment_119802340

Fines, even doubled, are easily paid. Doubling the points however might actually make a difference. But cynical folk might think that would mean fewer court pay days for the legal eagles, hence it didn't happen 🤔

We really should move to a days system

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day-fine

Pawwed Rig

Not really a near miss but a lot of bike lanes full of leaves or waterlogged has me staying out of them recently. Got honked at by a bus yesterday presumably for not being in the bike lane (as I couldn't think of any other reason). Also had a smart arse on Newcomen Bridge tell me I should be out on the road instead of on the bridge. 🤣

tnegun

It just shows you how blind people are to the hazards encountered by cyclists I had a guy lose his reason this am as I signaled in plenty of time that I was moving to the centre of the road to negotiate a flood, I was in a line of cars doing the same too but he seemed to think I should either let him go first or go for a swim with the bike!

Pinch Flat

Bit late posting, but this day last week (around 9 am) I had the closest call yet - a Key Waste bin lorry. I was cycling down the quays when he decided to turn in left after the Croppy Acre (without indicating). Two bikes behind him - I was one - maybe 30 - 40 meters behind, so slowed down to see what he was at. Looked like he changed his mind and joined the traffic at the next lights. I stopped in the advance box, and when the lights went green, the bin lorry overtook me and cut left across the bike lane without warning and then left up Blackhall place. He was gone, so I'd no opportunity to catch up with him and remind him of his brain-dead driving. I had to follow the track of the truck to the left side of the road, as I would have been creamed if I continued on straight ahead. https://goo.gl/maps/idXNQGWttAA3Wp7a6

The only thing that saved me was the audible warning "caution truck turning" sound when he indicated left. An outrageous move by someone that shouldn't driving such a vehicle.

CramCycle

Not really a near miss but I am a bit ashamed of my behaviour, even though I don't know why. Out at a friend/family dinner, and getting out of the car in a car park. A small one outside a family restaurant, my friends have just arrived and gone in with their kids, my grandson is about to arrive with my daughter and his dad. White 141 BMW turns in and then hammers it through the car park. Luckily enough the two kids with me are good at following orders and hadn't moved at all. I, after several weeks of zen like behaviour where i just ignored stuff, well I walked over to the car, which was now parked across a yellow box and part of a wheelchair space. I went to open the door which was locked and then he put the window down a bit. I let him have it about the speed, and the fact theat there were kids, to which he replied he seen us. I replied with words in rage. He then in his best hard man accent asked me not to put my hand on his door again. I politely but firmly told him he was lucky it was locked or I'd have lifted him out of it, no more **** words or excuses, don't **** drive like that. He said nothing else and stayed quietly in his car as we walked in.

Not very proud of my behaviour, and also not a clue what would have happened if he'd have gotten out. I can't fight to save my life, never could and I strongly suspect he was. Sadly, as my partner pointed out afterwards, it was all a bit pointless, his driving won't change

km991148

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813915#Comment_119813915

Completely understandable. Unfortunately the last line is very much true but I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813915#Comment_119813915

Might feel pointless but it’s the 1% chance that the next time he gets into a similar situation something in the back of his empty head makes him think twice about what he’s doing, that makes it worth it.

magicbastarder

a couple of days ago i was at the traffic lights southbound over the M50 at ballymun, on the southern side of the motorway - these lights:

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4086979,-6.2650321,3a,75y,191.76h,72.04t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sGMIjuIEtnOB9Hq3NabYpkQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DGMIjuIEtnOB9Hq3NabYpkQ%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D179.61101%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

i was watching the lights for people coming off the M50; they went red, so i clipped in, our lights went green and i was already a few metres past the stop line (as was the motorist alongside) when a guy in a blue SUV came through from the left doing probably 60km/h. i'd say his lights had been red for three seconds at that stage.

he wouldn't have had any visibility till the last fraction of a second as to whether there was any traffic where we were. you can see from the street view shot that visibility would be very limited for him in that respect.

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119802340#Comment_119802340

2 x 0 = 0

Gardaí just don't seem to care about enforcing the rules.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813915#Comment_119813915

Honestly, fair play to you

Too many people talk-the-talk and speak in 'what ifs'. 'I wish I had said something to him'

You had the balls to do it, so fair play

I suppose one risk is that if the person(s) are from a different 'culture' you could've been in bother, but in fairness, you'd probably cop that while walking up to the car etc.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119850596#Comment_119850596

Wouldn't want to be relying on using that footpath, would you? Wheelchair user, parent with buggy, walking frame user....

VonLuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119850596#Comment_119850596

In that situation, footpaths and cycle lanes should be maintained temporarily by traffic cones. They should take priority and the vehicular lane put to a stop/go system.

Citizen Six

https://twitter.com/KevGor64/status/1590060133601538049?s=20&t=8FDjZtFkhM_WNGTO4lk0BA

..

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852319#Comment_119852319

That is criminal!!

Anyone walks out their front gate looking at the phone or wrestling with a toddler and BAM!!

Shotser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119850596#Comment_119850596

Ah I see those cars are still parked in the cycle lane. Back in 2014ish I rang the Gardaí and the clampers every morning when I got into work for about 2 months before I gave up. This is no longer my commute but glad to see some things never change. I seriously wonder how they get away with it?

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852764#Comment_119852764

Because its accepted by nearly everyone to the point that many think it is completely legal to park on double yellows, or on bends, or on cycle lanes. I would put money on it that if you interviewed 1000 drivers randomly in Dublin, a large majority would state that it was legal provided that it was less than 15 minutes, or their hazards are on, or that someone is sitting in the car and so on. People are wilfully ignorant and they breed the next generation who grow up believing this. It used to be a main stay on this forum and the motors forum whenever it came up that people would state such things with conviction, that it was legal but when challanged, could never show or prove it, or simply claimed stupidity or ignorance of the person who wanted the proof.

Until it is both enforced and taught, with the former being more important, nothing will change. Bring in traffic/parking wardens and within a year everyone in Dublin would be able to tell you the law, but not now and not for some time to come unfortunately.