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

CramCycle

Had a car at White Oaks in Clonskeagh pull right out in front of me, I seen it coming luckily. He looked left but only glanced right and then just started staring intensely to his left and then gunned it. If I hadn't slowed he would have ran over my back wheel. He only noticed me half way through the turn as I had to stop in the middle of the road but his brain could not compute. It was like I spawned in place.

I'm pretty sure that I would have been in the right if I hadn't noticed all the subtle cues going on but have no interest in having that on my headstone. It is worrying, if a car had been coming down that road at speed (which happens) he would have been dead. Surely any regular driver in Dublin knows other drivers are equally sh1t and should be prepared for it.

magicbastarder

not a near miss, but came around this near 90 degree bend the other day, and where the house entrance on the right is, a panda bin lorry had stopped to pick up a bin. so instead of waiting, the guy driving the large artic behind decided to pull around him - on a blind bend - and totally blocked the road as he inched past. his destination was about 700m away, a large fruit and veg distribution place.

needless to say the three other motorists waiting behind decided to play follow my leader and came around the bin truck too, despite seeing me waiting to get past.

that road is often chock full of artics heading to ad from the fruit and veg place, not a road you should overtake on blind bends on.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.5107207,-6.3484455,3a,75y,203.88h,81.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMYNOhcwdItwy1DhMmxBPvg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721273#Comment_120721273

Didn't you know that you're expected to move over for oncoming drivers driving on the wrong side of the road?

https://twitter.com/rolywest/status/1669422751474384899

Mundo7976

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721048#Comment_120721048

Thats a feckin dangerous corner & junction on a good day

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721048#Comment_120721048

Sam Dennigan?

magicbastarder

yep.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120728273#Comment_120728273

i've twice in my life had to ring the gardai after happening on the scene of a collision. one of those two occasions was on the bend nearer dennigans.

Schorpio

Popped out to run an errand over lunch. Rear camera had been charging, and I forgot to put it back on the bike before I left - which I really regret now as I only have front-facing footage of this Merc (162D11801), who was determined to squeeze past me multiple times.

He passes me three times - at 13 sec, 1:00, and 1:54.

The front camera really doesn't do justice to the incident at the 1 minute mark. I'm in my lane and slowing for a red light. You can just see the nose of his car slide right up next to me, giving me no space. You can actually hear my sharp intake of breath when it gets up next to me - I really wasn't expecting it. He also tried to roll his car forward into the junction to prevent me from going ahead of him.

The mental thing is (as with most city driving) - he was making no progress every time he got ahead of me.

I actually passed him again after the end of this video, but by this time I was (thankfully) in a segregated cycle lane. His female passenger noticed me though, and leaned across the driver to wag her finger at me. I will never understand the mentality of some people.

https://streamable.com/z4lrpt

standardg60

Tbh i think there's two of you in it there, i wouldn't have bothered squeezing back past at the first set of lights, they clearly moved in to try to stop you doing so which probably annoyed you both, i'd have just let them on their way.

Is there a reason why you didn't swing into the empty left lane towards the end of the video to let them by?

Schorpio

You're right in that, looking back at it now, I think he did move to block me off at the first set of lights. At the time, I didn't think all that much of it, as there is an empty parking space immediately to the left which I used to (safely) go back to the front (as is my right).

As for the lane - the left lane goes left at the end of the road. The right lane goes right. I want to go right, that's why I'm in that lane. It's the same reason the car is in the right-hand lane.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120736966#Comment_120736966

This is not great advice. Take the centre of the lane or stay in the left lane until you're confident you can merge into the other lane. Taking the extreme right or left to facilitate overtaking does nothing more than facilitate bad and dangerous driving.

Taking the centre gives no option but to overtake properly in another lane.

That last one is criminal

magicbastarder

when I do I don't come on websites to whinge about it, instead I get on with my life.

winning hearts and minds!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737120#Comment_120737120

I've been cycling a long time in the city of Dublin, almost daily

I climbed Mount Everest last Tuesday, lovely views

DaveyDave

I cycled through Dublin city for around 5 years between going to college and work. You'll see me smack bang in the middle of a bus lane or taking the lane on tighter roads. My safety is more important than someone feeling inconvenienced for being "held up" by a cyclist for 5 seconds when they won't bat an eyelid at being stuck in traffic for 10-15 minutes.

Schorpio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737810#Comment_120737810

Exactly. And therein lies the irony. That car was making precisely zero progress every time they overtook me. They were just racing to their next stop, at which point I was going past again. As I mentioned already, I passed them again after the video ends, at which point we went our separate ways.

hans aus dtschl

Without any interest in blame (I'd have 100% done everything you did) I think with hindsight you'd have been better off leaving them do their dopey driving ahead of you.

But I was wondering why didn't you pop into the bike lane on South Mall nearer to the start of it? I don't cycle South Mall so just wondering what made you avoid that one?

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737120#Comment_120737120

Important to make sure you not inconvenient to the drivers.

Important to maintain good vibes.

This is Brass Eye levels of satire: you've got a bright career ahead of you. Just the right amount of believability, it's really well written I must say.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737120#Comment_120737120

Do you avoid driving around with four empty seats for short journeys that are easily walked or cycled to maintain good vibes between drivers and cyclists?

Schorpio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738512#Comment_120738512

The first opportunity for me to get into that cycle lane would have been immediately after the South Mall/Parliament Bridge junction. It's actually what I was intending on doing - but the car squeezed right alongside me at the lights. I expected him to either floor it off the lights, or be immediately on my right as we got going. So, I couldn't cut across him to get to the cycle lane.

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120739031#Comment_120739031

Makes sense yep, you would have but didn't have the room.

I was just wondering if there was an issue with that cycle lane. I guess we could say the issue is that the South Mall cycle lane actually begins in the shared space on the wrong side of the road by Grand Parade corner.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120735473#Comment_120735473

The mental thing is (as with most city driving) - he was making no progress every time he got ahead of me

Isn't that the exact same as what you were doing at ~38s? Squeezing past him at the lights to get in front even though you were both caught at the next lights?

The thing is, yourself and that driver have a lot more in common than you realise!!

Schorpio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743337#Comment_120743337

Cyclists have the right to filter to the front (safely) in stationary traffic. That's why cycle boxes at traffic lights exist.

A few posters have brought up the fact that I filtered to the front, in an attempt to create some sort of equivalency between me and the driver. I'm sorry, but nope, I'm not having that.

There's a big difference between me on my bike (all 100-ish kg) filtering slowly past a stationary car, and a 1.5/2 tonne car passing a cyclist at 40/50 km/hr. If I were to hit his car, at worst I might scratch it. On the other hand, if he had hit me, I could end up with life-changing injuries. There is zero equivalency here.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743401#Comment_120743401

You are absolutely entitled to that right but sometimes it's nice just to be considerate instead of being entitled. Let's say a slower group of cyclists filtered through in front of you at the lights when you were stopped, they'd be prefectly entitled to do so but they'd be arseholes.

Like I said, you and the driver have a lot in common

Schorpio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743447#Comment_120743447

Respectfully disagree.

I cycle through Cork City most weekdays. I meet loads of other cyclists of all abilities and speeds. I've never once thought negatively of any cyclist who moved in front of me.

Again. there is no equivalency between my actions and that of the driver.

kennethsmyth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737120#Comment_120737120

That's called undertaking not overtaking and is illegal in Ireland as he would be using the same lane not just going slightly faster than someone in a different lane

kennethsmyth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743337#Comment_120743337

The bicycle at the front is for safety not speed, come on do you really believe in the things you are saying, have some cop on.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743914#Comment_120743914

How is it safer for a cyclist to be in front of a car rather than behind it when both are travelling in the same direction?

That doesn't make any sense.

kennethsmyth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743927#Comment_120743927

Wow, just wow. Its so the car/truck/bus can see them and ensure that they get across the junction safely and not squeezed to the left side of the road! Did I really have to say that or is there any common sense going on?

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743946#Comment_120743946

If the bike is behind the car, there is no need for them to be seen.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743447#Comment_120743447

You lose any consideration from me when you drive poorly past me when in cycling. The driver made a poor pass in the first instance

Nonsense people saying you need to be considerate, but only want it one way

Wildly Boaring

In fairness. In this instance he could have just stayed behind the car at the first lights.

Slot in there behind him in the middle of the lane and advance in primary position till the next stop.

Being entitled to filter to the top, does not mean you have to.

Schorpio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744382#Comment_120744382

Yep, I could have stayed behind, but I didn't. Both options were available to me, and I made a choice. There was no right/wrong decision there.

Again, this post seems to be suggesting that, by filtering to the front, I somehow antagonized the driver and had a hand in the close passes. Even if a driver is antagonized, that in no way excuses how the passed me.

Cycling is in a very sorry state if people are genuinely taking the stance that 'the driver was annoyed, so the cyclist deserved it'.

Schorpio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744448#Comment_120744448

Well, that's you, but it's definitely not me.

I still think it's bloody brilliant to see more and more people - of all ages and abilities, and on bikes of all shapes and sizes - getting around the city. I am firmly of the opinion that everyone needs to feel safe and encouraged on their bikes, and that starts with cyclists looking out for other cyclists. I'd never have words with any cyclist for being too slow.

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745182#Comment_120745182

No

Not saying you deserved it.

Or that annoyed drivers have carte blanche.

I'd just not have bothered creating another overtake requirement

McGrath5

Anyone using the cycle lane going by Marley Park opposite the Lidl, please be careful. Guys working on the concert venue are flying in and out with no care taken, had a near miss on Tuesday evening but thankfully I was going a bit slower than I usually would.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120748206#Comment_120748206

Awful, particularly as they have security guy on that specific gate out of the park, who should be managing things.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120749510#Comment_120749510

Any point referring to the council as surely they had to do a traffic management plan.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120749787#Comment_120749787

If I had a good video showing a truck pulling out in front of a cyclist, it might help to shame then into action. I can't see them taking any serious action based on an email complaint. Maybe one of the local Green councillors might help.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120751477#Comment_120751477

I was thinking more the council themselves rather than councillors, who let them do this work based on a license. Might be worth doing, maybe not but it might spook the contractor into behaving if they think the council are checking up on them.

Schorpio

More reckless driving on my commute this morning.

First a Dairygold lorry honks, and narrowly overtakes me against an oncoming vehicle. Followed in quick succession by a van squeezing by me.

https://streamable.com/9j9cnh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120841091#Comment_120841091

Personally I'd be positioned much further into the lane. I find it prevents 99% of close passes as they no longer try to squeeze through

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871845#Comment_120871845

That's brilliant to hear, weird that she wouldn't accept liability for not checking 'the other lane', ie the cyclist's one, was clear.

On the plus side i'm seeing more and more drivers check to the left of standing traffic before proceeding with their turn right.

Weepsie

Maybe it's new fatherhood, but I'm hyper aware this past few days back at work of drivers trying to hit me. One today squeezed into buslane leaving me inches so I slapped the back of his car. My thinking is, if I can do that, you're too close.

They then took a left and came back up another road to get back into that road

The. I've had about 5 cars go through various lights as I'm crossing a junction on my green

TheChizler

They're must be a natural law that says if you're a regular bike cam user and your camera isn't recording for some reason then drivers will respond by endangering you more than usual. The number of left hooks and illegal right turns while nearly taking me out has jumped since my Fly12 mount snapped during the week.

Gone through 2 now, can't bring myself to pay €25 + delivery for yet another s***ty piece of plastic that won't last 6 months.

p15574

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120882904#Comment_120882904

Must be a compatible mount you can order a few from AliExpress?

If I don't have my bike cam I feel extraordinarily vulnerable for some reason. Have used footage twice to prove motorists were lying.

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120883321#Comment_120883321

It's keyed so it doesn't fit the common Garmin mount, but good idea didn't think to try there.

Yeah feeling very cautious going out at the moment.

tnegun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120882904#Comment_120882904

How old is the camera? I got a few under warranty from them and am on my second camera and my 3rd or 4th mount now they only last about 7-8k km. It's a known issue with them so don't take any crap from them about you over-tightening them and ask for a warranty or goodwill replacement.

TheHouseIRL

Sometimes, even taking the lane isn't enough. This old codger simply had to get in front, despite oncoming traffic

https://streamable.com/xewudu

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120885687#Comment_120885687

Was he on his phone or a bit drunk, that sudden jolt like he just woke up.

TheHouseIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120885773#Comment_120885773

I interpreted it as him telling me I should be in the bike lane (yes, the same bike lane that someone had parked in). No sign of a phone or impairment when I caught up to him, aside from the usual carbrain impairment.