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

Thargor

Oof Righttobikeit had a nasty accident for no apparent reason, havent seen it mentioned anywhere else so apologies if posted already:

https://twitter.com/righttobikeit/status/1793287889414975778?cxt=HBwWxMS3ybH1hOMxAAAA&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email

magicbastarder

That looks sore - he points out in a subsequent tweet that he reckons his chain came off.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122172857#Comment_122172857

I though his chain dropped or slipped, rather than lock up the cassette, and so his left foot drops as he is out of the saddle, I've seen it happen before. On a side note, did that car just keep driving post, I have no sound in work.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122172923#Comment_122172923

That would explain the chain dropping and his left leg slipping down

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122172598#Comment_122172598

Ooof is right. That looked properly sore. Sometimes it's the crashes you don't see coming that take the wind out of you the most, mentally as well as physically.

magicbastarder

doing 40km/h+ along the side of the runway earlier, a chap driving a hannigan freight 40 footer overtook me, into oncoming traffic. it was not a mistake, it was quite deliberate. the motorist in the oncoming car had to swerve to avoid being hit.

remarkably, just as he had about finished pulling back into lane, the driver of a van coming the opposite direction (behind the car mentioned above) appeared to swing towards the lorry while leaning on the horn, presumably as a way of voicing his displeasure. he got uncomfortably close to him.

De Bhál

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122174645#Comment_122174645

I emailed Fingal County Council and a few Fingal councillers after Christmas about installing some sort of hard shoulder or better still a cycle track along those roads by the runways. Swords Finglas by the back of the airport is a road I use often and the amount of close passes is scary enough.

They responded eventaully saying

A number of the perimeter roads around the airport are in the ownership of Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). There are ongoing discussions between Fingal County Council and the DAA in relation to changing these roads to public ownership which would allow Fingal to start planning for improved pedestrian and cycle facilities around the airport. Unfortunately at this moment we can’t provide a definitive timeline as government funding will be required and project teams are at capacity delivering other cycle schemes in north Dublin.

magicbastarder

how common is that i wonder; public roads which are not in public ownership?

i've often wondered why they don't stick a roundabout at the western end of the runway (the junction only a couple of hundred metres from the other roundabout); that can be hairy, and clogs up badly if the M50 is busy. maybe if that junction is also owned by DAA, they're not going to invest in that.

magicbastarder

it turns out my father in law knows the owner of that truck company.

CramCycle

Two near misses, one my fault. First, car came round a bend, head in phone, wrong side of the road. Missed me by inches, not even sure he noticed. The second was my fault for not keeping my ego in check. Winding back roads, lorry in front, never going to be a place for anyone to pass but we are doing the same speed so I give a gap just for breaking as he might have to. Two moron kids overtake me into the braking gap, so I had to slam on but my ego got the better of me and as soon as we had a straight stretch (roads not wide enough for an overtake), I done to them what they done to me and called in as I passed, telling them it was well **** worth it. It was childish, stupid and reckless but I'll hold my hands up and admit that but that doesn't make me right and I'm a bit ashamed of it as I'd have had more of an impact just sitting in his rear view like I was for the first few minutes, hands off the bars and shrugging my shoulders like a sarcastic f*ckhole.

nicksnikita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140534#Comment_122140534

When the opportunity arises, I would usually make eye contact with the driver, smile and give a thumbs up as a sarcastic response to daft driving.

It usually enrages the driver even more than an abusive response. It also takes the opportunity for the aggressive verbal response away from the driver. Or if they’re aggressive, I always ignore, or laugh.

I don’t do any urban commuting anymore though.

elchupanebrey

Driving to the exit of a housing estate yesterday. Cyclist in front of me, car in front of them. Just before the exit of the estate onto main road there is a right turn into a shop/pub carpark. The driver in front stopped to take the turn into the carpark. Cyclist decides just as the car is beginning it's turn to scoot around the right of the car to cross the road and mount the footpath on the other side. Luckily the driver reacted at last second or the biker would have been face planting the side of the car. Cyclist didn't even notice how close they came to getting a rattle

(I say cyclist but they were using a motorised bike/scooter hybrid thing with small wheels and a saddle, not sure what they are)

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122174645#Comment_122174645

today i hit the side of the runway and turned right (crash on the M50, which snarls up the road westbound along the runway).

a lad in a black qashqai overtook me; again into oncoming traffic, who had to swerve to avoid him. about 100 or 150m after passing me, he braked and indicated to turn right into na fianna's grounds. i guess he was late for something.

magicbastarder

good ****, driving really *did* get worse in the eight month hiatus i had off the bike. two quite hairy ones in about 10km today.

going up through ballymun, approaching lights which went green, so i accelerated. but the guy in the white van to the right (i was in the bus lane, he was in the normal driving lane) decided 'actually, i want to go left at this junction' and put his indicator on at the very instant he gunned it and swung left. if i'd been two or three metres further up the lane, he'd have hit me.

then, on a winding countryish road, some **** with an N plate who'd been stuck behind me less than five seconds, decided to overtake into a blind bend, just as a double decker bus appeared round the bend. i'd say he missed it by about a metre. i suspect the bus driver needs new pants.

we were travelling in the direction the camera is facing here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4569871,-6.2662067,3a,75y,320.18h,81.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLVE8ya6R5G9chdbxjsHYLA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

monkeyslayer

Nearly got rammed into the ditch by the local postman yesterday… was ambling up a quiet sunny kidare laneway with not a care in the world when started to pass a parked post van with its engine idling outside a garden gate when suddenly it sprung to life and came straight for the side of my bike only for him to hear me shout and swing back in and miss me by about a half a millimetre. I just kept going, afraid I might actually get violent with this guy if he tried to reason he was right, he slowed along side me a bit further up and apologized I just said check your mirrors and your blind spot will you please, I could've been a child, a horse, a car, anything really. He kept talking but I just went on after saying there's nothing really to discuss, I'm not in the mood, just check your surroundings.

Quango Unchained

I had a recent unpleasant experience with an An Post van. He overtook me on a stretch of road, where a stop-go was in place and the other half of the road was closed. The road was only closed for about 150m, the overtake was too close and totally unnecessary. He stopped just up the road to pull out some post and was looking over his shoulder to see my reaction. I just kept going.

I used to work in an office beside an An Post depot. Everyone in the office used to complain about the maniacal driving around the carpark.

munsterfan2

2 for the price of one today - I know we were a bit far apart, I'd slipped my chain so we were trying to catch up with the group…. https://streamable.com/doa20n?src=player-page-share

Wildly Boaring

Ugh

Kissy_Lips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140534#Comment_122140534

Not a lot to be gained engaging. Best to ignore it. One time as motorist I was at the entry barrier to Trinity street car park. A cyclist flew up to the open window and said I nearly hit him. I didn't see him at all before this. I checked my mirror turning off Trinity street and all was clear. I've no idea where I might have been close to him. I said sorry I didn't see you. Then he got madder and redder and said I nearly hit him. I said I didn't see him. Then he got even madder and even redder and was apoplectic. I felt trapped and couldn't see a way out of this so I got apoplectic and we just screamed at each other till he moved away from my window. Pointless.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208622#Comment_122208622

I disagree that there's not a lot to be gained by engaging.

If you don't engage, nothing is going to change. If you do engage, reasonably, in a civil manner, there is a chance that you're going to impact future driving by that driver for the better.

07Lapierre

this kind of engagement is not recommended: Kilkenny driver took hurley from car boot and ran after cyclist on south Dublin street in ‘heat of the moment’

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122215245#Comment_122215245

Don't necessarily disagree with you, but I just couldn't be arsed. The cyclist v motorist c**p driven by the media means you're just as likely to do as much harm as good by even trying to politely engage. When the State starts to take the issue of road use and safety seriously, then maybe I'd reconsider. But its not my job to be the primary educator of other road users, however well meaning.

Dangerous driving is a different issue - there, yes, I'd certainly make my views known.

My approach is to take the opposite angle, and I try to show my appreciation for considerate drivers, cyclists, pedestrians where possible. Hopefully build a bit of good karma on the roads.

But as I said, I don't judge anyone who takes inconsiderate drivers to task. It's just not for me. Can't be bothered with the negative energy that sits with me for the rest of the spin.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122219026#Comment_122219026

There is an extremely remote chance of anything bad happening of you confront someone. You will find the odd case but very rare. They will get mouthy alright. O have rarely had anyone genuinely apologise

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122219943#Comment_122219943

Experience has taught me that the only chance of an apology is how you approach them. If they are going to mouth of, they will mouth of regardless of how you approach them but there are a subset who will say sorry, they don't always get what they done wrong but its better than nothing at all. It normally takes a softly softly approach. This said I had one guy jump out to deck me because I shrugged my shoulders at him as he ran straight through a crossing where I had the right of way, so sometimes doing nothing at all is also not risk free.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122220094#Comment_122220094

It's not about an apology. I don't give a toss about whether they apologise. I just want to know that there's a chance that they'll think twice the next time they are faced with a similar decision.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122221058#Comment_122221058

And if they apologise, it shows they understand that something they done wasn't correct. They start shouting at you like it is your fault, they think you are too blame and that view is reinforced, whether right or not. I don't need an apology either, I want them to understand that no one was hurt this time but that what happened was not appropriate or acceptable. Personally if they had a way of showing that they understood they got it wrong and would learn from it, I'd sooner not interact with them at all. Same reason that I am more understanding when someone looks panicked and apologetic, holds up their hands and mouths they are sorry. They know they have done something wrong, we don't need a conversation, they know the issue and there is a better chance they won't do it again for awhile. Same reason when I f*ck up, I always turn to them, raise my hands and shout sorry about that or my fault, no need for them to inform me or have a follow up.

Pawwed Rig

I think in Ireland we generally need to speak up more. Whether that is calling someone out for littering, bad behaviour on public transport or the examples in previous posts.

As a society we are way too meek and prefer to mind our own business. The new phenomenon of being labelled a "karen" also hinders people speaking up.

If you do not speak up then no one will. The Gardaí won't do it neither will the councils. I would like to think that someone who you had a go at would think about their actions later which might change what they do in future if for no other reason than having someone have a go at them again.

I understand people not getting involved but I think it shirks your responsibility as a citizen.

In Germany it is normal to pull people up on bad behaviour. You even see it if you don't wait for the green man at pedestrian light. "Es ist röt!!!". It normalises good behaviour whereas saying nothing normalises bad behaviour.

maybe I am just naïve

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122221905#Comment_122221905

I am sure you would and it proves my point that bad behaviour is normalised here. You are doing something wrong and when pulled up on it you react with aggression. That is the story of many of the posts on this thread.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122221890#Comment_122221890

See where you're coming from but its difficult because at the end of the day, lots of things are subjective. Everyone has their own view of what happened, what should have happened, what's right, what's acceptable etc. If anything we're becoming too policing of each other's behaviour. And it most definitely should be for government/ local government to implement policies and legislation and for the Gardai to police unlawful behaviour. The fact that they don't or that there's been massive under resourcing/ neglect of the Gardai is another issue for another discussion.

I'd love if people could just become a little bit more tolerant of each other, accepting of the fact that we all share public spaces (how you/ I want to see them used isn't necessarily how others do), and yes, certainly, considerate of others when we're in public.

I'm married to a German and spend plenty of time over there. German culture has its good points, but god they'd also try your patience and some days the place just seems full of cranks. I don't mind because its a novelty and I'm only there for short periods, but my wife often can't wait to get out of the place.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122221496#Comment_122221496

Even when they don't apologise, even when they're roaring at you, there is merit in intervening. If you ignore bad behaviour in any context, family or workplace or on the street, the bad behaviour persists.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122225722#Comment_122225722

Even objectively speaking there are blurred lines between what is unlawful/ dangerous and what is simply ignorant/ selfish.

Then you have to factor in the issue of subjective perception. Scientific studies have shown that even people who witness the same event will have different recollections of it even a short time after the event. How much of that is down to memory and how much of it is down to perceptive bias I don't know - driving too fast, driving too close, pulled in/ out too early/ late… we'll all have slightly different tolerances in the absence of real time data.

Then you have the issue of what is considered 'reasonable' or 'polite' confrontation. Will a female driver perceive my dialogue through a closed window to be threatening or aggressive simply because of our genders, whereas a male driver would view it differently.

Few of us (in my experience anyway) are masters of language and communication skills. So the further away from plain dangerous/ illegal and the closer to 'inconsiderate' driving we go, the muddier the waters and the more difficult it is to objectively determine fault and degrees of fault etc.

Beyond an exasperated look and throwing of hands to the sky, 9 times out of 10 I just couldn't be bothered taking inconsiderate drivers/ cyclists/ pedestrians to task.

I firmly believe that people's behaviour will only change when something becomes socially unacceptable, and generally things only become socially unacceptable when the authorities take action to confirm that to be the case, whether through legislation or advertising campaigns. Drink driving, seat belts, plastic bags, smoking, discrimination in the workplace etc etc. Attitudes have changed hugely in those areas in my lifetime. Unfortunately in other areas (fly tipping/ littering, general road safety) the government has shown no real interest in fixing issues, and so they persist. So while I'll appreciate efforts by individuals to try and educate other road users as to how to be less of a d!ck, I'd much prefer the government to take a long overdue proactive role.

average_runner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122222437#Comment_122222437

That is exactly the irish mentality. Do something wrong and lash out by shouting.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122226253#Comment_122226253

Don't see what's particularly Irish about it at all to be honest.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122226231#Comment_122226231

I don't think you have the right definition of social acceptable. Social means people, not authorities.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122223384#Comment_122223384

I am just saying that once it starts, there is nothing to gain but making you feel better. Not saying don't do it, but if a person jumps out of a car to deck me for calling him out for poor driving, he isn't going to learn unless he gets arrested for assault and truth be told, as much as I care about road safety, I ain't being a martyr. Chances are that they will still believe themselves in the right.

As someone else said, until enforcement breeds culture, then for a certain contingent, nothing will change.

Hands up though, there are times where I don't practice what I preach and I fully engage. It achieves nothing but make me feel a bit better but it doesn't actually achieve anything.

Quango Unchained

Has anyone seen @cyclingmikey on YouTube?

He's a vigilante cyclist who goes around London filming bad road behaviour and sending it in to the police.

He's got points, fines and bans for many many motorists - including a few celebrities.

I'm not sure he'd survive an hour in Dublin.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122227193#Comment_122227193

It wasn't a definition, it's a concept. The fact that social apparently means people not authorities has no relevance on what is deemed socially acceptable or not. If the authorities bring in a law aimed at changing people's behaviour for the general good of society, and that law gets public buy-in (see further - plastic bag levy, smoking ban, compulsory seat belt wearing), then it becomes socially unacceptable to be seen to be, for example, using plastic bags like they're confetti, smoking in a selfish manner in non-designated semi-enclosed public spaces, driving without a seatbelt etc.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122227292#Comment_122227292

He's been discussed loads of times on here before. TLDR; opinion amongst cyclists is divided as to how much his modus operandi benefits other cyclists. I think he's been discussed to death on here… it's certainly not a debate I want to get into again 😂

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122227292#Comment_122227292

He's the exact opposite of a vigilante. There's quite a few people doing the same thing in Ireland.

Quango Unchained

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122227495#Comment_122227495

Obviously depends on which definition you use. He does stays within the law himself but he is a private citizen undertaking law enforcement without authority from any public body.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122231087#Comment_122231087

I might not entirely agree with his modus operandi, but there's no 'enforcement' in anything he does to be fair. Enforcement is arrest/ detention/ fining/ charging/ prosecuting/ sentencing. Private citizens are perfectly entitled to present evidence of law-breaking to the appropriate authorities where it affects them.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122231087#Comment_122231087

He's not undertaking ANY enforcement. He's reporting people to the relevant authorities, same as any of us do when we see someone being burgled, or someone being assaulted. Enforcement is done by the police in all cases.

What definition of vigilante are you using?

magicbastarder

funny one today - not a near miss, dunno what you'd call it.

heading west along the runway towards st margarets, the traffic was all backed up (spillover from the M50 which was at a standstill). there's a hard shoulder lasting maybe 100m near the end of the road, so i swung in there to overtake the stationary traffic; but the 'hard shoulder' is delineated with traffic cones. i popped back out into the main lane about 5 or 10m in front of a stationary artic beside one of the cones, and i felt something impact my foot or pedal, an immediate tearing noise and then a loud hissing noise; although still with something heavy on my foot. ****, i thought, puncture; but i'd actually managed to hook a sandbag (which was sitting on the base of the traffic cone) onto my pedal and had dragged it maybe 5m up the road with me. it was the noise of it dragging along the road which sounded like a hiss.

to be fair to the lorry driver, he thought it was funny and sat there till i extricated myself, returned the sandbag, and got going again. gave me a friendly beep of the horn.

munsterfan2

When there's a solid white line on a bend, no problem, just undertake on the house entrance…. https://streamable.com/ypxkj5

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239511#Comment_122239511

Did that just happen? WTF

munsterfan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239584#Comment_122239584

Yup, this morning between Carickmacross & Ardee. I have the reg plate from the video… is there any point reporting ?

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239511#Comment_122239511

I didn't need to watch the clip to know that it was either a BMW or an Audi with fancy wheels and blacked out windows.

Appalling stuff. We had one yesterday where the big BMW SUV driver decided to overtake on a solid white line and a bend. He had to jump on the brakes, stop dead on the other side of the road, because sure enough a car came around the corner towards us. He got a good blast of the horn for his troubles. Pure brainless stuff.

Paddigol

Edit: double post

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239756#Comment_122239756

Definitely. That's too much of a disregard for so many rules of the road, not to mention criminal reckless driving offence, to let it go. Hopefully he has a few other notes on his record and the powers that be might actually crack down on him at some point.

CramCycle

Coming home in my car yesterday and there was a group of cyclists ahead. Small group, enjoying the fine weather but the road was too windy for an overtake. Anyway, I sit in for maybe 2 minutes (if even, probably only 1), road straightens up and widens out. Once it is clear, I overtook but the Merc SUV behind me, does the same but then starts blasting the horn and shouting (so it looked like in my rear view mirror), out the window at the cyclists. Not sure what the point was, their formation wasn't tight but it really didn't change anything as you couldn't safely have overtaken anyway. I took the reg but doubt it is worth my time to even report.