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

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122266286#Comment_122266286

In fairness to the solicitor they're answering very professionally and essentially saying yo all the dopes that thru broke the law.

The excuses are hilarious. Lanes splitting, roads too narrow, roads narrowing, other cars appearing out of nowhere.... Nice to get a view into how these numpties think. Never their fault. Never reading the road.

standardg60

That is hilarious 😁

'it was Father's Day and I was with my 15 yr old daughter' was my favourite.

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269902#Comment_122269902

My jaw dropped at the driver whose excuse was that the cyclist moved closer to him while he was overtaking because the cycle lane ended and that if the cyclist had stayed in his lane (the one that had ended) he wouldn't have close passed him. It think it involved a traffic island forcing him to stay left too, so to obvious infrastructure changes coming up that should have prompted him to delay his overtake but he missed them both.

elchupanebrey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270879#Comment_122270879

I've had drivers abort overtakes at the last second in the past when their other 2 choices were hit me or hit the kerb on an island. Thankful abort was the option they chose. Probably plenty of drivers out there that go for the hit the cyclist or force them into the opposite kerb option

magicbastarder

that happened me several times on strand road - drivers doing a rushed overtake, to find they were heading straight for a traffic island. twice here; i see they've removed the islands (if you choose the 2018 imagery, they're there) and replaced them with something less likely to damage a car:

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3253872,-6.2071464,3a,75y,176.64h,71.03t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1shUR7BP5m3txIYy7q35x3XA!2e0!5s20230601T000000!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122271363#Comment_122271363

There's a very scary but very satisfying video around somewhere of a driver trying to overtake a cyclist as they approach a traffic island on the outskirts of Galway. Thankfully they didn't try to take out the cyclist and instead hit the island at speed and blew out their driver side front tyre.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122272023#Comment_122272023

I assume the driver still told everyone how it was the cyclist's fault

Seth Brundle

I went the long way home yesterday but heading along the R114 (from the Ballinascorney Famine Cross towards Brittas), this numpty skimmed past me. I'd say that he was about a foot from me and given that their line didn't change outwards after they passed, to me, it looks deliberate…

https://youtu.be/kP1UywO0LmI

The most annoying thing about it was that 90 seconds before the above pass, a garda car passed me in what was a textbook example of how to pass.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270879#Comment_122270879

No surprise at all at that attitude. It's the reason why you don't cycle a foot out from the kerb, why cycling two abreast is good practice and why I don't use a certain type of cycle lane (i.e. the ones that require you to yield at every turning point/ side road or the ones that spit you out onto the road without any regard to fitness for purpose) - a lot of drivers (as anyone who cycles regularly will appreciate) simply have that attitude of cyclists being second class road users and cars having right of way. If you give an inch, if you cycle defensively, they will pretend they don't see you and expect you to give way - essentially bully you off the road.

secman

Just at the end of my scenic commute this evening, had actually reached the estate and was thinking ..45kms and nada stupid driving tonight. Coming towards a left turn, I was going straight on, I noticed a driver instructor car on the left turn, stopped… but as I came to left turn, the car proceeded to do a jittery left turn on to the road. I was on a cycle lane, the meter wide ones actually on the road, , she came into the cycle lane, and I managed to squeeze between the car and the kerb, took her ages to pass me, I was shaking my head from side to side to let the instructor know I was not impressed with the driving. What I don't get, is why he didn't apply brake when he realised she was pulling out in front of me when it was inherently unsafe to do so....... it's getting worse.. my second bad experience in 2 weeks by a driving instructor car.

CramCycle

Holy crap, after 2+ years of barely anything of note on local roads, 10 close passes in one commute. 3 were into head on into oncoming traffic were I had to haul on my brakes and so did the approaching car. Most of the rest done it on bends and 5 of them I could touch as they went by. Must be something in the air. I would normally blame tourists but most were local reg plates.

fatbhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122272900#Comment_122272900

Yeah, bad pass. However, his/her line did change: was a couple of feet over the centre line, then merged back into the left lane after the pass. But yeah, I wouldn't be happy about that pass. If the jeep's speed was not much faster than the bike's then it wouldn't feel as scary, but when it's going so much faster, like in this case, then it can be a shock.

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122285857#Comment_122285857

I saw a load of mad driving the last day or two too. Yesterday a woman in traffic tried to aggressively cut me off at the kerb and when I passed on the driver-side she shouted at me to "be careful" :D

I used to work in nightclubs a lot and we would always say you'd see the weirdest of behaviour around a full moon. Full moon is today apparently. The superstition continues!

Boardnashea

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122285857#Comment_122285857

Full moon - always brings them out!

VonLuck

I had a minor encounter with a pedestrian this morning. I was cycling along a shared path and there was a couple walking single file in the same direction as I was cycling. As I was about to overtake, the woman stepped out in front of me. I was going slow enough that it wasn't a problem so I politely rang my bell to warn her. She scrambled to get to one side and apologised, but then the man said "F*ckin hell! How much space do you need!".

It's a path that may be wide enough for 3 people walking abreast, but when two people are walking side by side you can't pass safely on a bike. I guess when you're a cyclist you're just always in the wrong!

magicbastarder

one reason i don't use a bell. by the reports i've heard it's 50/50 whether it'll be viewed as polite, or passive-aggressive.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334066#Comment_122334066

Bells are a trigger for some people, I don't use one as I have had some nasty reactions in the past. People seem to take it in the same vein as someone blasting their horn to get you out of the way. Personally, I freewheel and slow on approach, usually enough and a nice wave and thank you as I pass. If they don't hear the freewheel, I'll say excuse me and then thank you but I'm sure some will take this the wrong way.

The bell thing is probably not helped by the way some, not all, use it. Walking through work and a cyclist came through blasting her bell but not even remotely slowing as she went through a shared space. She wasn't trying to be an ass but she was. She just kept going, smiling to herself as if her behaviour was acceptable, oblivious to what an asshat she was.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334066#Comment_122334066

As per above posts, we just don't have a cycle-commuting traditioon in Ireland. Bells are very common in the low countries and Germany from experience, and they are seen for what they are - a way of indicating your presence in shared spaces where another cyclist or pedestrian may not realise you are approaching.

Whereas here they are seen as the cycling equivalent of the car horn. And we all know what the car horn is used for - basically everything that your driving instructor tells you it's not for… anger, remonstration, bullying.

So that guy's response probably tells you more about what kind of driver he is and how he views cyclists than anything else.

MojoMaker

Agree.

CramCycle

It should be also noted that there are some people who will react badly no matter what you do.

cletus

I had a similar sort of interaction about a fortnight ago. Wasn't sure whether to post it or not.

Myself and my wife were out for a very leisurely spin on the canal Greenway. There was a group of about 4 or 5 women, and at least one buggy strung out across the path. We slowed down to almost a full stop, very politely said "sorry folks, just on your left".

After a bit of shuffling they all moved to the right, and as we (very slowly) passed them, saying thanks, one lady said "no bell on that bike, and no bell on that bike".

I was a little irked, so I stopped and said "sorry?" She reiterated that we had no bells. I said that's why we slowed, said sorry folks, passed then said thank you. She just kept saying you should have a bell, it's common courtesy. I asked if she thought we hadn't courteous, and she just kept repeating you should have a bell. I just said thanks and went on my way.

magicbastarder

that was purely about shifting blame; an 'i know i'm the one in the wrong, but i'll pick a minor detail to shift blame back on to you' approach.

Paddigol

Christ. Some people just shouldn't be allowed outdoors. I'd say she's never admitted to being at fault/ in the wrong for anything. Had you rang a bell you'd have been admonished for being aggressive no doubt.

MojoMaker

Absolutely, just chalk it down to meeting a true Karen and forget about it.

VonLuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334264#Comment_122334264

I had a very similar incident a while ago when I didn't have a bell on my bike and someone complained that I should have. I ended up putting one on and then I get this reaction this morning. You just can't win!

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334272#Comment_122334272

I had a guy do this outside work after he pulled a dangerous maneuvre. Me having or not having a bell was irrelevant to the event. I then, thanks to too much time on boards, got to inform him about being adapted for racing and that he was incorrect. It is no different to the people who nearly hit people in the middle of the day but blame no Hi Vis, or at night with good lights but its the lack of Hi Vis is why they nearly killed someone, not them being dangerous.

magicbastarder

yeah, i mentioned here before about a lad apologising to me a year or two ago, for pulling out in front of me without even looking, and then stopping beside me at the next lights to archly declaim 'when i cycle, i wear a helmet and hi-vis'.

hi vis is not much use to me when you don't look, pal.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118703078#Comment_118703078

Just out of court in Blanch for this. The driver disputed the charge (one of the excuses was that a 24/7 bus lane on a national road doesn't apply on a Sunday).

The barrister tried to make an issue that I didn’t wobble or have to stop immediately. I explained that the camera software does a form of wobble correction and that I stopped to save the footage - it's just not in the short clip.

He was done for Driving without reasonable consideration (section 51A), fined €500 but no disqualification - not the perfect result but a good one nonetheless.

To his credit, the garda was great 👍

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338491#Comment_122338491

That's a good result. Fair play for the effort in following up. Good to hear a positive experience with the Gardai. Hopefully the stress of having Gardai knock on his door, having to engage solicitor and barrister, deal with the paperwork, take time off work to attend court, wonder if a Judge will come down like a tonne of bricks, the cost of defending the prosecution and the fine, and the penalty points and the endorsement on his record, the impact on his insurance premium will give him pause to think next time he decides to treat the roads as his personal race track.

magicbastarder

good result, and it only took two years!