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

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS!

I reported bring clipped two days ago to traffic watch.

What's the difference between calling traffic watch and just popping into your local Garda station?

When should I call back again if I don't hear back?

mr spuckler

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS! wrote: »

I reported bring clipped two days ago to traffic watch.

What's the difference between calling traffic watch and just popping into your local Garda station?

When should I call back again if I don't hear back?

It took over 3 months for me to hear from the local station before :mad:

AFAIK once TW log it in Pulse, it gets assigned to the local station then the Super will assign it to a Garda who'll contact you directly.
It can happen pretty quickly or it can take a long time as per above...

Chiparus

eeeee wrote: »

I'd say they didn't even see it - they seem to have come up at speed, so looks like they were some distance behind you when it happened?
Although in fairness they should. When I saw the guards my first thought was that they'd stop the Qashqai but they just steamed on by. I rescind my earlier judgement!

Yes I had a look at the rear camera , thay were a long way off.

sy_flembeck

mr spuckler wrote: »

AFAIK once TW log it in Pulse,

This. And the reg is checked. And the reason why it was checked has to be entered

Effects

Had a close one with a junkie looking dude on North King Street.
He stepped out onto the road, then started looking left and right. I assumed he had clocked me, but after looking left, then right, then left again, he just started running. I'd left enough room based on him possibly walking out. Almost ran straight into me.

Seth Brundle

AGS please take note...

https://twitter.com/SurreyRoadCops/status/1276444314676191234?s=19

magicbastarder

had a chap in a black BMW close pass me at speed on the malahide road, blaring his horn at me because i was in the bus lane and not the cycle lane. funny thing was, it was before 7pm, so he was not allowed in the bus lane.

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS!

magicbastarder wrote: »

had a chap in a black BMW close pass me at speed on the malahide road, blaring his horn at me because i was in the bus lane and not the cycle lane. funny thing was, it was before 7pm, so he was not allowed in the bus lane.

Did you report it?

I made a report recently where a driver made contact with my handlebars he was driving at about 30 km/h through traffic.

In hindsight I was probably being petty and shouldn't be wasting time over that

For more serious ones, I wish you could receive the pulse ID there and then over the phone when you make a report and you could check the status of it online so you're not left hanging.

cletus

CramCycle wrote: »

More thick skinned, I am just happy enough when I can't touch them, as they pass by. That is learned though and not acceptable. This said I have driven this week and the behaviour by some seems to be not specifically against cyclists. I have cars drifting across lanes on the M50 and N11, switching lanes as you are in the lane beside them. Red light running, well as a co worer said to me as i left, be careful driving today, red lights apparently mean nothing anymore. They were right. If car drivers don't notice other car drivers running lights, there is something wrong with their observation skills.

This. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If a driver doesn't cycle, I'd imagine the vast majority of them are completely at a loss as to why cyclists are annoyed when they close pass. Not actually hitting you is enough distance for most people.

This isn't specific to cyclists either. I've often had oncoming traffic squeezing past my car when there's an obstruction in their lane, almost touching wing mirrors. An awful lot of people just don't have a good feel for distances when they're driving.

You see the opposite when someone takes a 37 point turn in a space where they could have done it in 2

RobertFoster

Some ****er with a horsebox decided between these two islands was the ideal spot to overtake. I thought the jeep going for the gap was bad enough until I realised there was a wall of horsebox within arms reach beside me. My roar made the horse's ears twitch.

TheChizler

First day back to the office and I've had the worst overtake since I started cycling again this year. Not particularly bad, just very impatient and indecisive.

03-D-1899 wrote:

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

MojoMaker

It looks like she/he was trying to be somewhat courteous, but as you say, utterly indecisive, and ultimately frustrating.

But if that's the worst that happens this week it will have been a pretty good week I'd say.

TheChizler

MojoMaker wrote: »

It looks like she/he was trying to be somewhat courteous, but as you say, utterly indecisive, and ultimately frustrating.

But if that's the worst that happens this week it will have been a pretty good week I'd say.

I'm just excited to use my new toy

magicbastarder

https://irishcycle.com/2020/07/07/garda-sergeant-doesnt-see-issue-with-truck-driver-blaring-horn-not-slowing-down-before-close-passing-bicycle/

kenmm

magicbastarder wrote: »

https://irishcycle.com/2020/07/07/garda-sergeant-doesnt-see-issue-with-truck-driver-blaring-horn-not-slowing-down-before-close-passing-bicycle/

Not sure what to make of that tbh - the cyclist went for a bit of a dangerous overtake themselves. In this case I can see where the Lorry driver/ Gardai are coming from..

Edit - first camera looks worse, second you can see more clearly. Neither road user comes off well.

Eamonnator

magicbastarder wrote: »

https://irishcycle.com/2020/07/07/garda-sergeant-doesnt-see-issue-with-truck-driver-blaring-horn-not-slowing-down-before-close-passing-bicycle/

I didn't see anything wrong with the cyclist's overtake. He checked behind, before overtaking and was back in his lane well before the lorry arrived.

eclipsechaser

kenmm wrote: »

Not sure what to make of that tbh - the cyclist went for a bit of a dangerous overtake themselves. In this case I can see where the Lorry driver/ Gardai are coming from..

Edit - first camera looks worse, second you can see more clearly. Neither road user comes off well.

While the initial overtake by the cyclist probably wasn't advisable, I'd say the deliberate and vengeful squeezing with a multi-ton vehicle, where death is a possible outcome, definitely deserves a bit more attention and criticism...

Seth Brundle

kenmm wrote: »

Not sure what to make of that tbh - the cyclist went for a bit of a dangerous overtake themselves. In this case I can see where the Lorry driver/ Gardai are coming from..

Edit - first camera looks worse, second you can see more clearly. Neither road user comes off well.

Not really.
If the truck driver was [preoperly reading the road ahead then he should have seen the two people on bikes and moved out anyhow - regardless of the overtake, he was too close.
However, if he was reading the road ahead properly, then he also would have seen the faster moving cyclist coming up on the slower moving cyclist and anticipated an overtake.
The truck driver does not appear to slow down or move from his line. All we can tell is that he blasts his horn at the cyclist.
Also bear in mind that as regular cycle paths have no legal standing, the cyclists are ahead of the truck on the road - all effectively (in law) in the same lane.
Now the law won't save a vulnerable road user from a dangerous driver that doesn't care but that's not to blame the VRU!

VonLuck

kenmm wrote: »

Not sure what to make of that tbh - the cyclist went for a bit of a dangerous overtake themselves. In this case I can see where the Lorry driver/ Gardai are coming from..

Edit - first camera looks worse, second you can see more clearly. Neither road user comes off well.

I agree. No way would I overtake after seeing a truck that close behind me. Not worth the risk.

kenmm

I dont see it as a punishment pass - the HGV stays in line with he centre line - the verge/Kerb moves in - making it a bit of a pinch point.

I wouldn't overtake the cyclist there, not that close to a HGV that's about to pass, (and I wouldn't pass the other cyclist that close either). Yes the cyclist looked behind, but then moved into the path of a lorry (at 80 on that stretch?) as he is about to hit the end of cycle lane/ pinch.

HGV was irresponsible blaring the horn. That winds people up at best / startles them at worse.

Like I say - neither come off too well in that clip and there are far worse incidents to get outraged over.

kenmm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Now the law won't save a vulnerable road user from a dangerous driver that doesn't care but that's not to blame the VRU!

Exactly - as a vulnerable road user - you need a bit more cop on. The reality is, the lorry may have shown all that exemplary anticipation that you outlined, but was probably was not going to.

It sounds like I am 'victim blaming' here - but to cry outrage without taking the smallest amount of responsibility is also wrong.

Duckjob

VonLuck wrote: »

I agree. No way would I overtake after seeing a truck that close behind me. Not worth the risk.

I wouldn't either. I would have shoulder checked and waited.

Having said that, the lorry driver seemed to have an attitude and close passed at speed only the cyclist that overtook but also the one that was overtaken who was in his "lane" and did nothing wrong. His duty of care in commandeering such a large heavy vehicle was woefully lacking.

Also, its a sad reflection on our general setup here. It demonstrates perfectly how painted cycle lanes and the lack of some drivers undersanding of their limits can actually make things more dangerous.

One of the guiding principles of Vision Zero as practiced by the Dutch and some of the Nordics is that people sometimes make mistakes and a small mistake shouldn't result in death or serious injury. It's atrocious that people bikes are mixing with heavy freight vehicles on a road by its setup is already mentally gearing the drivers of those heavy vehicles up for motorway driving.

Distance from the rider is shocking but also what you can't see from a video is the draft you can get off a truck passing you and possibly cause you to wobble.

magicbastarder

i keep saying it, that is an appalling stretch of road.

MojoMaker

It really is horrible, a real no-mans-land for cyclists in its current form.

Seth Brundle

First time in over 25 years cycling on the old airport road after someone knocked me down. Within the space of ten minutes, I had a van driver close pass me at traffic lights (MGIF @ jcn with Collins Ave) only to stop at the next set of lights on the exit towards Santry. He then threatened to knock me down next time because "youse cyclists think you're God when you put all that gear on". :rolleyes:
Then I met this dozy cow who seemed completely oblivious to what I was talking about when I approached her about this left hook (bear in mind that I had a luminous green bag on my back, two bright flashing rear lights (and a front flashing light) and a feckin bright orange bike - not sure how I can become more obvious to a driver)...
https://streamable.com/xnuypr (I do say a few NSFW words so maybe put it on mute if you're sensitive)

ED E

Thats worth traffic watch, no idea how she passed her test.

She saw you for sure because of the hesitation shown in turning in. She's 100% in the wrong there but my self-preservation instinct would not have allowed me to proceed there.

Seth Brundle

Deleted User wrote: »

She saw you for sure because of the hesitation shown in turning in. She's 100% in the wrong there but my self-preservation instinct would not have allowed me to proceed there.

I actually didn't think she would go for it, plus as it became clearer I was braking hard but with the rain, I wasn't stopping

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Jeez. Traffic Watch for that IMO. Basic enough knowledge of the rules of the road, and just common sense, would tell her to wait for you to pass. She approached you from behind so clearly saw you. Unless her eyes were focused on a screen or something...