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

Seaswimmer

radia wrote: »

I like this one: https://goo.gl/maps/uVB5MVnBPN9XbXsq7

Not content with having cyclists bouncing up and down on a rollercoaster created by driveways, they felt the need to build a special little mini-hill into the cycle track for no apparent reason at all. The road beside it is flat.

Something to do with the roots of the trees maybe??


https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2768154,-6.1873541,3a,75y,166.22h,86.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQMNcFfxKByL5ilfUyEqvWg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Stark

I thought it was to raise the footpath to the height of the back gardens of those houses.

blackvalley

My serious near miss was several years ago back before artic trucks were banned from Dublin city center. For many years i cycled the complete lenght of the quays from Heuston station to point depot in the morning and returning in the evening. Got to know several people on nodding terms and occasionally got a helpful hand on the back or a shout to " sit in " if struggling hard into a headwind.
Heading home one evening, traffic busy about 5.30 as I approached Capel St bridge traffic lights went red . Lights go green and I moved off . Now anyone familiar with that rout will know that the road is particularly narrow for about one hundred meters before widening at civic offices.
Just before road widened I felt a felt a small push , jolt from behind and immediately thought " someone messing , saying hi " but when I looked over I was staring at the front bumper of an artic truck . Luckily the road widened at that spot and I pulled sharply to my left .
None the better from the experience I pulled over and stopped and to this day I can see the white / grey road dust from the bumper on my shorts .
As close calls go they dont go much closer than that .:eek::eek:

magicbastarder

radia wrote: »

I like this one: https://goo.gl/maps/uVB5MVnBPN9XbXsq7

Not content with having cyclists bouncing up and down on a rollercoaster created by driveways, they felt the need to build a special little mini-hill into the cycle track for no apparent reason at all. The road beside it is flat.

was the footpath already at that height before the cycle path was added?
the whole road stinks of doing nothing more strenuous than lashing some paint down, i had always assumed there was no actual engineering or construction undertaken with the addition of the cycle path?

hesker

radia wrote: »

I like this one: https://goo.gl/maps/uVB5MVnBPN9XbXsq7

Not content with having cyclists bouncing up and down on a rollercoaster created by driveways, they felt the need to build a special little mini-hill into the cycle track for no apparent reason at all. The road beside it is flat.

I’d hazard a guess that the ramp or embankment provides structural support for the wall and removing it would not be a great idea. Coupled with the tree roots probably.

radia

magicbastarder wrote: »

was the footpath already at that height before the cycle path was added?
the whole road stinks of doing nothing more strenuous than lashing some paint down, i had always assumed there was no actual engineering or construction undertaken with the addition of the cycle path?

As far as I remember, the footpath was where the road is. The cycle path and new footpath were put in when the road was widened, in a space that had been part of the gardens.

Stark wrote: »

I thought it was to raise the footpath to the height of the back gardens of those houses.

I presume the gardens are all at a similar height, not just the middle one.

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Something to do with the roots of the trees maybe??
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2768154,-6.1873541,3a,75y,166.22h,86.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQMNcFfxKByL5ilfUyEqvWg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think you could be right about that. Instead of losing the trees or messing up their roots, they slapped whatever foundations were needed for the path on top.

CramCycle

I always presumed the hump was there long before the road and they dug out the road to meet the N11.

buffalo

buffalo wrote: »

This Garda has now been promoted from Sergeant to Inspector! At least he's not in my area any more.

buffalo wrote: »

There was a hit and run near Kilcock end of September - a "silver SUV van" hit a female cyclist who "had appropriate lighting".

Naturally the Garda then...

encouraged other cyclists to make sure they have correct lighting and wear the right clothes.

"Hi visible[sic] jackets on the bicycle and good cycling equipment is important," he said.

"It is essential that people take the necessary precautions with the appropriate clothing and lighting."

From this week's Liffey Champion. I exploded a bit while reading it.

I raised the comments with the Garda Press Office, no response. Awaiting a response from the Commissioner's office now, because the local JPC meeting didn't go ahead (Covid).

Got a response today. "...opportunity to offer road safety advice... a platform to improve road safety... regretful if [comments] were interpreted otherwise".

#sorrynotsorry ?

Seth Brundle

Don't know if people remember this video from twitter (not mine!) where the gardai apparently didn't want to know.
Well it appears that there has since been a successful outcome (even if the driver should have faced a heftier charge)...

https://twitter.com/rohal_/status/1359830891174985731

magicbastarder

'charged with carless driving' - quite a feat!

Seth Brundle

I think the driver here would be better off being carless to be honest!

Dr_Colossus

magicbastarder wrote: »

'charged with carless driving' - quite a feat!

Wouldn't careless indicate it was unintentional or an accident whereas the driver accused the cyclist for being in his way implying he saw him and then deliberately forced him out of the way. Given all the chasing the cyclist had to do for four months there's not much hope of justice when this driver wasn't charged with dangerous driving. Deliberately colliding with a cyclist in a car could cause untold damage.

Stark

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Deliberately colliding with a cyclist in a car could cause untold damage.

Nothing a good panel beater couldn't sort out though to be fair.

Dr_Colossus

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Don't know if people remember this video from twitter (not mine!) where the gardai apparently didn't want to know.
Well it appears that there has since been a successful outcome (even if the driver should have faced a heftier charge)...

https://twitter.com/rohal_/status/1359830891174985731

Saw this notice in the Garda Twitter thread on the Motoring forum where a driver is being prosecuted for dangerous driving for doing 104km/h in a 50 zone. Granted it's mad speed but relative to the road, there are dual carriageways on the outskirts of Galway with 50km/h limits that would be better suited to 80km/h or even 100km/h. The full gps coordinates are cropped but 9 21' 43.51 W is along the lines of between Killarney and Castlebar.

Anyway I guess speeding is an easy prosecution but deliberately knocking someone of a bicycle with front and rear video footage of the incident isn't.
https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1360153587687567363

fryup

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I think the driver here would be better off being carless to be honest!

by the looks of things he's also brainless

McGrath5

CramCycle wrote: »

I always presumed the hump was there long before the road and they dug out the road to meet the N11.

I had to change my route away from that road, the "cycle lane" would destroy your bike if you build up any speed, then drivers will actually run you off the road so they can get to the traffic lights 5 seconds faster.

Breezer

McGrath5 wrote: »

I had to change my route away from that road, the "cycle lane" would destroy your bike if you build up any speed, then drivers will actually run you off the road so they can get to the traffic lights 5 seconds faster.

I specifically remember cycling Leopardstown Road when I was about 16 (I’m from DLR, but not near enough to have been cycling that road regularly, so it sticks out). From memory, the works had been completed in the last year or two. To this day I swear I can feel my brain rattling around in my skull when I think back on it, and I can remember thinking “why on Earth do people cycle?” It was another 15 years before I’d take up cycling again in any serious fashion.

CramCycle

McGrath5 wrote: »

I had to change my route away from that road, the "cycle lane" would destroy your bike if you build up any speed, then drivers will actually run you off the road so they can get to the traffic lights 5 seconds faster.

Same here, thankfully there are a few alternative routes but that lane would actually throw the bike from under you in parts, I say this as someone who rides off road a bit, it's insanity how poor it is.

Breezer wrote: »

I specifically remember cycling Leopardstown Road when I was about 16 (I’m from DLR, but not near enough to have been cycling that road regularly, so it sticks out). From memory, the works had been completed in the last year or two. To this day I swear I can feel my brain rattling around in my skull when I think back on it, and I can remember thinking “why on Earth do people cycle?” It was another 15 years before I’d take up cycling again in any serious fashion.

I remember my brother in law driving that way and he started giving out about a cyclist on the road. My partner tried to inform him, having heard it from me, why that might be. He ignored it and ranted on. A few years later he took up cycling. The smug satisfaction as I heard him giving out about the cycle lane there and that you had to ride on the road. Perspective is a wonderful thing.

Seaswimmer

CramCycle wrote: »

Same here, thankfully there are a few alternative routes but that lane would actually throw the bike from under you in parts, I say this as someone who rides off road a bit, it's insanity how poor it is.
I remember my brother in law driving that way and he started giving out about a cyclist on the road. My partner tried to inform him, having heard it from me, why that might be. He ignored it and ranted on. A few years later he took up cycling. The smug satisfaction as I heard him giving out about the cycle lane there and that you had to ride on the road. Perspective is a wonderful thing.

I tried out the new "report it" form on the DLR website. I raised all the multiple issues with the Leopardstown Road cycle lanes and asked them was there any plans to repair/upgrade or redesign them. Given that generally they are doing a lot of positive work on cycling infrastructure in the DLR area I would be surprised if they don't eventually do something with it.

Edit:(quick response below)

RE CRM 215016 Leopardstown Road cycle route

Dear xxx,

I note your request to improve the cycle route on Leopardstown Road.

We have obtained funding to improve this route in 2021 under the NTA Sustainable Transport Measures Grants (STMG) Programme 2021.
We hope to progress a design later in the year but I don’t have a timeline at this time.

magicbastarder

in the car earlier, i had to slam on here - i was facing the direction the camera is, so obviously in the other lane - when a guy driving a truck cab came around that bend in the middle of the road. when i gave him that universal 'what the **** are you up to?' gesture, he gestured angrily at the cyclist he'd been overtaking.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4236522,-6.3247132,3a,75y,76.66h,79.88t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNp-4p7pwvh_lT_1kXgIhvA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

breezy1985

magicbastarder wrote: »

in the car earlier, i had to slam on here - i was facing the direction the camera is, so obviously in the other lane - when a guy driving a truck cab came around that bend in the middle of the road. when i gave him that universal 'what the **** are you up to?' gesture, he gestured angrily at the cyclist he'd been overtaking.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4236522,-6.3247132,3a,75y,76.66h,79.88t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNp-4p7pwvh_lT_1kXgIhvA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I probably have about 10/15 passes on blind bends or hills with solid white lines every time I cycle the countryside around Limerick on a 40km spin

MojoMaker

magicbastarder wrote: »

in the car earlier, i had to slam on here - i was facing the direction the camera is, so obviously in the other lane - when a guy driving a truck cab came around that bend in the middle of the road. when i gave him that universal 'what the **** are you up to?' gesture, he gestured angrily at the cyclist he'd been overtaking.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4236522,-6.3247132,3a,75y,76.66h,79.88t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNp-4p7pwvh_lT_1kXgIhvA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Hate that road on the bike. Dropped it from my training routes a few years ago, just not worth the hassle.

magicbastarder

i've been known to sit behind cyclists on that road with the express purpose of protecting them from cars behind. on a couple of occasions, i have driven that road in the dark and come across completely unlit cyclists.

crisco10

Had my own near miss at the weekend just off leopardstown Road (torquay road)

Was driving toward leopardstown road here and van came around the corner half of his vehicle across the white line...overtaking a cyclist.

I'd to basically jam on the brakes and dive to the kerb to avoid contact. Was beeping him (something I hate doing), but I think he was oblivious. Caught eyes with the cyclist (a lady out for a fairly leisurely cycle) and raised my hand in a WTF gesture. I hope she knows it wasn't directed at her!

I just don't get it. The van would be at close to stopped turning up Torquay road, why the need to try and burn the cyclist on a bend, over a solid white line.

2 things:

1) Wish I had a dashcam
2) I'm so glad I wasn't 100m further up the road.

Seth Brundle

Not sure if any of you saw this but Cork Twitter user RightToBikeIt has managed to get a second fine in a matter of days following his filing a complaint. The first involved him moving left slightly to allow a car to overtake him, before returning to his line. He was fined €40 for "swerving".
Apparently this one today is for his road positioning and swerving.
Is this to get him to stop reporting them or does anyone see an issue with how he is using the road?

https://twitter.com/righttobikeit/status/1364258768549277697

tnegun

I don't see any issue with his cycling at all, so the driver he reported made a point of intimidating him, videoing him cycling while driving and reporting him and AGS bought it and issued a fine?

kennethsmyth

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Not sure if any of you saw this but Cork Twitter user RightToBikeIt has managed to get a second fine in a matter of days following his filing a complaint. The first involved him moving left slightly to allow a car to overtake him, before returning to his line. He was fined €40 for "swerving".
Apparently this one today is for his road positioning and swerving.
Is this to get him to stop reporting them or does anyone see an issue with how he is using the road?

https://twitter.com/righttobikeit/status/1364258768549277697

Right we need to get this to a TD a news media and big it up because this is intimidation of another form by the gardai and the car driver. I’d be looking to report also to GSOC as an abuse of power. Maybe there is a cyclist who’s a solicitor who would be willing to do pro bono and get this to court rather than pay the fine.

Thargor

Did the fines come from his own video that he submitted or from the d1ckhead with the mobile phone making a complaint about him?

Company logo fairly visible on the car. Probably his own business though.

MojoMaker

Sweet Jesus, what a bully.

Has to be hauled up for that intimidation.