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

You just know that the OP filtering past him at the lights got his goat up, so was determined to bully their way past immediately.

Do drivers really think like this? I know it's what many cyclists assume, but it always struck me that overtaking like that was down to them not even really registering that there's a bike there. Or if they do, it registers the same way a bollard or a sign post or a traffic cone does, i.e. as long as I can squeeze by without hitting it, it's grand

Yep there are some who don't think they're doing anything wrong, and there are some who want to put manners on you.

I think that's a large part of it alright... goes back to why hugging the kerb is a bad habit to start off on, even though for some new/ very casual commuter cyclists it may seem like the safe/ correct option. Bad drivers (in my experience) just take it as the cyclist accepting their inferior status and as an implied invitation to squeeze past.

Agree completely.

That driver was annoyed you came up the inside and "got in his way". Made sure to give you an extra squeeze with the trailer as he passed. Very few people towing trailers about the place are poor at observation (with the exception of many horsebox towers).

And yep hugging the kerb also allows bad drivers to think they'll "fit" past you.

I think you missed the memo - this is the internet, there is absolutely no room for nuance. And remember too, you're posting on forum where camera footage is being posted - there is no such this as shared responsibility. Blame falls 100:0% at all times.

As a general point, very many cyclists unknowingly put themselves in positions where their safety relies on the car driver seeing them and not making a move. By that I mean things like pacing a car in its blindspot in city traffic, or squeezing between two busses and being completely dismayed when they have a close call. But what's more interesting to me is posters here admitting they do it on purpose to prove a point. To suggest that some cyclists (and drivers) do that from time to time would normally end up in a huge pile on to anyone who dared suggest anything of the sort.

I do it myself if I'm honest, some totally lackadaisical or agressive drivers do need to be woken up by a shout and a slap on the bootlid the very odd time - but I know when doing so, that the blame for any escalated outcome is partly on me. I'm not suggesting that the Nutgrove Avenue video was this at all btw, more a case of poor driving, poor timing, and the driver coming to an almost complete stop being reasonably confused with allowing the cyclist to proceed.

In fact a very similar near miss yesterday prompted me to open this thread in the first place.

Coming toward the canal at 1pm, flashing lights on me as normal, in cycle lane, going straight. 2 cars in the lane to turn left, middle lane backed up to after the bus lane ends.

1. BMW dips into the bus lane early, I assumed to skip traffic going ahead.
2. Leaves their indicator on, I thought by mistake.
3. Left arrow goes green, first two cars turn left ahead with plenty of room.
4. I assumed BMW driver should have seen me since they had just passed me, so carried on but covered the brake. Looking back I think I was in their blindspot. Covering the brake was my cue to back out of it tbh.
5. They turn left, I braked hard and just about avoid hitting them and let out a shout.
6. They go wide (actually better than stopping dead) and then stop to apologise.
7. I went up to the window fairly annoyed and had a go about using mirrors. No language or anything, but unnecessary looking back.

Overall a learning experience for both of us. I assumed too much and put myself in a position where I was relying on their judgment - I'm always around there and should have seen it a mile off, but pushed ahead because I had a bit of momentum I didn't want to give up.

I don't know if this counts as a near miss as it involved pedestrians, but I'd like a second opinion. I'm not sure if I was in the right or wrong!

I was cycling along the canal greenway and was at a section only wide enough for two people. There was a couple walking ahead two abreast and facing away from me. So instead of ringing the bell resulting in the inevitable scurry of them not knowing which way to move, I decided to cycle on the inside of them along the grass.

As I passed by, the guy started shouting abuse at me! I stopped and asked him what was wrong and he started to tell me to watch where I was going, that I nearly hit him and that I should respect people walking along the canal.

I thought I was doing the "right" thing by not ringing a bell or shouting at them to move as there wasn't a real need. And to be honest I thought you weren't supposed to walk two abreast when there's only room for two people as there's no room for passing.

I imagine he got a bit of a fright when he wasn't expecting a bike to pass him by and that's why he reacted that way.

What do you think? Was I in the wrong?

Unless you were going by at speed I don't see the issue. I'd have no issue with ringing a bell though, and a friendly "on your left/ right" or a greeting as you pass can help too. Some people are just cranks who don't like cyclists though. Brother had a couple walking with their dog on a lead across the cycle path give out to him for cycling towards them the other week - apparently "he's a big boy now" and should have been on the road. This despite the fact that the road in question is a one-way lane and he was traveling against the flow of car traffic in a two-way/ two lane cycle path. You can only count to ten, shrug your shoulders and move on when you come across people like that.

Maybe I was going a tad too fast and that's what spooked them. I don't normally go at speed, but there was a wind behind me and I seemed to be sailing along. I'll take it slower next time!

I'm on the Greenway regularly in the bike.

Sometimes people get a fright when you "suddenly appear". I just usually give a loud "Morning/afternoon/evening folks, and when I have their attention, just say on your left/right.

I slow way down, though, because I've realised that pedestrians perception of speed can be very different than a cyclist's perception (rightly or wrongly)

About a year ago I was on a very quiet country road, with no traffic. A lady in her 60's was walking ahead of me, in the middle of the road. I called out a few times, but she had headphones in. So eventually I went past very slowly. She jumped like I buzzed past her at 30km an hour. I'm pretty sure she went home and told her husband about the cyclist that almost killed her🤷‍♂️

I happened to be on my bike which does not (yet) have a bell. I always ring it on my hybrid.

Is there a bell you can get that you can put beside the gear shifters on a road bike? Part of the reason I don't have one on that bike is because the only ones I can find you have to position on the horizontal bar. I'd have to take my hand off the brakes to ring it, which isn't the most ideal or safest.

Trigger bell, basically a bell with a cable tie like attachment so you can stick it around the shifter hood

Thoughts on this pass from this morning, please?

Front view:

Rear view:

I thought it was particularly bad but I know the people in the red car that came around the bend towards us, and I asked them about it this evening. They didn't even recall having noticed it.

Crap overtake. They had to break to get back on their side before the oncoming car. Wasn't enough space and they were too close. Shows the standard of driving if people don't remember that incident