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

100%; chatted to 3 secondary school lads this morning in an effort to give them the same advice. Cycling inside in the gutter and cars squeezing through. An accident waiting to happen.

Drivers should be shot for squeezing past 3 teenagers, but it's an open invite for clowns to try.

It's frustrating how little of a **** they give about private motorists in bus lanes. And then have the nerve to veto initiatives like cameras on buses on the basis of "it's our job to enforce". Not asking that they spend all their time on it but they could at least go after the low hanging fruit when it's dangled in their face. A good example is the bus lane on the Chapelizod road between Islandbridge and Parkgate Street. The 26 is regularly delayed by about 15 mins by bus lane blockers in the morning and I've often seen marked Garda cars just sitting there like idiots in the traffic jam for the same length of time when they could have used that time to hand out a few tickets and clear out the lane and get moving in the process.

A threat or advice ? I have no legal background so feel free to correct me, but would it be the case that once the video evidence is submitted along with a statement the Gardai are obliged to follow up on any other illegal acts that the footage shows ? The clip shows the driver is clearly in the wrong, but what else happened before that or how did the cyclist behave when they decided to block traffic and "marshall" the driver back out of the bus lane ?

I'm sure the driver and their solicitor would insist that the cyclist be charged with any offences they may have committed in the full footage.

Perhaps he was done the favor of being advised of the legal action he might face if the evidence was submitted, and given the choice of pursuing it or dropping it. Or maybe, as some have suggested he was threatened with retaliation for making the Gardai do their job. I've had limited experience with the Gardai in my life, but I've never been given the impression that they would rather make threats against me than do their duty.

Just my 2 cents based on the info I saw in the linked post.

This tweet is an invaluable resource which deals both with how to make a report formally to the Gardai that your local Garda can't stop, and how to mitigate against incriminating yourself (which can be used as leverage to prevent you taking the process further).

My personal golden rule is - never react. Don't swear, don't change your course, don't go after whomever wronged you and definitely don't talk to them. Just carry on, and report it. Any and all vigilantism can be used against you.

Obviously can't comment on this case as I don't know the person in question and there's all sorts of reasons why at any given moment you might find yourself tight to the verge, but that's a classic example of inexperienced cycling style. Same with descending on the brakes (to a degree) and passive moving off from junctions (Stop signs, lights, roundabouts etc.). The common denominator is that a lot of drivers will see it as an invite to bully you out of the way. It's not at all a case of taking an aggressive cyclist -v- motorist approach. There's nothing wrong with being assertive where you have right of way. There's also nothing wrong with being inexperienced and 'learning on the job' - we've all been there and done that - it shouldn't lead to being driven off the road.

On the subject of roads policing, a funny one just a few minutes ago on my bus commute this morning... a Roads Policing Garda car signalled for the "out of service" Dublin Bus in front of mine to pull over. Bus did so, just before the lesson street/ waterloo road junction driving northbound. As the Garda pulled in behind him, directly in front of my bus, I noticed the lights for us going red and a number of cars continue on through them regardless. Including my bus which - as we were stationary and I was looking at the red light thinking a) what a stupid place to get the bus to pull in, b) I can't believe people are ploughing through a red light despite the presence of a Garda car with flashing lights who has just pulled someone over, and c) I can't believe the Garda notices nothing - proceeded to manoeuvre off from stationary to get around the Garda car and casually drive straight through the junction for which he had (for at least the last 10 seconds) a red light. The red light all these vehicles were driving through was a pedestrian crossing, which by the time our bus passed through had already turned amber.

The mind actually boggled.

On the NCR at Stoneybatter one afternoon I had the green light when driving but a car coming from my right went through through their red. At the other side of the junction from me was Garda car, so the red light breaker, who I had to stop for, done so directly infront of the Garda car who also had a green.

But amazingly they weren't bothered. As I was pretty much stopped in the middle of the junction I rolled down my window and gave the international WTF gesture.

Only then, and begrudgingly so, did they turn around. The car had slipped down a small lane as if they were trying to hide.

Nothing to do with me but this happened yesterday morning I believe on Stocking Avenue in case anyone spotted anything.

Nah - fúck that guy in the car.

More people should have the balls to say what you said to be fair.

Not one for being the baying mob.

But that driver should be suspended at least.