Jacktari Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 I had a problem with a bus driver a month ago who was driving too closely to me. The traffic was heavy so I caught up with the bus and put my bike on the pavement and took a photo of the driver. When I passed the details to the bus company he was sacked. You caused a man to lose his job and livelihood because he was driving a bit near to you? I hope you are proud of yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkleyIan Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 You caused a man to lose his job and livelihood because he was driving a bit near to you? I hope you are proud of yourself. Bus drivers should show exemplary driving standards at all times. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-39592471 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewheeldave Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 You caused a man to lose his job and livelihood because he was driving a bit near to you? I hope you are proud of yourself. Do you understand what it means when a Bus is driving too close to a cyclist?! Do you realize how many cyclists are dead because of buses/lorries/cars driving too close? Cyclists who had families and futures, cut down because a motorist "drove too close" to them. The last thing we need is bus drivers who don't understand the potential consequences of irresponsible and dangerous driving around cyclists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olive Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 I encounter these sorts of people on a more or less weekly basis. The general close pass, left hook stuff is daily, but verbal abuse, actual threats to kill - about once a week. Sorry to hear that. It never ceases to shock me how badly people can behave when they get behind the wheel. Not just at cyclists either. A good friend of mine, normally perfectly rational and polite, effs and jeffs at other drivers' supposed (usually none existant) misdemeaners like nobody's business when she's driving. It's embarrassing. Thankfully she does it within the bubble of her own car, but it sets a poor example to her children. I wouldn't mind if her driving was faultless........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacktari Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Do you understand what it means when a Bus is driving too close to a cyclist?! Do you realize how many cyclists are dead because of buses/lorries/cars driving too close? Cyclists who had families and futures, cut down because a motorist "drove too close" to them. The last thing we need is bus drivers who don't understand the potential consequences of irresponsible and dangerous driving around cyclists. I have ridden a push bike for years, until my advanced years caused me to give it up. The main thing I always knew was that i was the most vulnerable thing on the road, therefore I took care of myself. If a vehicle is too near, get out of the way. You are flesh and bone against tonnes of metal. Don't be stupid, give way, and get out of the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewheeldave Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 I have ridden a push bike for years, until my advanced years caused me to give it up. The main thing I always knew was that i was the most vulnerable thing on the road, therefore I took care of myself. If a vehicle is too near, get out of the way. You are flesh and bone against tonnes of metal. Don't be stupid, give way, and get out of the way. In my years of cycling there have been 2 occasions when I was overtaken, way, way too close by lorries. No chance of '"get out of the way", as, on the left, inches away, was the curb (inches away as I had to move left due to the lorry), and, or the right, the lorry, forcing me further to the curb. Only thing to do, was keep my cool, keep a very rigid grip on the bars, and hope to survive till the thing passed. Which luckily, I did. A lot of cyclists don't have my stability, and, a lot would not have been able to keep their cool- I have no doubt that less competent cyclists would have gone under the wheels, as would I, if there'd been any debris on the road. Drivers of buses or lorries who put cyclists through that, should be sacked, and never be allowed to drive again. You were lucky- in that situation, you can't 'get out of the way'. As the families of many dead cyclists are painfully aware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 You caused a man to lose his job and livelihood because he was driving a bit near to you? I hope you are proud of yourself. I doubt that the bus company would sack someone merely on the say so of a member of the public Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkey104 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 I had a problem with a bus driver a month ago who was driving too closely to me. The traffic was heavy so I caught up with the bus and put my bike on the pavement and took a photo of the driver. When I passed the details to the bus company he was sacked. Really! How close is too close? Serious question because surely it is subjective. If I was a nervous ninny then a bus passing on the other side of the road would be too close. Were I made of sterner stuff then perhaps the bus scraping my handlebars would be considered too close. See, subjective. Not sure the bus company would sack an employee on the basis of a complaint of driving too close without corroborating evidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewheeldave Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Really! How close is too close? Serious question because surely it is subjective. The cyclist is in a far, far better position to judge what 'too close' is, than the person in, what is effectively, a metal box, and, on the right hand side of said box. The cyclist being able to see the left side of said box, just inches away. If I was a nervous ninny then a bus passing on the other side of the road would be too close.No it wouldn't! You're exaggerating for effect! Some cyclists are nervous, but a bus passing on the other side of the road is exactly where the bus should be when passing, and, no cyclist is so nervous that they would experience excess anxiety at that (because, if they really were that anxious, there's no way they'd be on the road) Were I made of sterner stuff then perhaps the bus scraping my handlebars would be considered too close.Are you serious!! A bus contacting handlebars is basically attempted murder. See, subjective.No, not subjective- objective, as, there are clearly circumstances where the judgement is clear, and, would stand up in court. Ironically, you've mentioned them both above (other side of road=fine, touching bars=not fine). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 The cyclist is in a far, far better position to judge what 'too close' is, than the person in, what is effectively, a metal box, and, on the right hand side of said box. The cyclist being able to see the left side of said box, just inches away.No it wouldn't! You're exaggerating for effect! Some cyclists are nervous, but a bus passing on the other side of the road is exactly where the bus should be when passing, and, no cyclist is so nervous that they would experience excess anxiety at that (because, if they really were that anxious, there's no way they'd be on the road)Are you serious!! A bus contacting handlebars is basically attempted murder. No, not subjective- objective, as, there are clearly circumstances where the judgement is clear, and, would stand up in court. Ironically, you've mentioned them both above (other side of road=fine, touching bars=not fine). Hyperbole much..... Believe it or not most car drivers do know what they are doing and can also judge how far from a cyclist they are. Contacting handlebars is attempted murder - er no. You don't have mens rea for that nor even the actus reus so please quit while you are only a little behind. A bus, or indeed any other vehicle should pass at a safe distance there is no obligation to be on the other side of the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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