Another pavement cyclist jailed

[Ming the Merciless]

I have been close passed

Which is very much risking a collision. The close pass is a conscious decision not to slow, stop and wait till it’s safe to make a wider overtake and avoiding that risk.

 

[Alex321]

Which is very much risking a collision. The close pass is a conscious decision not to slow, stop and wait till it’s safe to make a wider overtake and avoiding that risk.

I am certain there are people who do that.

I still think most are mistakes.

And I still stand absolutely by what I said initially on this. I do not know anybody who has the attitude you describe.

That doesn't mean they don't exist, but your statement implied they were the norm, and I do not believe that to be true.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I still think most are mistakes.

How on earth do you make the mistake of trying to close overtake someone on a bike as the road narrows. Or fail to wait when there are parked cars obstructing their side of the highway, and someone on a bike is coming towards them? It’s a conscious decision not to slow, and if necessary stop and wait.

Mistake would imply they didn’t intend to refuse to stop or change their line on the road. They accidentaly forget to turn the steering wheel and apply the brakes.

 

[Alex321]

How on earth do you make the mistake of trying to close overtake someone on a bike as the road narrows. Or fail to wait when there are parked cars obstructing their side of the highway, and someone on a bike is coming towards them? It’s a conscious decision not to slow, and if necessary stop and wait.

Mistake would imply they didn’t intend to refuse to stop or change their line on the road. They accidentaly forget to turn the steering wheel and apply the brakes.

I think it more often a case of not paying enough attention to realise they are going to be in the narrow bit, or even not noticing the cyclist until too late.

Absolutely bad driving in either of those cases, but not really a case of deliberately thinking "I'm going to choose to squeeze that cyclist".

 

[albion]

I do suspect the problem drivers then become problem ebikers.
Not sure if it applies here. However, sunny Saturday was full of problem drivers, myself thinking myself quite lucky to be here posting now.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

And I still stand absolutely by what I said initially on this. I do not know anybody who has the attitude you describe.

In which case you must have a very narrow circle of acquaintances.
I'm saddened to know a van driver who will drive as close as he can to cyclists 'for sport'. I'm sure he's not the only one.

There's also a huge difference to how people say they drive, how they do drive when they may be scrutinised (passenger in the car/law enforcement present/CCTV) and how they drive when they think they can get away with it.

 

[Alex321]

In which case you must have a very narrow circle of acquaintances.
I'm saddened to know a van driver who will drive as close as he can to cyclists 'for sport'. I'm sure he's not the only one.

I'm sure you are right, he is not nearly the only one.

But I do not think people with that sort of attitude are at all common.

 

[albion]

I get far too many close passes. The worst of recent was en-route to the cricket along the A167 Great North Road.
Strangely the same, I assume, bus coach close passed just after the match, but at a more acceptable level.

The 'returned to operations' bus company, it seems has a very chequered history. However, it made me wonder.
If I had a bike cam that it is the very first close pass I would have actually reported.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I'm sure you are right, he is not nearly the only one.

But I do not think people with that sort of attitude are at all common.

I agree
It is just that when you meet one you remember them
one the same day you pass (in some way) hundreds of other drivers that you immediately forget

 

[Gillstay]

Lady asked me to look at her cycle today as she is trying to start again after a passenger lent out of a car and grabbed her arm as they drove past. She crashed, but was only lightly hurt. Some people are shoots.

 

[albion]

Could be worse. Cyclists have not been yet been defined as witches.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I think it more often a case of not paying enough attention to realise they are going to be in the narrow bit, or even not noticing the cyclist until too late.
Absolutely bad driving in either of those cases, but not really a case of deliberately thinking "I'm going to choose to squeeze that cyclist".

"Not paying attention" is a conscious and, for a road user, an unacceptable choice: "careless" is the applicable adjective: escalating to dangerous depending on the circumstances. "Be in the narrow bit"! Drive on the "bit of the road" that vehicles coming the other way will be using, but not 'deliberately'?
"Not noticing the [other road user]" - give us a break! Are these people 'not noticing' a car in front of them "until too late"? What do you mean "too late"? Too late for what? Braking?
These are Precisely cases of deliberately thinking 'if I have a problem (vehicle coming the other way for instance) I'm sure I can squeeze across a bit!'
The driver is deliberately overtaking, are they not? They 'deliberately'/carelessly leave themselves no option but to 'squeeze' the cyclist.
I had this with a coach on a lovely fast straight slightly downhill A road last month: rolling along in top gear at 40 odd kph this coach comes past, close then closer as the driver "pays enough attention" to spot that there was a truck coming the other way. But the squeezing wasn't deliberate, though, oh no: the driver didn't have any other option.
His mate in the (green) coach behind, same firm: Slacks of Matlock, kindly (and properly) gave me a wide berth a minute later.

 

[Fastpedaller]

If an accident involving a pedestrian and a cyclist on a shared pavement, both cannot be faulted. Pedestrians love to day dream and look at the handphone while walking and cyclists love not to stop for nothing to stay in momentum. That’s natural human behaviour. The blame should be on the infrastructure. Cars must be physically segregated from bicycles and bicycles from pedestrians because all of them move at different speed. Is that simple. Cars are killing countless of people each year. If it’s an organisation, it would have been closed down long time ago but yet we lived with it somehow.

Yeah - Just like the Post Office!

 

[Fastpedaller]

I don't know a single person who fits your description after "unless" there. Every single person I know would still rather slow or stop than risk a collision, even when in a car.

We were driving on the A1 Single carriageway from Seahouses towards Berwick-upon-tweed eight years ago when a truck driver coming towards us overtook a line of vehicles (about 300 yards away). I went as far to the left edge of the road as possible (there was no other escape) as did the car behind and waited for the crash ........ he missed by about an inch. What was going through his mind (did he even have one)? I just hope the truck at the front of the queue he overtook had a dashcam and reported it. I was shaking for a good few minutes after. My (at the time) 18 year-old Daughter said afterwards " we wouldn't have survived would we"
So yes, there are absolute nut cases out there who don't care!

 

[Gillstay]

Overheard a chap today, `I always go as close as I can to cyclists'. His mate asked why?
`They don't move over for me, so I don't move over for them ' was his reply. Sad they can be so foolish. Must be in his 40's.