Bus driver question

[spindrift]

nethalus, you seem a very bitter person. Lighten up, cyclists are people just the same as anyone else, you are not doing your blood pressure any good carrying this rage around with you.

Interestingly in a poll conducted on this forum Cyclists were voted the most hated road users, yes they even beat taxis (my own pet hate) and white van men which suprised me greatly.

What forum? Where?

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Cor blimey 5 pages about little old me and over a tongue in cheek remark on YouTube. Thought you lot might be interested on what the opposition thought, ie the bus drivers when I posted a link to various clips on YouTube on a bus drivers forum. I might add that these coments are NOT my own opinion. The only alterations I have made is to asterisk the swear words so as not to cause offence
A bus driver from Aberdeen said this:
Who the hell thought "lets put in bus lanes in to help everyone get where they want quickly".. then ... "lets allow bikes to use them, that will make everyone late again, hee,hee" ... then ... "dont let motorbikes use them (they woulldnt hold you up at all)"

One from Glasgow said this:
CYCLISTS = B*ST*RDS

Especially when they ride on the pavement.

A bus driver from Edinburgh said this:
cyclists. them f****rs are a danger to society.

Another bus driver from Glasgow said this:
Make cyclists sit a test then pay tax and insurance like everyone else who uses the road. Then maybe they would observe the highway code instead of just running amok (and slowing us down).

A bus driver from Sussex said this:
There seems to be a lot of videos like this from cyclists on YouTube.
Isn't it convenient how they always seem to be filming when things like this happen

Sometimes I wonder if they don't go out looking for trouble so they've got something to put up there and entertain themselves with.
Bloody menace the lot of them.

And another bus driver from Edinburgh wrote this:
f**k cyclists they are a mennace .they should be off the road altogether .dont know what a red light is for.half of them do not have any road sence at all .we should get little stickers to put on the bus for every one of these f****rs we hit

Interestingly in a poll conducted on this forum Cyclists were voted the most hated road users, yes they even beat taxis (my own pet hate) and white van men which suprised me greatly.

I was nearly killed yesterday by a school bus driver who decided to ignore the fact that I had right of way because I was on a roundabout, and pulled out in front of me. Despite this, I don't have the bitter and twisted attitude towards bus drivers that they seem to have towards cyclists.

 

[BentMikey]

Anyone remember that RAC study that found 1 in 5 bus drivers jump red lights in London, and that's measured from after 3 seconds after the light turned red?

Now just remind me, who is the greater danger to society?

 

[BentMikey]

Oh, and welcome to the forum here nethalus!!

 

[magnatom]

Hi Nethalus,

It wasn't too difficult to find the forum in question and I have left the following message:

Hi Guys,

I believe Daisy Dart aka nethalus will recognise my login. Yes you guessed it I am the cyclist that nethalus was originally referring to. She has taken to copying some of your comments onto a cycling form, obviously to cause trouble. I think I need to explain a few things.

I do not pavement cycle, I do not red light jump, I try my best at all times to act courteously towards other road users and pedestrians and I do not ride about with earphones on. I do wear a helmet, however, a lot of recent research has found that wearing a helmet, contrary to what many may thing, could actually increase your risk of head injury in an accident. This can occur because the helmet increases the area of your head, thus increases the risk of contact. Most importantly it increases the risk of you suffering a rotational injury, which anyone who works in a neurosurgical department knows (I do) is the worst type of injury. Therefore, people who don't wear a helmet are not as reckless as you think (also cycle helmets are not designed for high speed impacts).

adspackman,

It is not convenient that I wear my camera. I wear it all the time I cycle. I just post what happens to me, as it happens. I wear it because it is an educational tool, I can show others what happens to me and we all learn from it, and I can use footage as evidence when something does happen. How am I a menace. How many people get killed by cyclists each year and compare that to buses and cars etc, go on look it up.

Willypuller,

I agree that the chap on the bike should not pull up the inside of a bus that is dangerous. He also should not lean on the bus. However, opening the door on him intentionally so that he fell into the coach represents assault and is a criminal offense.


Lazarus,

We have every right to use the road. We do not need to use cyclepaths (as was proved recently in a recent court case - look up Daniel Cadden on google). Cyclepaths are not always very well designed and in some circumstances are downright dangerous (Look here http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/facility-of-the-month). They are often designed for slow cyclists and their families, not for cyclists who want to move at speed (30mph for example). Also they often do not go where we want to get to, so why should we have to use them. A large number of cyclists don't actually want them, and we have every right to be on the road (in fact more). In answer to your insult to cyclists, do you really think we are all '****ing pure bred tossers' whatever that means?

Sikpuppy,

You joke about hitting cyclists. That is way out of order. What ever happened to respect for all road users. And yes that applies to and from cyclists to. Admitting you used to play a game to see how close and how fast you could pass cyclists is criminal and I have a mind to report you to the police for comments like that. You also admit revving your engine intentionally to blow exhaust fumes at a cyclist. Again I think you will find that that is assault.



So if anyone else would care to make any comments or ask any questions feel free. However, on reading your posts, I am not surprised that some cyclists have cause to hate bus drivers. I myself have nothing against anyone. However, when I see criminal or bad driving or when someone puts my life in danger, I will react to that and take an appropriate course of action.

I look forward to your replies.

Should be interesting to see what they say.

 

[magnatom]

Can I just ask others from cyclechat not to go looking for this forum and to post angry messages. That would just lower us to their level. I don't want a forum war as they can get nasty. Obviously I can't stop anyone, but I think it is best if I 'discuss' this with them seeing as I was the one who inadvertently started it.

I seem to have been in the wars lately!!

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Can I just ask others from cyclechat not to go looking for this forum and to post angry messages. That would just lower us to their level. I don't want a forum war as they can get nasty. Obviously I can't stop anyone, but I think it is best if I 'discuss' this with them seeing as I was the one who inadvertently started it.

I seem to have been in the wars lately!!

What is seriously worrying is the number of these bus drivers who seem to have bad attitude problems. Are they really fit to be holding PSV licences?

 

[zimzum42]

There are plenty of people with bad attitudes in all walks of life, should they be banned from having kids maybe, or having a job?

 

[BentMikey]

I think that forum must be the exception rather than the rule. I have far far more positive interactions with bus drivers, compared with the very few poor ones like in my video.

Just the other week I had a bus driver make a mistake, start to pull out on me from a junction, and then stop and wave a sorry. I waved back no worries, and we went on our ways all happy and friendly. I make mistakes too, and this was an understandable one given the road situation. I get a lot of thank yous from bus drivers after waiting to let them pull out of bus stops, and it cheers up my day no end when there's so much good tolerance and friendliness around.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Reading Col's (I think) description of the job of bus driver over in Soapbox, I'm not surprised some of them are disgruntled or in a permanent state of fury.

 

[Cab]

Can I just ask others from cyclechat not to go looking for this forum and to post angry messages. That would just lower us to their level. I don't want a forum war as they can get nasty. Obviously I can't stop anyone, but I think it is best if I 'discuss' this with them seeing as I was the one who inadvertently started it.

I seem to have been in the wars lately!!

I wouldn't dream of going looking for that place. Doesn't sound like I'd be welcome there.

Edit: Okay, I'd look at it, I'd definitely not join it or post there.

 

[Cab]

I think that forum must be the exception rather than the rule. I have far far more positive interactions with bus drivers, compared with the very few poor ones like in my video.

I think it depends a lot on where you are. Here in Cambridge I'd say that we have certain endemic problems; narrow roads, lots of cyclists, bus drivers get shirty. It took years of pressure to get the main bus company here to really take the issue seriously, it takes continued constant pressure to re-educate those bus drivers who drive aggressively.

 

[magnatom]

I think that forum must be the exception rather than the rule. I have far far more positive interactions with bus drivers, compared with the very few poor ones like in my video.

Just the other week I had a bus driver make a mistake, start to pull out on me from a junction, and then stop and wave a sorry. I waved back no worries, and we went on our ways all happy and friendly. I make mistakes too, and this was an understandable one given the road situation. I get a lot of thank yous from bus drivers after waiting to let them pull out of bus stops, and it cheers up my day no end when there's so much good tolerance and friendliness around.

Absolutely, and I have said as much in another post to their forum. However, it does worry me that this website is Glasgow based and I hope that these attitudes are not representative of Glasgow bus drivers.

Oh one last thing, nethalus, I am a little annoyed that you have forwarded what was a private message to you onto this and the bus drivers forum. To redress the balance, let me also post the next reply I sent you that clarified a few things:

Nethalus,

I am in no way threatening you! I have no intention of reporting you! However, I know how public forums work and I know that other people read these comments, so I was warning you that's all! I have heard recently of train drivers getting into trouble for doing the same thing and I felt it was worth warning you.

You do need to be careful. You are filming yourself at work (which I believe is against some companies policies) and thus by making comments about other road users you could and by making an extreme comment, such as, 'ban all cyclists', bring First buses into disrepute (as you are very obviously an employee).

At the very beginning before 'conversing' with you, I had thought about reporting you, due to the comments that you had made. Banning a whole group because of personally held prejudice is extreme. However after hearing what you had to say, I felt you were just misguided and not agressive towards cyclists and so I have no intention of reporting you.

I felt it would have been dishonest of me not to mention my connection with First to you as I felt it was relevant. I did this privately and did not intend this as a threat. In fact I was pleased when you said that you give cyclists plenty room etc and I wanted to pass on some friendly advice.

Incidents with buses are never 'minor things' when you are a cyclist. The video you replied to was a worrying incident for me, with a however many tonne hunk of metal bearing down on me. This was not minor, and in fact First agreed on this occasion as well and acted accordingly.

Magnatom

 

[Cab]

(a couple of points that haven't been addressed already)

Another bus driver from Glasgow said this:
Make cyclists sit a test then pay tax and insurance like everyone else who uses the road. Then maybe they would observe the highway code instead of just running amok (and slowing us down).

I am insured. And I pay the same amount of tax as other vehicles that are in the lowest band for emissions, i.e. none. As I emit less carbon than those other vehicles, by rights I should have a rebate.

Interestingly in a poll conducted on this forum Cyclists were voted the most hated road users, yes they even beat taxis (my own pet hate) and white van men which suprised me greatly.

With respect, thats a poll with only 23 votes, so it ain't really that interesting. And the comments you've posted exposes the membership as, how shall we put it... Just a tad objectionable?

You have to share the road with cyclists. That should require an element of respect; I don't treat bus drivers badly, I expect the same amount of respect in return.

 

[domtyler]

I think that forum must be the exception rather than the rule. I have far far more positive interactions with bus drivers, compared with the very few poor ones like in my video.

Just the other week I had a bus driver make a mistake, start to pull out on me from a junction, and then stop and wave a sorry. I waved back no worries, and we went on our ways all happy and friendly. I make mistakes too, and this was an understandable one given the road situation. I get a lot of thank yous from bus drivers after waiting to let them pull out of bus stops, and it cheers up my day no end when there's so much good tolerance and friendliness around.

I think you'd better start thinking about changing your username to fluffymikey!