Educating drivers - what works for you?

[snapper_37]

I've been knocked off a couple of times (oeerr), swore at, cut up and even smacked on the backside by a noob in a white van.

BUT I have also had some good experiences with drivers. I always say thank you with a thumbs up or wave if a driver has been considerate (and had to take a few seconds of their journey) - and it's always nice to get a hazard light flash as they then pass.

It's a shame for them - they're stuck in a car in traffic - while I'm enjoying the freedom and benefits. Pity them.

 

[galaxy1]

whenever theres a motorist with their lights on full beam I tend to wave at them in a more friendly stylee .Most of the time they then dip their lights which is a nice non conflict way of doing things.If not I swerve a bit as if dazzled by the lights (often actually the case) till they get the message

 

[catwoman]

What Tynan said (both times) and I recall a specific incident with WVM that was bad at the start but ended up making me laugh at him.
I was riding up Holloway Road and WVM was coming out of a junction. He was stopped but was so far out I had to stop to let him go. I must have showed a little bit of irritation at him interrupting my flow etc because when I stopped and signalled for him to go (and get a move on ). The cars had moved on, other cars behind could see that I had stopped for him and they had also stopped to let him into the lane. All I got was the finger and a lot of angry and aggressive gesticulating from him.
I carried on and passed him a little further on but then I had to stop and wait at red at a major junction. I was on the line and waiting to go and I was aware of a vehicle behind me waiting. There's plenty of space at that junction and cars usually pull up alongside.
I turned and looked and it was WVM who a few moments earlier had been extremely aggressive with his physical gestures at me. This time he was almost cowering behind his wheel looking decidedly sheepish. I had to laugh at him. Fortunately, he didn't mind being laughed at.

 

[fossyant]

I do wave a 'thanks' when someone lets me out, or keeps back, or obviously moves over as I filter on the outside on particular nose to tail sections of my ride - in a hope they will do it next time.

99% of the time everything is fine, although two small incidents today -

1. Wide road so in secondary, line of cars pass me, but the last one cuts right in on me, very close indeed, so 2 nano seconds later, I am at the side of it...... just yell..... "Oi..... (waits for female taxi driver to look).....just give me some room ! and move my hand between car and bike indicating space...... she then passes me later on with a wide berth......

2. Van driver thinks he can follow another car out of a side raod as I approach - fortunately, at this point, the road is 2 lanes, so I'm able to switch lanes, pass said van, then move back in front of him (I'm moving rather quickly at this point)...... just give him a death stare 100 yards later.... no more trouble !

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

2. Van driver thinks he can follow another car out of a side raod as I approach - fortunately, at this point, the road is 2 lanes, so I'm able to switch lanes, pass said van, then move back in front of him (I'm moving rather quickly at this point)...... just give him a death stare 100 yards later.... no more trouble !

The slack jawed wtf?!? look when cars pull out and you go screaming past them is wonderful.

If I can see what is going to happen, and its safe, I tend to really give it some and either overtake then death-stare, or get next to drivers window and OI! them before dropping back.

 

[fossyant]

The slack jawed wtf?!? look when cars pull out and you go screaming past them is wonderful.

If I can see what is going to happen, and its safe, I tend to really give it some and either overtake then death-stare, or get next to drivers window and OI! them before dropping back.

Yep end up doing it a fair bit, especially on the down hill bit from leaving home - easily doing over 30 as no cars pass me, come to a particular junction I know folk will pull out, just great when you know what will happen, see car pull out and they floor it, then you just hammer it past the drivers window..... on an MTB..... and take off into the distance.... don't mess with me !

 

[Tynan]

No educating today

came up the inside of a bus waiting behind a bus stopped at a bustop

not indicating, no where near the curb, centre doors open and a fat turk steps out and into me, lots of shouting from me about bus stops etc, suspect he'd opened the doors himself, although the driver looked a bit sheepish when I gave him an accusing look

and someone tried to move into my lane at Swiss Cottage as I settled into primary prior to changing lane, corner of the eye saw his front wing a few inches from my heel, a restrained hand of 'move over' got an anguished howl of 'prick'

and my toes got frozen, the extra 30 minutes via the sorting office clearly tiipped the balance

 

[HLaB]

I got over taken by a lorry, I was in the bus lane he was in the regular lane. He then cut in to the bus lane to undertake a queue at the lights. When stopped at the lights I pointed out what he'd done and railings that were comming up he seemed to take it well and promised to take more care next time, I hope this was true.

Another unfortunate incident whilst freewheeling downhill round a bend in the primary position at about 24mph, the car that came along behind decided to overtake, even though a car was coming the other way. It swerved back in on me hard and I had to brake hard to avoid a collision, locked up and ended up jumping into a ditch. At first she drove off but 5-10 minutes later she got a crisis of concious and came back to apologise and check I was alright. When I pointed out that she had been stupid, etc she accepted that and promised to be more careful in the future. I hope she is too but I don't want to repeat that lesson though.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Just to add there are some times when I laugh at how bad people are driving, through genuine amusement at their stupidity. On occassion the driver(s) has seen this and have totally gone off on one with the usual threats etc. What amuses me more is that they are obviously aware of their stupidity, as they know I'm laughing at them!!

 

[Tynan]

brill ride home in the dark last night at 9pm onwards

rotter of trip in this morning

had a car decide to suddenly indicate and turn left from my right side with me in primary in the left lane and level with the front of their bonnet, them astride the two lanes (not unusual as the lanes are narrow as they go under a an old railway bridge), unbelievable, dippy woman with a small child in the front seat, gave a look of helpless 'what was I supposed to do', my swerve and her stop stopped it being a hit

and someone pulled left to avoid someone turning right at Swiss Cottage, making the car right in front of me brake and swerve left to the curb, cutting me off, braked hard and swerved, front wheel locked and skidded off the damp double lines, bit of an awkward stop, nearly pulled something in the leg that had to unclip and get down very fast, kudos to the car behind me who stopped in good order and waited for me to restart rather gingerly

a camera is on the to do list

 

[Tynan]

oh and the final straw, end of my route is a long set of roadworks that reduce the road to a single lane, temp lights controlled, long sweeping left hand thast you can see around as you go down (or up) a long hill, I'm waiting to go up at the head of a line of traffic, there's a long pause between lights as you'd assume

our lights are green, I set off and then two bikes arrive that clearly jumped the lights at the other end, they're going quick down hill, serious cyclists, all the gear, riding together, matching bibs, no-one at our end can see them coming until they're 20 yards away

utter self-gratification artists that got a cold stare and a shake of the head from me, they seemed to find it all amusing, I'm getting increasingly less tolerant of stuff like that