Terminator
New Member
I always knew they would stick together if the chips were down.
Felt like I was run over this morning.
- Thread starter Twenty Inch
- Start date
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Terminator
New Member
Perhaps he thought you needed a new wheel.
Have a virtual french fancy and a glass of port!
I got my camera after a to do with a cabbie where I came close to inflicting bodily harm upon his person, after he'd overtaken me while I was about turn right. I'd been indicating from way back, correct road position etc. Although I've met just as many considerate cabbies (Basingstoke, not London mind), I'm always on high alert in their presence.
I find that having the evidence tends to keep me a bit calmer, because you don't feel the need to argue the toss. You just point to the camera and tell them to look up their reg on youtube that night. Shuts them up rapid.
Mine is mounted on the handlebars as I don't wear a helmet on my commute. Mounting on a helmet is much better as you get the all-round view and can tell that you've been indicating and where you're looking.
I got my camera after a to do with a cabbie where I came close to inflicting bodily harm upon his person, after he'd overtaken me while I was about turn right. I'd been indicating from way back, correct road position etc. Although I've met just as many considerate cabbies (Basingstoke, not London mind), I'm always on high alert in their presence.
I find that having the evidence tends to keep me a bit calmer, because you don't feel the need to argue the toss. You just point to the camera and tell them to look up their reg on youtube that night. Shuts them up rapid.
Mine is mounted on the handlebars as I don't wear a helmet on my commute. Mounting on a helmet is much better as you get the all-round view and can tell that you've been indicating and where you're looking.
jmaccyd
Well-Known Member
As the Forum's (possibly) only London Taxi driver I'll stick my head above the parapet. Sounds a horrible experience and I'm glad you are OK apart from some bike damage. Yes, I am afraid to say the old 'dive to the left' for a fare is a persistant danger for cyclists, especially as both road users share a great deal of the road space in bus lanes. It means, on behalf of the driver, a consistant and regular check of the left hand mirror especially before that pull over to the left. To be honest I see a range of driving from Taxi's from the truley excellent to the downright shoddy. For example today, on the Euston Road, two cabbies patiently and correctly giving a cyclist really good clearance in very difficult driving conditions while on the negative I also spotted a driver REALLY badly jump a red light (as I was about to move off) and another not reading a paper as suggested in a previous thread but doing the crossword whilst moving
(not sure if it was the Daily Mail!) I suppose the aim I would argue for is to get more driver's at the consistantly excellent level, as the fact that I have see that done, means it is not incapatable with being a working driver in London
Just one other point, I have given my name when I have witnessed an accident and that includes to at least four cyclists I have seen knocked off in recent years. Nothing to do with my job or anything else, just the correct and human thing to do. I suspect if people are not prepared to give names or lie about what they have seen would reflect more on them as individuals then on the trade as a whole
(not sure if it was the Daily Mail!) I suppose the aim I would argue for is to get more driver's at the consistantly excellent level, as the fact that I have see that done, means it is not incapatable with being a working driver in LondonJust one other point, I have given my name when I have witnessed an accident and that includes to at least four cyclists I have seen knocked off in recent years. Nothing to do with my job or anything else, just the correct and human thing to do. I suspect if people are not prepared to give names or lie about what they have seen would reflect more on them as individuals then on the trade as a whole
tdr1nka
Taking the biscuit
- Location
- SE London, Bandit Country
With every utmost respect to jmaccyd and two very good friends who are London cabbies I am, to this day, totally confused as to why, after spending two years on a Honda 90 doing the 'Knowledge',quite a large proportion of qualified cabbies then turn dramatically against anything on two wheels?
Tx
Tx
jmaccyd
Well-Known Member
Well, I have thought about this and narrow it down too,
1) Negative press image of cycling in the popular media
2) The shocking and outdated nonsense promulgated by the London Taxi Driver Association (LTDA) in its newspaper Taxi.
3) Well 24 000 men and women come from a range of driving backgrounds. All have at least three years on a moped as a side effect of their training. A fair percentage come from professional driving experience having been lorry or bus driver's. A lot will not have a lot of additional skills, and would have just passed the additional taxi test run by the DSA through test centres. I have no idea how strict this test is as I did mine many years ago when it was run via the Police (that was a strict test - take it from me!)
Answers,
Well a more informative taxi press would be a great start putting foward the idea of professional driving.
Mailshots from the Major on domestic violance seem a bit pointless when information about road safety would be more use.
Re-testing for driver's every three years?
1) Negative press image of cycling in the popular media
2) The shocking and outdated nonsense promulgated by the London Taxi Driver Association (LTDA) in its newspaper Taxi.
3) Well 24 000 men and women come from a range of driving backgrounds. All have at least three years on a moped as a side effect of their training. A fair percentage come from professional driving experience having been lorry or bus driver's. A lot will not have a lot of additional skills, and would have just passed the additional taxi test run by the DSA through test centres. I have no idea how strict this test is as I did mine many years ago when it was run via the Police (that was a strict test - take it from me!)
Answers,
Well a more informative taxi press would be a great start putting foward the idea of professional driving.
Mailshots from the Major on domestic violance seem a bit pointless when information about road safety would be more use.
Re-testing for driver's every three years?
Twenty Inch
Guru
- Location
- Behind a desk
Thanks Bollo - that's exactly what I needed.
jmaccyd - well done for joining in. The first taxi driver admitted he hadn't seen me, to his credit, but maintained he had indicated, which he didn't.
I'm afraid I don't agree with your last point though. I've heard too many stories about cabbies lying about what they've seen to back each other up, from cyclists and from cabbies themselve (I know a couple).
The only positive thing about the whole incident was that by the time the adrenaline had worn off, the three of us were regarding each other as adults who had got into each others' way and had a collision, and not as "firkin cabbie" or "firkin cyclist".
jmaccyd - well done for joining in. The first taxi driver admitted he hadn't seen me, to his credit, but maintained he had indicated, which he didn't.
I'm afraid I don't agree with your last point though. I've heard too many stories about cabbies lying about what they've seen to back each other up, from cyclists and from cabbies themselve (I know a couple).
The only positive thing about the whole incident was that by the time the adrenaline had worn off, the three of us were regarding each other as adults who had got into each others' way and had a collision, and not as "firkin cabbie" or "firkin cyclist".
I've seen cabbies consult each other about what they've seen to back each other up.
Also had them try and very slowly run their vehicles into me. One actually touched my leg whilst I was stopped at the lights but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know he'd done so - it was very light and he had to stop at the lights too.
Once I was virtually broadside on and the cab kept on coming at 2mph so I just stopped and said are you going to run me over then, at which point he stopped.
London black cabbies are complete scum and go deliberately out of their way to be difficult/dangerous around cyclists. I think this attitude they have has got worse over the last few years. it wasn't something they tended to do once, or at least they only seemed to deliberately cut bus drivers up. Suppose their hatred of everybody on the roads has just grown to include more groups.
Maybe many of them are stuck in what can be a relatively well paid job and can't get other work which pays similar so they know they can't change jobs or aren't qualified to which means they're destined to remain trapped in their cabs with all that traffic for years and years, no wonder they're miserable and angry individuals.
Also had them try and very slowly run their vehicles into me. One actually touched my leg whilst I was stopped at the lights but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know he'd done so - it was very light and he had to stop at the lights too.
Once I was virtually broadside on and the cab kept on coming at 2mph so I just stopped and said are you going to run me over then, at which point he stopped.
London black cabbies are complete scum and go deliberately out of their way to be difficult/dangerous around cyclists. I think this attitude they have has got worse over the last few years. it wasn't something they tended to do once, or at least they only seemed to deliberately cut bus drivers up. Suppose their hatred of everybody on the roads has just grown to include more groups.
Maybe many of them are stuck in what can be a relatively well paid job and can't get other work which pays similar so they know they can't change jobs or aren't qualified to which means they're destined to remain trapped in their cabs with all that traffic for years and years, no wonder they're miserable and angry individuals.
domtyler
Über Member
I have regular altercations with these bullying bastards, rarely a day goes by without one of them ruining my commute. I have to say that I truly hate them. While I will give that there are a very few decent ones, and I hate to tar them with this brush, for each of them there must be a thousand bad apples.
It is the way that they will blatantly do anything to **** up a cyclist, the way they delight in cutting us up, passing within a whisker and any other dangerous manoeuvre that comes to mind. Jmaccyd, I am sure that you are one of the few decent ones about being a cyclist yourself but I am afraid that the majority of your colleagues are regarded by road raging scum by many cyclists for their bullying and dangerous behaviour on Londons roads.
It is the way that they will blatantly do anything to **** up a cyclist, the way they delight in cutting us up, passing within a whisker and any other dangerous manoeuvre that comes to mind. Jmaccyd, I am sure that you are one of the few decent ones about being a cyclist yourself but I am afraid that the majority of your colleagues are regarded by road raging scum by many cyclists for their bullying and dangerous behaviour on Londons roads.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Glad I'm not in London - rats in a cage ! - Thank god I'm not a city centre commuter - town / suburbs - still busy, but not quite as mad fighting for every inch.
To be fair, the only problem I had with traffic in the city this morning was the lyycra'd up roadie who undertook me on the inside at speed. I had looked over my shoulder and was just about to put out my left arm and move to secondary when he zipped inside me. 5 seconds later and he would have had a broken nose.
tdr1nka
Taking the biscuit
- Location
- SE London, Bandit Country
User1314 said:
I regularly cycle the bus lane run from Camberwell, Oval to Vauxhall.
One repeated problem I have with Black cabs in London is on this section of road.
No matter what I'm riding, trike or MTB they insist on hunting my back wheel waiting for the tiniest chance to overtake. The effect is as if I'm being railroaded into the gutter, or worse, the kerb. Even slowing down is potentially fatal.
Even when I've signalled for cabbies to pull back they are either laughing or obviously ignoring me.
It's a bus lane, to also be shared by bikes, cabs and in some areas motorbikes.
I know for absolute fact most cabbies just don't like this part of South London as the fares are cr*p so the cabby mindset is to get back to Central London or nearest mainline station ASAP.
Oh yes, and that anyone else, bikes, busses, peds, less experienced drivers are a potential loss of earnings and therefore of no importance.
I would so dearly love to pay road tax for cycling on the roads to shut some of those pompus, intolerant, opinionated and self inflated tw*ts up.
Ooops I appear to have some bile on my shirt!
Tx
