How do you handle...

[Arch]

Arch,

I can't see your videos in the group. You should have to actively add them. Are you sure your not just seeing your own account?

<small voice> I don't know, I'm a bear of very little brain

I'll have another look...

 

[Arch]

Ahhhh.

Um.... yeah, I think I'd got that a bit mixed up...

I think I've submitted my video to you now...

 

[magnatom]

Sorted!

 

[JamesAC]

[snip] or as I have done on a few occasions quickly glance back at them and stick your right arm out with your palm facing them (indicating that it is not safe to overtake).

[snip]

I've tried this on many occasions. Once, a woman, with her children in the back of her car, still tried to overtake me. She ended up going round the wrong side of the traffic island, straight topwards a 'bus, with a look of utter panic on her face.

I'm pretty well convinced that the majority of motorists have no awareness of anything that's more than 1-2 yards directly in front of their bonnets. They see me (a cyclist) and hence I MUST be overtaken. They are not aware that 10 yards away there is a traffic island. Suddenly, they are confronted with the fact that in front of them is a) a cyclist and a traffic island. Slowing down and pulling in is not an option .. so swerve violently to the right, round the wrong side of the island -- then notice the 'bus!!!!

 

[Twenty Inch]

So, today, I'm bang in the centre of the lane, and two cars pass rather too close. The third vehicle doesn't think he has time to do that so he just sounds his horn. Then he changed his mind, swerved on to the other side of the rodad and made a dash for it. The car on the other side swerved to give him space, I slowed to get this idiot out of the way, he passed me just before the traffic island.

Obviously I caught up with him queueing at the lights not 50 yards further on, where there is a cycle lane to take you to the front of the traffic (ideal if you're turning left at the junction like I do). I did tell him the obvious ("Get a highway code, read it") to be greeted by plenty more honking from him, sat there stuck in traffic at the junction.

I've broken wing mirrors off in just this situation. I don't think it reduced conflict though.

 

[Cab]

While he will certainly get away with dangerous driving if I take an incident like that to the police, I guarantee that if he goes to the plod and complains about a cyclist breaking off his wing mirror, they will look at CCTV footage. Besides, why give up the moral high ground for an action that won't stop him next time?

 

[Tetedelacourse]

I'm pretty well convinced that the majority of motorists have no awareness of anything that's more than 1-2 yards directly in front of their bonnets. They see me (a cyclist) and hence I MUST be overtaken. They are not aware that 10 yards away there is a traffic island. Suddenly, they are confronted with the fact that in front of them is a) a cyclist and a traffic island. Slowing down and pulling in is not an option .. so swerve violently to the right, round the wrong side of the island -- then notice the 'bus!!!!

100% agreement with this James. There are 2 notable scenarios that arise on my commute home that fit this description perfectly:

1. There's a right turn off a main road, which people usually zoom past me up to and have to wait for oncoming traffic, which is always busy, before they can make the turn.

2. Where a main road ends at a T-junction which is always busy with a queue of cars waiting to get out. Nonetheless most folk squeeeeeze past me to be the next car in the queue.

 

[Twenty Inch]

While he will certainly get away with dangerous driving if I take an incident like that to the police, I guarantee that if he goes to the plod and complains about a cyclist breaking off his wing mirror, they will look at CCTV footage. Besides, why give up the moral high ground for an action that won't stop him next time?

What's the moral high ground?

Might stop him, might not. Probably make him think next time he sets out to intimidate a cyclist though.

It made a lovely crunch.

 

[monnet]

[QUOTE/]

2. Where a main road ends at a T-junction which is always busy with a queue of cars waiting to get out. Nonetheless most folk squeeeeeze past me to be the next car in the queue.[/QUOTE]

I always love this one. Even more so when I can then slip down the outside of them all make the turn and not see them again. Or for them to catch me up before the next set of lights or whatever, only for me to repeat the move. i'm not sure if they notice but it gives me immense inner satisfaction!