This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Report him. If you find later that you're hurt or your bike is bust you'll need a police report to start things off. Also, if there's a witness you may be able to get them on one of those driver awareness courses.
And if they're a repeat offender then it'll only add to the pile of paperwork against them.

And ^ this (@hamrack's post)

yeah you're right guys, will do

Already did a check on the car plate and it seems to match on the car model and color

The report will also add to the stats for the area so if it becomes more of an issue, more is likely to be done about it. Or at least an attempt (traffic calming, cycling infrastructure etc).

Only a week ago it was like this...

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When some driver nearly took me out (glanced my front wheel on a too-close pass) I managed to stay awheel. I then casually rolled up to the drivers' door and opened the door. Suddenly they didn't feel so safe in their box as I ask: How do you like me in your space?

Another of those ... why? moments.

Rolling towards the back of a small queue of stationary cars waiting their turn to go though a narrow rail bridge and a women in a blue BMW 3 series insists on trying to quickly 'nip around' me and into the gap between me and the car in front, only she can't as it wasn't big enough to start with and certainly isn't now that I have rolled forwards another yard or two. This means she stopped with the nose of her car behind the queue and arse ends sticking out over the white line and so on the other carriageway.

I was able to brake, swing round behind her and overtake while she sat in the queue and I continued on my way.

No harm done, no real hassle, but just WHY?

Because driving at less than twenty miles an hour for any distance feels uncomfortable. Stopping at traffic and lights doesn't though. It's weird.

When I'm driving I have to consciously suppress those feelings.

It's like when you'd rather be on a train that keeps moving on a longer route than an express that stops still for an hour in the middle of nowehere on it's journey.

Cars just have get past, cos that's the mindset of driving in traffic. Your road positioning is suggesting to drivers behind either 'pass me' or it can seem antagonistic to cars following, dep on where you put yourself. You can't win.

Just accept that cars will always try to pass, even when there's nowhere to go, and get on with your journey.

@mashton 's post is really worth bearing in mind. Most drivers won't supress that desire.

indeed, at 20mph cocooned in a vehicles doesn't give you much illusion that you're actually moving.

Starting to like the open bits of east-west superhighway despite the pedestrians doing stupid stuff and the police horse shit. Looking forward to the rest of it. Parliament square a complete clusterfuck today.

Even though I drive something like 35,000 business miles a year, I find it almost impossible to put myself in the mindset of someone who sees a 3 metre space and tries to insert a 4.5 metre vehicle into it.

This desperate need to be 'in front' is everywhere I accept (but don't like) that, it is just in this particular situation, which I have experienced many times, it is doomed to failure before it even starts, hence the question why?

As for my position, I was in primary getting ready to overtake all the stationary cars, that was another reason she was left with the back end of her car on the wrong side of the white lines.

Ahh well, no harm done, just slightly bewildering.

It feels like a nice place to ride a bike. Hassle free couple of miles across London.

Didn't mean to be patronizing... Agree it's always bewildering.

It would be so interesting to be able to have an open and polite conversation with a driver immediately after they have done something like that.

"Excuse me, I was just wondering why you did that?"

Doesn't seem to be possible though.

When they think they're in the right, you can't have that.

If the current mindset that it's illegal to ride on the road if there's a cycle lane, nothing we can do sadly.

You didn't come across at patronising, at least not to me.

I had an almost identical situation a while ago where the passenger of the car doing the non overtake shouted "get on the pavement". My reply was the same as this time, say nothing, flip to the outside of the stationary traffic and ride into the distance.... or bakery, whichever is nearest.

^ Word. That gets top marks from Supernanny: ignore the stupid behaviour.

Of course, roads are pavement. They mean the footway. Get anal-retentive on them, that'll help.

Just had one of these this evening. Extremely close pass from an X5 on Priory Lane. Caught him up at the traffic lights. We had a chat. He all but admitted he'd past me closely on purpose as I wasn't using the cycle lane on the pavement. I asked him if he would want me to do 20+mph on shared pavement if his family was walking on it. Was told I was a fucking moron who 'wants everything'.

Deliveroo, everywhere. What's going on?

Pedestrians seem to use it as a walkway. There's an entire width of pavement to their left, but no, the blue tarmac is apparently much nicer to walk along in groups. Does my nut.

Crazy cyclist on my commute this morning, she screamed like she was 1/2 scared 1/2 pissed off every time a car overtook her, not sure she's going to survive cycling in London if she carries on like that

Isn't she a local celebrity or something? People always used to mention the crazy screaming lady in the Spotted thread...

Banshee lady.