The daily Close Call

Heading along the A4 cycle path, east, this morning. Minding my own business when squirrel darts straight across my path without even indicating. Could have been curtains for me. The government should fund an ad campaign alerting **squirrel **to this kind of dangerous behaviour - it's only a matter of time before a cyclist is seriously injured in this way.

@Squirrel, was this you? ;)

Heading along the A4 cycle path, east, this morning. Minding my own business when squirrel darts straight across my path without even indicating. Could have been curtains for me. The government should fund an ad campaign alerting **squirrel **to this kind of dangerous behaviour - it's only a matter of time before a cyclist is seriously injured in this way.

@Treadders, I am happy to report that it wasn't me... this time!

Riding home today along a cycle path (no road option) when I see a large group of kids riding towards me. They move over to let me pass but at the last second one at the back of the group swung in front of me. Managed to shout what I though of him before I clipped him with pedal, bar and leg but somehow neither of us fell off.

Bloomsbury Cycle Lanes - Anyone know if there is CCTV?

Quick trot from Birkbeck to Norfolk Arms about 8 pm this evening, decide not to use the stupid cycle lane for all the usual reasons. Hear a honk from behind me and feel the inescapable sound of a taxi coming past. Then it comes closer and closer and almost forces me off the road - and I'm about a metre in in the first place. Just about misses me. But clearly trying to force me over at about 15-20 mph.

Decide to have a word. Catch up. He decides to ram me off the road. Just about stay up. Wheel almost goes under his rear wheel. Black marks all down the arm of my jacket. I see red. Catch him up at Euston road junction (he's turned left on Marchmont Street). His window is open, so I have a word
"What the fuck are you doing", is my opening gambit
"You should use the fucking cycle lanes"
"They're a liability there. Decided not to use them. You tried to kill me"
"Yeah, wish I fucking killed you. What are you going to do about it"
"I've got your number" (not strictly true at this point.
[Spits at me and speeds off. I think I've got the gob as dna...].
Number plate starts with M. Taxi licence something like 22687. Short, late 30s, goatee. Red t-shirt.

Ok, so, my question is: is there CCTV along the Bloomsbury Cycle lanes that I can get. At this point, I just think this guy is a cock, and I could just about handle him. But anyone who tries to drive someone off the road deserves all I can throw at him. Even if this is London, my friends.

too right, had some wankstain in a taxi cut me off on a bend beside buckinham palace, I was just beside his passenger window, he pulled in front of me leaving me with a metre at most to stop as he took the bend. Managed to slam the front brake and luckily avoid getting minced. Caught up with him and said 'are you trying to fucking kill me' and he responds 'yeah, that was the plan' and drives off. TNUC

whoa. i would have went absolutely apeshit at that cabbie, mjs. broken windows all around. that is completely out of order.

Bloomsbury Cycle Lanes - Anyone know if there is CCTV?

Quick trot from Birkbeck to Norfolk Arms about 8 pm this evening, decide not to use the stupid cycle lane for all the usual reasons. Hear a honk from behind me and feel the inescapable sound of a taxi coming past. Then it comes closer and closer and almost forces me off the road - and I'm about a metre in in the first place. Just about misses me. But clearly trying to force me over at about 15-20 mph.

Decide to have a word. Catch up. He decides to ram me off the road. Just about stay up. Wheel almost goes under his rear wheel. Black marks all down the arm of my jacket. I see red. Catch him up at Euston road junction (he's turned left on Marchmont Street). His window is open, so I have a word
"What the fuck are you doing", is my opening gambit
"You should use the fucking cycle lanes"
"They're a liability there. Decided not to use them. You tried to kill me"
"Yeah, wish I fucking killed you. What are you going to do about it"
"I've got your number" (not strictly true at this point.
[Spits at me and speeds off. I think I've got the gob as dna...].
Number plate starts with M. Taxi licence something like 22687. Short, late 30s, goatee. Red t-shirt.

Ok, so, my question is: is there CCTV along the Bloomsbury Cycle lanes that I can get. At this point, I just think this guy is a cock, and I could just about handle him. But anyone who tries to drive someone off the road deserves all I can throw at him. Even if this is London, my friends.

Report it, get a police reference number.

Check for possible CCTV yourself. If the camera is located on private land, talk to them yourself. If they're happy to give it to you, take it to the police. If not, ask them to keep the recording and ask the police to request it. In any case, give the police the driver's details. They may not do anything about it, but the next person(s) reporting the same driver may benefit.

Speaking of the inferior Bloomsbury cycle lane, the residents of the area has already been lobbying about the danger of the cycle lane to the Council;

whoa. i would have went absolutely apeshit at that cabbie, mjs. broken windows all around. that is completely out of order.

not surprising, of all London I fucking hate that area, the cycle lane is horribly designed, and I don't want to use it, especially since there's almost no room to manoeuvre, but even when I use the main road I get shit from certain motorised vehicle for not using the bike lane.

it's a fucking catch-22 there.

Sounds shit as mjs. As a forum, would we find it acceptable to smash his window or dent his pannel or something?

cheers all. Just wish I was certain I got his number right. Email sent to PCO and will follow up CCTV. If I can confirm his no. then off to the cops I go.

Ed - thanks for the heads up about the cycle lane lobby. Used to go that way a lot, and it's madness.

I almost got hit by an oncoming car head-on doing 30mph, while trackstanding.

Almost is putting it mildly, the car narrowly missed me by just touching it's front bumper with my front wheel, but not enough to knock me off.

I was cycling toward the middle of the road to turn off to Latimer Road from Merton Road at 1am from Clerkenwell, end up trackstanding a bit while waiting for several cars to past me before I can make a move, I was about to turn until I saw one coming and decided not to risk it and wait a bit longer, having thought about it now I should've made the move because that motorised Boursin cardboard box didn't even slow down and veered to the middle of the road, nearly on the wrong side, I could not do anything at that point, and within millisecond and millmetres the driver saw me and did a quick jerk almost knocking me over at 30ish mph in a Citroen, thank fuck his reaction time is pretty fast.

fucking hell, my heart wasn't even in my mouth, it's somewhere in the north of England.

note to self - worth blocking the traffic by standing in the middle of the lane to turn off to that road next time.

too right, had some wankstain in a taxi cut me off on a bend beside buckinham palace, I was just beside his passenger window, he pulled in front of me leaving me with a metre at most to stop as he took the bend. Managed to slam the front brake and luckily avoid getting minced. Caught up with him and said 'are you trying to fucking kill me' and he responds 'yeah, that was the plan' and drives off. TNUC

Had a similar situation a few months ago. A motorist who pulled out of a side street and nearly hit me. I caught up with him and before I could say anything he a scream "I'll run you over mate"! I said "are you threatening me." he said yes! and sped off.

A lawyer mate told me later that he could be charged. I now have my camera fone on video mode ready to record the next idiot.

i was waiting for my mrs at the station yesterday. getting the hump wondering how long she was gonna be, so i rang her..........it turns out she was next to me..

Don't maintain your bike after one too many...

Yesterday morning I was climbing Dog Kennel Hill at quite a pace, then CRACK KSSSSSHHHHHHHH and I face planted the side of a bus. Yes, I hadnt tightened up both wheel nuts up all the way and pulled the sprocket inwards.

Most annoying thing is what I noticed this morning. It's rubbed nearly all the paint off a cmsq of my seat and chain stays. :(

I am beginning to wonder if some drivers wear glasses that make cyclists invisible:
At a red light on the Embankment (along with a few other cyclists), a maroon merc is behind me indicating left to turn on a green light. Lights go green, everyone sets off. Jerk off in the merc decides to pull round and in front of me to make the left turn. Narrowly misses taking the back wheel of the rider in front and I am staring at the side of his motor. Give him a "polite tap" on the window and wing mirror. Idiot acted as if I had just teleported to my present position out of the ether!

I had been sitting in front of him at the lights for a good minute or so! What the fuck was he thinking?

Where were you positioned? Had you taken the primary position in the lane?

Don't maintain your bike after one too many...

Yesterday morning I was climbing Dog Kennel Hill at quite a pace, then CRACK KSSSSSHHHHHHHH and I face planted the side of a bus. Yes, I hadnt tightened up both wheel nuts up all the way and pulled the sprocket inwards.

Most annoying thing is what I noticed this morning. It's rubbed nearly all the paint off a cmsq of my seat and chain stays. :(

did the same thing first time out on my shorter.

Where were you positioned? Had you taken the primary position in the lane?

Was in the bike lane on the left side of the road. The main lane (to my right) has an arrow indicating you can go straight ahead or left. Key was I was in front and to the left of him (along with other bikes) and he decided to pull around us to make the turn in spite of the fact that we were heading off.

Next time I think I'll just sit in front of the line in the middle of the main lane.

Bingo!

Not sure who's close call this was, by Oval station decides to cross the road infront of a loading freebus. Without looking starts marching across. I'm overtaking the bus and there is a nice BMW X5 behind. Ped sees me and not the X5, carries on marching untill he notices it, at which point he is right infront of me, i have a choice of BMW or undertaking him on the left and choose the latter.

The little yelp this twat gave made it worth it. Look before you leap Numpty.

Look before you leap Numpty.
YO !

This morning was great. I had a beautiful moment on Southwark Bridge in the cycle filter lane (the curbed off one, it's usually quite good). Anyway, some chick in a business suit, obviously late for work, just jumped out of her (stationary) cab on the bridge and ran out directly about five feet in front of me STRAIGHT onto the cycle lane while staring intently in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO TRAFFIC.

What IS it with these fuckers? Wouldn't you look first? I mean, shit, just out of curiosity if nothing else?

It wouldn't have been so bad had I not just got to the hump of the hill and, after beating a bunch of people away from the lights, proceeded to see how fast I could get my new ride. I swear I could see forever. Until this bitch jumped in front of me.

Anyway, I emitted a none-too-eloquent AARRGGGHHHHH noise and she jumped out of the way just in time.

It's a fucking warzone out there.

Next time I think I'll just sit in front of the line in the middle of the main lane.

Yes, that's a better position. At junctions, try not to get too far to the left, even if you're turning left.

i was filtering on the right today when a lady pulled out between the traffic suddenly and unexpectedly not looking both ways. it was too late for me to stop, even with my front brake so i locked the back wheel whipped the tail round a bit then just managed to accelerate out of the way before she knocked my back wheel away from me. fuckaduck