2008-07-02 - Rider Down, Cyclists beware

had a doctor scream at me this morning (had a doctors light on top of his car) comeing across a round about at 20+ he tries to get past me then beeps at me gets off roundabout winds the window down and screams that im a f ing idiot and i should have been against the curb the reponse was along the lines of dont overtake on a roundabout dickhead. seems drivers are getting rather stupid at the moment maybe its the grumble over petrol costing so much or something. i get the feeling i will be taken out very soon because i'm traveling faster than they thought.

I was on one of the Architecture festival rides with wayne hemmingway last night and a taxi tries to force his way past me be by accelerating into the side of me. Don't know what he was thinking as there was 30 + witnesses!!

It's the hot weather boiling their heads. Not just drivers either.

I had a post van man shout at me once arent you cunts supposed to keep to the left... puzzled, I looked at the curb on my left, of the left hand side of the further most left lane I was in and asked him if he knew his fucking left from his right. he gave me a confused look while holding both hands infront of his face.

had a doctor scream at me this morning (had a doctors light on top of his car) comeing across a round about at 20+ he tries to get past me then beeps at me gets off roundabout winds the window down and screams that im a f ing idiot and i should have been against the curb the reponse was along the lines of dont overtake on a roundabout dickhead. seems drivers are getting rather stupid at the moment maybe its the grumble over petrol costing so much or something. i get the feeling i will be taken out very soon because i'm traveling faster than they thought.

Should have punched him in the face and dragged him out through the open window. At least he'd have been able to administer first-aid correctly.

:)

I had a post van man shout at me once arent you cunts supposed to keep to the left... puzzled, I looked at the curb on my left, of the left hand side of the further most left lane I was in and asked him if he knew his fucking left from his right. he gave me a confused look while holding both hands infront of his face.

is this for real? :/

A similar move has happened to me twice in the past ten days, it’s starting to get routine on my way home (always home time).

The first time I was slammed into the kerb on Pentonville road because the driver got tired of the right-hand lane and didn't even look to see if anyone might already be in the left, and the second time a white-van got impatient and just screeched into me to try and jump the queue in the right. I only managed to catch-up with the first person, and they were totally unaware that anything happened, which is even more frightening. Why don't we just let blind people drive? Then, last night in Chelsea, I saw a people carrier just launch into the side of a scooter in pretty much the same move.

I'm starting to feel that something bad is just going to happen sooner or later, despite hardly ever being in the wrong. I've only just picked up my bike again after a year because I was knocked off by a total fuckface, again, because he didn't look, got impatient and just assumed that nobody vulnerable would ever be sharing the road with them. oh, and hello, I'm Donut.

is this for real? :/

well he just gave me the confused look ;)

I saw a fiesta slam into the side of a scooter on brixton road a month or so ago. It was like i was in an action film - bits of scooter flying through the air, scooter's rider flying through the air, fiesta flying through the air... it was pretty cool.

The rider was ok, by the way. The fiesta tried to reverse away from the accident and make a get-away, and nearly knocked over a woman who was behind the car.

Always assume that bmw's are going to kill you. I dont know what it is about bmw drivers. I think that when you buy one you also get a license to drive like a complete fuck head. This is not a generalisation either. Every single one without fail are complete cnuts. I challenge anyone to prove me otherwise

I dunno about knife amnesties in this city, I think it's the cars that should handed in to police stations.

it was bmw now it's moved to audi as bmw got a bad name. :)
i share your concerns donut i'm starting to think i may not make it through my next ride on the road (tonight on the way home) and it's starting to get to me.

That does it - I'm taking a whole lane.. screwem!!
My one-man critical Mass.

BMW just issued a recall of all 3, 5 &7 series...

v nice SB, unlucky about the accident,
there's not really any use in me confronting many drivers in same sorts of situations, as they can't take me seriously because of my age, and they play the patronizing game with me, which makes me even more angry, like that damned effing cabby the other day, just wanted to spit at his ugly mug

unfortunately has happened to me twice, the second time was a car coming toward my direction and turning right crossing my path, the reason this happened is be cause the driver in the lane next to me slowed and flashed the oncoming driver through... I remember picking my self up a little bit giddy from the adrenalin and marching over to the car... to be greeted by a man towering 6ft by 6ft who's first words were "I'm a member of the armed forces..." in an psychotic calm manner not breaking eye contact ...I said " ...squeak ok.." and sat down and waited for the police.
So look out for drivers who are being courteous to other drivers at junctions..as one is assuming the other driver has checked its ok (in my experience) :S
ride safe people

I love this story!

Always assume that bmw's are going to kill you. I dont know what it is about bmw drivers. I think that when you buy one you also get a license to drive like a complete fuck head. This is not a generalisation either. Every single one without fail are complete cnuts. I challenge anyone to prove me otherwise

when you buy a BMW you automaticly get shares in the road. so they part-own all the roads in the country (and germany), thus giving them the right to treat them as they please.
cunts. complete idiotic cunts.
why would you buy a BMW anyway, Audis are much nicer.

BMW just issued a recall of all 3, 5 &7 series...

love it

I've got a picture of a guy picking his wing mirror off the ground, trying to fit it back on despite the fact that it's broken, after a similar incident... bike lane on Lower Thames St, guy turns left, I turn left with him but my arm hits his wing mirror. Bit of a scratch but no fracture, unlike his mirror...

mikec: Agree, BMW drivers, taxi drivers and to a lesser extent van drivers.

One rocket launcher to rule them all..

I was on one of the Architecture festival rides with wayne hemmingway last night and a taxi tries to force his way past me be by accelerating into the side of me. Don't know what he was thinking as there was 30 + witnesses!!

could you give me more details of that ride?

Were trying to organise a bike treasure trail thing here in birmingham for the beginning of august. Hopefully itll explore rare gems of the city and make them be seen in a more mysterious light.

Theres an architecture week/festival type things here too, if london version has a bike ride as part of it. Maybe we can get some architecture practices, council, arts bodies etc to sponsor it and make it more exciting.

I imagine it was part of this;

http://www.lfa2008.org/

What worries me is the amount anecdotes that involve drivers fleeing / trying to flee the scene. Suggesting that loads of people are out there driving w/o licenses or insurance. (Which would explain a lot of the driving).

There are and London is the worst place for it. I can't remember where they are but there are some stats from a reliable source on this.

What worries me is the amount anecdotes that involve drivers fleeing / trying to flee the scene. Suggesting that loads of people are out there driving w/o licenses or insurance. (Which would explain a lot of the driving).

There are loads but there also insured and licensed drivers who do not want to lose their no claims bonuses or are concerned about points on their licences. Don't let a smart car and a suit fool you. All drivers are potential bastards.