Considerate driver of the day

So drivers in Darlington seem to be much nicer than lots of those in London.

Highlights of my 12 mile jaunt with the Father-in-law included the car driver who waited behind us at bends in the road that he couldn't see past, and flashed his hazard lights to thank me for waving him past when it was safe for him to go, and the elderly chap who tooted his horn in much the same circumstances.

I'm not totally sold on the tooting the horn, my father-in-law really wasn't expecting that, and had a little wobble.

Mind you, I think we saw less than 1% of the number of cars that I would have done in London too.

Thanks to Bobbo for pointing me in this here direction.

I had the pleasure of cycling behind a Harlex dumper truck (HGV) yesterday morning at 9 (ish) on Artillery Row (turnign left onto Victoria St) in Westminster (where the courier was recently run over). He was a brilliant exemple of how a large vehicle should be driven in busy city traffic and wish all drivers were as good.

At the lights I sat way back as I understand the dangers of left (and right) turning vehicles and he was kind enough to acknowledge that he’d seen me but more importantly dealt very well with the two idiots who, despite the fact he was signalling to turn left (and that I'd stopped effectively blocking the side of the truck), decided to go up his inside. Fortunately he spotted them and did not move. I hope he appreciated me shouting obscenities at them for doing something so monumentally stupid and I hope that the two cyclists realise how dangerous their manoeuvre was. I wonder with a different, less skilful driver whether there could have been a tragic outcome?

Good work sir!

few days ago a bus driver leaned out her window and said I just want to let you know I am turning left. Clearly I was on the right of the bus and so it was kind of a non issue but it was still considerate of her

Filtering off the NKR towards Tower Bridge Rd can be a hairy experience most days. The other day a lady driving a bus wanted out of a bus stop so was signaling. I primary positioned myself in the left lane, signaled behind me that I'd be slowing and waved her out. I ended up in front of her at the roundabout lights where she pointed at me, nodded and thumbs up. As we pulled away, she gave me bags of space and time to clip in and pick a lane. Much waving and consideration as we went our separate ways.

Yesterday I pulled up to the lights at Cambridge Heath / Mile End. I was happy with the sequence of lights so filtered up the side of an HGV. As I pulled in front I was worried he may not have any idea what I'd just done so I looked back at him to be met with a nod and a thumbs up.

Good. More of this please London.

^ is there a widely understood signal for "me on the bike, I am slowing down now"? I would like to know it :)
I am generally wary of waving vehicles out when I am waiting for them, as I worry about others (whether bike or motor vehicle) going past me - feels like the bigger the thing choosing to wait, the more influential in terms of making other people think "oh, they are letting the other thing pull out, I better wait too" and I don't feel big enough...

Me. Every time I get in a fucking car. Screw all you crazy cunts.

The amount of times I've seen some bat shit crazy cycling and stopped a cyclist from getting hurt by being the driver behind them.

If I could only clone myself and replace every other driver in London with myself, we wouldn't have any problems.

^^ yeah I don't make a habit of bossing traffic - we're generally too small for that. On this occasion I was rattling along and was concerned that She wouldn't see me or would just barge out so I felt I needed to slow up and let her out. I just looked back, took primary and put the flat of my hand out backwards. I've no idea whether this is the right thing to do or not (paging Wiganwill). I make the same signal if I'm slowing at a ped crossing or something and I'm aware of others behind me.

Ah, so a sort of flat palm Stop signal? A bit of an arm contortion!

I usually wait for buses that are indicating out as I feel it's only polite - they are usually carrying a lot of people, after all. Often give some indication that I am waiting for them (like a sort of hand-waving "after you" sign) otherwise they wait, I wait etc but I don't like to say "it's okay you can go now" in any situation where something else might come careering past me and cause an accident. Read too many incidents where a car flashes for another car to turn in front of them, it does so and takes out a bike/motorbike in the next lane etc.

Quite right. I had no choice but to let her out so did it in as decisive a way as I could. Loved her friendliness at the next junction though.

^ is there a widely understood signal for "me on the bike, I am slowing down now"? I would like to know it :)
.

It used to be a circular motion with the hand to indicate slowing down but no one really knows that any more and it would just be confusing. Wrongcog has it spot on I think.

Thanks to the driver who didn't actually try overtaking on a short blind S bend section that I use on most rides. This is the first time a car has not overtaken just before either of the blind bends in a long time.

The fact I felt the need to wave and thank him says it all.

I always give a wave or a smile if someone has given me a bit of consideration.

It used to be a circular motion with the hand to indicate slowing down but no one really knows that any more and it would just be confusing. Wrongcog has it spot on I think.

This is true although it's an up and down motion, circular is to turn left (highway code) it is still on the driving theory test and is the same signal for cyclists, and no-one has any idea what it means. I'd just stick with eye contact and anything that seems to resemble stopping.

Or pre-spank your arse so it's very red, then moon if stopping is needed.

Ah yes, up and down. I sometimes do the flat hand moving downwards slowly to indicate I am slowing down, or, more often, that I want the driver behind me to slow down or back off a little.

Showered my coffee everywhere ... LOL'ing at the very concept of "pre-spanking" one's own arse!

Yesterday I ground my way up Highgate Hill on the way to North Drinks with my ill-advised 48/17 gearing, and by the time I got to the top I was getting pretty sweaty and not making much ground. As I got to the high street and the road started to even out, I came up behind a row of parked cars and needed to move out. As I turned round, I saw the people carrier behind me had already anticipated this, and had slowed and was gesturing to let me out in front of him, despite the fact I was probably doing about 2mph at this point. As it overtook me once it was safe, giving me a nice wide berth, I saw it was an Addison Lee taxi.

Fuck me, there is one, and I found him!

Probably he needed to slow down to check football scores on his mobile.

^ this, or he was composing an email for his cousin who happens to be a Nigerian prince with an urgent income tax problem that you could help with.

Rode to work today. Noone ran me over.

+1 (so far)

Bigpaintbrush and I got deliberately lost for 85 very pleasant miles somewhere in Essex yesterday. People of Essex - you were charming. No neck wrestleralike at the roundabout over the A406. Thanks for agreeing to give us a little toot when we waited out of sight of the lights - once green. And everyone else - cheers for the general patience on the windy roads, the little toots and waves and general communication. Was it the sunshine? Why can't it always be so?

Some amazing quality driving between euston to finsbury. Not seen such serial courtesy and consideration sustained over a 15 minute ride and by around 10 drivers who all refused to try and overtake me and all hung back till I nodded them one at a time when i was happy to them to pass and they all smiled and waved as they passed me wide and slow...

...I suppose the route being calmed by humps and narrowings gave them little choice but it did feel strange

Even thought the highway code stated not to do that, I did similar when in the countryside.

I put hand up to indicated the driver to wait till I can definitely see that the road is clear ahead of me before letting them pass.

Made for a nice days.

I had a similar ride from TCR to Clapton, some decent drivers giving space, backing off when they could just go for it and make it tight....... even a protective driver at lea Bridge roundabout letting me filter with a very respectful level of safety....... refreshing and respectful on all sides.

My thought on this is that out in the countryside/rural area, drivers rarely get held up by traffic jam, so they're not fussed by waiting for 10-30 second behind a cyclists before it's safe to overtake.

Notice similar behaviour in a quiet American city too as well as England.