View Full Version : Who tried to kill you today?
Sorry if this seems a little blunt/harsh/over reactive but I felt that everyone that I went near today was having a go at me. Then it got me thinking (dangerous :rolleyes:) How often does it happen on a normal day? Today there were two very near misses on the way in to work (20 miles, and I accidentally hit their wing mirror with my hand filtering passed). Then on the way home via the city outskirts another 6 had a go, the worst of which was a van, yes white, who attempted an undertake at a two-to-one lane merge following a junction. He then gestured at me to get a move on despite the fact that there was no room to manouvere and the jam was doing about 20mph :confused:.
Any way...
A normal day may only see one, possibly two incidents, and then not necessarily near misses. So in the interest of nothing more than not wanting to feel like to only one being targeted, how many times a day does someone have a go at you?
P.S. The incidences I refer to are for people pulling out in front of me, approaching on the wrong side of the road to overtake, pass stationary vehicles etc etc, not me driving like a numpty and asking for it.
Red Herring
03-11-09, 09:25 PM
Must be just you mate, I can't remember the last time I had a near miss. I've seen a few daft moves but they were never going to be any drama.
Spiderman
03-11-09, 09:50 PM
Depends on where i am riding tbh. Mill Hill areas in morning or evening rush hour or when the dopey mums are on the run in their 4x4s its almost every 5th vehicle that will go for me. In that area road marking, lanes and traffic lights mean virtually nothing to the locals as they believe in only one thing... Might Is Right.
Whoever has the bigger vehicle/balls will win the road space and everyone else just isnt worthy in their eyes.
In Kingsbury area its about every 10th car, mainly cos they window shop as they drive and think their mirrors are simply aerodynamic aids on ther doors :roll:
I'd say that what SVrich has written is about typical for Mr Lou once a week. He'll come home ranting about how many have tried to end his life that day.
But I have days like this too, and I walk to work! Amazing how many drivers are out to get pedestrians!
Milky Bar Kid
03-11-09, 09:59 PM
Twice and I was in the car today!
Red Herring
03-11-09, 10:31 PM
You're all paranoid...
Spiderman
03-11-09, 10:42 PM
Red come for a ride with me one day thru Mill Hill at the wrong time and you can see for yourself mate. Or ask any of your colleagues in that area what its like and they'll tell you. Ive seen, on more than one occasion as well, a cop car on a shout, blues and 2s full blast and cars simply refusing to move at all, even when the driver has his window down and is shouting instructions at them to move forward or whatever.
I told a lady to stop cos she hit a car and dint notice and they were pulled up at the side of the road, she told me to f-off and couldnt i see she was on the phone. I pointed out that being on the fone was why she didnt realise she'd hit the other car :roll: She told me again to f-off before she calls the cops. I told her to do just that cos i was going to the local cop shop to report her for leaving an accident and being on the phone too so her call would be pefectly timed to grass herself up with. In that area they really are not just bad drivers but also some of the most aggressive ones i encounter on my travels round town.
The, probably, second to worst one today was an older woman driving a new jag XK. She was in the left lane of three, me in the middle. She indicated right but there wasn't room in front of me for her to move into. Didn't stop her though. Over she came, about two feet from my front wheel. I honked and gestured that she needed to look with two eyes to which she mouthed in her mirror 'I indicated' and proceeded to give me evils as she wafted over again into the third lane to turn right at the next junction. Her lane choice, road position, and use (or lack of) of mirrors was amazing to behold. Then about 100 yards up the road, the van had his turn.
The weather was bad today so i guess that had something to do with it but the lack of observation today was truly shocking. I am a defensive rider and have good observation. On the way in I came up on a que of traffic about 8 vehicles long and doing about 50. The lead car slowed to let another one out of a junction. All the others slowed, naturally, except the one infront of me (they were going down hill so I had good sight of all their tail lights) He decided to brake late missing the vehicle in front by no more than a couple of feet! The vehicle he was following was a high topped white van with a discos worth of rear lights showing as soon as the brakes came on :shock:
Von Teese
03-11-09, 11:30 PM
Me it seems!
Today I ran to answer the phone and banged my big toe on the doorstep, blood everywhere, however the good thing was that Mr VT came home and nursed me back to health with sorting my poor toe out and lots of TLC, so not really all bad!
Although it might be broken..oh well !
Admittedly a huge battered looking people carrier from Poland did cut me up rather badly today at the roundabout on the way to Hein Gericke!
no one today...
not even my wife.. so things are good.
Dave20046
03-11-09, 11:38 PM
other day I very almost got caught out, I'd like to think I'd have been able to have stopped in time but on a national speed road through a very nice set of bends I just got to the last tighty, cranked right over and...balls; got round the corner and a van had stopped a small space infront of me (for a pedestrian pheasant!?), so had the oncoming car, luckily as I got it down to a manageable speed the pheasant flew and the oncoming car had moved off I just over took the stationary van with my hand up. Rode off thinking 'that's the kinda **** that kills me...ooh corners...'
The A1 south to work and the A1 north back again...
Hatefull road between Gatenby and J61 Peterlee new bypass turn off.
Jayneflakes
04-11-09, 12:28 AM
An old duffer pulled out onto the round about I was going around. He was completely unaware that I was there and thankfully I stopped before he went into me. I was fully loaded at the time, having done my weeks shopping!
Did you know that you can get a weeks shopping on a CG125?
Reckless Rat
04-11-09, 08:38 AM
Just the once today :p.
Some jerk on a red Aprillia Scooter, but then I was on my bicycle so am fair game I guess...
I was going to indicate my displeasure, for him/her in their rear view mirror, but from behind I noticed could only see their leg below the knee. :smt108
Red Herring
04-11-09, 09:48 AM
I must have mis-read the question. I thought it was about people trying to kill me, not about bad driving/riding.
svrich, the Jag obviously did have room because she used it, it did mean you had to back off to get your safety gap back but that's just rude driving, now if she had pulled out without indicating and then slammed on the brakes there might have been some homicidal intent.
People do the stupidest of things on the roads and there's plenty of examples now in this thread but it's nothing personal. If you spot it coming (the indicator, the glance in the mirror, the turn of the wheel, the fact that they are on the phone, the fact that you have just seen them do something else stupid... the list goes on) then you can allow for it so if and when it does happen it's a non-event for you. Stay alive through being smart, not by trying to force everybody else to drive safely.....that's my job!
PsychoCannon
04-11-09, 10:24 AM
Big accident on the M1 today on the opposite lane so of course the IDIOTS going the other way stop to gawk and came close to causing another accident.
Get through that ok and into London and some idiot van man decides to swing into the bus lane nearly squashing me and two other bikers.
Cyclist decides to whip out from the bike line between two stationary buses at speed into the main road without even looking forcing me to slam the brakes on to avoid squashing him.
two peds in the same road walking out the road without looking forcing me to swerve then brake.
**** on his blackberry writing an email while driving drifts across the white lines and forces me to swerve.
Muppet on a scooter decides to under take me then swing in front of me and slam his brakes on because there wasn't room to filter forcing me to slam the brakes on again.
Just another day in London =p
PsychoCannon
04-11-09, 10:26 AM
Did you know that you can get a weeks shopping on a CG125?
That must handle like a dream! not :)
No one this morning ..... but normally a close call a day .....
Defensive riding is the name of the game ..... but impatience and frustrations often wins through on my daily commute ....
Red Herring
04-11-09, 11:21 AM
Defensive riding is the name of the game ..... but impatience and frustrations often wins through on my daily commute ....
Try anticipation and observation, it's far less stressful. When you see two pedestrians approaching the road and they're not looking your way expect them to walk out, I'm mean, why shouldn't they? They haven't seen you.
If someone comes up your inside and you can see ahead there isn't going to be room for them to continue expect them to cut in front of you, and clearly if they're going faster than you they're going to have to brake, otherwise they're going to run into whatever it was that was slowing you down...
And don't expect a cyclist to run into the back of a bus, or even to stop behind it, after all, would you?
ArtyLady
04-11-09, 11:23 AM
Where is the option for "no one cos I only just got up after a late night - and anyway I work from home" ? ;) :lol:
wyrdness
04-11-09, 11:37 AM
Black guy who ran a red light and then pulled a weapon when I hooted at him.
Should have got his number and then called the police.
thedonal
04-11-09, 12:06 PM
My rides in and out of work are generally fairly OK- the odd moment when I put myself in a silly position and the odd idiot who races out from the next exit of a roundabout.
The worst part is the sheer volume of people who jump the red lights at roundabouts - but I'm well prepared for that, so the risk is limited.
Owenski
04-11-09, 12:09 PM
Seems to be decreasing for me tbh, I think my problem was maybe me though. Either Im getting better at predicting stupidity or Im putting myself in those situations much less. Either way I'd say only about once a week do I have a colourful rant to myself inside my lid.
Red Herring
04-11-09, 12:22 PM
Black guy who ran a red light and then pulled a weapon when I hooted at him.
Should have got his number and then called the police.
Nice...I'm guessing that was Finchley and not Devizes. Shame you didn't get the number, it's people like that I really enjoy meeting!
I ticked I live in london, although I dont :)
But go through there commuting in and get TONS of people pulling out all the time.
Just gotta be super aware so can stop in time, then do some polite gesturing on the way past :hackedoff:
Sir Trev
04-11-09, 01:07 PM
Over she came, about two feet from my front wheel. I honked and gestured that she needed to look with two eyes to which she mouthed in her mirror 'I indicated' and proceeded to give me evils as she wafted over again into the third lane to turn right at the next junction.
Ah yes, the old "I indicated so you should have gotten out of my way" chestnut. An everyday occurance to those of us who drive into Uxbridge for work...
Red H - not sure your comment on this one is right. Rich does not say what notice she gave before moving out and if he was able to safely accommodate her wishes. If she indicated as she turned the wheel (as so many people do!), giving no notice and just barged into a space giving Rich no time to preserve his safety zone then it would be wrong. If she gave plenty of notice and Rich was not able to change his speed safely to let her in with a sensible safety space it would still be wrong. We all need to change lanes in traffic sometimes but speed, space, courtesey and the homicidal van driver two milimeters off your rear wheel all come into it.
And of course none of us ever alter our speed to deliberately block other vehicles in do we...:-dd
Red Herring
04-11-09, 04:43 PM
A
Red H - not sure your comment on this one is right. Rich does not say what notice she gave before moving out and if he was able to safely accommodate her wishes. If she indicated as she turned the wheel (as so many people do!), giving no notice and just barged into a space giving Rich no time to preserve his safety zone then it would be wrong. If she gave plenty of notice and Rich was not able to change his speed safely to let her in with a sensible safety space it would still be wrong. We all need to change lanes in traffic sometimes but speed, space, courtesey and the homicidal van driver two milimeters off your rear wheel all come into it.
And of course none of us ever alter our speed to deliberately block other vehicles in do we...:-dd
I wasn't trying to say she was in the right, in fact I've every confidence she just bunged on the indicator and moved out, the point I was making is that it was sloppy driving on her part rather than any deliberate attempt to take the bike out. As you say she nicked Rich's safety zone but that goes on all the time, not right, in fact b****y rude, but the road is full of incompetent and inconsiderate driver (and some riders), I thought that is what makes it so much fun.
PsychoCannon
04-11-09, 04:58 PM
Seems to be decreasing for me tbh, I think my problem was maybe me though. Either Im getting better at predicting stupidity or Im putting myself in those situations much less. Either way I'd say only about once a week do I have a colourful rant to myself inside my lid.
Maybe the locals are learning to avoid you :)
wyrdness
04-11-09, 05:22 PM
Nice...I'm guessing that was Finchley and not Devizes. Shame you didn't get the number, it's people like that I really enjoy meeting!
It was Hangar Lane.
I haven't had any near misses/ close calls/ anything unexpected for a long time. In the car I've had a couple of incidents where I've had to toot my horn, but being able to do that just proves I had plenty of time to react to their stupidness/ shoddy driving.
On the bike a few months a go I was exiting a round about and thought I had eye contact with the cyclist waiting to cross the exit (a slip road to a motorway) so proceeded a little bit slower than normal to find he was going to cross right in front of me, but it wasn't a problem, just annoying.
Usually though, planning ahead and planning for what ifs mean relaxed, incident free rides.
Depends on where i am riding tbh. Mill Hill areas in morning or evening rush hour or when the dopey mums are on the run in their 4x4s its almost every 5th vehicle that will go for me. In that area road marking, lanes and traffic lights mean virtually nothing to the locals as they believe in only one thing... Might Is Right.
Whoever has the bigger vehicle/balls will win the road space and everyone else just isnt worthy in their eyes.
In Kingsbury area its about every 10th car, mainly cos they window shop as they drive and think their mirrors are simply aerodynamic aids on ther doors :roll:
I lived most my life in Colindale so grew up driving around those areas but do not recall it being as bad as you say. Once i moved to Stevenage i would commute on my Vespa along A1m and through Mill hill on down to Brent X. Thats was 6 years ago i last did that trip so maybe traffic has got a lot worse during rush hour.
I don't want this turning in to a 'you should have ...' thread.
Red Herring; the times I mentioned were a selection of several that journey. The Jag woman indicated while I was alongside her and started to move over, intimidating me with her actions in to moving back to let her over, something which was difficult due to having someone very close behind me. The van a little further on deliberately ran up the inside of me that closely to bully me into moving out of his way and get me to overtake the car in front. Nearer home a car came round the corner on the wrong side of the road causing me to swerve to avoid him. By this point I was feeling very paranoid. I thing almost everyone would. I'm glad that my observation, prediction, and reaction skills are good enough that I have only been hit once in three years riding. And that wasn't my fault.
Sir Trev; Thanks - nail-on-the-head ;)
Alpinestarhero
07-11-09, 09:02 AM
i live in london. its easier this way:
3 people gave me room to filter by or overtake in a safe manner.
Nobody! Been in Sweden all week and re-discovered free flowing trafic and lane discipline...:smt119
jamesterror
07-11-09, 11:06 AM
Once, van driver didn't stop coming onto roundabout when it was my right of way, about a metre between me being rather confused and losing my left leg.
This morning on the A12 just before the Old Ford turnoff I had a Serco prisoner wagon thing do the usual manoeuvre-before-indicate trick on me, in fact this guy didn't even bother indicating.
Luckily my ESP must have been fully functional because I moved myself into another lane or he would have come right through me!
Dave20046
07-11-09, 05:12 PM
indecisive ford ka! :(
Red Herring
07-11-09, 09:34 PM
I don't want this turning in to a 'you should have ...' thread.
Red Herring; the times I mentioned were a selection of several that journey. The Jag woman indicated while I was alongside her and started to move over, intimidating me with her actions in to moving back to let her over, something which was difficult due to having someone very close behind me.
I don't want a squabble either, but I do think there is a difference between bad incompetent driving which is all around us all the time, and what the title of the thread suggests which is where other drivers deliberately put your life at risk.
Your original post of "older woman driving a new jag XK. She was in the left lane of three, me in the middle. She indicated right but there wasn't room in front of me for her to move into. Didn't stop her though. Over she came, about two feet from my front wheel" to me implied the former rather than the latter. Oh well, my mistake.
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