Gripe of the day - What is yours?

[Red ones]

I was filtering and then changed lanes. The car I moved on front of then decided to drive into the back of me when I was already in the gap Infront of them. Either he was annoyed I was filtering or he was not posting attention

[dyzio]

People standing in traffic and not checking their mirrors for other vehicles trying to get through, like an ambulance.

Also, ambulance drivers switching their sirens off when trying to filter through stationary traffic on a dual carriageway. The folks in front of the queue have no idea what's behind them.

[timwilky]

Rain Rain Rain


The van is sat outside the garage doors, too big to get in. I took the old alternator off yesterday. new one this morning. But no way am I lying in puddles underneath to fit the replacement. No hurry 3 cars on the drive. But I just like using the van as I don't give a flying fart what happens to it.

[Red Herring]

Originally Posted by Red ones

I was filtering and then changed lanes. The car I moved on front of then decided to drive into the back of me when I was already in the gap Infront of them. Either he was annoyed I was filtering or he was not posting attention

If you were stationery when he hit you I'm inclined to understand why he might have been a bit miffed.

There's an easy way to remember the etiquette around filtering. There are car lanes, and there are bike lanes. The bike lanes are easy to spot because they have a nice dotted white line painted in them. Cars borrow the bike lane sometimes in order to move from one car lane to another, and bikes occasionally use some of the car lane to cross between their lanes, but neither ever stops in the lane belonging to the other. This way they can co-exist and never upset one another.

One of the things I sometimes pick candidates up on when testing them is when they filter between two lines of traffic up to a roundabout and then just when they get to the front they pull across and "take control" of a lane. What they have effectively done is pushed in because by doing so they are preventing the car behind them from taking the next available opportunity onto the roundabout.

Bikers get away with filtering because we are using space not being used by others and with skilful planning and anticipation we can generally emerge onto roundabouts or other junctions without stopping. If we do have to stop we should certainly be planning on doing so in a position where we won't impeded those we have just overtaken.

[maviczap]

Colleagues who can't be bothered to tell you that their travel arrangements have changed and you don't need to sit around the office waiting for their phone call to come and pick them up from the station, plus I've got 21 excess hours and I need to take before tomorrow, otherwise I'll lose them. No sense of consideration some people

[Red ones]

RH, I get your point but the shoe on the other foot I'm sure I'd still be in the wrong.
I was 'borrowing' the car lane to move from one bike lane to another, thanks to someone sitting in their car on the white line. I got in front to swap lanes and was moving when he pulled forward and hit me.
I think he either wasn't paying attention to the road in front of him (Heaven forbid anyone uses a phone when driving) or it was deliberate. Working on the reverse, if I rode into the car sitting on the white line I'm sure I would have been in the wrong irrespective of whether I was miffed or not.

It's only the third time in 20 years of riding that I've been tapped by a car when riding. The other two did it with their middle finger up; which was similar to what I did as I rode away thinking that they lost the battle. (immature and not a good response, but might cause them to rethink).

Reminds me of when I interrupted someone hurling racist abuse and holding up the traffic. (They found I could out accelerate their car to the next traffic jam and that their mirror was removable)

[Red ones]

My gripe today is also work colleagues.
Ones who think that although they hold 75% of the budget they should be immune from requests for funds for other projects. Why should I with just 25% of the budget fund all requests from Head Office??

[Red Herring]

Originally Posted by Red ones

RH, I get your point but the shoe on the other foot I'm sure I'd still be in the wrong....

Hi Red Ones, I wasn't trying to have a go at you, or in any way defend the driver, sorry if it came across that way, I was simply trying to explore why they may have been motivated into having a pop at you. Unfortunately there are always going to be some right muppets on the road, we just have to try and sus out who they are and avoid them.....

[Littlepeahead]

Terror attacks. I wasn't at work today as I happened to be in SW15 at the printers so witnessed dozens of police vehicles tearing down the A13 into the City.

Because Lord's is seen as quintessentially British we are considered at high risk so security is already oppressive. This will only make it worse.

And of course it doesn't work because Londoners don't get scared by such attacks, we just get bolshy and more determined to get on with our day.

[maviczap]

Indeed

Now the BBC newsgasam, live reporting from the scene by the studio team. What is the point, what value does it bring to this tragic story. A pull back shot of the area with Sally explaining what the London eye was. WTF!

In my view it only gives these sick mf'ers more publicity.