I refrained from trying to impart some ‘friendly’ advice to a fellow rider this morning cause he’d probably just tell me to feck off. He was riding beyond his own hazard perception - on coming traffic queuing and the last vehicle in the queue was a Luton type box van. Our man (Black ER type Kawasaki) overtakes the car in front of us as the car is approaching the Luton van. Had someone been crossing behind Luton I could be filling out a Witness Statement form now instead of typing this post. With better planning this guy would have waited another 4 seconds and there would have been no risk. Russian Roulette.
A mile up the road having seen him go to go around a traffic island on the wrong side he’s riding down the outside of the traffic (on Clerkenwell Road) too fast and too close to the line of traffic he’s passing. Inevitably someone steps out from behind a tall vehicle in the queue and he nearly collects them. Not 200yrds further along the road a carbon copy happens (there’s a left turn there I had the pedestrian been a car - nee noor nee noor.
The rider is gesticulating to someone, me I think, about the two pedestrians. I pull up an the lights and ask him who’s fault all that was. Naturally he’s in disbelief that the dickhead on the bike behind him thinks it was his fault. “how the feck is that my fault” he asks.
I explained I bottled telling him about his earlier overtakes and that he has just proved the theory by:
Overtaking into road positions he cant see to be safe. Putting himself and others at risk.
It wont be the first time that this has happened to him or seen it happen to others so he already has past experience to draw on. So should act on it.
3. He has a duty of care to other road users.
4. He has a duty of care to himself and his family.
I actually think it struck somewhere with this guy because his verbal response was “ermm, well I dont care, I dont care!” whilst being unable to look me in the eye. Plus his riding changed quite dramatically!
Riding our bikes is life changing for good and bad reasons - Frank Spencer said it best “there are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots…”
Boring I know but if it keeps someone going sky-road-sky-road…
Seen this all too often. Had a fellow bombing up behind me at massive speed. I stuck my hand out to warn him to slow down, but he ignored me and was nearly collected by the car turning across the road that I had spotted from my vantage point of looking ahead at developing traffic patterns. Twatty bottom rider came to a squealing halt and just avoided being a meat pancake. I rode on past him and shrugged. He did not pass me again for the rest of the ride.
Hit a pedestrian yesterday. Stepped out, between cars, on his phone. Grabbed some brake but crashed into him anyway, he picked himself up and looked very sheepisg. I asked if he was ok, but he just muttered and went back to his phone and hobbled off.
I think he's saying he didn't say anything at all
yourebarred
I didn't say anything regarding the Luton van when that happened. I told him about the Luton van incident and the rest of it when the 2 "what if someone stepped out" actually happened.
We’ve all do it and all still will do at some point, I thought it a good reminder for why I try to apply some of what I have been taught.
Seriously, I don't understand the question.
silveR6
Just because you can overtake does it mean that you should? Taken to an extreme -if you're following 2 articulated lorries (HGV's) that are tailgating each other as they sometimes do and you will only have time/space to get to past the first lorry and pull into the tiny gap between them should you do the overtake? Why move from a road position that is save (behind both lorries) to a road position thats unsave between the 2 lorries where you might get squashed if the first lorry brakes hard?
The chap I saw this morning had not “planned” for what could not even reasonably, but easily be expected. Its potentially just as important to factor in our rinding/driving/walking plan what cant be seen as it is what can be seen. Dont you slow down when passing a Bus a Bus stop? There is a real chance of someone getting off the Bus and crossing in front or to the rear of the Bus isnt there.
P1ss poor hazard perception is the biggest thread on our roads.
Its not just the whether, its the how. I would be interested for your critique on my riding in London - I probably overtake too fast for some people’s liking, but I always go high and wide when I can, precisely because of the number of twats you get just stepping/cycling/riding their scooters out from positions where they cannot see what they are stepping in to - if I’m over by the opposite kerb, I have a fantastic viewpoint of their idiotry before it affects me.
If you are interested, Transport for London are doing 1-2-1 rider training on your specific commute - and it’s free! It’s delivered by Phoenix Motorcycle Training - instructors meet you and ride with you to work. I have instructed a couple and I believe the customers have got a lot out of it.
If you are interested, Transport for London are doing 1-2-1 rider training on your specific commute - and it's free! It's delivered by Phoenix Motorcycle Training - instructors meet you and ride with you to work. I have instructed a couple and I believe the customers have got a lot out of it.
Stuart Fordyce
I probably overtake too fast for some people's liking, but I always go high and wide when I can, precisely because of the number of twats you get just stepping/cycling/riding their scooters out from positions where they cannot see what they are stepping in to - if I'm over by the opposite kerb, I have a fantastic viewpoint of their idiotry before it affects me.
Bobzilla
Thats adding "margin for error".
Break that down - by increasing your view (and other peoples view of you if they care to look) you’re gathering information, right? By having that info you can decide if you need to give information if someone is there to receive it - like hooting or flashing your lights. Then you can plan whether to speed up or…God forbid it, slow down, move left or right. So there’s a logic here Bobzilla, you have an “Information Phase”, then a “Planning Phase”. Rusty99, does this sound at all familiar and like Bobzilla has been reading The Good Book?
