I was on my way from Ham to Tolworth today. Passed Ham through the pedestrian crossing to the main junction on the way to kingston. Theres a set of traffic lights on that crossing before the school, traffic qued back so i filtered up to the front in between both lanes.
When i got to the front there was a focus cmax on my left and a white van to my right. I stepped out up front a bit to make sure they both saw me and i wasnt in any blind spots and waited for the lights. The geezer in the cmax was getting quite aggitated with me off his offside front wing and was shouting something out of the window. Couldnt hear him.
When the light changed green, i headed off as usual but he screamed the focus and shot up the inside, almost pushing me into the van as the 2 lanes narrow into one before by the end of the junction.
I had no choice - i quickly checked my mirrors, plenty of traffic behind so split second decision I decided to burn it in second past them both before th gap got to small and pass in front of him and the van. By the time we got to the other end of the lights i was doin 45 (30 limit) and he was right up my arse.
I was well aware of this and he was up my arse so i decided to gently squeeze the front break to show him a light signalling my intention to slow down. Also I noticed there was a speed camera (gatso) coming up just after the crossing. I didnt want him hitting me up the back end.
He then swerved to the right hand lane and floored it, screaming past me. I had only showed a light and hadnt bled off any speed so I was still been doing about 43 as he shot past - straight into the speed camera which flashed. He must have been doing about 55-60.
400 yards later and the pedestrian crossing just ahead had gone red and he was in a que. I filtered past at about 15mph waving happily and was off into the distance.
In retrospect, and trying to be a responsible rider, I should have realised this guy was getting aggitated as soon as i pulled up and let him go past before he had the chance to attempt to squish me.
I was also a bit late on the take off, only getting to clutch bite point by mid way through the amber, and he was well away by then. Another opertunity for me to back off, missed.
I regret having to burn it off, as I am a stickler for speed limits on urban roads at 4pm especially near a school. I feel I had no choice at the time (the above notwithstanding).
Unfortunately I didnt recognise his burn off until too late, but at least it all ended up happily.
You did the right thing, i had a similar situation before although there was no indication that the driver was agitated. As i pulled away from the lights, both cars on either side raced off attempting to squeeze me. The S-class merc on my left, clipped me, knocking me into the other car still on my right side, bounced off that, back onto the merc. Ricocheted 2 or 3 times, i pulled over and so did the mercedes driver, other guy didn’t even stop.
Turns out he was a taxi driver and staarted having a go at me because he couldn’t work as his new S-class mercedes was all scratched and looking rather second-hand right along the rhs. If i hadn’t have been so shook up by the whole experience, i’d probably have smacked him considering it was him who had driven into me, almost killed me and he was bitching about not being able to carry on working and the state of his car, he never even asked if i was hurt. Hence the reason I always try and get even slightly ahead of any cars at a signal now, in case i need to make an escape like you did.
Here’s an example of OVER 30mph being an APPROPRIATE speed. If you’d stuck to the speed limit there would have been ketchup all over the road.
In days gone by, if plod had observed what happened people would have had a stern talking to, and boy-racer would have been booked.
Currently, if you hadn’t noticed the yellow box and slowed up you’d have had a fine and points with no room for an explanation for WHY you were doing over 30 - basically so you could avoid getting squished!!!
Speed cameras = progress? Perhaps, but not necessarily in the right direction…
Check out the cars/drivers as you filter to the front. If they look at all dodgy (you get to know a ‘type’) just hang one car back from the front, and then go with the flow. If they speed away - fine. If they are slow starters then overtake before you get to 30 mph. Either way you stay safe, and in your own riding zone.
Don’t ‘always’ get to the front, you may just upset someone who for their own good reasons (they might have just been badly cut-up by a rogue rider and/or their wife/husband is about to divorce them for a younger model who rides) is determined that day never to let another bike in front EVER EVER EVER.
Hanging back one car never spoils a good get-away in normal conditions, and in the above scenario would have saved much grief.
p.s. I know the road above very well (the Tudor Road intersection), and that is one I always hang back on, mainly because of the humps and cameras ahead.
