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Even the police can't be bothered to drive properly....

Being fairly new to riding on the road i'm still geting used to:

[ul][*]Pot holes that should be in the lake district

[*]Complete inabillity to move a finger 2 inches to use an indicator

[*]Being cut up

[*]General complete lack of awareness

[*]Bloody bendy buses

[*]etc etc[/ul]

But really p'd off today as i had a police car pull out right into my path - no indicators - just pulls out, its pretty wet so i'm skidding - he sees me and I just avoid him.



What hope have we got if the police can't even be bothered to drive properly!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.



Rant over.



Comments

  • julesojuleso Posts: 279
    Jack Hughes, I absolutely agree - it's all about assuming that nobody has seen you. I've been knocked off this year and seen my other half get knocked off last year, both by people who just weren't paying attention. It means I wear my helmet more often than I used to. Honestly though, some of the things that you see cyclists doing - it makes me wonder how more people aren't damaged. Some sort of compulsory bike test could never be implemented but it might make people think twice before jumping on a bike and riding in heavy traffic in a kamikaze fashion. Students, apparently, are invincible!
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Hey Justin.... last year White Van Man drove extra close to me so that his mate in the passenger seat could chuck the remains of his Macdonalds at me. It was a good shot, and the wing mirror of his shite-mobile transit also caught my arm.



    I got the reg number and called the rozzers. I nice lady at Eastleigh nick said it was extremely unlikely that they would be able to prosecute as there were no witnesses, but seeing as I'd given the reg number and described the vehicle correctly she had no reason to doubt me.



    What she did do was cause the bloke an immense amount of grief, with multiple visits, request for information and making him visit the nick a few times. Sure, he didn't get prosecuted, but being struck by a vehicle causes an offence and being struck by an object thrown from a moving vehicle means 'assault' so they took it seriously.



    I didn't get the asshole in court, but I bet he sweated a few times. [8D]



    Get their number and call it in, whatever it is. The police do put patterns of behaviour together and if some tosser is causing similar problems regularly in the same place at the same time they'll be out there one day to shaft him.
  • DocmartinDocmartin Posts: 17
    Have ridden in towns and latterly the country. I feel it is more likely to get totalled out in the sticks on a bike! A few years ago a bunch of us were finishing off a long evening ride. Good lights, single file and enjoying the downish hill country lane. Poice car comes bombing round the corner, swerves to miss front three, bounces off the earth bank at the passenger side of the road, starts heading towards me and pulls back into the earthbank/hedge just in time. Sweaty pale faced copper apolgises profusely, reverses out of the hedge and drives off......

    Out in the sticks drivers seem to believe in taking bends at speed 'cos no one else uses the roads![image]http://forum.220magazine.com/micons/m14.gif[/image]
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    Riding home last night - around 35mph down a hill - a car just pulls past me and turns left into the side lane.... fortunately managed to grab the breaks and after a bit of skidding miseed the car by less than a meter - was still going about 20ish.



    I ride as defensively as possible - but i really can't see how i could avoid this...did they think i was prob not going that fast so they had more time?!?



    Seriously - i'm thinking of upping my life cover / getting income protection in case i'm not able to work...



    I suppose i could try not riding quicker than 5pmh - but i'd have to set off at 4am to get to work!



  • graham33graham33 Posts: 265
    WillTri, that happen to me all the time, the worst is I cycle along a cycle track (well those red bike lanes just painted on!) and car are constantly flashing other cars out, generally as i'm going along at 25/30mph. I normally shake my head or give them a wave!



    Infact one idiot on Tuesday drove really close to me then changed gear and started revving (sounded like he had no exhaust) and beeping his horn, he then laughed and sped off. unfortunately for him he hit trafffic 30 seconds later. If i wasn't 6'4" and 16 stone I may have left it - but his face was worth getting off my bike for when I knocked on his window and I asked him why he was being a wa**ker. He was only about 17 and said He thought he knew me! I adjust his attitude slightly!



    but there are idiots out there everywhere!



  • clarkey30clarkey30 Posts: 270
    while the standard of drivers is poor and yeah weve all had some lucky escapes does anyone else find the state of our roads an even bigger problem!



    Ive broken an arm following hitting a pothole descending a hill and its the state of the roads that cause me to constantly swerve out of the gutter to avoid completely ruining my new bike! Ive actually taken to riding in the middle of the road sod the traffic!



    It infuriates me that ive paid over 2 grand for a bike yet cant ride it unless going out to the country as the roads into London are too poor! Oh and in London buses, especially bendy ones actually aim to stop you!
  • brizzichickbrizzichick Posts: 166
    i'm with you clarkey! i cycle to work every day and the roads are shocking! and london drivers....i especially find cabbies trying to push me out of the cycle &/or bus lane onto the pavement or cutting me off! I've had words on more than one occassion! [:@]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Phil TPhil T Posts: 49
    I ride to work pretty early to avoid traffic. Croydon to Wandsworth and I now know the dodgey spots and approach with caution. I find a very bright head torch on a helmet works well. Put it on flash and look the emerging traffic right in the eye. My route has a nice flat 2 mile stretch where I can open up and get some speed going. However, had a fox run out in front of me a couple of weeks ago. If I'd hit it I'd have been straight off. I find everyone is against cyclists including the local wildlife...
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    I def agree - I ride from Watford to Old Street and some of the pot holes are ridiculous - There's one near wembley about 4ft wide by 1 1/2 wide and pretty deep the only way is to hop over it. The council can't exactly miss it!



    Don't get me started on bendy buses!!! [:@]
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    I find a very bright head torch on a helmet works well. Put it on flash and look the emerging traffic right in the eye.


    Good idea Phil - off to the shops i go....
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    Phil T wrote:


    I find a very bright head torch on a helmet works well. Put it on flash and look the emerging traffic right in the eye.





    So does that not blind the driver slightly? I would worry that it might and that could cause more problems both for me, and for other people on the road.
  • its awful some of the stories that we read on this forum, if its not crazy drivers its mad cap charvas!! I generally try and just be aware of the traffic around me and I always look for a route with the quietest roads even if it means going a much longer way round!! We plainly cant rely on the awareness of others!



    Has anyone ever found problems with other cyclists??!! For exmple Ive had several instances where theyve failed to stop at red lights when mine are on green causing some very close calls!!! x
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