Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to smash illegally parked cars after I just almost got knocked off bike?

144 replies

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 18/07/2013 16:36

I am so MAD it's not even describable. I live in an area of loads of victorian terraces...it's very naice and everything but these people park their bastard cars all up the roads and half on the paths making it treacherous for cyclists and pedestrians.

I just turned left into the next street on my bike (on the road) having checked there was no oncoming traffic. As I began cycling off, a car was coming in the opposite direction at quite a speed....probably not above the legal limit though...he did however get so close to me that he knocked the brake almost off the bike and caused me to clatter and clunk along the side of his car...this was due to A his speed and B the fact that the whole side of the road is taken up by fucking CARS where it should be FREE for ME to ride!

Angry

I was very apologetic and the driver was white....he kept saying "are you alright?" and I realise now that it was probably more his fault than mine...I was worried about his car!

I never got hurt...but that's because I had the strength to lever me and the bike away from the car and keep my feet clear...causing me to be sort of sandwiched between the moving car and the parked one.

What can i DO??? I have complained about the cars parking there before and they told me they'd ticket them all...then nothing happens!

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 06:44

It's not like I'm talking about smashing the man who almost hit me...he was old and shocked. I felt sorry for him. He was probably going too fast or whatever but the point is that those cars were taking up MOST of the road

No, the point is that it was the other drivers fault and no one else's

He failed to see you.

Be angry at the right person for causing this accident. The other driver failed to take account of the driving conditions in that road at that time.

Why are you feeling sorry for someone who was driving dangerously? He was far more likely to be responsible for killing a child than a stationary parked car.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 06:48

The fact that he was 70 and shocked is irrelevant. If my dad had a similar incident when driving I would question whether he was still safe to be on the road, not feel sorry for him.

WMittens · 19/07/2013 06:51

ItsNotATest

Completely agree.

saintmerryweather · 19/07/2013 06:57

there isnt really a need for your attitude problem, sock makes a very good point. you said the car was there when you turned into the road proceeding too.quickly down it but you still decided to try and get down it rather than wait and now youre pissed off with people parking outside their house because both you and the car driver handled the situation badly

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 06:57

You said good distance away. Something that is a good distance away is still there. On a road where it has nowhere else to go its flaming obvious it will still be there when you try to pass it.

This. Either it was there or it wasn't. The one certain thing is that the road was lined with parked cars which a) were obvious b) were immobile and c) are always there.

LittleBearPad · 19/07/2013 07:00

Soup is making excellent points. Just because the old man was shocked doesn't mean he and you both caused the problem. Him by driving too fast and you by turning into a road where there wasn't space to pass.

Cyclebump · 19/07/2013 07:32

You've had a scary experience so YANBU to feel shaken up and angry in the immediate aftermath.

If they're parked illegally I feel your rage, roads near me are constantly gridlocked because bad parking has left so little room for anyone to get through, whether on two wheels or four.

I do think you should be more angry with the car that took off your brake though, I can't stand drivers who 'chance it' width wise when I'm on my bike. It's fucking dangerous, a cyclist squished against a car can be seriously injured or killed.

It's rare that anyone pulls over so I can pass, even if there's a space on their side and not on mine. Most people just think cars have more right to be on the road than cyclists, it's very irritating, but it's a fact.

I can't help thinking that if this had been a car driver who'd had a wing mirror taken off by the oncoming car people would be a bit more sympathetic to your feelings of rage in the short term, however unfounded they thought they were.

Ironic since you were at far more risk of injury as a cyclist...

EvieanneVolvic · 19/07/2013 08:00

I say again I sympathise that you are clearly in a state of shock. Anyone would be. And your extrapolation to 'what if it had been a child' does you credit, and supports my view that a cycling proficiency test should be compulsory in the same way that a driving licence is.

However your very clear 'two wheels good; four wheels bad' and 'I was was absolutely right to do whatever it was I did, whenever and wherever it was I did it' stance is losing you a lot of support, whatever the rights and wrongs of this particular situation.

Hope you're feeling better this morning (sorry that sounds PA but I really don't know how to phrase it otherwise!)

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 08:14

I can't help thinking that if this had been a car driver who'd had a wing mirror taken off by the oncoming car people would be a bit more sympathetic to your feelings of rage in the short term, however unfounded they thought they were

If the hypothetical car driver had been directing their rage at the parked cars then no, I imagine the reaction would be the same.

I can't stand drivers who 'chance it' width wise when I'm on my bike.

It is unclear who "chanced it" here as the oncoming car was apparently both there when the OP checked and not there, with neither having right of way. If the road was not wide enough at that point for both car and bike then one should have stopped - who this should have been is not apparent.

The only thing that seems clear is that the driver appears to have misjudged the safe speed for the road.

Technotropic · 19/07/2013 08:17

OP I'm sorry to hear that you had an accident. Sadly all too frequent nowadays.

A lot of the time I see this sort of thing happending (either in my car on on my bike) and IME cars tend to think they can plough on through and the bike is secondary.

I even had a near head on on my bike once when I rode through traffic calming and the arrow clearly showed I had right of way. But because I was a cyclist the daft cow in her car thought I wasn't traffic.

If you made the overtake before the car then I believe you have a right to complete your manoeuver. If it was 50/50 then it's more difficult obviously.

That said, if I'm in my car and this happens then I just yield as it's about considering the road user that is the most vulnerable. The driver was being a total dick IMHO for not even slowing to a crawl.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 08:20

The person who "chanced it" is the person who was last onto the stretch of road in question.

Had I been the car driver, I would have stopped and let the cyclist manoeuvre past me, be that by dismounting and pushing on the pavement or slowly edging past. Had I been the cyclist I would probably have dismounted and squeezed over to the edge as I do when I am a pedestrian on a pavementless road. Basically, I never trust what the other road user is going to do and take control of my own safety. However, this is impossible to judge for the specific scenario experienced by the OP as I have no idea of the road set up.

Original poster
NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 19/07/2013 08:22

I can only explain it like this.

I came up to the corner.
I looked for oncoming traffic.
There was a car coming down the long road but it seemed to be along way away
I KNOW I had time...so I turned and rode
The car seemed to be on top of me almost immediately
DOes that mean he sped up?
It's possible
I am a very experienced cyclist....I am used to judging speed
I don't think I chanced it...I think he was going too fast.

I should feel anger at him...but it's hard. The cars on the road were parker right up to the corner, partially obscuring the view of any cyclist coming round....which is why I stopped and as always was careful to check.

OP posts:
Original poster
NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 19/07/2013 08:23

I will be going up there soon to check the lines on the road there...I will update and let you know what I find out. If it's legal well...fair enough to the parkers...they're not breaking the law. If it's not legal, I'll be kicking up a stink and tbh I can't imagine HOW it's legal as it's extraordinarily dangerous there due to the cars. It's also right opposite a large park full of kids and parents...awful really.

OP posts:
ComposHat · 19/07/2013 08:37

So ignoring the parked car red herring... cyclist misjudges car's speed, motorist going too fast and both misjudge the space they have to pass and both attempt to dive through.

If we are going to attribute blame then the motorist is more responsible, but both were careless. Certainly not worth foaming at the mouth righteous indignation.
I write this as someone who commutes by bike.

diddl · 19/07/2013 08:39

It sounds as if you were wrong then, OP as the car was already on it's way & you were "chancing it".

You obviously didn't have time.

Technotropic · 19/07/2013 08:41

Agree totally with ComposHat

ceeveebee · 19/07/2013 08:49

Morning
That is exactly what I said upthread and got a bollocking from OP

As a road user you have to watch for hazards. You only go when its safe and when there is nothing coming in the opposite direction. If there are two vehicles ie you and the oncoming car, one of you should have pulled over to let the other pass. Nothing to do with the parked cars. It's no different then if you were driving a car on a road with cars parked on both sides, which is pretty normal in most urban areas.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 09:09

I KNOW I had time...so I turned and rode

In reality, you thought you had time and chanced it on that assumption. Which is not to say it was your fault as this is not a clear cut scenario.

The only ones who were not at fault for the accident are the parked cars though as they were neither moving nor had drivers in. They were visible, stationary road hazards which should have been considered fully by both parties. Whether they were legally parked is actually not relevant - it's still not their fault. Their only fault is a parking violation.

Obviously if checking the yellow lines, you need to check the times they are in force too.

Original poster
NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 19/07/2013 09:25

No I did have time. There was no room for him and me and he decided to chance it.

OP posts:
IneedAsockamnesty · 19/07/2013 09:29

fwiw a bike isn't a 'vehicle' under RTA legislation but cyclists are road users, and Socks analysis appears to discount the rights (or even existence) of bikes to be counted as road users

No it does not, nobody should attempt to use a road that due to parked cars and moving things already there is not wide enough for them to fit down until the already moving thing has passed.

If it had have been two cars it would be even more obvious to everybody that the last car onto the narrow road should not have turned into the road before the car taking up the entire gap had moved.

I'm neither pro bike or car (over each other)i think both are good modes of transport,I do drive but only because I cannot ride a bike due to balence issues but I think they look wonderful and I would love to ride one even just once.

Of course the rights and wrongs of it don't make much difference because the end result was both road users ended up shaken and it was obviously upsetting.

But if it was two cars and an insurance claim happened it would be assessed as being the fault of the one who entered the road last when there was not space to do so.

That aside its a good idea to check the legal parking status of the road if its not legal then highlight it to the person in charge of enforcement if it is then it may be worth asking someone (not sure who) to reasses it as it does sound like it shouldn't be.

theodorakisses · 19/07/2013 09:32

This thread is almost as boring as a conversation with a cyclist.

TheProsAndConsOfHitchhiking · 19/07/2013 09:52

After reading the whole thread op it does sound like you were in the wrong. You seen the car coming but decided to take your chances anyway, I feel quite sorry for the 70 year old driver in all this, When he set off along the road it was clear, then all of a sudden a cyclist pulls out and sets off towards him when there was no room to do so.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 10:18

Clearly you didn't have time or you would have made it past the obstruction. Confused

If the car wasn't in the road when you turned then he is the one who chanced it.
If the car was in the road when you turned then you are the one who chanced it.

The driver made an incorrect assumption that you both would fit as he passed you. As did you really. I assume the driver did not see you properly/in time.

MidniteScribbler · 19/07/2013 10:27

If he was alredy on the road, then you were in the wrong. You took achane and made a mistake.

Are you always this resistant to accepting your mistakes? Or is everyone else in the world to blame for your errors of judgement?

babyhmummy01 · 19/07/2013 10:49

I have read the full thread and I fully agree with soup and others. Your op states clearly that the car was already coming towards you and as such you were in the wrong and the cause of the accident and not the parked cars. And FWIW I would be saying the same if you had been in a car.

Irrespective of what speed the car was doing he was already on the road and you had only just turned into it. Therefore it was the cars right of way not yours and you should have waited for him to pass.

I suspect your attitude and anger about this is because you know you were at fault but are reluctant to admit it.