Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

AIBU?

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!

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:

Report

ballinacup · 19/07/2013 11:21

I'm not so sure the cars will turn out to be parked illegally either.

If you reported it, and the police said they'd ticket but nothing was done, clearly the officer went out, had a look, and decided nothing was amiss. In my experience the police, rightly, don't hold back on giving tickets where appropriate.

trixymalixy · 19/07/2013 11:26

I have to agree with babyhmummy and others. Whether you were in a car or on a bike you were wrong to turn down a road that already had a car on it where there was not enough room for both of you to pass.

The cars illegally parked or not are a red herring, they were there and were an obstacle you should have allowed for better.

Panonabike · 19/07/2013 17:28

"I just turned left into the next street on my bike (on the road) having checked there was no oncoming traffic.."

is there a collective reading-and-comprehension failure? The car appeared in view after she was on the now-infamous road. It wasn't about not checking stuff. And the legality of the cars' parking is relevant. There are laws to account for this sort of stuff, which looks like are being ignored. Police are v v selective about what they prosecute and what they don't. Eg, that green box for cyclists at traffic lights, called the Advanced Stop Line, or 'bike box'. To pull up in there at a red light warrants a £60 fine and 3 pts. It happens at just about every set of lights I pass through to work (about 10 of them, return journey, 20). Have a rough guess about how many prosecutions there have been?

So no, not giving out tickets re illegal parking is no indicator of the status of the cars.

EvieanneVolvic · 19/07/2013 17:43

The legality of the parked cars on the road may or may not be relevant but it could be that the silence of the OP on the matter since this morning indicates that she has discovered they were not illegally parked. Just a thought.

Fenton · 19/07/2013 17:46

I thing the point is, not how you perceive it OP, but the road markings in this case.

On the face of it, it seems wrong that cars are parked on both sides of the road and possibly an emergency vehicle couldn't pass. However, roads such as these are assessed for emergency access and thoroughfare and if the council deems necessary it will restrict parking.

I used to live in a street just as you describe and although a bit on the tight side, the ambulances could get down there (we even had a high speed police chase down there on two occasions )

So if there aren't any parking restrictions it sounds like the driver was going to fast down a narrow route and really he's to blame.

I can understand you being shaken up though.

Panonabike · 19/07/2013 17:46

Or, or, she has other things to do today, not RTA or Highway Code related. You know, like most people do?

Fenton · 19/07/2013 17:50

Oh and by the way I do cycle and drive (not at the same time obvs)

As a cyclist you really do have to have the patience of a saint, remain calm and expect most motorists to act like knobbers towards you - then there are no surprises and you'll stay safe. Get irate and you'll get into difficulties.

Panonabike · 19/07/2013 17:58

Exactly Fenton - I ride about 100 miles a week, mostly in heavy traffic. If I were to get irate and fume every time a driver acted like a wanker I wouldn't ride. You need a policy of zen-ness. Ride defensively, assertively and courteously and rise above the inanity that too many drivers bring to the road.

EvieanneVolvic · 19/07/2013 18:10

Or, or, she has other things to do today, not RTA or Highway Code related. You know, like most people do?

You would think, but it was s/he who promised to report back. Ho hum. Once again, I'm seeing things from Theodora's pov.

Panonabike · 19/07/2013 18:11

Quelle surprise! theodora has a twisted view of cyclists, bless.

EvieanneVolvic · 19/07/2013 18:16

But just one thing before I go Pan, in the OP's own telling:

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,

so Neo DID see it (it didn't appear afterwards) but misjudged the distance/time available (still doesn't mean s/he's to blame necessarily, the other driver might have sped up). So I'm not sure the 'collective reading and comprehension failure' is all on the one side.

You need a policy of zen-ness. Ride defensively, assertively and courteously and rise above the inanity that too many drivers bring to the road.

Excellent policy. Insert 'and cyclists and even pedestrians' after 'drivers' and it will be damned near perfect.

EvieanneVolvic · 19/07/2013 18:18

Quelle surprise! theodora has a twisted view of cyclists, bless.

Damn!! I wanted to win the award for patronising tart on this thread, but Pan, I bow...

IneedAsockamnesty · 19/07/2013 18:19

Give the op a break, she was wide awake at about 3am probably quite shaken up its hot she's likely to have come in from work (if she has) and fallen asleep I know I want to.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 18:21

is there a collective reading-and-comprehension failure?

Is there a failure to read beyond the first post?

Panonabike · 19/07/2013 18:22

I'll share the accolade. But it's often soooo hard to not patronise drivers.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 18:29

So if there aren't any parking restrictions it sounds like the driver was going to fast down a narrow route and really he's to blame.

Well, not necessarily if the OP saw him and misjudged the distance/speed/gap.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 18:30

The only people not at fault for the accident are the owners of the parked cars. they have only committed a parking violation.

Panonabike · 19/07/2013 18:37

Which alternative universe are you inhabiting Soup? OP is riding a push bike at 5-10mph, the car is doing 25 possible? A tonne of metal, glass and plastic. Let's see. Which one has the 'power' in this scenario? In a civilised world where does the accent on 'causing a life-threatening danger' lie? This isn't a 'battle of equals', and from the account the possibility of driving too fast on a narrow route is highly likely. As a bikist one doesn't 'take on' cars coming at you.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 18:40

I'm living in the real world, which one are you in?

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 18:41

The power is irrelevant.
The OP misjudged the speed and distance involved.
The car misjudged as well.
Neither are free from blame.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 18:43

As a bikist one doesn't 'take on' cars coming at you

Well, I never said that one does. However, being a bikist doesn't make one immune from making a misjudgement.

Panonabike · 19/07/2013 18:49

No, there was no 'misjudgement' from the OP's account.
In any case, in driving my car in this situation (as most drivers probably would) I'd slow down and (heaven forefend) actually stop to ensure we all got out of the situation nicely and recognise that bikes and cars are different. In this case, the driver appears to have decided he has more entitlement and bike has to get out of his way. Probably.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 18:58

Oh, so when she saw there was a moving car further up the road she did not misjudge its speed or distance? Not sure how it ended up right next to her at the wrong place then.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 19:02

In case you missed it There was a car coming down the long road but it seemed to be along way away

Panonabike · 19/07/2013 19:05

Hmm, so what were the choices? Stop and hope for the best? And car speed changes (as she speculated) so speed and distances are variable, and she can't be expected to anticipate the drivers intentions to speed up or slow down in this situation.
The other curious thing is the fact that it all took place on the driver's side. So not having to imagine a further six feet or so of space. IT was all there right beside him. And he still decided to drive on. One can only hope there is an expensive body shop bill to meet.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.