Nob on a bike

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I repeatedly drive a similar route for work/school run. There are two inevitable tailbacks (at least 10 minutes in each, every time, mostly stationary). One at a set of traffic lights, one before a very slow junction. A man on a bike clearly does the same route as I do. Every day, he rides up the side of each traffic jam, looking through all the drivers' windows... and when he sees someone on their phone, he'll bang on their window and gesticulate in a really sneery, condescending way. He wears a suit and just looks like he thinks he's the dog's bollocks. I don't use my phone in the queues, but tbh I wouldn't really judge someone for carefully glancing at theirs whilst in such a massive tailback.

I think this man is a nob and hypocrite (why aren't HIS eyes on the road, rather than looking through all the car windows?). DH says he's reasonable, and doing a public service. AIBU?

He should be focusing on the road and himself. Is it Jeremy Vine?

He sounds horrible, but you don't know his history. He could have lost a relative or been in an accident himself.

My other thought is that he might be recording the interactions for YouTube or something and making money from it.

OK, so they shouldn't be using their phones.

But I'm sorry - I do think there's a difference between looking at your phone momentarily while you're at a complete standstill, and using it while driving. As I say, I don't do either, but I think he's focusing on the wrong stuff (and being a nob about it).

Three people on this thread have given real life examples of where somebody has been distracted by their phone whilst stationary or in crawling traffic, and then caused a serious accident moving off because they weren’t paying attention. There was an awful court case earlier this year where a man had killed one of his best friends and paralysed another because he used his phone while in a stop start crawling jam and didn’t notice traffic ahead coming to a standstill. You might think it’s different, the families of the people who’ve died probably don’t.

Obviously using your phone is a distraction and shouldn't be condoned.

But the cyclist is just as bad for banging on car windows. He clearly isn't concentrating on the road and could be the cause of an accident.

It's still illegal though. In that momentary lapse in concentration, they might have missed a pedestrian or cyclist coming into a blind spot. When they do move off, they might miss them and cause an accident.

But they clearly drove while looking at the phones? They were not still with their engines off, surely?

Seems your hated is because he’s a cyclist. Would you call him a “nob” if it was a pedestrian calling out irresponsible drivers?

When you’re outside of cars you notice the number of people staring at their laps and it’s astonishing. There’s evidence that those using phones in stationary traffic also use them whilst driving. Plus it’s distracting even when not moving. A driver not aware of what’s around them is a danger.

The law is that phones must not be touched whilst you are in control of a vehicle - as in, not parked up at the side of the road with the engine off. It isn’t up to individuals to decide whether they think using their phone is safe or not, just as it isn’t up to individuals who’ve had a few drinks to decide whether they feel too drunk to drive or not.

Team Cyclist here. Hopefully he reports any driver using their phone to the police.

Like this example here at 1:20:

Fortunately the law doesn’t care what you think is wrong or right.

This. And I'm not defending drivers using their phones in any way.

and when he sees someone on their phone, he'll bang on their window and gesticulate in a really sneery, condescending way

Well, everybody has pointed out that all those drivers are selfish arses. It's probably not the best ploy from the cyclist, one day, he'll pick an easily angered cage fighter, so I agree that he should film the number plates and the offenders.

All those school runners ought to have a word with themselves, they're endangering their own children, if no one else.

If you think this is the only time these people glance at their phones you are mistaken. Arrogance and entitlement rarely considers situation

Think of it as him doing you a favour. By self policing these people his actions may well save a life.....maybe even somebody who you know

Saw another knob just like this a couple of years back, doing exactly the same. Whilst he was doing all the sneering into people’s cars the twat rode directly into a traffic island bollard. Needless to say not one car driver got out the help him back onto his bike and on his merry way 👍
karma is sweet.
oh, and he had earbuds in too, very road wise.

If it was considered safe to have a 'quick careful glance at your phone' whilst you were stopped in traffic for some reason, the law would permit that.

It doesn't because its recognised that it is not safe, that human behaviour is such that people will pull off whilst still looking at their phone, will start to use their phone when traffic is simply moving very slowly rather than at a stand still etc etc.

SO the mans a nob - so what. You don't have to make the same choices he does. But he's a nob in the right, and police are actively encouraging people to record and send in footage via operation Snap, and report such crimes.

People in cars on phones are dickheads.
The man you're talking about may be risking his life pointing this out though. Plenty of Kenneth Noyes out there.....

😂 indeed! Can’t stand him and that stupid fucking drone he has following him to record how hard done by he is. The irony of reporting people for using phones and careless driving then having a drone bobbing in front of people driving…

Put your phone down. Long may he continue.

No.

You know what drivers do if they check phones then drop them when lights change? They're a bit startled and don't do proper observations before starting off. That oh shit, remember you're driving a car thing.

Observations are what tells you if a cyclist or pedestrian is nearby. It's not harmless to check your phone at a standstill.

Maybe he got knocked off his bike by someone using their phone once and that's why he's so intent on it?

Do you cycle, op?

I know exactly where that footage was taken and used to live in that area. I’m the interests of keeping fy friends safe I shall be posting the footage to my Facebook page so everyone can look out for her 🤣

It’s a 360 helmet camera, not a drone 😂

He def had a drone at one point I saw it! (I think!!)

Phone use is a real problem. It’s illegal to use even in stationary traffic and as a cyclist myself I would say at least once every journey some idiot on a phone is so distracted they hurriedly move off without checking mirrors which is a huge problem for cyclists and other vulnerable groups. I am seriously considering running a camera as it endangers me and my child who cycles to school. I’m talking suddenly moving forward fast, rolling forward into the advance stop box when we’re waiting, swerving in lanes as they are holding or looking at a phone or breaking lights. It’s endemic. It’s not a harmless action and is very rarely a glance. I’m all for more awareness as the police cant monitor this enough. And because it’s an issue most police forces accept footage from cameras and will use FPNs.

drivers need to remember that five people are killed every day on our roads and they are in charge of tonnes of metal and should simply follow the rules.

as a cyclist we have a really good view into cars and the number of people on WhatsApp. Watching movies or TV (yes really in moving traffic) and scrolling on some coal media is endemic, there’s no way their attention is fully on the road or in the event of an issue their hands can assume full control of a vehicle as one of them is holding a phone.

Frankly I’m sick of it and there’s no excuse

Social media obviously.