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?

This!

This!

really, a lot of earbuds nowadays are noise cancelling so there’d be no way he could be fully aware of what’s around him…or is he using his spidey senses no doubt. Seriously you can’t be equating someone sitting in a car with a radio on, provided it’s not at mind numbing volumes with someone deliberately trying to cut out all annoying noises…..possibly those of blue sirens as well.

It’s illegal because if you are looking at your phone you are not observing what is going on around you. You might not be aware when the lights change or cyclist has pulled up in front of you, if someone is crossing the road in front of your car or the driver you are behind has stalled. You are distracted. I’ve seen people hurriedly put their phone down and pull off too quickly as the traffic is moving and they hadn’t noticed so they rush to catch up. Some stall their cars, potentially causing an accident. You have the potential to seriously harm or kill someone with your car.

Sorry but if "women" on a school run are happy ro endanger the lives of not only others but their own kids then they should be able to put up with a bang on the window.

YABVU. Why shouldn't he call out people who are breaking the law and risking peoples' lives?

It may seem innocuous to you that people "glance" at their phone while sitting in traffic, but research has shown that even a short distraction has long term consequences for road awareness, either because a) drivers are still thinking about whatever they've just seen on their phone, or b) they've missed something that's happened on the road while distracted.

Your suggestion of hypocrisy is also unreasonable. If someone on a bicycle causes an incident through inattention, it's extremely unlikely that anyone other than themself will be injured, but if a car driver causes an incident, it's very likely that someone else will be injured. It's not a reasonable comparison.

Consider this:

If he'd passed a mobile speed camera and was then waving to oncoming traffic to warn them, you'd be grateful.

A minor speed infraction is 3 points on your licence. Fannying about with your phone, even whilst stationary, is 6. You may not like his methods, but the reality is that he's doing them a favour.

Wearing seat belts and not driving whilst pissed up are enforced at least as much by social pressures as a legal ones. Fiddling with your phone and then going "but I was only..." needs to go the same way. There is simply no need for it, a modern car will read out messages to you and allow you to dictate a reply, and even if you're driving a 1978 Fiesta you can still sucker it to the windscreen for Google Maps.

Yeh, I don't think he's wrong tbh.

Trying to justify your opinion by saying 'they're just Mums on the school run' makes it worse imo, because I find parents with kids in the car using their phones to be disgusting behaviour.

If they weren't breaking the law, he wouldn't 'scare them'.

I hate it when people bang on the car window. It's really loud and aggressive. I used to live in a city street that had 2 ATMs on either side - caused lots of bottlenecks and I would often have to sit and wait my turn to get through. Pedestrians would bang on the window and it was really fucking annoying. I wasn't sitting there for fun! It really made me jump!

Weird. I've been driving since 1990 and I don't recall anyone ever banging on my window.

(I did have someone tear the door open and punch me in the face once, but that was because he thought I was mouthing off at him when in fact I was singing along to Iron Maiden...)

Is it cycling mikey? Sends videos of drivers using phones to the police films it all for tik tok.

Should not be looking at or using phones while in charge of a vehicle.

the point is that loads of people who use a phone while stopped don’t notice when traffic moves, and then when they do (see it/get hooted) they move without looking AT ALL -and that’s genuinely horribly dangerous.

he needs to film and report. People do seem to stop if they get caught, so soon it won’t be much of a problem.

there is a reason why using a phone whilst being in control of a vehicle is illegal. not sure why you are calling out this guy and insulting him because he wants himself and other road users to be safe. Your attitude and concern for these poor school mums sounds bizarre or to use your phrase moronic.

Is he a frustrated covid marshal, disappointed that there are no restrictions?

I don’t approve of using a phone while driving, and I’ve wanted to gesture to those who do. But sooner or later, this well-meaning gentleman is going to pick the wrong person, and he won’t have the steel armour that car drivers do.

I would criticise him if that is all he does, and never reports anybody he finds persistently doing this. Or lets the police know they could be at a certain junction at a particular time and act on this.

Those using handheld phone whilst driving should face a ban, and have to pass their driving test again. Driving a car is not a human right.

I don't think he should be banging on people's car windows. That seems very confrontational, what if someone got out, as everyone is in a queue, and thumped him? It seems quite strange behaviour. I would think he was being a twat. Cyclists get on my nerves when I'm driving though so I'm biased. I think quite often their cycling is risky and erratic and they are relying on drivers ability to evade them too much.

For those say int “oooh yay go him” do you genuinely think banging on someone’s window will achieve anything at all?

The most likely outcomes here are either that someone will get out and thump him, or that he will scare someone into making a (more) dangerous driving descision. It’s not “public spirited” it’s being a prat.

It really doesn't matter whether there's a difference or not, because the point is that using a phone while at a standstill in traffic is still extremely dangerous! Take the example of an SUV stopped at a red light. These large cars have a bonnet height greater than an average 5-year-old. So while a driver spends 3 seconds reading a text message, a child could have stepped into the road in front, and they wouldn't see them.

Furthermore, research has shown that after using your phone, it can take half a minute to regain full attention, during which time your driving is impaired. So even if a driver only looks at their phone while stationary, the effect is longer lasting.

It's excellent evidence for the police when they prosecute.

?

It's his, and everyone else's, business if a driver is risking their safety.