“I didn’t see you”

Man what is with oblivious car drivers.

Today I was riding home on my push bike, at one point I cross a single lane bridge, with an unbroken line the length of the bridge, this means you cannot cross the line to overtake slower moving traffic, by law.

I have super bright led lights, they were on front and rear, plus I have a high viz back pack.

Today I was going over the same narrow bridge and a car overtook me. There was a car coming the opposite direction, when I saw a car to my right overtaking me, the idiot driver had to take sudden evasive action to avoid a head on collision.

The wanker then cut back in front of me and almost took me out by a Half a foot.

I yelled out oiiiiiiii, idiot. Flipped them the bird and the stupid woman driver made eye contact in her centre tear view mirror with me, and sped off. No wave of apology.

I was stunned, then on my street, Lo and behold I saw the same car parked in my street, and the stupid cow was getting out with bags of McDonald’s food.

I stopped and asked her what was with her pathetic driving, the cow woman goes I did not see you.

I said how could you not have you overtook me? And you went onto the wrong side of the road.

She said I could not see you, I go well you shouldn’t have a funky licence then if you could not have seen me. I said look at these super bright led lights, I said you should not have a funky licence if you pretend not to have seen me.

I said I am reporting you, cause you should not be driving.

Lesson is the person you piss off on the road could be your neighbour.

So all somebodies life is worth, is a crap McDonald’s feed, gotta get home before my food gets cold.

This fool would be more than likely to hit you off a bike and run, and leave you for dead.

Their defence is I did not see you. Ffs

As a cyclist I hear ya loud and clear. People on their cell phones is horrible these days. My transportation is 100% by bicycle these days. Its really terrible. One has got to think the driver is NEVER paying attention.

Glad you made out OK.

a reply to: musicismagic

Thank you, I am usually pretty alert on the road, I love music though I wouldn’t wear headphones, way too risky.

People on phones is so worrying, though in the burbs where I live there are no cycling lanes.

A couple of days ago I was coming to a sharp bend in the road, and this big van comes around the blind bend opposite side of the road. and comes more than half way into my lane.

I go oooooiiiii. The idiot was texting he was stunned and he dropped his phone onto the road, and stopped and got out and was yelling and swearing at me. Lol, I said you’re a wanker and rode off.

His iPhone was really broken. Ha ha.

Situational awareness is key to survival.

a reply to: robsmith

She was probably telling the truth, but it had nothing to do with her vision. My guess is that she couldn't see you because she was looking down at her phone.





ETA: a reply to: musicismagic

oops. I didn't even notice you had already mentioned cell phones.

a reply to: robsmith

My mate is a bit of a lump, various black belts in Martial Arts, a Doorman and a Biker.
Got cut up one day and took a slide across the tarmac. Remonstrated with the driver who just said "You're hard wearing that helmet" to which he threw the helmet to the floor and laid the driver out next to it.
Karma

a reply to: BrokenCircles
More than likely was playing her phone.

a reply to: Cymru

Lol karma is a wicked soul! I know how hard it is for motorcyclists, I don’t hesitate to give motorbike riders clearance. I am suprised when I give them entry off a slip lane where they have to give way to me, I let em in as I would prefer to use my car as a barrier for their safety. As some other knob possibly wants to hit them.

a reply to: BrokenCircles

I have just ordered these compressed air horns usually what people use for little league quarters and half time.

One will go in the bike as an air horn should scare scare the crap out of drivers at close range.

a reply to: robsmith

What an assclown.

I drove to the end of my street and some guy skipped the stop sign at the intersection and used his inertia to make a wide right turn right into me. He was in the oncoming lane, but he stopped about 5 feet from me, then started honking his horn and motioning for me to move. I just sat there and cued him to adjust and move himself, yet he slumped over his wheel in brazen defiance. It wasn't until I picked up my phone did he finally decide to reverse and drive around, properly.

He was hispanic, not that it matters, but that may have been why he moved. Fear of involvement with police, especially with him being in the wrong. Not to derail, but the bad drivers I have encountered always cry racism, if they aren't white. Like that's their excuse for not driving correctly. Oddly enough, my buddies agreed the other guy was in the wrong, until I told them he was Hispanic, then I was racist.

a reply to: JefeFeesh

Where I live there are many god damn awful drivers, i suspect many buy their licences.

Normally as a learner you need 120 hours of lessons. These people get their probationary licence in two weeks.

I suspect they are falsifying their learner books.

I don’t want to be racist though this idiot woman driver could have been in apocalypse now.

Not that it matters it’s mostly middle eastern drivers who don’t give a crap. They want you to hit them.

Here in Victoria straya, that cash for crash scam is hitting hard. Have a look on YouTube.

a reply to: robsmith

People are horrible to cyclists. In my area there's a weird hatred for them because GOD FORBID you have to drive a little slowly until it's safe to pass them. It's ridiculous to me, but we definitely don't live in a world where we cultivate patience.

A local politician commented on a video years ago of a car hitting a cyclist and driving away. Something about how the cyclist deserved it. Years later when his constituents were fighting for bike lanes, he was poo-pooing the idea for almost two years, even though lots of funding was available. Someone dug up the comments on the video, and, as you could expect... he had to resign.

I can't imagine how scary that was, especially on a bridge with nowhere to bail.

Maybe there might be funding available in your area for bike lanes, too? Definitely won't fix anything immediately, but it could be worth pushing for.

a reply to: robsmith

Yep. Plenty of terrible drivers. My mentioned encounter didn't seem like a scam. More so he wanted to do what he wants, and wanted me to accept it. I dislike those that will endanger others drive recklessly, especially in a neighborhood; extra especially in my neighborhood. I feel if I can't have a safe environment where I live, what chance will I have out and about?

Michael Jackson had a song that emanates this feeling

I'll have to work on my YouTube embedding... Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson

a reply to: Atsbhct

Unfortunately some of the streets I use to get to a safe bikeway along a creek, for about two kilometres, I have to use small narrow streets, which have no provision for bike lanes.

Though the council here in Dandenong are corrupt, have a look at my Brett Sutton post, the council will be bankrupt, due to upcoming litigation.

a reply to: JefeFeesh
As much as people knock Michael, man in the mirror is a really strong song. So true on so many levels.

In my suburb, this cash for crash sucks. Like recently being on a right of way a car is waiting to enter the main road, at night and some wanker, appears to be giving way for me to pass, then as I am about a meter from them they pull out in front of me. I see a little kid in the back seat in no child safety seat, I had to hit the brakes hard.

I was driving an old Range Rover p38, weighs two tonnes, not easy to stop on a dime.

I stopped about a foot from the car.

I was more pissed of this Richards head would put his child’s life at risk, for a few bucks. Moron.

I was driving a friend out for her birthday dinner, young Asian lady
She said I was the worst driver she has ever been in a car with, ouch

a reply to: robsmith

Back in 1984, at the age of 16 I got my provisional car driving licence in the UK. It was timed so that I was able to take driving lessons and be fully licensed by my 17th birthday.

Unfortunately, the licence wasn't valid for motorcycle riding, only as a provisional licence to learn and then take a secondary test.

In the mid 90s, as the law was about to change, which would have limited new licence holders to 250cc or a certain horsepower, I decided to take a crash course and test in order to get my full motorcycle licence before the change came into effect. Basically, it was a 6 day intensive course with the 1st day in a closed area and then five days on the road, dawn to dusk.

Long story short, the first thing our instructor said was.:

"Assume no one sees you!"

"Everyone is out to kill you!"

"Make eye contact and even then, assume they haven't seen you and want to kill you!"

He drilled into out very psyche these three quotes during the whole course. It was terrifying to hear, but it ultimately stuck in my mind and I have applied this philosophy ever since, whether on two wheels, four wheels or on foot.

a reply to: robsmith

In the UK, a lot of it is down to the MSM creating a cyclists vs drivers narrative.

Agreed same here, in some areas it is stupid to reduce car lanes to donate to cyclists such as Melbourne city where on a former two lane road it took 10 minutes to travel 5 kilometres, now a single lane it may take a half hour for the same distance.


a reply to: Whodathunkdatcheese

a reply to: robsmith

It's pretty amazing how stupid people are allowed to do all kinds of things, but intelligent people are barred from doing much less harmful or powerful things.

I have used a certain chat from time to time, every time expecting 'normal people' that I could just have a nice talk with every now and then. Every time (I know, I am stupidly optimistic) I have bumped into much lower state of consciousness I thought was even possible - so much stupidity, so much scatological and nonsensical crap, tiny, short sentences (if they can be called such), no thought behind anything anyone says whatsoever.

I try to talk about any topic even a little bit, they start calling me mental or the usual, 'autist' or 'a troll'.

When I imagine these people in traffic, driving a car, I can only be horrified for the people around them. I wouldn't want to even be a pedestrian anywhere near where these people drive.

When I think of what's normal in this world, then I think that all these people probably drive, it gives me chills of horror.

There's so much to be said for self-driving cars, but traffic insanity doesn't surprise me, after I have figured out just how completely idiotic, selfish, moronic and robotic most people are. Even well-meaning, supposedly 'intelligent' people rationalize that media would never lie to them (in their view, media would always lie about everything or tell 100% truth about everything, there's no grey area.. "Did they lie about that volcano, huh? HUH? What'd be the point?!").

When you look how people just blindly accept the official story about everything, line up to be enslaved, marked (vacc.. etc.), etc.. you have to conclude there are not that many beans in their jar, rattling around. You have to wonder if they even have a brain, or if they're all just some kind of robotoids or clones. The term 'cell phone zombie' could NOT be more apt.

People and their phones, it's like they can't put it in their pocket for five seconds, or 'not check' it for ten minutes. No matter what the situation, it's in their hand, and they're staring at it like it's a source of euphoria (which it probably is).

It's scary to observe these people, and then realize they're the majority.

Of course they will be crazy, ignorant, blind and stupid in traffic, too.. why would they change? It's just scary that these people are allowed to drive.

The whole 'driving' situation makes no sense, really. Why all kinds of unskilled, pathetically stupid and selfish monsters are allowed to drive, but when it comes to other - way more harmless - things, suddenly there are walls and checks and blocks and whatnot.

I can never understand why USA allows 16-year old teenagers to drive a car, no problem. A heavy machine you can use to kill someone when your mind is still just developing and your brain is full of hormones that make you lust, crave and act stupidly - sure, PERFECT age to let you operate this speedy multiple-tons-heavy metal mass!

But touching the physical body of another hormone-filled lusty piece of lust, or quaffing some kind of intoxicating liquid that would probably just make you do stupid things that you regret next morning - ABSOLUTELY NOT until you're 21!

I mean, you can mow people down for FIVE YEARS before you're allowed to drink a beer and get a mild buzz.

What kind of friggin' sense does that make? I bet if you take 100 sixteen year-olds and give them beer, then take another 100 sixteen year-olds and give them a fast car and 'licence to drive' (I won't even get to how everyone has freedom to travel, and you don't need a licence to do lawful things), the driving teenagers will cause more harm, injuries and death than the 100 drunken beer-drinking ones.

Sure, alcohol can make someone 'lose judgment' and maybe impair growing brains a bit, but you'd have to have very specific circumstances and a lot of drunken effort to kill someone (unless very unlucky), but with a car, you can kill someone by turning a ring-shaped object one centimeter (with the 'right' timing).

What sense does it make to let teenagers control a massive heavy object made of metal that goes very fast (and pollutes), but not let those same teenagers relax and drink themselves to drunken stupor and pass out?

Shouldn't it AT LEAST be on the same level? In other countries, drinking age varies, it can be anything fom 16 to 18 to 21, etc.. I am simply wondering about this logic. I guess USA is such a car-based country that it's considered a core necessity, whereas alcohol isn't.

Even then, 21 is way too high - no teenager is gonna wait that long. Making a teenager a criminal just for doing what teenagers do (let's face it, they will drink anyway) is just wrong.

In my opinion, if anything, it should be the other way around. Let those teenagers drink themselves silly and when they're matured and have got that drinking stuff out of their system, THEN give them the car keys at 21 years old. This would create a higher chance of 'sober teenage drivers' in my opinion.

Anyway, driving is a stupid thing to do anyway, especially using an archaic polluting noisemaker to do it. There's such a thing as 'public transport', there are such things as 'self-driving cars', there are taxi cabs, bicycles and walking. Why drive? No real reason. In that sense, you can only blame yourself if you go into the traffic of the stupid people and expect people to NOT be stupid in traffic.