Close call rant - Oceania Bus reg#2003

[martybabe]

Yes, and totally agree.

Seconded.

[dipshit]

It isn't just lane changes. Big vehicles may cut corners when turning. Trailers can get a weave going. I just don't feel safe riding alongside these bigins.

There was just such a case on Crash Investigation Unit on TV the other week. A guy on a VTR (i think?) was knocked off and ran over by a large truck making a (edit) left-hand turn into another street. The truck only just touched the bike... enough to put the rider off balance, and he fell with his head going under the rear wheels of the truck.

[Bass]

Yes, and totally agree.

We have already been here - see post #83

Incidentally, since it was fine yesterday I brought the Trumpy into work and had a similar episode on the way home. A clown in a Commode wagon tried to sandwich me into the median barrier. He finally saw me and gave me a wave and a silly grin BUT HE KEPT ON COMING! He had my full attention for a moment or two.

Perhaps I'm being punished for my views here.

[madbikeboy]

It isn't just lane changes. Big vehicles may cut corners when turning. Trailers can get a weave going. I just don't feel safe riding alongside these bigins.

There was just such a case on Crash Investigation Unit on TV the other week. A guy on a VTR (i think?) was knocked off and ran over by a large truck making a right-hand turn into another street. The truck only just touched the bike... enough to put the rider off balance, and he fell with his head going under the rear wheels of the truck.

Yeah, I saw that too. I kind of imagined the same happening to me, hence getting so frigging mad about the bus driver...

[MarkH]

I have been driving/riding for a while now (got my car license over 25 years ago) and have seen some stupid shit! Overall I must say that most truck drivers are good professional drivers and I have seen a much worse standard of driving from buses and taxis.

Dumb shit I have seen:
Driving along the main street in Hamilton in a car, the car in the lane next too me starts to change into my lane, I use my horn and that car swerves back into their own lane, then tries again to change into my lane while I am STILL there right beside her! WTF!

Riding a bicycle in hamilton, coming around a roundabout keeping to the left so cars can pass me, car comes past and off the roundabout almost knocking me off - it was a police car!

Waiting at a set of lights in lane 2, beside me in lane 1 is a truck. Lights turn green, I start to move when a car goes past my front bumper from left to right - the guy was running a red light and I almost T-Boned the idiot. I didn't see him till he was right in front of me due to a truck on my left blocking my view. A little quicker on the gas and I would have scored a direct hit, glad I wasn't on a bike at the time.

Waiting at a set of lights in the left lane, only car there. Lights turn green and I drive into the side of a van, I was a bit surprised by this. Where did it come from? It came up from behind, changed into the right lane, tried to drive around me to turn left. He wasn't expecting me to move, it was just unlucky that the light changed to green (he was attempting to drive through a red light and around my car). He admitted fault and my insurance company sorted everything out with his insurance company.

This is just a small sample off the top of my head.



I agree somewhat with the gist of what newbie has posted - take care not to linger in a bad position relative to a large vehicle that could knock you off your bike and kill you. Don't trust the other driver to be sensible and law abiding.

I also agree with madbikeboy that some bus drivers and homicidal maniacs with severe anger issues and they definitely need to be reported to the cops. Personally I would have broken the law a little and sped up to get away from the bus, I'd rather risk a ticket than risk death and my faith in bus drivers being sensible is a little low.

I have seen news articles in the past about bus drivers - like the one that drove off with a school boy dragging behind the bus, the kids on the bus saw it happen and tried to get the driver to stop but he ignored them. Then there was the more recent one where a bus hit a pedestrian and kept going, the driver claimed to have not seen anything. Wouldn't it be great if the person in charge of something as big and heavy as a bus was sane & sensible?

[The Stranger:Me]

Dumb shit I have seen:
Driving along the main street in Hamilton in a car, the car in the lane next too me starts to change into my lane, I use my horn and that car swerves back into their own lane, then tries again to change into my lane while I am STILL there right beside her! WTF!

I've said it before, a horn is the second most useless thing to have on a motorcycle. Drivers are bad enough when they aren't dazed and confused.

[slofox]

Waiting at a set of lights in lane 2, beside me in lane 1 is a truck. Lights turn green, I start to move when a car goes past my front bumper from left to right - the guy was running a red light and I almost T-Boned the idiot. I didn't see him till he was right in front of me due to a truck on my left blocking my view. A little quicker on the gas and I would have scored a direct hit, glad I wasn't on a bike at the time.

Also in Hamilton - watched a dude in a car turn left onto Claudelands Bridge from Vic St, against the red light and drive straight into a bunch of pedestrians on the crossing - who scattered for their lives chopchop.....

Many years ago, riding (pedal) bike from Vic street onto Vic bridge (bridge st),....down a curve to the left...bus comes past and with the curve of the road, my bike gets squeezed into the (deep) gutter. Had to leap off bike as it got mashed into the curve and reduced to scrap....bus didn't even stop. Phoned the company and they said "tough luck sonny"...bastards....

[MarkH]

Many years ago, riding (pedal) bike from Vic street onto Vic bridge (bridge st),....down a curve to the left...bus comes past and with the curve of the road, my bike gets squeezed into the (deep) gutter. Had to leap off bike as it got mashed into the curve and reduced to scrap....bus didn't even stop. Phoned the company and they said "tough luck sonny"...bastards....

Definitely worth making an official complaint to the police on an incident like that!

It also adds weight to my proposition that many bus drivers are homicidal maniacs.

[RT527]

Lane splitting i not illegal, it is frowned upon. Australia is the only country that has made it illegal... but they are Ausies... enough said.

it is illegal to pass someone on their left in the same lane...however if you pass on the right hand side and remain in the same lane you can do it...please correct me if im wrong...I see heaps of bikes on the way into town and a fair majority are passing cars in the same lane and on the left hand side of the car, this is not only dangerous but really really stoopid, as most drivers have a huge blind spot , yes even in cars , on the left with pillars and passengers well and truly in the way !.

I have seen the odd car move over on a bike , and I bet they all told there mates about the stoopid farkin car that tried to take them out.

[Big Dave]

>>Australia is the only country that has made it illegal... but they are Ausies... enough said. <<

Ironic that you can't spell it.

It is virtually impossible to split lanes legally here too.

[Big Dave]

it is illegal to pass someone on their left in the same lane...however if you pass on the right hand side and remain in the same lane you can do it...please correct me if im wrong....

Correctomondo.

[Ixion]

It is specifically illegal in some US states.

[The Stranger:Me]

I see heaps of bikes on the way into town and a fair majority are passing cars in the same lane and on the left hand side of the car, this is not only dangerous but really really stoopid, as most drivers have a huge blind spot , yes even in cars , on the left with pillars and passengers well and truly in the way !.

So being 100mm further to the left (i.e. in the RHS of the left lane) is really much safer is it?

[RT527]

So being 100mm further to the left (i.e. in the RHS of the left lane) is really much safer is it?

well no of course not...but lets not split hairs on this ....i didnt think i`d have to spell it out, only split in lane three that way you are only passing cars on the right of them.
look to be honest i dont really care what you do as long as you do it safely , i want/need to go home safely and so should you all.

all i was really saying was ffs slow down a little while splitting and if someone in a truck moves over so you can get your pissy little selves to work faster , be a man/women and be courteous and wave to the fella/ felless , or are you all to arrogant to give the time of day to someone else?.

[The Stranger:Me]

well no of course not...but lets not split hairs on this ....i didnt think i`d have to spell it out, only split in lane three that way you are only passing cars on the right of them.
look to be honest i dont really care what you do as long as you do it safely , i want/need to go home safely and so should you all.

all i was really saying was ffs slow down a little while splitting and if someone in a truck moves over so you can get your pissy little selves to work faster , be a man/women and be courteous and wave to the fella/ felless , or are you all to arrogant to give the time of day to someone else?.

Fuck who’s got sand in their vagina?