Moron Motorists #3

[malnar]

Been riding everyday & haven't had anything to post about for months until 2 incidents in the space of 1km yesterday.

1. Riding in the middle of the lane about 30m behind a car, 50 k/ph zone doing about 30ks. It's just pre-dusk, bright flashing light on. I see a Corolla-type waiting to turn right out of a library car park ahead. I predict she's going to give way to the car ahead of me, but not me. I was correct. When she initially looked right she may not have seen me as the car in front of me may have blocked her view. Anyway, it seems clear she saw the car ahead of me & decided she was good to go after it passed. I was watching her closely & she did not take a second look at all. Had I been doing 50ks (eg motorcycle) it would have been a T bone. I was looking at her closely while she made her turn. Eyes straight ahead. I'm sure she didn't notice me at any point. Conservative looking woman in her 60s.

2. Going through a roundabout. All clear on the right. Doing about 22ks, lane fully claimed I look for and see a car approaching the roundabout on my left at an appropriate speed. I continue on. Unfortunately, so does he. Let out a loud 'Oi!' as he just missed by rear wheel. Driver is a male of African origin. EXACTLY the same thing happened a few months ago in the same area (Tarneit). That time it was a female of African origin. Maybe bicycles are expected to give way to everything in some African countries? I have a hunch some of these people drive on the local area & are unlicensed. I turned around in the roundabout & saw he had (I assume) his teenage daughter in the car. She saw my alarmed state so I hope a conversation ensued about what he should have done.

[Lukeyboy]

2. Going through a roundabout. All clear on the right. Doing about 22ks, lane fully claimed I look for and see a car approaching the roundabout on my left at an appropriate speed. I continue on. Unfortunately, so does he. Let out a loud 'Oi!' as he just missed by rear wheel. Driver is a male of African origin. EXACTLY the same thing happened a few months ago in the same area (Tarneit). That time it was a female of African origin. Maybe bicycles are expected to give way to everything in some African countries? I have a hunch some of these people drive on the local area & are unlicensed. I turned around in the roundabout & saw he had (I assume) his teenage daughter in the car. She saw my alarmed state so I hope a conversation ensued about what he should have done.

Nope. Just people that don't know how a roundabout works.

[silentC]

Not my video:

[AUbicycles]

Traffic is slow, congested. Twice I signale my intention to turn right on approaching a round about. I am wearing a bright red cycling jacket as a motorist roaring in the opposite direction decides they want to race through and hit me... rather than stop. I stop, slighty sliding the back wheel and they abruptly stop to give me an earful. What the ?

Not sure which part of my brain took over but my response was to shout "I am wearing red you idiot". At the shops I saw Derryn Hinch (or a very good look-alike). Is that a sign?


My analysis is that driving in Sydney is aggressive, so many people become uptight the moment they turn the ignition and are programmed to react with hatred and anger when traffic is not in their favour - bike riders are easy targets but anyone on the road is a target... and an obstacle. Behind the wheel many drivers have false sense of empowerment. Reluctant to let another vehicle infront when the road files from two lanes, common courtesy is lost while fury is ignited.

Road user education needs to provide a reality check, traffic jams fuel frustration and for road ragers the prognosis is for more roads with increased congestion rather than convenient, attractive transport alternatives.

[herzog]

[mmc22]

So satisfying
Wish he had have tossed them further though

[herzog]

Down a drain would have been cool.

[InTheWoods]

From last week. Slow but close. Requested driver education.

[InTheWoods]

Aaaaand this morning's charmer.

This driver comes up from behind, and instead of simply changing into the empty lane beside him, decides to create an issue by sitting on the horn. When he eventually realises this won't make me disappear, he overtakes - while doing so he winds down the passenger window, and yells "move over you c**t" out the window at me, which was quite charming.

I've asked the police to book him for misusing his horn, and for failing to not be a merchant banker.

[skull]

InTheWoods, he has probably been watching the Tour. After seeing the way the support vehicles and bikes drive around the riders he thought it would be nice to make you feel like you were in a grand tour.

[jasonc]

haha love the shadow showing your "thank you" hand signal

[Boognoss]

haha love the shadow showing your "thank you" hand signal

+1.

ITW, were there passengers in the vehicle? I didn't spot any, and was your lane a T2 lane?

[InTheWoods]

haha love the shadow showing your "thank you" hand signal

+1.

ITW, were there passengers in the vehicle? I didn't spot any, and was your lane a T2 lane?

It was a T2 during T2 hours, and I just checked the original and there's definitely a passenger. Anyway the senior sergeant (who is probably sick of me) at the local police station now has the footage.

[Boognoss]

Worth a try anyway

[elantra]

haha love the shadow showing your "thank you" hand signal

+1.

ITW, were there passengers in the vehicle? I didn't spot any, and was your lane a T2 lane?

It was a T2 during T2 hours, and I just checked the original and there's definitely a passenger. Anyway the senior sergeant (who is probably sick of me) at the local police station now has the footage.

Just put the Senior Sergeant on your Christmas gift list at the end of the year.
And i bet you were hoping that the driver of that vehicle had cleared the Ashgrove traffic lights before you got there.

[InTheWoods]

And i bet you were hoping that the driver of that vehicle had cleared the Ashgrove traffic lights before you got there.

Not sure what you mean - 800m down the road we both turned onto Ashgrove Ave and I was still only 50 or so metres behind.

[RobM]

This motorbike was on the Bicentennial Bikeway (Brisbane) yesterday morning. Heading south and turned into the Brisbane Square tunnel.
Wasnt going fast, but got plenty of weird looks.
(Not a moped/electric bike - full on petrol motorbike!)

Sorry about the dodgy Fly6 screenshot - i was hitting some bumps as he drove past evidently.

[elantra]

And i bet you were hoping that the driver of that vehicle had cleared the Ashgrove traffic lights before you got there.

Not sure what you mean - 800m down the road we both turned onto Ashgrove Ave and I was still only 50 or so metres behind.

Just would have been a worry to get in front of that guy again.
At least the fact that he turned left onto Ashgrove Av shows that the passengers destination was not the Grammar or Terrace school dropoff !

[Bunged Knee]

This motorbike was on the Bicentennial Bikeway (Brisbane) yesterday morning. Heading south and turned into the Brisbane Square tunnel.
Wasnt going fast, but got plenty of weird looks.
(Not a moped/electric bike - full on petrol motorbike!)

Sorry about the dodgy Fly6 screenshot - i was hitting some bumps as he drove past evidently.

Windows media player is !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !!. Use the VLC media player. Download it from http://www.videolan.org/ 28MB.

When you play this video, use the space bar to pause it then press `E` for next pic then when you get the clear pic and press down `Ctrl and S` to take a pic of it.

[RobM]

Thanks for the tip. I'll see if I can sneak it past the work IT filter.
Stepping through the frames is very handy. Took me like 20 go's to get the shot above in WMP haha.

[Crawf]

There are CCTV cameras under there. They should do something...

[Lukeyboy]

Great. No chance of getting that strava KOM then.

[nescius]

This is starting to do the rounds, it contains some bad language but is well worth a look.

[toolonglegs]

Haha ... should of been wearing a helmet

[InTheWoods]

I like the poster's comment on the youtube page too:

"This driver finally succeeds in his search for a parking space."