Moron Motorists #3

[CaffeineAU]

Riding in to the local shopping centre yesterday evening, following a new-ish corolla.

Corolla suddenly starts slowing dramatically, and then stops (there's a left turn coming up with a quite high kerb on the outside of the turn)

The car then slowly drives forward until it crunches into the kerb (plastic bumper first). I start backing away as I suspect they're about to chuck it into reverse and move backwards.

Then the driver accelerates, scrapes up onto the kerb, and then turns left, drops off the kerb (crunching the side sill) and drives into the first parking spot.

As I rode past, I could see that it was driven by a rather short statured person, who could barely see through the steering wheel (let alone over it). I suspect they used the 'park-by-feel' method because they couldn't see where the corner was. Who knows how they manage to drive on the roads without collecting everything...

[g-boaf]

Meet the moron motorist of the year:
http://www.news.com.au/national/victori ... 63c75ac7d6
The light was red, but apparently the truck driver sped through the intersection anyway.

Motor vehicles never run red lights, ever. Only cyclists do that, apparently. This is one to remember to remind car drivers that they also run red lights.

On the weekend we had a landcruiser on a back road pass us so closely that you could feel the rush of air from it on our right hands. Completely deliberate.

[P!N20]

Motor vehicles never run red lights, ever. Only cyclists do that, apparently. This is one to remember to remind car drivers that they also run red lights.

Indeed. Compare the Hun's recent story on Victoria's Hell Ride (you'll have to Google it) with the aforementioned MM's.

[Mububban]

I almost became the MM myself recently. Turning right at a stop sign in the late afternoon, the setting sun in my eyes and my A pillar combined to completely obscure a cyclist (in hi viz too!) from my vision. His and my closing speeds perfectly put him in my A pillar blind spot. So as he whizzed past the front of my car he really did seem to "come out of nowhere."
Lucky I always do a double check (with proper bob and weave of the head to check blind spots) before moving at intersections for just this sort of thing. Another timely reminder of how vulnerable we are on the roads if drivers don't look for anything smaller than a car in the centre of the lane. Being a cyclist myself, I would feel absolutely gutted if I ever knocked someone off their bike.

I am also militant about checking over my shoulder for blind spots before lane changes, after having a pucker moment on a highway as a younger driver.

[Ross]

A U.K. woman has died after being run over and then hit by four vehicles in south London, and not one of the drivers stopped.

https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/london-w ... -in-a-row/

Police have established that she was hit by a heavy goods vehicle as she crossed the road at a pedestrian crossing. They believe she was subsequently struck by a second lorry and two cars; not one of the drivers stopped.

[uart]

I think I got the absolute moron of the month today here at Belmont (NSW).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/(AT)-33.034 ... 6656?hl=en


Sorry I don't ride with a camera, so just the google street view above of where it happened. I'm riding north about where the street view shows above, but on the left side and roughly in the left wheel track. Not much traffic, I'd just come straight off the Ferneigh track about 500m south of here and only passed by one or two cars - no incidents at all.

Then at this point a MM pulls out around me (bright sunny conditions a I had hi viz cloths, plus there's zero chance that he hadn't seen me as he initially moved out to go around me). He makes absolutely no attempt to get in front, pulls directly alongside with the front of his car dead level with me and then just casually starts squeezing me over into the gutter.

Obviously I wasn't happy, but I didn't yell at him or anything at this point. I cut him some slack as I figured that he just got "caught out" and didn't want to be over the double yellow lines as he queued at the give way signs. Anyway, I moved well forward at the give way signs, to make sure there was no doubt that I was going straight ahead (despite being almost forced into the gutter by this moron). Well what do you know, every time I moved forward this A-hole moves his car forward and leftwards (turns out he wanted to turn left) to try to cut me off!

So cutting me off just the once on the approach wasn't good enough for this moron. He was quite determined to go the whole hog and left hook me at the intersection as well, and by this stage watching me all the while - so this was all incredibly deliberate.

Anyway, at that point let's just say that I gave him a very loud character assessment that included various forms of genitalia and his head!

[warthog1]

So cutting me off just the once on the approach wasn't good enough for this moron. He was quite determined to go the whole hog and left hook me at the intersection as well, and by this stage watching me all the while - so this was all incredibly deliberate.

Anyway, at that point let's just say that I gave him a very loud character assessment that included various forms of genitalia and his head!

Unfortunately this individual's actions indicate the best recourse would be forcible removal from the vehicle and the application of direct blunt force to the head

[chriso_29er]

Sheen Towing truck driver tonight on swansea rd Lilydale.
Duel lane divided road, 10:15pm, no traffic, I stop at a red light at intersection of Birmingham rd in the left lane.
Moron Sheen driver pulls up 10m behind me in the left hand lane. Seems he wants to get a run up as the light turns green.
Light goes green, still no other traffic around. We both take off, Mr Sheen with his little run up, before squeezing past in my lane.
Not more than 50m past me the truck indicates and moves to the right lane staying there and disapears off into the distance.
Why the hell did he not just go in the right lane to start with at the red light. 'Moron'

This incident, while not super close but still too close. Can only lead me to believe it was deliberate.

[CaffeineAU]

Group ride through Penrith tonight. A masked rider on a modified Harley swoops close to us (on an otherwise completely empty road) and throws a bag of rubbish at a 13 year old girl that was riding with us. Fortunately he missed.

[fat and old]

Some woman up in Tremont must have done something stupid..

A cyclist has ripped the keys out of the ignition of a woman's car and thrown them down an embankment after becoming enraged at her driving in Tremont.

The woman was left stranded on Devils Elbow, on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, on her way to picking up her mother up from hospital shortly before 2.30pm yesterday.

The angry male cyclist reached inside her car's side window to grab the keys.

He then threw them down an embankment and into bushland where they were unable to be found until police arrived.

The cyclist was wearing orange, red and yellow Lycra.

If you are the women, please get in touch with me on cbooker@fairfaxmedia.com.au.

Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbo ... 03jem.html

They forgot to mention she was a victim of domestic violence and her kids were autistic

[Cyclophiliac]

Heading south on Nicholson St East Melbourne, I stopped at Victoria St, just in the middle of the marked bike box, but made the mistake of leaving barely 1 car's width of space to my left. The left-turn arrow went green, but the forward lights stayed red.

Sure enough, some moron drove past me to turn left, missing me by about 15cm at most. I let the motorist know I was seriously unimpressed by this stupid stunt by banging on the car as it went past, but it was probably lost on this idiot.

[outnabike]

Frustrations boil over.... probably on both sides .

https://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/news/r ... vils-elbow
Road rage at Devils Elbow
Wednesday, 13 December 2017 04:54
Police are investigating after a road rage incident in Tremont left a woman stranded on her way to picking up a family member from hospital.
Investigators have been told a woman was travelling in a Kia hatchback along Devils Elbow on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road shortly before 2.30pm yesterday afternoon.
It is understood a male cyclist unhappy with her driving stopped near the car, reached inside the driver’s side window and took the keys from the ignition.
He threw them down an embankment and into bushland, leaving the driver stranded as she was unable to find the keys.

[Mububban]

Group ride through Penrith tonight. A masked rider on a modified Harley swoops close to us (on an otherwise completely empty road) and throws a bag of rubbish at a 13 year old girl that was riding with us. Fortunately he missed.

Anyone catch a license plate?

[CaffeineAU]

Group ride through Penrith tonight. A masked rider on a modified Harley swoops close to us (on an otherwise completely empty road) and throws a bag of rubbish at a 13 year old girl that was riding with us. Fortunately he missed.

Anyone catch a license plate?

Yes, I did. I have reported it to the EPA as littering and I'm considering talking to the police as well.

The 13 year old said 'it's OK, it didn't hit me' but she was shaken by it.

A couple of the other riders in the group are also motorcyclists, and they they were very disappointed in his actions, seeing as they're probably the next most vulnerable road user after cyclists.

[duncanm]

Yes, I did. I have reported it to the EPA as littering and I'm considering talking to the police as well.

Definitely contact the police -- throwing things from moving vehicles at people is assault.

Does he require one of these, too?

http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environm ... le-exhaust

[westab]

Yes, I did. I have reported it to the EPA as littering and I'm considering talking to the police as well.

Definitely contact the police -- throwing things from moving vehicles at people is assault.

Does he require one of these, too?

http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environm ... le-exhaust

+1 on reporting it to the police and also get any other members of your group to report it as well. There is a higher chance of them taking it seriously.

I also believe that it is a very serious offence, that can include jail time, to throw something at moving vehicles (due to a couple of people passing away after some people dropped rocks from highway bridges).

[bychosis]

Got an orange light this morning so stopped. Car pulled up behind me in the left of two lanes. I was claiming the lane because it was much too narrow to share, moving over would have been a recipe for clipped bars. There were a few cars in the right lane. As the car passed me I heard something indecipherable yelled by the driver. Can't win, stop for a red. Wait in your place, but don't dare be in the way. Then he was stopped at some more lights at the bottom of the next hill. Unfortunately the lights were ready to change as I approached so didn't get the chance to wish him a pleasant day, but zipped past on the left because I timed the lights and really upset him so copped a long blast on his horn and a close shave while revving for my trouble. Hope it ruined his day! I still enjoyed my morning ride.

[Ross]

This is gold!

Rude Woman Refuses To Leave ‘No Parking’ Zone, So Construction Workers Get The Best Revenge

https://www.boredpanda.com/rude-illegal ... -bbqlunch/

[Cyclophiliac]

This is gold!

Rude Woman Refuses To Leave ‘No Parking’ Zone, So Construction Workers Get The Best Revenge

https://www.boredpanda.com/rude-illegal ... -bbqlunch/

Thanks for posting that, I needed some moron motorist news with a good ending for a change.

[mikesbytes]

This is gold!

Rude Woman Refuses To Leave ‘No Parking’ Zone, So Construction Workers Get The Best Revenge

https://www.boredpanda.com/rude-illegal ... -bbqlunch/

Thanks for posting that, I needed some moron motorist news with a good ending for a change.

Made me wonder why her license was already suspended

[uart]

There were a few cars in the right lane. As the car passed me I heard something indecipherable yelled by the driver.

Ah, the old indecipherable yell. I've heard that a few times.

BTW. Just wondering what lights that was at, assuming that it's Newcastle or Lake Mac.

[bychosis]

There were a few cars in the right lane. As the car passed me I heard something indecipherable yelled by the driver.

Ah, the old indecipherable yell. I've heard that a few times.

BTW. Just wondering what lights that was at, assuming that it's Newcastle or Lake Mac.

Heading down Charlestown Rd towards Hillsborough.

[MisuVir]

Ah, the old indecipherable yell. I've heard that a few times.

Indeed. I just got back into bike commuting to work after a long break. Aaaaand there are the crazy ute-driving tradies in hi-vis yelling garbled things out their window at me. The dumbest part was that I was on a shared path alongside the road, not even "blocking the road", "slowing them down", or "failing to pay the appropriate registration fee for the privilege".

I've never understood why they do this. Do they not realise nobody can understand them? What do they get out of doing this? A sense of pride and accomplishment at their ability to yell loudly?

[Ross]

Ah, the old indecipherable yell. I've heard that a few times.

Indeed. I just got back into bike commuting to work after a long break. Aaaaand there are the crazy ute-driving tradies in hi-vis yelling garbled things out their window at me. The dumbest part was that I was on a shared path alongside the road, not even "blocking the road", "slowing them down", or "failing to pay the appropriate registration fee for the privilege".

I've never understood why they do this. Do they not realise nobody can understand them? What do they get out of doing this? A sense of pride and accomplishment at their ability to yell loudly?

Myself and a few friends got abused by a motorist who was going the other way on a four lane dual carrigeway ( two each way). We were riding in the bike lane, which of course is to the left of the "car" lanes, and this guy was in the far "car" lane (seperated by a ~4 metre traffic island) going in the opposite drection yet somehow we were affecting him. Not.

[Biffidus]

This is gold!

Rude Woman Refuses To Leave ‘No Parking’ Zone, So Construction Workers Get The Best Revenge

https://www.boredpanda.com/rude-illegal ... -bbqlunch/

They have copied that whole article straight from a Reddit post. Journalism at its finest.