Moron Motorists #3

[InTheWoods]

I just got a phone call from the local police. Apparently they have already spoken to the driver and are about to issue a traffic infringement. They wanted to make sure I was prepared to make a statement if the driver contested and wanted to clarify the camera position on my bike. Said I'd get an email when they issued the TIN and let me know the outcome.

Yep I'm pretty sure you can call the 1 3 number. I'm just going to wait a few weeks and wander down to the local station with my ref number and see if anything has been done.

don't get me started. My local cop shop closes at 4pm weekdays and isn't open on the weekends. criminals must only work 9am to 4pm monday to friday

I'm truly gobsmacked

I made a mistake today, got a close shave punishment pass. Caught up down the road at the lights and knocked solidly on the left passenger window and told him to leave 1m. He shouted something and did a burnout as the lights went green, then pulled over 100m down the road and got out of the car and stepped into my path... I pulled over, and he shouted it was my fault because I have to ride to the left of the white line (this being the edge of the road, into the shoulder/dooring zone/BAZ, where there were parked cars. Foolish of me, lucky nothing else happened. If he looked stronger than me I would have kept going and not pulled over...

[benbne]

Try calling 131 444 and let us know how you go.

benbne - ask them how we follow up our other cases logged the same way

[benbne]

That really sucks. So frustrating! I've decided, after all the stories I've read on here and my own experience of a driver I confronted on christmas eve yelling, "do you want me to run you off the f***ing road you c***!" (this was before I bought my cameras) to just have cameras rolling, say nothing and lodge serious encounters with the police. Isn't always easy to do however.. and sometimes I fail to follow my own policy.

I'm truly gobsmacked

I made a mistake today, got a close shave punishment pass. Caught up down the road at the lights and knocked solidly on the left passenger window and told him to leave 1m. He shouted something and did a burnout as the lights went green, then pulled over 100m down the road and got out of the car and stepped into my path... I pulled over, and he shouted it was my fault because I have to ride to the left of the white line (this being the edge of the road, into the shoulder/dooring zone/BAZ, where there were parked cars. Foolish of me, lucky nothing else happened. If he looked stronger than me I would have kept going and not pulled over...

[duncan16v]

Glad to have made it in to work alive today. A big 'hello' to the rider of motorcycle registration FJ-667 who, at the corner of Victoria Road and Darebin Road on the border of Northcote and Thornburty in Melburn, came within a couple of centimeters of putting me into hospital by running down the bike lane on the left hand side of a bus and squeezing between me and the bus at speed.

A special message for him then: Wise up before you kill someone. And it might be time for me to invest in a camera.

[GeoffInBrisbane]

I'd like to send some bad karma to the total git who clipped the door mirror of my friend's parked car and then hit the rear quarter panel of my parked car...and then drove off.

Tried to report it, police didn't want to know, too busy, suggested Police Link or making an appointment tomorrow. Yay.

[jasonc]

oh nice geoff

[sobmal]

I'd like to send some bad karma to the total git who clipped the door mirror of my friend's parked car and then hit the rear quarter panel of my parked car...and then drove off.

A while back I did a little bike packing ride called the dirty 200, great and challenging route.. anyhow when I got back to my car very late at night after a very long day on the heavy bike (loaded with stuff to camp) I found bits of my car all over the road.. smash and run!!.. oh I feel your pain.

[GeoffInBrisbane]

I guess this is where I point out that if only cars had rego plates, it wouldn't happen...

[Lukeyboy]

Had some numpty attempt a uturn from the left thru lane across the right turn only lane I was in today

[BianchiCam]

Well, thought I try and ride even wider at the intersection that I keep getting trouble.
Nice quiet roads, Saturday morning. What could possibly happen?

[biker jk]

Well, thought I try and ride even wider at the intersection that I keep getting trouble.
Nice quiet roads, Saturday morning. What could possibly happen?

Yes, ride in the right wheel track through there. You actually drifted left of centre just before the close shave. This was the invitation to be close shaved. If you stay in the right wheel track most drivers will change lanes.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

[jasonc]

Well, thought I try and ride even wider at the intersection that I keep getting trouble.
Nice quiet roads, Saturday morning. What could possibly happen?

Yes, ride in the right wheel track through there. You actually drifted left of centre just before the close shave. This was the invitation to be close shaved. If you stay in the right wheel track most drivers will change lanes.

unfortunately that guy wasn't most drivers. that driver probably would have shaved you if you were on the 2nd line
#ametrematters

[CXCommuter]

unfortunately that guy wasn't most drivers. that driver probably would have shaved you if you were on the 2nd line
#ametrematters

Agreed- one of those drivers- wouldn't matter where you rode. Sometimes doing everything right isn't enough to counter living zombies

[kenwstr]

Had a very close call yesterday. Got a deliberate close shave by a 4X4 through a pinch point and thought dam idiot, then the super wide trailer came through. Another 2 inches and I'd be a headline.

Ken

[TigerFilly]

I was riding to the market this morning, riding parallel to the train line along the bike path. Came to a road which i needed to cross, where the cars were stopped. It was a railway crossing but no train coming, they were just stopped because of busy traffic ahead on the other side of the crossing. A 4 wheel drive was in the keep clear space next to the train line where I should have been crossing the road but there was plenty of space to cycle across the road behind him. So I took off slowly. Just as I got halfway across he must have decided he was too close to the train line and started reversing. If I hadn't been going very slowly he would have collected me.
I got a fright and yelled watch out. He had his window down and yelled back that it was me that needed to watch out. I responded that he wasn't supposed to back up without looking! Idiot.

[yugyug]

[elantra]

Had a very close call yesterday. Got a deliberate close shave by a 4X4 through a pinch point and thought dam idiot, then the super wide trailer came through. Another 2 inches and I'd be a headline.
Ken

That is a seriously scary scenario and i have seen similar myself.
Basically light trailers surely must cause a lot of "incidents" disproportionate to the actual purpose that they serve.
One of the scariest things i have ever seen on the roads was a "light" trailer disconnect at 80 km/hr and start to fly through the air like a giant paper plane.
But only very briefly before it crashed into a tree on the side of the road.

Basically i think a common-sense move would be for it to be made ILLEGAL to tow a trailer that is WIDER than the tow vehicle.

[ldrcycles]

Basically i think a common-sense move would be for it to be made ILLEGAL to tow a trailer that is WIDER than the tow vehicle.

Hear, hear!

[wellington_street]

That might accelerate the proliferation of the wide-body Ford pick ups and similar as those who need wider trailers buy them instead of standard 4WDs/SUVs. Not sure that would be a good thing overall? Also, what of caravans?

[cp123]

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-new ... mmh5v.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


well boyyyy howdy.... the things you see...

[BianchiCam]

Basically i think a common-sense move would be for it to be made ILLEGAL to tow a trailer that is WIDER than the tow vehicle.

Hear, hear!

Another example why wide trailers are dangerous.
And this from a 'seasoned professional'

A repost from last year where the driver received noting more than a "There has been a complaint about your driving" from the Police.

[CKinnard]

anyone want to guess which century Australia gets a vending machine like this enlightened nation?

[trailgumby]

The current one. There's one at Warringah Mall in Sydney's Brookvale.

[kenwstr]

Basically i think a common-sense move would be for it to be made ILLEGAL to tow a trailer that is WIDER than the tow vehicle.

Hear, hear!

I am not sure I go along with that. I have used trailers quite a bit and I just don't think it's a fair imposition on the majority who are reasonable people. The financial burden to change over the family car just to move a horse or a boat is I think unreasonable. There is however a need to change attitudes or ban irresponsible people from ever being in charge of a vehicle. In the incident in question, a big factor is the unnecessary pinch point caused by a large mass of sand and gravel on the otherwise sealed shoulder. Normally I do ride on the shoulder wherever it's safe to do so. I am not required to of course, I have every legal right to stay in the traffic lane but I do this as a concession to motorists so I feel that it is reasonable to expect a concession to be made in return when I need to rejoin the lane for my safety. It almost never is granted unless the driver is also a cyclist but I still think it would be a reasonable and fair response from motorists. As this is not going to happen anytime soon, I am considering writing to the local council to request they make the shoulder safe for cyclists. These passes just wouldn't happen if that was done.

This is where Saturdays incident occurred:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/(AT)-33.397 ... a=!3m1!1e3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ken