Moron Motorists #3

[outnabike]

Even so... Imagine the publicity if one of their students got a telling off by the cops for something the instructor told them to do.

Actually after I posted that I thought about it and you may be correct. I remember reading in an RBT situation the instructor is liable for the drunk learner so you could be right. Might make some enquiries tomorrow. I still have the raw footage and could overlay the calibrations, its very close but off course the overhang of the car and the mirror take it past questionable to inside 1 metre.[/quote]

Hi Oxford
When I stop the video where you are coming close to the left hand car It sure doesn't appear to leave you a lot of room. By the time you clear the door zone there was not enough room to pass you really. That is bad driver instructing for sure. Most uncomfortable getting that treatment from a learner.

[CXCommuter]

Wonderfull motorists have advised me on three separate occasions for no visible reason that my overall appearance resembles the end of a certain male only appendage (BTW what is offensive with the word pe$is, it is the correct anotomical term for goodness sake). Thankfully none of these eloquent advisers have been held up by traffic lights to further advise of perceived issues with my appearance or enable me to return the compliment.

[queequeg]

Not cycling, but had a MM in a Holden V8 Ute doing a massive burnout on the wet street near my house. Heard him around the corner, and it seemed to be getting closer to my house.
Races out the front as he was slowly fishtailing up the hill right outside my house, followed by two other cars (presumably his mates).
Got his rego and straight onto the police. Disappointed to find out that they only do a broadcast of the car rego for patrols to watch out for, but were not going to pay the registered driver a visit. They wanted to know if we would make a formal statement at a police station. Why would I bother doing that if they can't be bothered paying the driver a visit? Anyway, I said we would if they required is to.
The last car that did this ended up slamming into the telegraph pole 25m from my house, tearing off the back axle and occupants scurrying away in the dark like cockroaches, leaving the smouldering wreck opposite my driveway.

[HiChris]

Apparently this was not dangerous, can't seem to get any action from the police on this. I'm going to head back to the station again this evening but the two previous occasions I've been jerked about and asked "what was wrong with that" I'm trying not to get too angry with them... I'll use Oxfords form this time.

I have no doubt that if I was in the middle of the lane here I'd be a red smear on his bumper bar, he was not about to swerve or stop, could see him coming and moved as far left as possible. So no lectures about claiming the lane... This was in a 70k zone and he was doing way more than 70. I was finding it difficult to keep things going straight by the last pic. I often ride this route with my wife in tow some mornings, if she was out that morning I'm sure she would have ended up under the wheels.

If the police fail me again I'm going to name and shame them on Youtube etc.

[InTheWoods]

Dundee are you in qld? There is no way that is anywhere near 1m. If they won't action it,mletter to the assistant commissioner for that region. I'd be doing that no matter the state. That's what I'd call a "high grade" close pass.

Edit: you need to always make sure your initial complaint to the station is in writing. Drop it to the front desk and leave without discussing it. I would mention taking it to the assistant commissioner as well.

[biker jk]

Dundee are you in qld? There is no way that is anywhere near 1m. If they won't action it,mletter to the assistant commissioner for that region. I'd be doing that no matter the state. That's what I'd call a "high grade" close pass.

Edit: you need to always make sure your initial complaint to the station is in writing. Drop it to the front desk and leave without discussing it. I would mention taking it to the assistant commissioner as well.

Indeed, if in Qld the minimum passing distance is 1.5m when the speed limit is over 60kmh.

[jasonc]

blind freddie can see that is less than 1.5m

screw em. you've tried the cops now go to the media

[herzog]

Apparently this was not dangerous,

That is about as clear cut case as they are ever going to get without a cyclist having to die.

Keep pushing on this one.

Edit:
Yet they have infinite resources to go after this bloke, who it appears was enraged by a (you guessed it) close pass:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensl ... 06trh.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[outnabike]

(ideally you should be able to find both ends of your measured line on the photo,[/color] as the line may not be exactly in line with the horizontal axis of the camera). Also, if you are travelling directly in line with the road (parallel to the kerb, not slightly diagonally) then you should be able to draw your centreline of travel with a line from the infinity point to your back wheel. This will need to be done on a per-frame basis as the camera/bike angle is not constant.


So with those assumptions, the car gave more than 1m clearance. If the lane was only 4m wide, then the green lines would be further out and the clearance may have been less than 1 metre.


Apologies if I got over-technical.

My apologies to members for going off topic here I reckon this probably should have its own thread.

Sorry maestro and Oxford I got you both mixed up in my replies before.
Just to address that point maestro, and it is an interesting one. The more I study these grids the more ise the need to look at things from the camera's perspective.
so far I can see we are all a bit right and a bit wrong.
Perspective is in the eye of the beholder. We have to remember that the camera does not take in the view in a three dimensional sense as our eyes do. I did a layout to show the effect of the changing terrain behind the camera, remembering that the cam has been set up on level ground. And that is why the grid appears to dive down into the ground and when lifted (though not very well) in my above pic.
When the police come along and do a reconnaissance of a crash site they are well aware of these anomalies.
I have noted that it important to set the camera p with a mark on the wall for height as well as sideways view. Even without this you can tell how a camera is pointing by the horizon level in the frame.



Here is my grid laid out on level ground but actually lifted to the correct camera eye level about 650mm off the ground.
Your wish to see the finish lines within the camera frame,(if I am getting your drift) can not happen as the periphery of the cameras view with that lens cant accommodate it within the frame and still maintain the grids width. Ok the centre of the grid is 750 mm and if I make that say 1 metre a bit more of the sides of the grid will disappear.

[rangersac]

Only in Russia?



Translation
Woman: Oh my God! (literally – my dear mother!)
Man: F*****! (literally – whore!)

Back on topic - Dungee that is outrageous. Commissioner, Michael 'O Reilly, 7:30 Report (I won't suggest somewhere commercial as they'll smear you), hit 'em all.

[Wakatuki]

Everyone on my morning commute driving with no lights on in the rain. Especially the dark vehicles and large commercial vehicles. You should know better.

A German friend of mine once said if flickenflacken mcukenspreaden are on then lightensee bitte! Took me a few moments to realise he was mocking his own language and the long words used. Flickenflacken (the noise) muckenspreaden (muck spreaders) wiper blades = lights on.

[outnabike]

Edit:
Yet they have infinite resources to go after this bloke, who it appears was enraged by a (you guessed it) close pass:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensl ... 06trh.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I am not excusing the cyclists actions and grabbing some ones computer is futile.You grab my bike I grab your Puta.....

With my incident the police wanted the complete uncut copy of the video.

If the police view this motorists complete copy they will have at their finger tips the reason for the cyclists anger.
What we see here is an unbalanced view and a victimisation of the cyclist.

[herzog]

If the police view this motorists complete copy they will have at their finger tips the reason for the cyclists anger.
What we see here is an unbalanced view and a victimisation of the cyclist.

From my reading of the article - it wasn't a dashcam as such. The driver just whipped out his phone to get a photo of the rider when hostilities broke out.

[outnabike]

If the police view this motorists complete copy they will have at their finger tips the reason for the cyclists anger.
What we see here is an unbalanced view and a victimisation of the cyclist.

From my reading of the article - it wasn't a dashcam as such. The driver just whipped out his phone to get a photo of the rider when hostilities broke out.

Thanks mate I didn't realise that. This lad better get a bit of legal help on his side and show up at the cop shop then. A bloke doesn't park in front of a car for fun.

[bychosis]

If the police view this motorists complete copy they will have at their finger tips the reason for the cyclists anger.
What we see here is an unbalanced view and a victimisation of the cyclist.

From my reading of the article - it wasn't a dashcam as such. The driver just whipped out his phone to get a photo of the rider when hostilities broke out.

Thanks mate I didn't realise that. This lad better get a bit of legal help on his side and show up at the cop shop then. A bloke doesn't park in front of a car for fun.

But the car was "just driving along" they couldn't possibly have done anything wrong - like completely not see a cyclist.

[herzog]

Endanger a cyclist: "yawn, not interested"

Endanger a laptop: Issue a media release and all points alert.

Say What!?

[silentC]

It is a bit telling that they will expend that amount of energy over something like that where no lives were endangered (well, not in the specific incident they are investigating, we don't know what the driver did to attract the rage), but when someone gives them video evidence of a dangerous pass, they don't want to know.

I had one this morning, a local builder. Didn't change his line at all and passed me with about a foot to spare. He had a trailer too. I've seen him around so if I get the chance I'll ask him why he did it. There was plenty of room for him to go out wide. Can only have been a punishment pass.

[MisuVir]

Endanger a cyclist: "yawn, not interested"

Endanger a laptop: Issue a media release and all points alert.

WT?!?

I just figured it was more a case that a vehicle and its driver are easy to track down, whereas a cyclist/pedestrian is not. If you make a report about a dangerous driver and give them the license number, the police aren't going to bother asking the public for help identifying the vehicle. Make a report about a cyclist that road raged and damaged your property - it only takes a few minutes to prove media with a photograph to appeal for help with identification.

If it really was an illegal close pass, the cyclist can make their own report. Regardless of whether a road rule was broken or not, the cyclist behaved aggressively and tried to damage their property - that's what the driver reported and that's what police are interested in. I would not conflate the two issues - one is an (alleged) close pass, the other is an (alleged) aggressive road-user willing to damage property. Deal with them separately... or not at all if the cyclist is not interested in following up with his claim.

[human909]

The difference in the eye of the police is verbal abuse, opening another's car door and interfering with their property is considered an offense against another person. Close passing a bicycle is not considered as an offense against a person. That is the attitude from police and the greater public.

I just figured it was more a case that a vehicle and its driver are easy to track down, whereas a cyclist/pedestrian is not. If you make a report about a dangerous driver and give them the license number, the police aren't going to bother asking the public for help identifying the vehicle. Make a report about a cyclist that road raged and damaged your property - it only takes a few minutes to prove media with a photograph to appeal for help with identification.

If it really was an illegal close pass, the cyclist can make their own report. Regardless of whether a road rule was broken or not, the cyclist behaved aggressively and tried to damage their property - that's what the driver reported and that's what police are interested in. I would not conflate the two issues - one is an (alleged) close pass, the other is an (alleged) aggressive road-user willing to damage property. Deal with them separately... or not at all if the cyclist is not interested in following up with his claim.

I don't know how you have come to that conclusion. The police have all the information they need to prosecute hundreds of close passes but they do not. Almost all the time no effort is even made to contact the driver.

Yet when a laptop is touched, they go to the media.

[Lukeyboy]

Pretty sure this wasn't the QPS going to the media but the media wanting to make a story. It wouldn't surprise me if this was initially meant to be a small public release (just the generic QPS public release that are issued from unlocked bikes/stolen bikes to murder) and the jurno has seen an opportunity to get a few extra clicks to their website by reporting about it. I don't see any news reports about the other photos. It's all just a ploy to get people to view their news stories. No different than the "cyclists vs drivers war" or "should cyclists pay registration?" topics. Bravo media. Bravo!

Didn't take long to find the original photograph especially when its the first of the "Do you recognise these people?" on the front page.

http://mypolice.qld.gov.au/cctv-images/ ... o-yeronga/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[herzog]

Thinking further about that horrendous truck pass above, if anyone here is on Twitter, please post to AGF, Safe Cycling Australia, BQ etc.

As I mentioned - this is about the the clearest, most enforceable report they will ever get that doesn't involve a dead cyclist on the road.

We need the advocacy groups in our corner on this one. Get the publicity machine moving.

[human909]

I have no doubt that if I was in the middle of the lane here I'd be a red smear on his bumper bar, he was not about to swerve or stop, could see him coming and moved as far left as possible. So no lectures about claiming the lane...

I fail to see how you have come to that conclusion. Are you sure you even understand what claiming the lane entails? Claiming the lane isn't about making thems "swerve or stop". You should be claiming the lane the whole time.


(Of course there are no excuses for the unsafe pass. But you comments about claiming the lane are totally baseless and counter factual.)

[herzog]

Geeze it didnt take long for the victim blaming to start...

[MisuVir]

I don't know how you have come to that conclusion. The police have all the information they need to prosecute hundreds of close passes but they do not. Almost all the time no effort is even made to contact the driver.

Yet when a laptop is touched, they go to the media.

Without conflating any of these other cases into this one, I was addressing the apparent outrage that the police would appeal to the public for identification in this particular case. There is no other way for them to follow up the report. If it were a case of a motorist damaging a cyclist's computer by throwing it to the ground, they would not appeal to the public for identification as the cyclist would report the vehicle license number.

If instead the issue at hand is the perceived injustice that cyclists' reports are going largely ignored whereas a motorist's road-rage report get followed up, I'll concede that point and shut my mouth.

[silentC]

cyclists' reports are going largely ignored whereas a motorist's road-rage report get followed up

That was the way I read the comments...