Mea Culpa

You see, I wanted to turn right, but I didn't stick my arm out, so it's my
fault.
There was no-one else on the road, so I crossed into the centre lane, you
know, the one marked out in the middle of the road, with a big bent arrow
pointing right. Anyway, as I drew nearer to the turn, a car appeared from
the right hand road that I was about to turn into, and drove out in front of
me, and stopped directly in my path. I managed to swerve round behind him,
and continued my manoeuvre thinking, rather generously as it turned out,
that the driver hadn't seen me. Anyway, no harm done. Then the shout came
from behind "Why don't you f****ing indicate!!?"
Well, he was right, I wasn't indicating. Just as well really, as I needed
both hands on the bars. But then the implications started to sink in.
1: He HAD seen me.
2: Having seen me, he had driven out into my path and stopped.
3: He had done this because he assumed from my lack of signal that I
intended to continue straight ahead even though in the right-turn lane.

This would, of course, lead to a collision necessitating a new door skin at
least. Had I been indicating, naturally he wouldn't have bothered pulling
out.
So that's why he was angry.
He'd missed me.
I have learned that unconventional hand signals are frowned upon in this
group, so I ignored him and continued, duly chastened, upon my way.

--


Martin Bulmer

Pie Conservation Threat

mae wedi ysgrifennu:
Then the shout came from behind "Why
don't you f****ing indicate!!?"

I've occasionally used the (accurate) reply "Because I'd rather keep my
hands near my brakes with tw*ts like you about".

--
Rob

Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may contribute
and benefit.

On Thu, 13 May 2004 23:07:35 +0100, Martin Bulmer wrote:


that the driver hadn't seen me. Anyway, no harm done. Then the shout came
from behind "Why don't you f****ing indicate!!?"
I was always taught when learning to drive to look for indicators on cars,
but never to assume that the car will perform the turn. Wait till the
car has made the move before you do.
For example, if a car is coming along a straight road and you are waiting
on a side road (on bike or in car) never assume that a car indicating
left will turn indicator will turn into the side road. Car could have
indicator on for another reason. Let the car
start the turn before you cross the give way line.


Same as this 'right hand turn' lane. The driver should not assume
you will make the turn. That's not to say though you should not assume
that the car will stay out of your way. Anticipate, which you did
correctly.

"Martin Bulmer" wrote in message
...
You see, I wanted to turn right, but I didn't stick my arm out, so it's my
fault.
There was no-one else on the road, so I crossed into the centre lane, you
know, the one marked out in the middle of the road, with a big bent arrow
pointing right. Anyway, as I drew nearer to the turn, a car appeared from
the right hand road that I was about to turn into, and drove out in front
of
me, and stopped directly in my path. I managed to swerve round behind him,
and continued my manoeuvre thinking, rather generously as it turned out,
that the driver hadn't seen me. Anyway, no harm done. Then the shout came
from behind "Why don't you f****ing indicate!!?"

....er....because you'd lost them in a previous accident with a w*nker
driving with about as much care and attention as him and can now only get
out and enjoy cycling by having the prosthetic replacements tied to your
handlebars, enabling a certain amount of control over your steering (luckily
;-)
Dave.

On Thu, 13 May 2004 23:07:35 +0100, "Martin Bulmer"
wrote:

There was no-one else on the road, so I crossed into the centre lane, you
know, the one marked out in the middle of the road, with a big bent arrow
pointing right. Anyway, as I drew nearer to the turn, a car appeared from
the right hand road that I was about to turn into, and drove out in front of
me, and stopped directly in my path. I managed to swerve round behind him,
and continued my manoeuvre thinking, rather generously as it turned out,
that the driver hadn't seen me. Anyway, no harm done. Then the shout came
from behind "Why don't you f****ing indicate!!?"

It is an entirely reasonable scenario that you *had* signalled, and
were in the turning phase when he approached. The correct sequence of
events is Mirror - Signal - Manouvre. It is not
mirror-signal-carry-on-signalling-in-case-some-****-pulls-up-at-a-side-road.


--
Young Musician of the Year 2004 was a fiddle

"Martin Bulmer" wrote in message
...

You see, I wanted to turn right, but I didn't stick my arm out, so it's my
fault.
There was no-one else on the road, so I crossed into the centre lane, you
know, the one marked out in the middle of the road, with a big bent arrow
pointing right. Anyway, as I drew nearer to the turn, a car appeared from
the right hand road that I was about to turn into, and drove out in front of
me, and stopped directly in my path......

Eh? Even if you *had* been going straight ahead the car would still have needed
to give way to you, so it should not have pulled out anyway!

John Hearns wrote in message ...

Same as this 'right hand turn' lane. The driver should not assume
you will make the turn. That's not to say though you should not assume
that the car will stay out of your way. Anticipate, which you did
correctly.

My interpretation of Martin's post was that the driver was implying
that he would not have cut Martin up if he had been signalling. He
pulled out because he assumed Martin was going straight on and he was
intending to use the British Standard right-turn-in-front-of-cyclist
technique. Namely drive along on the wrong side of the road for a bit
and then if not sufficiently far ahead simply force the cyclist into
the gutter. Perfectly normal motorist behaviour.

--
Dave...

"Adrian Boliston" wrote in message ...

Eh? Even if you *had* been going straight ahead the car would still have
needed to give way to you, so it should not have pulled out anyway!

Not if using the British Standard driving technique. :-( See my other post.

--
Dave...

"Martin Bulmer" wrote in
:

Then the shout came from behind "Why don't you
f****ing indicate!!?"

I had the same question thrown at me a few weeks ago, riding home from
work. I'd ridden up Hanover Street, long straight road, rush-hour traffic
moving at not much more than 10mph. A long, straight road, followed by a
left turn into a one-way system - everyone turns left, no other way to go.
Just after I got round the corner, Mrs School-Run pulls up alongside me in
her huge 4-wheel-drive, blacked-out windows wound down, kids in the back
(far too close as well, nearly caught my elbow on the mirror) and goes off
into a torrent of f-worded abuse about me not signalling and being a menace
on the road and holding all the traffic up (you're holding me up, love, and
all the people behind us) blah de blah de blah....

What can you do?! Pathetic.

Iain Jones said:

*snip*

a torrent of f-worded abuse about me not signalling and being a menace
on the road and holding all the traffic up (you're holding me up, love, and
all the people behind us) blah de blah de blah....

What can you do?! Pathetic.

Smile indulgently and cheerily wave goodbye as you filter ahead...

Regards,

-david