ekimeno
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 2,659
- Name
- Mike
- Edit My Images
- Yes
As some of you may know I'm a cyclist and also commute in London by bike. If you have ever commuted in London, you'll know what it's like on the road out there - a sprawling mess of buses, taxis and white vans all out to knock you over. Not really all of them, but some days it feels like it! Needless to say, its dangerous and the stupidity of some drivers puts cyclists lives in danger.
Now I'm not looking to start a cyclist v motorists argument here, because I've also seen some pretty stupid cyclists out there as well. Just remember that cyclists have no protection - one bump by a vehicle and there's a very high chance you'll end up crippled or dead.
There is a point to all this and I'm getting there....
Passing distance by law in the UK is 3 feet or about a meter, so this means that when one vehicle passes another they should allow this distance between themselves and the vehicle they're passing - this also applies to motorists passing cyclists. If a car goes passed a cyclist who is riding on the left hand side of the road, they are in fact overtaking the cyclist and should follow the rules of the road - 3 feet passing distance. If there is only one lane in each direction, usually this means that the passing vehicle will have to swerve into the opposite direction lane in order to pass the cyclist. 95% of motorists probably understand this and follow this reasoning.
Today, while riding home, a scenario such as the one described above occurred, though the ape in the blue van who came close to killing me was unfortunately among the 5% of idiot drivers out there that couldn't grasp the fact that cyclists are people too. He passed me with literally millimeters between his side mirror and my head and was definitely not inside the speed limit of 30mph.
The ape had the misfortune to do this to me at the end of a day and week that felt like a balloon ready to pop. His error was my pin. I popped. Cranking my pedals very hard I managed to catch the van at a point in the road where he had to stop. I pulled in front of him and managed to explain to in short, sharp sentences between sucking in lungfuls of air why he was such a complete ****tard and would be better off pleasuring himself in a most vigorous way. The man, who looked like he had never read more than two words his entire, miserable life, reached over his passenger, grabbed something, opened his door and climbed out. It looked like he'd grabbed a plank of wood - some sort of relative more than likely - and was making his way toward me shouting something.
I wasn't about to stick around to get my head bashed in, so got my loose foot back into it's pedal and started pedalling, trying to get some distance between me and it. It was mostly downhill back to my house - about 1 and a half miles from the top of Hampstead, along the Bishops Avenue and then a good dig up a little hill and home. flying down toward the top of Bishops Avenue I snuck a quick look behind me and could see the blue van gaining on me rapidly - this guy meant business and I had a sickening feeling he was going to try and kill me. I was racing for my life....
My aim was to get down the Bishops Avenue as fast as possible and to try and get a few cars in between me and the van. I heard the roar of the van's engine as he accelerated right up to my rear wheel. Too late, I thought - time to die..... Instead of bashing my rear wheel, he pulled up longside me and swerved into me, but my survival instincts had already kicked in and I'd begun braking as soon as I anticipated his side swiping maneuver. He shimmied to the left in a move that was meant to end me, but I was moving up around the back of the van and then accelerating on his right hard. Up to 40mph I rode down the hill. I looked behind again and a car had moved between me and the van. The ape was hooting and flashing his lights for the car behind me to get out of his way - he wanted my blood and the taste of fear was in my mouth.
I darted to the left of another car and managed to get two between us. The traffic light was coming up and it was green. I flew over the crossing, turning left into the oncoming traffic lane, hopped the pavement and skidded to a stop. The van driver could do nothing except hoot and flash. He disappeared round the bend and I was standing on the pavement, soaked in sweat and shaking violently. I was alive. My god I had come inches away from certain death. On the last mile home I started laughing uncontrollably.
I won the race. And my life. Lessons to be learned.... yes, I probably should have just taken it on the chin and said nothing to the ape... just lay down and admit defeat. Turn the other cheek and all that....
But honestly, I'm glad I stood up for myself. Damn him to hell.
Now I'm not looking to start a cyclist v motorists argument here, because I've also seen some pretty stupid cyclists out there as well. Just remember that cyclists have no protection - one bump by a vehicle and there's a very high chance you'll end up crippled or dead.
There is a point to all this and I'm getting there....
Passing distance by law in the UK is 3 feet or about a meter, so this means that when one vehicle passes another they should allow this distance between themselves and the vehicle they're passing - this also applies to motorists passing cyclists. If a car goes passed a cyclist who is riding on the left hand side of the road, they are in fact overtaking the cyclist and should follow the rules of the road - 3 feet passing distance. If there is only one lane in each direction, usually this means that the passing vehicle will have to swerve into the opposite direction lane in order to pass the cyclist. 95% of motorists probably understand this and follow this reasoning.
Today, while riding home, a scenario such as the one described above occurred, though the ape in the blue van who came close to killing me was unfortunately among the 5% of idiot drivers out there that couldn't grasp the fact that cyclists are people too. He passed me with literally millimeters between his side mirror and my head and was definitely not inside the speed limit of 30mph.
The ape had the misfortune to do this to me at the end of a day and week that felt like a balloon ready to pop. His error was my pin. I popped. Cranking my pedals very hard I managed to catch the van at a point in the road where he had to stop. I pulled in front of him and managed to explain to in short, sharp sentences between sucking in lungfuls of air why he was such a complete ****tard and would be better off pleasuring himself in a most vigorous way. The man, who looked like he had never read more than two words his entire, miserable life, reached over his passenger, grabbed something, opened his door and climbed out. It looked like he'd grabbed a plank of wood - some sort of relative more than likely - and was making his way toward me shouting something.
I wasn't about to stick around to get my head bashed in, so got my loose foot back into it's pedal and started pedalling, trying to get some distance between me and it. It was mostly downhill back to my house - about 1 and a half miles from the top of Hampstead, along the Bishops Avenue and then a good dig up a little hill and home. flying down toward the top of Bishops Avenue I snuck a quick look behind me and could see the blue van gaining on me rapidly - this guy meant business and I had a sickening feeling he was going to try and kill me. I was racing for my life....
My aim was to get down the Bishops Avenue as fast as possible and to try and get a few cars in between me and the van. I heard the roar of the van's engine as he accelerated right up to my rear wheel. Too late, I thought - time to die..... Instead of bashing my rear wheel, he pulled up longside me and swerved into me, but my survival instincts had already kicked in and I'd begun braking as soon as I anticipated his side swiping maneuver. He shimmied to the left in a move that was meant to end me, but I was moving up around the back of the van and then accelerating on his right hard. Up to 40mph I rode down the hill. I looked behind again and a car had moved between me and the van. The ape was hooting and flashing his lights for the car behind me to get out of his way - he wanted my blood and the taste of fear was in my mouth.
I darted to the left of another car and managed to get two between us. The traffic light was coming up and it was green. I flew over the crossing, turning left into the oncoming traffic lane, hopped the pavement and skidded to a stop. The van driver could do nothing except hoot and flash. He disappeared round the bend and I was standing on the pavement, soaked in sweat and shaking violently. I was alive. My god I had come inches away from certain death. On the last mile home I started laughing uncontrollably.
I won the race. And my life. Lessons to be learned.... yes, I probably should have just taken it on the chin and said nothing to the ape... just lay down and admit defeat. Turn the other cheek and all that....
But honestly, I'm glad I stood up for myself. Damn him to hell.
Last edited:
That had me on the edge of my seat! 
