Near Miss of the Day 881: Bus driver's pointless overtake before "one of the most bizarre conversations" this cyclist has ever had

mitsky wrote:

Please be aware that this is the only information Arriva is able to disclose, in line with employment law whereby their disciplinary procedures are confidential."

That's the same cut-and-paste response I always receive from TfL/Arriva and it's cobblers, quite frankly. Whilst there may be confidentiality reasons to keep the offending driver anonymous there is no legal reason of which I am aware that they could not communicate to a complainant the outcome of the disciplinary procedure. The obvious conclusion is that the most their disciplinary procedures ever amount to is a quiet word along the lines of, "Harry, some bloody cyclist has been complaining about your driving mate, we know they're all tossers but be a bit more careful, will you?"

Yeah, I would tend to agree that the privacy thing should only apply to revealing who the driver is, not the outcome of any procedure.

Though I would hope that the driver at least having to sit in the manager's office will be enough to make them think twice in future and the manager themselves might also say something like "Please avoid this in future to avoid all the red tape I have to deal with."

Given the specifics of this incident and what the driver said to me, I would also hope that there was an actual conversation with her to explain that what she said (and believes) was total... ahem, rubbish.
Not to mention that if her colleagues are aware of this then she might be considered a bit wacky.

there is no legal reason of which I am aware that they could not communicate to a complainant the outcome of the disciplinary procedure

This is, of course, exactly the same dodge used across the country by skip companies, bus companies and, most importantly, by the police- supported by the Information Commissioner. The Office of the Information Commissioner is influenced and swayed by the government into a device for thwarting the Freedom of Information Act and assisting public bodies with denial of Freedom of Information. The police use it to cover up not having done anything at all about offences against cyclists even when they have written that they would be 'taking action'. With apologies for the repetition

https://upride.cc/incident/4148vz_travellerschoicecoach_closepass/

this is the incident where Lancashire Constabulary claimed they would take action but have since spent much 'ratepayers' money and time in refusing to disclose what the action was- which was probably nothing at all. This case is now at the Information Tribunal where what is at stake is the protection of the police right to lie as much as they choose

I was going to give the bus driver the benefit of the doubt here, as just a careless overtake witohut thinking but her reaction is just ridiculous. She thinks the end of markings for the bike lane mean you have to suddenly stop for the bus that has cut you up? Does she understand how stupid that actually sounds? it's scary that a driver of vehicle like this is driving around with that kind of stupidity

a1white, my thoughts exactly.

Thanks for sharing your experience of the place!

I don't think humans (driving cars) are much different about 100 miles East of Harwich. A couple of difference maybe - as you say people driving may be less antagonistic to people cycling as it is a normal mode of transport.

Do you find that as soon as drivers pass you they completely forget you exist (and then maybe pull in rapidly)? That's a common one here...

I imagine in NL drivers *expect* to see cyclists - so may be better at looking for them? Very often in UK drivers learn to look for motor vehicle only and you experience them looking right through you. Hopefully you have enough time to realise they didn't see you and take evasive action...

What makes the *looking out for cyclists* work better in NL is eg. at junctions drivers know (where) to expect cyclists. There are clear markings and the designs themselves are largely standard (across the country also, I believe?)

That is completely the opposite in the UK - there is no standardisation (despite rules - sorry - guidelines) for infra design. Not only is it rare to find cycle infra, it is never the same (and often a terrible design).

I think without (standard, ubiquitous, high quality) infra the drivers in NL would never have had the chance to become a little bit better...

What I would add, this overtake is not entirely pointless. A bus carrying 20 people gaining 4 secs, is better than a single guy losing 10 secs.

When on bike, I try not to delay people carrying buses.

cyclisto wrote:

What I would add, this overtake is not entirely pointless. A bus carrying 20 people gaining 4 secs, is better than a single guy losing 10 secs.

But not if it endangers one person.  Never mind the morals, or the fact that it costs several police / ambulance staff quite a bit of time, it will delay the bus passengers if the driver crashes into someone.  Rare of course but the delay each time would be substantial and probably impact the network.  Presumably the bus will have to stop at least until they've washed the bits out of the wheel arches?

cyclisto wrote:

When on bike, I try not to delay people carrying buses.

I like to think I'm quite strong but I would be impressed by any number of people carrying a bus, never mind multiple buses and would agree that it is best to keep out of their way.

I didn't see that! lol

🤔

I can only really remember this one where I was actually squeezed:

https://youtu.be/xuXRZjKkNfo

Ok, that one is really bad

Me me me!!!

We don't have any bus services to cut us up so they are not a concern of mine. Tractors, particularly those towing large trailers with bouncy balloon-like low pressure tyres scare the $h!t out of me.

SimoninSpalding wrote:

Tractors, particularly those towing large trailers with bouncy balloon-like low pressure tyres scare the $h!t out of me.

The tractor may well be driven by a teenager who doesn't think he needs to care while the trailers are even more scary when piled high with mud-covered spuds. And the road is covered in it too.

Too late now, but maybe keep a copy of the highway code with You in case of situations like this?

I'd have asked them where it says that.
They might say "check the highway code" at which point I would wave it at them and ask them to show where...

Bus driver told me that the ASL was a buffer zone to ensure that he had more braking distance and not send his s passengers flying if he had to stop for the lights 

Bus driver told me that the ASL was a buffer zone to ensure that he had more braking distance and not send his s passengers flying if he had to stop for the lights

That's nowt! I have it in writing from OpSnap Lancs that the ASL is the stop line for motorists and that the true stop line only applies to cyclists. The significance of this, and it is in any case pretty much irrelevant in Lancashire where the police are very tolerant of motor vehicle RLJs because 'everybody does it', is that Lancashire Constabulary actually believes that a motorist is entitled legally to cross the true stop line if the front of his vehicle has already crossed the ASL when the lights turn red. Police ignorance of traffic law and the consequent Highway Code is just one of the crosses cyclists must bear.

Possibly, but in this instance immediately after the bus stop is a segregated cycle lane with wands.

This overtake by a PHV driver wasn't malicious but at completely the wrong place.
As it was next to a pedestrian island, the sharp kerb cut the tyre (You can hear it on the clip).
https://youtu.be/BhLJEgq8WW4

Fingers crossed the driver picks better places to overtake going forward.