london buses

[shiato storm]

there are no words that can come close to what I want to describe how I feel about london bus drivers and how utterly inept they really are at driving.
I was hit today coming back from rowing - thus slightly tired and not needing what was about to happen...
I go reasonably fast on my bike, enough to keep up with the traffic anyway, so there I was peddling along coming up to hammersmith (just past ravenscourt park) and I pass a bus at a bus stop. thinking nothing of it at the time as I wizzed past I continued on when suddenly out of the corner of my right eye I see just RED...
the bus I passed, clearly not giving a sh*t, had buzzed up behind me, over taken and knowing full well he had to stop at the next bus stop he pulled in - RIGHT INTO ME!!

yes, he hit me. not off my bike completely but I was being basically forced into a line of parked cars and pedestrians waiting to get on this offending bus...
I also smacked my right knee and shoulder on the side of this several ton thing as I was cut up, and both are in considerable pain right now. my mate is a physio so can get them fixed if they proove to be buggered a bit - i know my knee was sore prior to this incident by clearly being hit by several tons of flying metal (compared to my 70kg - plus bike - mass...you work out the rest) didn't help.

when I came level with the doors I shouted at the bus driver asking him quite what he thought he was doing - to which he swore at me, and told me where to go.

so I would like to know do I have any rights as to this matter, who do I contact to report this irresponsible driver? the police, bus company?...I'm utterly pissed off at the way they think they can get away with it, and someone has to just stand up and say no.

[TeePee]

You need witnesses and the index from the bus. If you have these then report him to the police for leaving the scene of a road traffic accident. Without witnesses you're out of luck.

I agree with you and I've seen some appalling driving from bus drivers. In my opinion bus drivers are second only to cyclists in my list of dangerous road users.

[shiato storm]

well, I know some cyclists can be a bit mental, as with motorcycle couriers! but buses are the worst, ever since they made that ruling about having to give way to the bus - they just pull out regardless of whos on their outside...many times have I been forced into on-coming traffic by some arse...

[Anders]

Yeah a lot of motorcyclists seem late for an appointment with the Grim Reaper. I thought a law was passed that when an accident between a cyclist and motor vehicle occurs that the accident is assumed to be the motor vehicle driver's fault unless the motor vehicle driver can prove otherwise. I remember it being on the news. I am just assuming the bill was passed. Without the bus number I cannot see how you would ever hope to prosecute the driver. Without a witness I do not see how you can prove an accident actually took place. Are there any CCTV cameras covering the scene? You can demand the tapes under the data protection act, I believe, for a 'reasonable' price and time-scale. I would hope that because it is to prove an accident took place they would help you anyway though.

[shiato storm]

under data protection act ANY data purtaining to myself i.e. details such as images of me, my address held by a company etc I may request BY LAW a copy of the data any company holds on me (and I may chose who holds my data too, i think)
as far as cameras on the bus are concerned then I think most have them now.

there is a law that goes along the lines of if anyone is in a RTA (road traffic accident) all parties are obliged to remain at the scene, to bugger off in other words is breaking the law because someone could be lying on the road bleeding through a newly aquired hole in the head!
actually i have another story about some blind cretin that took no notice of the fact that I had right of way on a round-a-bout and colision occured...now i'm not worried about the odd bump but when its me vs car moving at 90 degrees to me i begin to worry.
scenario; a straight road with a t-junction leading to a road off to the right with one of those silly little 'painted' round-a-bouts in the juction (i.e a council money saving sceme so that traffic lights are not needed). I am on this straight road aiming to turn off to the right (where the smaller road goes), therefore I must go over this round-a-bout.
some silly b*tch coming the otherway on the straight road, moving reasonably fast, I am at this point ON the round-a-bout turning towards the exit when i suddenly see a silver thing in my left eye and BLAMM!

a foot wide and high dent in the front of the car () as I see bonnet, sky, bonnet, sky...concrete.

bitch stopped then drove off.
police? they didn't do sh*t.

[5lab]

im currently involved in legal procedings following being hit by a car while cycling. you should get the bus's num plate + driver name if you wish to prosicute. if he hit you and you wernt to blame (ie were reasonably visable etc) then you can claim, but you probably need witnesses...

police do do sh*t when your face has taken out a car windscreen and is containing quite a bit of it when they drive up..

[shiato storm]

yeah, i'v lost a bit of faith in the police when I arrived at the police station to find it was closed for the next two days after being told the squad car on the way actually wasn't (an hour later) and that I had to walk several miles to the nearest station - complete with busted bike. luckily no body bumps but a bit shaken.

[DaBeeeenster]

I cycled in London a lot before moving here to Oz and am in total agreement with you - the times I've almost been knocked off my bike have always been by buses. Damn annoying.

[Pezza]

I think bus drivers generally are either crazy or arrogant or both - I can't count the number of times I've been in my car, passing a bus that's only just pulled up, and then the driver surges forward as I'm passing in an attempt to make it difficult for me to pull back in again.
Either that or they're completely ignorant of mirrors.

[spikegifted]

I've never been knocked of by buses. However, the number of times I've been given a close shave or have actually been knocked of by motorists is due to one of two things: 1) aggressive drivers who don't look where they're going (including right turning without signals, left turning without signals, ignoring red lights, etc), or 2) obstacles on ‘cycle lanes’ (such as broken bottles, parked cars, slow bikers, pedestrians, etc) force me onto traffic and the drivers in turn do something stupid.

[shiato storm]

i can't understand the point of cycle lanes when all drivers go and do is park in them. f*ing useless. if they're gonna make some flippin' well enforce them rather than letting cars use them as prking spaces without yellow lines.

[Anders]

Yeah it’s definitely against the law to leave an accident scene.

In your case, “shiato storm”, so long as you can prove an accident actually took place between yourself and the bus, then the burden of proof would be with the bus driver. It is assumed the accident is the bus driver's fault. You as the cyclist would have to prove nothing else. The bus driver would have to prove it was not his/her fault. This is of course dependant on the bill having been passed and me understanding it correctly.

Most drivers do not realise that when overtaking they are supposed to give a cyclists “at least” as much room as they give a car, i.e. cross fully onto the other side of the road. Instead most drivers will squeeze between a cyclists and an oncoming car, crazy.

I do not understand why cyclists are not allowed (in law) on the pavement, it just does not make any sense to me . There is little danger of a fatality or serious injury between a pedestrian and a cyclist, where as the potential between a car and cyclist is huge.

[spikegifted]

Originally posted by Anders
I do not understand why cyclists are not allowed (in law) on the pavement, it just does not make any sense to me . There is little danger of a fatality or serious injury between a pedestrian and a cyclist, where as the potential between a car and cyclist is huge.

No! That is one point I completely disagree.

As a cyclist who pride himself of the speed and ability to negotiate traffic, I observe the highway code - I do what road-going vehicles do. Simple. How can you expect drivers to respect you as a cyclist if you don't have to obey the same rules that they are subjected to? The fact that the vast majority of drivers either deliberately or innocently ignor proper driving rules doesn't mean that we, as cyclist, have to have special treatment. Riding along with walking or running pedestrians are even more dangerous than riding next to speeding cars, vans and lorries. Pedestrians have even more things on their minds then drivers.

[shiato storm]

i would have to agree with spike there - I am a confident rider and that I can keep up with and often exceed the speed of traffic on my bike. In london i feel you have to ride if not defensively then aggressively otherwise you'd become street pizza very rapidly.
traffic is about 95% predictable - its the 5% that f*ck you over...
for me to cycle on the pavement would be something like that scene in Empire strikes back when they go into the asteroid field in the falcon - dodging in and out of hurling chunks of rock - ok so people aren't rock, but their random movement patterns are hell to stear round. especially at speed.

I called the garage where these buses operate out of and spoke to a guy - a cyclist himself - who hopefully is sorting things out but I'v not heard back from him...I'll hassle them again tomorrow.

[TeePee]

Unfortunately you are in the minority. The vast majority of cyclists in London are a menace to themselves and others. The bill you mention is actually European legislation, and it actually makes sense in most of Europe, where city centres are filled with cycle lanes and cyclists are largely kept away from motorised traffic. In London it's a nonsense, and has not been passed as law.

[Bindibadgi]

To be honest there's no way in hell id cycle on a busy road, ill always go on the pavement unless its packed with people. The roads in this country are too packed and not designed for bikes and for drivers i can understand its like trying to avoid a pedestrian on speed.