On 28/10/2013 21:39, TMS320 wrote:
"Zapp Brannigan" wrote
"Phil W Lee" wrote
"Zapp Brannigan" considered Sun, 27 Oct 2013

Imagine that you were driving a car, and a lorry decided to gradually
force
you off the road like this. Would you grit your teeth and try to hold on
to your "rightful" lane, exchanging abuse with the truck driver all the
way? Would you maintain that inevitable losing battle all the way, until
your car crashed into something on the roadside?

I'm certain that it took place in less time than it took to describe.

You think it was over before the cyclist was able to perceive the hazard
and apply emergency braking (a period usually estimated at one second)?
Because the cyclist's own account does not describe it as a sudden swerve
which he was unable to anticipate.

No need for a swerve. Just close the gap while slowing down. Don't allow a
braking cyclist to pull behind; because the cyclist has to outbrake the
vehicle by 16 ft. Easily done. It could have been 2 or 3 seconds.

He said "We were alongside, probably going at about 10mph for a short
distance and then he began pulling in toward me. His wheels were getting
closer and closer to the kerb and eventually there was nowhere else to go
and I was forced off the road"

A sensible road user wouldn't have waited to be "eventually" forced off
the road. They would have braked out of the trap.

"Eventually" gives us no idea of time. Your guess is as good as mine. Who
says he didn't brake? He didn't say he didn't brake.


bicycles can always outbrake cars (we have been told that numerous times)