Almost an accident

As I was cycling along there was oncoming traffic.

The driver of a coach thought there was a space for him to be able to
quickly overtake me and then pull back over on to his side of the road
to avoid oncoming traffic. However, in attempting to perform the
manouevre, he brushed the side of me and was incredibly lucky not to
have caused more destruction either to myself or oncoming traffic.
This was an incredibly stupid manouevre and one would have expected far
better from someone who is a professional driver.

Naturally I was shaken and angered by this - especially seeing as I was
left pondering my mortality and seriously questioning the wisdom of
riding a bicycle.

I got the name of the coach company - time and place etc.

Just wondering if I should bother taking this further.

The police won't care will they because I haven't been seriously
injured.


--
dannyfrankszzz

Always worth a phone call. The next person that driver overtakes might
not be as lucky as you.

dannyfrankszzz wrote:
As I was cycling along there was oncoming traffic.

The driver of a coach thought there was a space for him to be able to
quickly overtake me and then pull back over on to his side of the road
to avoid oncoming traffic. However, in attempting to perform the
manouevre, he brushed the side of me and was incredibly lucky not to
have caused more destruction either to myself or oncoming traffic.
This was an incredibly stupid manouevre and one would have expected far
better from someone who is a professional driver.

Naturally I was shaken and angered by this - especially seeing as I was
left pondering my mortality and seriously questioning the wisdom of
riding a bicycle.

I got the name of the coach company - time and place etc.

Just wondering if I should bother taking this further.

The police won't care will they because I haven't been seriously
injured.



Phone the company up and complain. This might get you an apology, it
might not. My local coach company were rather ****ty when I complained,
so I copied my complain to local Plod and the local council (the company
concerned has significant business ferrying schoolchildren around).

dannyfrankszzz wrote:

As I was cycling along there was oncoming traffic.

The driver of a coach thought there was a space for him to be able to
quickly overtake me ...... he brushed the side of me and was incredibly
lucky not to
have caused more destruction either to myself or oncoming traffic.
This was an incredibly stupid manouevre and one would have expected far
better from someone who is a professional driver.

Just wondering if I should bother taking this further.


Definitely. For all you know, this driver may have a history of bad
driving and your feedback may be just the catalyst to tip some action
being taken by either the police or his employer.

He's a potential killer and the next cyclist may go under his wheels.

Report it.

The police won't care will they because I haven't been seriously
injured.

Still report it.
It was dangerous and life threatening.

John B

Al C-F m wrote:

The driver of a coach thought there was a space for him to be able to
quickly overtake me and then pull back over on to his side of the road
to avoid oncoming traffic. However, in attempting to perform the
manouevre, he brushed the side of me and was incredibly lucky not to
have caused more destruction either to myself or oncoming traffic.
This was an incredibly stupid manouevre and one would have expected far
better from someone who is a professional driver.

Naturally I was shaken and angered by this - especially seeing as I was
left pondering my mortality and seriously questioning the wisdom of
riding a bicycle.

I got the name of the coach company - time and place etc.

Phone the company up and complain. This might get you an apology, it
might not. My local coach company were rather ****ty when I complained,
so I copied my complain to local Plod and the local council (the company
concerned has significant business ferrying schoolchildren around).

Don't phone and complain.

First, write a letter, keeping it very polite and make sure someone else
reads it to make sure it doesn't sound hysterical or even emotional.
Keep it constructive. Say you hope they will take this seriously. Make
sure you have the name of the person you need to write to. Perhaps
invite them to join you for a ride to help them better understand the
position of cyclists who share the roads with large vehicles. Follow it
up with a phone call, particularly if you don't get a reply.

Daniele

in message ,
dannyfrankszzz ')
wrote:


As I was cycling along there was oncoming traffic.

The driver of a coach thought there was a space for him to be able to
quickly overtake me and then pull back over on to his side of the road
to avoid oncoming traffic. However, in attempting to perform the
manouevre, he brushed the side of me and was incredibly lucky not to
have caused more destruction either to myself or oncoming traffic.
This was an incredibly stupid manouevre and one would have expected far
better from someone who is a professional driver.

Naturally I was shaken and angered by this - especially seeing as I was
left pondering my mortality and seriously questioning the wisdom of
riding a bicycle.

I got the name of the coach company - time and place etc.

Just wondering if I should bother taking this further.

The police won't care will they because I haven't been seriously
injured.

Complain to the coach company - they may care. It is, after all, their
reputation that suffers if their drivers drive badly.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
/-\ You have discovered a security flaw in a Microsoft product. You
|-| can report this issue to our security team. Would you like to
| | * Be completely ignored (default)?
| | * Receive a form email full of platitudes about how much we care?
\_/ * Spend hours helping us fix this problem on your own phone bill?

dannyfrankszzz came up with the following;:

Naturally I was shaken and angered by this - especially seeing as I was
left pondering my mortality and seriously questioning the wisdom of
riding a bicycle.

I got the name of the coach company - time and place etc.

Just wondering if I should bother taking this further.

Absolutely. The next cyclist may not be quite as lucky. Writing a
complaint carries far more weight than a phone call or email. Keep it
brief, to the point and try not to be too emotive. The telephone can be
used If you don't get a reply to the letter.

The police won't care will they because I haven't been seriously
injured.

Still worth following up, same way as above or better would be in person at
the local Police Station (LOL, I know, our local is two villages and a City
away). IME they might 'have a word' but it's unlikely the driver can
actually be charged with anything worthwhile.

--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!

I've complained to First Bus occasionally and they've always been very
helpful.

Give it a go.

Robert

dannyfrankszzz wrote:
As I was cycling along there was oncoming traffic.

The driver of a coach thought there was a space for him to be able to
quickly overtake me and then pull back over on to his side of the road
to avoid oncoming traffic. However, in attempting to perform the
manouevre, he brushed the side of me and was incredibly lucky not to
have caused more destruction either to myself or oncoming traffic.
This was an incredibly stupid manouevre and one would have expected far
better from someone who is a professional driver.

Naturally I was shaken and angered by this - especially seeing as I was
left pondering my mortality and seriously questioning the wisdom of
riding a bicycle.

I got the name of the coach company - time and place etc.

Just wondering if I should bother taking this further.

The police won't care will they because I haven't been seriously
injured.


--
dannyfrankszzz


I recently complained to a company about the driving ability of one of
their drivers. I got the names of the directors from the company
website, and sent them an email. I got a prompt, polite response and
the promise of a follow up. About a week later, I got an email saying
that the driver was no longer working at the company, and apologising
again for his behaviour. Much more than I was expecting, (and possibly
over the top for the particular offence) but I'm guessing that I wasn't
the only one who had problems with him?

Complain, you'll feel better for it too....

M.

said the following on 24/08/2006 12:40:

I recently complained to a company about the driving ability of one of
their drivers. I got the names of the directors from the company
website, and sent them an email. I got a prompt, polite response and
the promise of a follow up. About a week later, I got an email saying
that the driver was no longer working at the company, and apologising
again for his behaviour. Much more than I was expecting, (and possibly
over the top for the particular offence) but I'm guessing that I wasn't
the only one who had problems with him?

That's the "tipping over the top effect" - when it takes just one more
complaint to get serious action taken, and I would guess that yours
might have been that one more complaint.

It's always worth reporting. (A report sounds less whingey that a
complaint, IMO!)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/