Thursday 28 January 2010

An education in bus driving

As I was heading home on Tuesday night I was forced to give a bus driver a lesson.

A van being a nobber had forced me into the wrong lane I can't be bothered to go into it but he'd revved, tailgated then decided to undertake me and I had ended up in the left hand side of the the filter lane to turn right. I did want to turn right but I normally take the centre of the lane as the road's a little narrow there.

I was a little surprised therefore to get beeped at by a bus behind me. I was over as far as I could go and was waiting for the traffic to move forward a bit to get in the centre of the lane.

As I attempted to shuffle across further the bus driver leant out. 'Why are you not in the cycle lane?! You go there!' (He was pointing to the left.)

I replied:
'Actually I don't go there if I'm turning right and that's what I'm doing. Oh and I have every right to cycle on this bit of road according to the Highway Code. I would read it if I were you, especially given that driving's your job.'

When his passengers began to giggle at the bus stop he retreated into his cab muttering an apology.

I feel I've taught him something useful. How marvellous.

2 comments:

  1. Excellent an education, a much better way to deal with it than shouting!

    I had a car pull out on me yesterday when I was riding with another instructor. He rode up to the drivers side - being a much better sprinter than me - knocked on the window and said "Excuse me you actually pulled out on us back there, you really should check the road is clear before pulling out of a junction" the moron in the car didn't know what to say!

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  2. Nice one.

    I, on the other hand, am not so tactful. I told off a funeral director for parking his 'private ambulance' and hearse on a contraflow cycle path...I did it politely though.
    I told him I'll end up in his hearse if I keep having to jot over onto to the road with oncoming traffic.

    And so the guilt sets in. I kind of wish it had been a moronic cab/taxi driver instead...or a delivery van of sorts...why oh why was it a funeral director?

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