Oh the irony

[bex]

So this morning I was about 10mm away from being taken out by an ambulance car, which while bimbling along decided to turn left across the bus lane I was in with absolutely no warning.

Not unusual on the London battlefield, but it pisses me off even more when its emergency services driving like its for the first time.

I've had similar with police cars with their blues and twos on several times in the city. Do they train these people to make as many accidents as they can on their way to another one?

Where is the hope for us with such idiots about :dizzy:

[MonstaChicky]

Someone I know was hit in a head-on collision by an ambulance with its blues and twos on...country lane...it was flying along and she had nowhere to go to get out of its way. Fortunately, she was in a car and not on a bike...still broke both her legs though :(

[bex]

Crazy isnt it, thats horrible. One of my mates is a policewoman, but she gets very shirty when I try and talk about it!!

[JerryT]

Bloody Hell Bex, glad you're OK and all you got was a big adrenalin jolt! It certainly would have been ironic to have been taken out by an ambulance, even if they would have been the best people to help you afterwards!

[Char]

Glad your OK Bex - I had a moment in my Shogun, hate it when people look straight at you and then still pull out - mind you in my case they'd have been worse off

[bex]

I'd tell them to **** off if they tried to help :running:

Haha I'm fine thanks happens all the time, just because of that fact I felt a rant was due! (that and I'm really bored at work).

[bex]

My other favourite which incidentally happened this morning, and every morning... is those friendly drivers who stop to let traffic turn across the front of them, while bikes are coming down beside them in the bus lane completely unawares until they see a car bonnet appear and some dope make a dive across the bus lane. Gaaaah.

[He11cat]

Girl killed here a few weeks ago by fire engine on her bike.. wasn't on blues and twos.
Never did find out the gist of it and advanced rider as well very sad.

They are very well trained emergency vehcicle drivers usually but I guess used to most people getting out of the way.. but only if on emergency spose we all have an off day.

I am always really wary when I hear sirens .. and make sure I get right out of the way ... Sometimes its hard to fathom where they are as well another reason I don't have music on my bike like to hear whats going on.

My pet hate Buses..... just pull on out... do what they like and don't indicate to say pulling out... and wobbly pushbikes.

[the_adam]

My dad used to drive a fire engine before he retired :) He never had any accidents admittedly but people sometimes forget they're not exactly high-performance cars, have to treat it more like a truck with less-than-adequate brakes that's probably also full of water...I always found it really strange overtaking fire engines with the sirens on while going over the M62!

[J.P]

As you said Bex, it's not about riding in London, it's about surviving the miriad of ways that other road users and pedestrians are trying to kill you.

[bex]

Yeh thats true, fair point Adam! But the coppers in BMW M5's don't get to use that excuse! :chuckle:

I was actually in a car that got hit (not badly) by a fire truck in Liverpool once. Was kind of funny my uncle chased after them to the fire which was a big bin or something in a park and started shouting at them while they were hosing it down. Theres no rage like scouse rage :biggrin:

[the_adam]

This is very true :)

Just curious... now bikes are allowed in the bus lanes in London, does it actually work? Not sure how safe it'd feel!

[bex]

I find it good except as said, when traffic going in the same direction make a left, or worse when traffic coming the other way make a right and don't see you. Its really dangerous (but admittedly common courtesy sometimes) when slow moving/stopped traffic give way to people to cut across when bikes are coming down the other side... obviously buses can be seen but we can't be.

That said I still choose to go up the outside rather than the bus lane if possible, I somehow feel safer in the middle of the road where I can see as much traffic as possible. Obviously then you risk not seeing people pulling out of side roads. Swings and roundabouts really.

I think the trial ends in Jan 2012, I'll be disappointed if its gone for good personally.

[J.P]

You need a luminous crash helmet like Scrapp's and a neon jacket to match.

[Scott1]

This is very true :)

Just curious... now bikes are allowed in the bus lanes in London, does it actually work? Not sure how safe it'd feel!

Riding in the Bus lanes is fine and its good we can use them but you do have to be so so careful, people will pull into them to undertake all the time and al la Bex, don't signal. You do get a lot of riders my way who absolutley bomb down them even in heavy traffic, which is nuts.

You also have to be careful as there are a lot of boroughs who don't let you use the roads they are in charge of, Hackney and Lewisham are prime examples but you can use any of the TFL ones. So one road is fine the next you can be fined, they should make it all of London.

[gary tompkins]

I had a stupid bitch walk in front of me yesterday at a crossroads.

The lights were green for traffic and luckily I wasn't going very fast. Thank god for ABS otherwise it could have been nasty.

Oh... and the reason she nearly killed herself?

Gassing on her iphone :twak:

[JerryT]

Yes, that is just a classic way to confuse the unwary, I totally agree it should be consistent from one borough to the next. I mean who of you current Londoners (I'm an ex.) actually knows where the borough boundaries are? If you don't, how would anyone else from outside the smoke know? I guess it helps to make a few more quid from poor Joe Public.

[the_adam]

Always puzzled me how people think just because a phone is "mobile" it can be used properly while doing other things...you wouldn't try to use a cordless drill while walking across the road :confused:

[bex]

I mean who of you current Londoners (I'm an ex.) actually knows where the borough boundaries are?

Certainly not me I got fined last year in Holborn for riding about 10 metres max in an empty bus lane. I was going to try and contest it to see how far it got until I watched the online video which was undeniably me :chuckle:

There are signs at the start of every bus lane showing what can and can't go in it, but its easy to forget to check going from one to the next. As you say, another way to make money.

[Saint aka ML]

Well you do get in to accident every 18 months in London apparently, sad that last one was self inflicted ... twice in one month in London FFS.

Agree use bus lanes rarely but there are some roads where it is safer and it is nice to have option. However there are places where I try to use it and instantly for no obvious reason see in my head some one pulling on me. I will be sad if it is gone. What drive my gears with buses in London is when there are two buses at bus stop on one lane road and the one at back starts overtaking it!!! Why at next stop he will be overtaking you and again blocking every one.

BTW tried 2004 Aprilia RSV on Monday great fun but if you want a but clinching ride try RSV4 in rain like I did last night with full power on, should have read the manual.... Wish I could afford it but hay a day in is a day in.

[Zbornak]

That said I still choose to go up the outside rather than the bus lane if possible, I somehow feel safer in the middle of the road where I can see as much traffic as possible. That's what I was taught with the Enhanced Rider Scheme. I always do it now. Except for right-hand bends of course. As you said, you see more traffic and you're not hidden away behind tall vehicles. There's also less crap/potholes on the sides of a single-carriageway road. And another positive is that drivers (depending on where you are) will move over to the left to let you past. It doesn't 100% mean they've seen you though. They might be about to swanneck into a right-hand turn without indicating.