Another Accident

Stovepipes · 30 Aug 2015 at 12:34

Was travelling along in the bus lane on the Old Kent Road when someone pulled into it and I slammed into the side of them.

What really annoys me is that I had my helmet cam on and wasn't recording and they're disputing that it's their fault. I mean if he saw me like he claimed then why pull out and if he had completed the maneuver then why did I hit the side of his vehicle and not the rear?

Thankfully I'm not injured and the bike appears to have a few superficial scratches.

Then on the way home you wouldn't believe the number of near misses I had riding in the rain at night. Has shaken me up a bit but I'm not giving up on biking just yet.

Need a new camera though and I want one hardwired with loop recording as that's the main reason I don't always have my helmet cam on.

radderfire · 30 Aug 2015 at 12:37

What kind of jacket do you wear? If it's black, that can be a problem. High visibility fluorescent materials would be my sincere suggestion.

Stovepipes · 30 Aug 2015 at 12:43

I used to wear a hi-vis one but yeah mine is a black Hein Gericke now, still the chap says that he saw me so I'm not sure it would have helped in this case assuming his judgement is that poor.

Gonna get one of those hi-vis think bike vests now like neighbour has.

Tefal · 30 Aug 2015 at 13:15

No cctv?/buslane cameras?

Oh on the polite jackets when I did my bike safe course the officers said they have arrested people for impersonating a police officer for wearing them.

wazza300 · 30 Aug 2015 at 13:16

Was gonna say it looks like a police vest

At least your alright,let's hope it goes your way

Tefal · 30 Aug 2015 at 13:31

wazza300 said:
Was gonna say it looks like a police vest

At least your alright,let's hope it goes your way

yeah that's problem, no reasonable person can argue that its not designed to confuse people with a police outfit.

if it said "look out!!!!" and didn't have batternbergs fine but the ONLY reason it uses the word polite is because it looks like police

Flack88 · 30 Aug 2015 at 13:51

Check out Baron Von Grumbles vid on them "POLITE Notice Vests - I Despise you" , sums up the way I feel about them. No excuse for wearing them other than wanting to look like police. Why not just a normal hi-vis!

TallPaul_S · 30 Aug 2015 at 14:13

Flack88 said:
Check out Baron Von Grumbles vid on them "POLITE Notice Vests - I Despise you" , sums up the way I feel about them. No excuse for wearing them other than wanting to look like police. Why not just a normal hi-vis!

Exactly.

If you want to be seen, just get a high-vis vest/jacket.

Stovepipes · 30 Aug 2015 at 16:06

Nope I'm getting the Polite vest and painting my helmet white.

Honestly I think I'll use some hi-viz Plasti Dip for my helmet and a H-belt.

UberTiger · 30 Aug 2015 at 16:18

Flack88 said:
Check out Baron Von Grumbles vid on them "POLITE Notice Vests - I Despise you" , sums up the way I feel about them. No excuse for wearing them other than wanting to look like police. Why not just a normal hi-vis!

lol at the vid. Completely agree, got distracted by someone wearing one when driving my car the other day.

On Holiday · 30 Aug 2015 at 17:19

Damn that's unlucky. When I came off for the first time it knocked my confidence a bit, just don't stop riding/dont take a break and you'll be fine!

The London chief of police (or somebody in a similarly high up position) said it's fine to wear the polite vests and that he thought they are a good idea.

I still don't like them though. Get a decent jacket with low profile reflective stripes

Tefal · 30 Aug 2015 at 17:41

Archeum said:
The London chief of police (or somebody in a similarly high up position) said it's fine to wear the polite vests and that he thought they are a good idea.

makes no difference if the cop who pulls you over wants to do you for it though.

Stovepipes · 30 Aug 2015 at 18:09

Archeum said:
just don't stop riding/dont take a break and you'll be fine!

I had a 2 hour ride home through central London in heavy rain so my courage returned & I'm not completely put off yet, what bothered me is that I don't have a camera now to capture the next incident, which based on some of the driving I encountered on the way home is inevitable.

The other thing that I really wanted the footage for was to see what mistakes I may have made, I know I wasn't speeding given the location and packed road on my right I would't have but was I fully aware of surroundings, should I have been able to spot what he was doing earlier? and I think because my last 2 bikes didn't have ABS I'm not sure I was braking hard enough.

mattyg · 30 Aug 2015 at 19:39

Tefal said:
No cctv?/buslane cameras?

Oh on the polite jackets when I did my bike safe course the officers said they have arrested people for impersonating a police officer for wearing them.

Arrested and then released without charge and the officer getting a rollicking for wasting time.

Nothing on that says Police.

Tefal · 30 Aug 2015 at 19:45

mattyg said:
Arrested and then released without charge and the officer getting a rollicking for wasting time.

Nothing on that says Police.

doesn't have to say police, its intended to make you look like a police officer and make people believe you are one.

horse riders got int he **** for it when it was the craze for them to wear them a few years ago.

mattyg · 30 Aug 2015 at 20:01

Tefal said:
doesn't have to say police, its intended to make you look like a police officer and make people believe you are one.

horse riders got int he **** for it when it was the craze for them to wear them a few years ago.

I don't believe it's been tested in court yet though. And it won't be as they would have to prove intent. And that would be very difficult.

If I were wearing a clown uniform and that hivis vest would people still think I was impersonating the police???/

EdwardTeach · 30 Aug 2015 at 20:13

Stovepipes said:
I used to wear a hi-vis one but yeah mine is a black Hein Gericke now, still the chap says that he saw me so I'm not sure it would have helped in this case assuming his judgement is that poor.

Gonna get one of those hi-vis think bike vests now like neighbour has.

I saw a biker in this when I was driving my car on the m25 last week. I have to say it is really affective a catching attention.

Flack88 · 30 Aug 2015 at 20:18

mattyg said:
I don't believe it's been tested in court yet though. And it won't be as they would have to prove intent. And that would be very difficult.

If I were wearing a clown uniform and that hivis vest would people still think I was impersonating the police???/

Sod the impersonating police. Who ever wears one just looks like a ****.

wazza300 · 30 Aug 2015 at 20:20

you can dress from head to toe in fluorescent gear and they still wont see you,your a tiny dot compared to a car and fast moving,plus they are most likely pre occupied with other things rather than paying attention,and some just don't give a **** about you

abs wouldn't have saved you either imo,just too little too late,ALWAYS try to anticipate what drivers are likely to do or any open gaps in traffic slow down for

it all comes with experience tbh,and even then you can get caught out from time to time,its a real shame your camera wasn't roling,id have been looking/getting witnesses names/addresses if there were any

mattyg · 30 Aug 2015 at 20:21

The thing is take that vest off in that photo and he'll still look like a bobby.

Put that vets on a 10 year old in pink and they wouldn't. So what part is it that is wrong??