Unfortunately, the person in the car decided that he / she needed to pass me heading own hill into a blind curve with the potential with crossing traffic and/or oncoming traffic. Lovely, just lovely.

I was going south on St. Stephens Church Road in Crownsville, MD. As I started down the hill, approaching my right-hand turn onto John Hopkins, I took the lane as the road surface is horrible – lots of cracks, scaling and potholes. Additionally, you pick-up quite a bit of speed going down the hill and need to reposition to safely make the right hand turn. At the bottom of the hill is a blind turn/curve to the right as St. Stephens Church Road continues on. It’s not uncommon for oncoming traffic to turn left onto John’s Hopkins. So, the safest option is to take the lane – which is also completely legal in this situation.

Exceeding speed limit of 20mph, close pass with oncoming traffic.

This video shows the importance of calling out the rego number. I was able to prove close passing occurred by subtracting the width of the vehicle from the measured width of the lane and my bicycle. The driver was interviewed, then demerited and fined. The police commented that it looked deliberate, as he high-beamed me before the close shave.

The vehicle was distinctive and I recognised it as one who had done the same thing to me previously at this location. The lanes are narrow, drivers frequently throw open doors without looking as they get out to the grog shop, and while the bus drivers are very good with giving bike riders room, other drivers are not. Passing through here was a source of anxiety for about six months. Unfortunately it is not easily avoidable for my commute.

Initially police brushed it of as no hit, no foul … until I wrote an offical complaint that this was not the law. Having this driver eventually demerited and fined gave me confidence that he was unlikely to do it again, and I have never seen him since.

It turns out this self-appointed enforcer of rules that don’t exist is actually an orthopedic surgeon. He accused us of blowing through a give way sign coming into the roundabout. The sign is actually a roundabout sign, and vehicles entering the roundabout (Mr Surgeon) must give way to traffic already in the roundabout (us). This meant we had done nothing wrong.

The bluster and arrogance, and jibes about lycra were replaced with an apology when the police called him. Issued with a ~AUD350 fine and 2 demerit points on his licence.

So close the mirror nearly brushed her elbow. The driver, when confronted, claimed first he didn’t see her, then that she was too wide and that I was not directly behind her (which was true). So which was it? Regardless, it was entirely unnecessary. We caught him at the next intersection.

Wow just wow.

Close pass on Riverside, Cambridge UK. Driver failed to make observations and pulled into a group of oncoming cyclists – didn’t indicate until he had already began the manoeuvre. Gave us a nice thumbs up though.

Toyota driver allegedly violated RCW 46.61.110 which requires:
(ii) On a roadway with only one lane for traffic moving in the direction of travel:
(A) When there is sufficient room to the left of the individual in the lane for traffic moving in the direction of travel, before passing and until safely clear of the individual:
(I) Reduce speed to a safe speed for passing relative to the speed of the individual; and
(II) Pass at a safe distance, where practicable of at least three feet, to clearly avoid coming into contact with the individual or the individual’s vehicle or animal; or
(B) When there is insufficient room to the left of the individual in the lane for traffic moving in the direction of travel to comply with (a)(ii)(A) of this subsection, before passing and until safely clear of the individual, move completely into the lane for traffic moving in the opposite direction when it is safe to do so and in compliance with RCW 46.61.120 and 46.61.125.
(b) A driver of a motor vehicle found to be in violation of this subsection (2) must be assessed an additional fine equal to the base penalty assessed under RCW 46.63.110(3). This fine may not be waived, reduced, or suspended, unless the court finds the offender to be indigent, and is not subject to the additional fees and assessments that the base penalty for this violation is subject to under RCW 2.68.040, 3.62.090, and 46.63.110.
(c) The additional fine imposed under (b) of this subsection must be deposited into the vulnerable roadway user education account created in RCW 46.61.145.

Close pass/near miss on McCormick rd.

Needless close pass on an empty road I was on a National cycling Network for the first time heading to lough Neagh. I didn’t expect this to happen.