Today was my first day’s cycle commuting for a couple of weeks as I’d been resting before and after last week’s Lap The Lough. It was a cool, bright, autumnal morning, I had a lot of cargo and I was having some back and hip pain, so I was taking it easy as I made my way along the bus lane on the A6 Antrim Road in Belfast towards the city centre.
The bus lane is clear so I’m making good progress compared to the stop-start queue of traffic on my right. Without warning, a Volvo XC-90 driver in this queue decides that his journey is more important than the others’ and swerves out of the right hand lane as I’m passing. Bad times.
The driver of the car behind me (also in the bus lane, naughty) saw what was about to happen and sounded his horn in warning, but the Volvo kept coming and squeezed me up against the kerb. I had to punch his passenger door to deflect myself away and – somehow – simultaneously hopped the BeOne on to the pavement to escape.
The Volvo XC-90 comes with wing mirrors as standard
The driver gave a SMIDSY (Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You) wave and drove off along the bus lane. I didn’t get his full registration or I would have reported the incident to the PSNI.
Earlier a SRM (School Run Mom) forced me into a swerve when she got out of the car, saw me coming, paused, then opened the back door to release The Precious into my path. Released on to the road instead of on to the footpath she was parked on, naturally.
I’m hoping for a quieter journey home.
Bloody hell, crap driving everywhere.
I know. This is the nearest near-miss I’ve had in about 18 months of regular cycling. I just wish I could remember all of his registration number!
You’re putting me off the idea of ever bike commuting.
Oops! Don’t be put off, this is the first real near miss I’ve had!
Wow!
Its not just me then :)