Scenes from a cycling life, part 937b. I feature this here because it’s still making me scratch my head. Friday, 27th January 2012. Spring Cottage junction in Shelfield. I’m turning right, and the wagon coming the other way is turning left. Then, inexplicably, he just stops. Engine running, no clearance issues with the refuge and nothing apparently in front. Driver appears to be fiddling with paperwork, but I can’t see well.
I’m stuck, and very vulnerable when the lights change. I wouldn’t normally cycle like this, but I needed to get to a place of safety. My language was extraordinary. I’m actually sad I can’t run the audio version. I did look around extensively before and during the manoeuvre.
The HGV passed me a hundred yards further down the road. I still have no idea what it was all about. Answers on a postcard to…
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Pure guess but he might think his trailer’s going to be close to not clearing the lights.
I wondered that, but there’s lots of room there.
Blimey Bob, you’d have a heart attack cycling in Rome. Stuff like that wouldn’t even register on the radar of most cyclists/road users.That’s not to belittle the seriousness of the situation.
To be fair, I wouldn’t. In cities and dense urban areas you expect this – cycling central Birmingham, Leiscester, Soho Road, concrete collar no problem, because you expect that kind of silliness. What caught me unawares here wasn’t so much what he did, but the unexpected place he did it. It’s normally a quiet, untroublesome portion of the journey and it caught me on the hop.
I don’t really care for his fatigue, GPS or paperwork, providing that he does’t stop there in future…
Best wishes
Bob
HI Bob
fatigued driver, first visit,poor documentation of actual address.+GPS not up to date = this, so often! Glad you are okay. David
Appears to stop because the traffic light is on red
or rather the peddestrian crossing is in red
It’s not a pedestrian crossing. The lights to that section would be red, but that’s for oncoming traffic.
Best wishes
Bob
The lights outside the church are on red for the Rushall bound traffic – I think he’s seen that & stopped. I’ve seen this happen before, & his livery suggests he wasn’t British.
I think you’re right. It’s the only explanation I can come up with.
Mad.
Best wishes
Bob
I think Grande Pablo’s right. I’ve seen this at the Birmingham Road/Rotten Row lights in Lichfield a few times by those without the excuse of being a foreign lorry driver.