Do English (UK) Taxi Drivers Hate Bikes? Tell Me!

[FZ6 Naked!]

So for the second day in a row I've had issues with a cab driver. Yesterday morning on the way to work I was filtering around cars because a lorrie in front was going very slowly. Today it was slow because of a tractor up front. The road is a 60MPH (and straight) stretch with a extra section in the middle for room to swerve. I don't know what that part is called, but I affectionately refer to it as the motorcycle lane since it's about as wide as a bike. Traffic was moving at around 30-35MPH both mornings, so I was filtering around using the spare space in the middle. As usual, I was not riding erratically or unpredictably, and as always was fitted with my bright yellow hi-vis jacket on my bright yellow bike. There were no bicycles on the road to cause cars to swerve.

So that's the background. Yesterday as I approached a taxi van, the van moved over to hug the line close to my motorcycle lane. This isn't really that uncommon as many vehicles drift within the lanes from side to side. I simply waiting until there was an opening and filtered around him, not thinking anything about it.

Today the slow-down was in the same stretch, but I went to pass a taxi car instead of a van. This time it was pretty obvious that the taxi didn't want me to pass. He moved all the way till his tire was halfway in the motorcycle lane, so I thought, "What a jerk," and did as usual. I waited until there was a break in oncoming traffic and went around him. As I started to pass him, he swerved so far over that his tires were in the middle of the oncoming traffic lane. That still leaves plenty of room for the bike, so I just went around anyway. There was no space in any way for him to have been attempting to pass the tractor, and he didn't attempt to pass. He just swerved over at the moment I was passing him.

I live in a pretty rural area of England and drivers are the exact opposite of the USA where I grew up. Most of them will try to give you spare space so you can pass without having to worrying about oncoming traffic. The mentality is more like, "He has a more maneuverable vehicle. It can fit where I can't. Why should I be mad at that?" rather than the typical American thoughts of, "If I can't do it, I'll be damned if he can!" It just strikes me as an odd coincidence that 2 mornings in a row from 2 (most likely) different taxi drivers have had the same type of reaction to being passed by a bike. I'm not being mean to the US guys, for all I know it's the rest of Europe as well, but I only know US and England driving.

Can anyone verify that taxi drivers in England are anti-bike? Or have any stories of their own to add about craptastic taxi (or any vehicle) experiences?

 

[YZF73]

So for the second day in a row I've had issues with a cab driver. Yesterday morning on the way to work I was filtering around cars because a lorrie in front was going very slowly. Today it was slow because of a tractor up front. The road is a 60MPH (and straight) stretch with a extra section in the middle for room to swerve. I don't know what that part is called, but I affectionately refer to it as the motorcycle lane since it's about as wide as a bike. Traffic was moving at around 30-35MPH both mornings, so I was filtering around using the spare space in the middle. As usual, I was not riding erratically or unpredictably, and as always was fitted with my bright yellow hi-vis jacket on my bright yellow bike. There were no bicycles on the road to cause cars to swerve.

So that's the background. Yesterday as I approached a taxi van, the van moved over to hug the line close to my motorcycle lane. This isn't really that uncommon as many vehicles drift within the lanes from side to side. I simply waiting until there was an opening and filtered around him, not thinking anything about it.

Today the slow-down was in the same stretch, but I went to pass a taxi car instead of a van. This time it was pretty obvious that the taxi didn't want me to pass. He moved all the way till his tire was halfway in the motorcycle lane, so I thought, "What a jerk," and did as usual. I waited until there was a break in oncoming traffic and went around him. As I started to pass him, he swerved so far over that his tires were in the middle of the oncoming traffic lane. That still leaves plenty of room for the bike, so I just went around anyway. There was no space in any way for him to have been attempting to pass the tractor, and he didn't attempt to pass. He just swerved over at the moment I was passing him.

I live in a pretty rural area of England and drivers are the exact opposite of the USA where I grew up. Most of them will try to give you spare space so you can pass without having to worrying about oncoming traffic. The mentality is more like, "He has a more maneuverable vehicle. It can fit where I can't. Why should I be mad at that?" rather than the typical American thoughts of, "If I can't do it, I'll be damned if he can!" It just strikes me as an odd coincidence that 2 mornings in a row from 2 (most likely) different taxi drivers have had the same type of reaction to being passed by a bike. I'm not being mean to the US guys, for all I know it's the rest of Europe as well, but I only know US and England driving.

Can anyone verify that taxi drivers in England are anti-bike? Or have any stories of their own to add about craptastic taxi (or any vehicle) experiences?

Since I started riding on the road back in '08 (been riding bikes since 2004) I've had a fair few 'moments', nothing too close, just people not looking/paying attention/seeing/thinking/*insert other lame excuses here* and pulling out or changing lanes.

I have only probably had 2 or 3 instances of other drivers physically trying to stop me overtaking/filtering/lane splitting, most actually move over trying to make my life easier (not always as helpful as they may think, but at least the thought is there), to which I give a thank you wave when possible.

To be honest, I find the tolerance level of other drivers to be quite high, I mean filtering past a few cars at a junction to sit at the very front and delay there journey, to me its the equivilent of jumping a queue in a shop, we're just taking the mickey really... Saying that I still do it as much as possible, one of the main advantages of riding a motorcycle :thumbup:


Yamahaboyz

 

[FZ6 Naked!]

Since I started riding on the road back in '08 (been riding bikes since 2004) I've had a fair few 'moments', nothing too close, just people not looking/paying attention/seeing/thinking/*insert other lame excuses here* and pulling out or changing lanes.

I have only probably had 2 or 3 instances of other drivers physically trying to stop me overtaking/filtering/lane splitting, most actually move over trying to make my life easier (not always as helpful as they may think, but at least the thought is there), to which I give a thank you wave when possible.

To be honest, I find the tolerance level of other drivers to be quite high, I mean filtering past a few cars at a junction to sit at the very front and delay there journey, to me its the equivilent of jumping a queue in a shop, we're just taking the mickey really... Saying that I still do it as much as possible, one of the main advantages of riding a motorcycle :thumbup:


Yamahaboyz

haha, I always thought it was like jumping the queue, but my boss at work actually told me he likes it when bikes pass him at a light. "I can't fit in that space, so I'm happy to see someone get something out of it." :rockon:

I have the say that my absolute favorite thing of this country is their drivers. Almost all of them are extremely polite and usually pay attention pretty well. It's just the past couple incidents that made me question taxi drivers.

 

[Deadpool]

Its not just English taxis but also buses and bicycles:Flip: its over here in Northern ireland<I didnt know they painted my faze with invisible paint when ibought it.

 

[mikw73]

As far as I can tell, all taxi drivers in the Northern hemisphere are sociopaths. It seems to be the only requirement.