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news
Near Miss of the Day 61: Featuring a close pass from an Addison Lee driver
We’ve had a few stories about Addison Lee here on road.cc over the years – and now, one of the private hire firm’s drivers has made it into our Near Miss of the Day feature.
It took place yesterday as road.cc reader Richard Beeching headed home to south east London after a “gentle ride.”
He told us: “I’d eased off a little on seeing the squirrel, but then got back to 20mph when the driver behind beeped.
“No room to pass safely so I held my line, as well as pointing to a 20mph speed limit sign in the road.
“He then pretty much forced me out of primary position before braking hard at two speed bumps, putting me in real danger (especially with the first braking which was during overtaking).
“Dangerous, impatient, ignorant, illegal. "
Richard added: “I’ve tweeted it to Addison Lee, and in fairness they replied with this: ‘Hi Richard – I will be forwarding this to our driver liaison team immediately. Thank you for bringing this to my attention’.”
Over the years road.cc has reported on literally hundreds of close passes and near misses involving badly driven vehicles from every corner of the country – so many, in fact, that we’ve decided to turn the phenomenon into a regular feature on the site. One day hopefully we will run out of close passes and near misses to report on, but until that happy day arrives, Near Miss of the Day will keep rolling on.
If you’ve caught on camera a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with another road user that you’d like to share with the wider cycling community please send it to us at info [at] road.cc or send us a message via the road.cc Facebook page.
If the video is on YouTube, please send us a link, if not we can add any footage you supply to our YouTube channel as an unlisted video (so it won't show up on searches).
Please also let us know whether you contacted the police and if so what their reaction was, as well as the reaction of the vehicle operator if it was a bus, lorry or van with company markings etc.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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13 comments
Definitely doesn't excuse it bu roads like that are magnets for getting numpties fustrated and the fustration results as it did. I like to pull in to a gap before the fustration can build up but there doesnt look like there's much room to safely do that on that street
I don't think the cyclist did actually hold his line.
After the car beeps his horn, he pulls ever so subtlely to the left. In that situation you'd be best advised to stick to your 20mph and cycle in the centre of the road, only tucking in if something came the other way.
Probably best to get a rear camera as well though.
Well done for not smacking the side of the car though, I certainly would have been thumping it.
For what it’s worth, I mainly made this public for two reasons:
It’s Addison Lee. They really need to sort their shit out. My reply to them was to ask what actions they’re taking, coupled with a suggestion to run their own anti-close pass initiative. Naive? Probably, but I’m trying to make positive suggestions.
As for the event itself, yep we all get it all the time, but a rear cam would’ve shown this arsehole all but physically nudge me to the left. It was close to assault.
Oh, and yes, squirrel! Those fuckers really need some road training.
Bring back Tufty
fair point well made.
Non-event. Lend me a camera and I’ll show you worse than this every day. Here in Leicester driving is scary enough, generally I keep to cycle paths and pavements (yes I know) till I can see fields on both sides. Come to the city and I guarantee it’ll be the first thing you notice!
Non sequitur, more like.
You may well face shitter driving on a regular basis. That does not make this example 'not shit'.
It’s certainly shit Davel, just not shit enough to publish or get excited about. We all get this and worse every day. I’m just a little worried that drivers might see roadcc publishing this and think ‘so what’, adding to the feeling that we’re a self entitled bunch of Lycra clad fuss makers. We aren’t and there’s far worse out there, so show it!
It is possible that when you accept this as the norm, then when some other factor comes into play you get the extreme which you find unacceptable. Shifting the norm to a more acceptable, safe place allows for unpredictable events not to become lethal.
Also, it's just not fucking good enough. It's time to get this sort of person off the roads. They're not fit to drive.
I agree. I just think we should use the most obvious examples we can when complaining. Otherwise we risk watering down the whole issue and losing sympathy which, while we may not want it, is essential to our cause. We should always use the most shocking examples and maximise their use. Remember the careless dullards we’re trying to convince!
Yeah, that is shit Beecho - be interesting to see if you hear anything back from them beyond their initial response.
Squirrel!
Addison Lee driver - Quelle surprise.
They may want to advise them of what an ASL is for as well whilst they are about it.