Admiral/LicenseRegister

Licence plate numbers

(PeterTaylor) Driving with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a mobile phone. 28/4/2004 12:35

(PeterTaylor) Failure to indicate. 2/5/2004 23:55

Well over the stop line at a red light, covering the cyclists advanced stop area, and kept creeping forwards. 24/3/2004 9:10 --Admiral

I was stopped at the T-junction at the end of Park Street, and about to turn left into Jesus Lane. When I do this, I position myself reasonably far to the right of the curb, but signal left constantly, so that cars don't overtake me on Jesus Lane when I want to turn right into Malcolm Street. Anyway, while stopped, the car mentioned spun its wheels somewhere over by the car park, and roared up to the position behind me, and stopped, revving its engine. It wasn't indicating at any point. As soon as the lights turned green, I moved off, and took the corner quite wide, because I then cycle down the right-hand side of the lane on Jesus Lane. As I was approaching the island in the middle of Jesus Lane which begins the junction with Malcolm Street (which I was going to pass very close to get into the right-hand-turn lane), the car overtook me obviously still in first gear, and swerved left to avoid the island, nearly cutting the front of my bicycle off. While it overtook, one of the occupants shouted something out of the left side window at me - I didn't hear what it was. The car then went off ahead, obviously exceeding the speed limit by quite a large margin. I think I'll report this one to the police. 7/4/2004 9:40 am --Admiral

At the zebra crossing outside school at pickup time, this car was stopped on the far carriageway to allow pedestrians to cross, and the traffic on the near carriageway was similarly stopped. I walked out onto the crossing, walked safely past the cars on the near carriageway (so I was already halfway across the road, not just stepping off the pavement) and continued across the second half of the road, and this car suddenly accelerated towards me. 8/12/2020, about 3:15pm. --Rachael

(PeterTaylor) Turned left while overtaking me and without signalling. 25 Oct 04, 11:35.

As it approached the T-junction from Mansel Way into Arbury Road, rather than waiting at the red light, it overtook the car that was waiting at the red light, overtaking it on the inside and mounting the pavement, and emerged onto Arbury Road, nearly hitting me as I was cycling along Arbury Road. 13/10/21 ~17:35. --Rachael

Turned right into a T-junction when I was about to pass that T-junction on the straight road from right to left. Again, had to brake hard to avoid a collision. Car carried on and I had to chase it to get the licence number. 15/3/2004 18:30 --Admiral

Overtook me while I was indicating right. 8/10/2004 18:00 --Admiral

Drove across the pedestrian crossing outside the Golden Hind on Milton Road, while the car light was red and the pedestrian light was green and beeping. Luckily I saw the speed he was approaching and hesitated before crossing, or I might be roadkill. 20/4/10 10am --Rachael

Overtook very dangerously 18:00 29/7/2003

Drove straight across a pedestrian crossing when the driver light was red and the pedestrian light was green and beeping. I don't mean she squeezed in as the lights were changing, but she drove across when it was right in the middle of the pedestrian phase and I was right in the middle of the road. 8/3/10 10am. --Rachael

Kelvin J Webb van. Driver illegally talking on mobile phone while driving, didn't seem to see me in the lane ahead of him, and I ended up moving into the left lane to avoid being hit. 11/3/09 18:30ish. --Rachael

Taxi. Undertook me, going way more than the speed limit, and then went straight through an unambiguous red light (i.e. one which wasn't recentl;y turned red or about to turn green). 16/2/12 11:00ish. --Rachael

Over the stop line and into the cyclists advanced stop line area. 22/3/2004 9:15 --Admiral

Over the stop line and into the cyclists advanced stop line area. Also didn't seem to know how to drive. 15/3/2004 18:30 --Admiral

Overtook me, and promptly (before actually passing clear of me) turned left. 7/4/2004 9:35 am --Admiral

drove out of a side road without looking and actually collided with Rachael, 28/9/04. Luckily her bike pedal took most of the impact.

Overtook me (cycling) far too fast and far too close. Also made sexist comments when I caught up to them in the pub car park and memorised their numberplate - SunKitten, 18:10, 4.3.04

Ran a red light at full speed at the Gilbert Road/Carlton? Way junction. The light was in the middle of its red phase, hadn't only just turned red or anything. --Rachael 5/10/18

Using the left-hand lane of the M11 to overtake. Cutting-in very dangerously close in front of me and another car not long after. --qqzm

(PeterTaylor) Turned right in the face of oncoming traffic, forcing emergency stop.

Went around parked cars very fast taking up the entire lane going the other way. I was in that lane going the other way, and I had to brake hard to avoid a collision. --Admiral

Overtook me while I was indicating right.

(PeterTaylor) Stopped covering half of advanced cycle stop area; I stopped at front of said area. When lights changed, turned left cutting me up. 23 Apr 2004, 13:05.

White van from "JHProperty". Drove closely behind me, honking, while I was doing the speed limit; then overtook when there wasn't really room, basically forcing me over to the left. --Rachael

(PeterTaylor) Driving with no hands on the wheel - mobile phone in the right hand, cigarette in the left. 29 Jul 2004, 19:40.

Dark blue Jaguar zooming around lots of the 20 zone in Arbury at at least 40, maybe faster, in the middle of the day. 29/1/2018 13:50 --Rachael

(PeterTaylor) Stopped almost entirely over line, partly into pelican crossing. 8/4/2004 14:30.

Drove (completely without looking) out of side road to turn right onto main road, braked suddenly to avoid a cyclist, caused car on main road to emergency stop to avoid hitting him.  14:05, 31st Mar 2004 --AlexChurchill

Turned without indicating into a side road (that Rachael was about to cross), while driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding. 09:20 13/11/2020.

(PeterTaylor) Slightly over the cyclists advanced stop line. 8/4/2004 13:20.

Large 4 wheel drive vehicle driving around (1:10pm, 10th Apr 2004, Bournemouth) with a trailer attached behind it. Problem is, the trailer had registration plate R108KJT showing. Am I right in thinking this is badly illegal? --AC

Van, driving along, abruptly stopped and reversed quite fast, giving no warning. A cyclist who was pulling out of a side road behind it thankfully was quick enough to brake sharply, otherwise she would probably have been squished. 7/10/10 10:45ish. --Rachael

Stopped completely over the line at stop lights, fully straddling the pedestrian crossing. 22/03/2004 7pm --AlexChurchill

Turned left at a T-junction right in front of me, when I was travelling from right to left along the continuous road. 11/6/2004 6:25 pm --Admiral

Stopped over the stop line at traffic lights.

Using the left-hand lane to turn right at a roundabout with a single lane exit. Thus causing me (using the correct lane) much difficulty in leaving the roundabout. --qqzm

(PeterTaylor) Driving at night with a broken rear light. 21st Apr 2004, 22:00.

(PeterTaylor) Driving at night with a broken headlight. 21st Apr 2004, 22:00.

Drove behind me while I was on my bike, repeatedly honking at me - presumably to get out of his way, but there was no cycle lane, or even adjacent pavement, and no way for me to do so. --Rachael

Overtook CH about 20 metres shy of a roundabout, with me in the right-turn (& straight-on) lane.

Aggressive driver well over the stop line at a red light.

Total disregard for the stop line in front of traffic lights, ignoring bicycles, generally driving too fast, and having a dirty licence plate.

Went into a junction that he couldn't leave, thereby completely blocking it up for everyone else. --Admiral

Went well over the stop line at a red light and covered the entire cyclist advanced stop area. 24/3/2004 9:20 --Admiral

Went straight through a zebra crossing when I was half-way across it and heading towards the lane he was driving on. 18/10/2004 --Admiral

Sat at entrance to roundabout doing nothing despite there being no impediment to moving onto it, then indicated left when I was about a foot behind him, continued sitting there while I went slowly up the inside and decided I may as well carry on, then when I was covering about a third of the exit left (since I was going straight on) suddenly woke up and accelerated hard at me, forcing me to take evasive action. --PeterTaylor

It seems to me that three digits and a colour isn't enough info for this entry to be much use. I guess it depends on the point of adding to this page: it's still useful for the "vent frustration" purpose, but I hope there's more to this page (or we should retitle it RoadRants). I suppose this entry does have enough for the "if they do it to one of us again" factor also. But not for the "report them / show they've got history if they get convicted". What do people think? --AlexChurchill

Crossed a zebra crossing while I was walking over it, and was talking on a mobile phone (of the hold-it-to-your-ear variety). 8/6/2004 8:50 am --Admiral

Disregard for the stop line in front of traffic lights.

Overtook me and promptly turned left. --Admiral

Very dangerous manoeuvre - overtaking a bicycle that was indicating right, on the far right of the lane, and metres away from turning right.

Accelerating into a collision course with a cyclist in a junction where the cyclist had right of way, causing the cyclist to be forced to brake hard to avoid a collision, then leaving the scene.

Turning right from Hills Road into Gonville Place behind a white van, traffic is queued back from the swimming pool traffic lights. Van more-or-less obeys the yellow box, and crosses junction when there's nearly enough room for him on the other side. TCR follows immediately, ending up stopped roughly dead-centre in the yellow box for the green phase of the traffic coming the other way.

(PeterTaylor) Driving with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a mobile phone. 28/4/2004 12:30

(PeterTaylor) Driving with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a mobile phone. 5/8/2004 11:50.

(PeterTaylor) Most blatant jumping of a red light I've ever seen. Slowly approached said red light (Victoria Rd, the lights just before Histon Rd) in the left lane, and seeing no pedestrians wanting to cross went over completely over the cycle stop line, paused briefly before the yellow cross-hatchings, before switching lane and stopping on said cross-hatchings behind a line of cars waiting at the second red light. 4th Mar 2004, 13:17 +- 0:01

Cambridge registered taxi numbers

Tailgated me while I was turning right (he was too). Then after overtaking me, overtook another cyclist far to close and fast. 9/6/2004 9:21 am --Admiral

(PeterTaylor) Driving at night with a broken headlight. 21st Apr 2004, 22:00.

(PeterTaylor) Defective headlight. 25th May 2004, 20:00.

Overtook me while I was quite far to the right-hand side of a one-way street, while I was indicating right. --Admiral

Overtook me way too close --Admiral

Overtook me, then immediately turned left without indicating. Lucky I was turning left too. 2/6/2004 5:50 pm --Admiral

Cut the corner while turning right from Bateson Road into Garden Walk, while I was turning from Garden Walk onto Bateson Road. Luckily I was turning left, or I would have been run over. 10/6/2004 6:00 pm --Admiral

Pulled out into the road about a metre in front of me. Did he even look?

Pulled out into the road from a taxi rank when I was passing by. I passed with a good 2 to 3 feet gap, but when I was passing his back wheel, he pulled out into the road, reducing that gap significantly, so I had to swerve. I was a little shaken (and I wanted to see the registration number), so I let him overtake me, then followed, until my route branched from his. Over the next two turns, he neglected to indicate. 24/9/2004 6:07 pm --Admiral

Used, and exceeded, the advanced cyclists stop line at Queens' Road - Sidgwick Avenue traffic lights, while 2 cyclists were in the advanced area.

Pulled out into the road just in front of a couple of bicycles. 2/6/2004 5:50 pm --Admiral

Failed to indicate turning left at a T-junction.

Was sitting completely in the cyclists advanced stop area with no indicators and a reasonably large gap on his left, so I cycled into that position. As soon as the lights turned green, he pulled away and turned left, with me having to brake hard to stop him running over my front wheel. 7/4/2004 9:30 am --Admiral

Overtook cyclist very closely, when there was plenty of space on the other side of the road.

Took priority over a cyclist on a street narrowed by parked cars on the taxi's side, when very easily accessible passing gaps in that narrowing were available, at 5:51 pm on 3 September 2004 --Admiral

Space? You cyclists don't need space! Especially if you're going the opposite direction to me.

Second offence: stopping completely over the line at the Park Street/Jesus? Lane T-junction. And after the council has nicely repainted that line too. They might as well have not bothered. 6/4/2004 9:45 am --Admiral

Third offence - went straight through a red light and turned right without indicating. 2/6/2004 9:45 am --Admiral

Over the line and into the cyclists advanced stop area at lights, and turning left (so he cuts off every cyclist trying to go anywhere else) --Admiral

(PeterTaylor) Failure to indicate when turning left out of Downing Street into St Andrew's Street. 17 May 2004, 22:35.

Overtook me far too close. Then, completely over the line at red traffic lights, almost over the cyclists advanced stop line too. At the next junction, turned left without indicating. 9/6/2004 9:20 am --Admiral

Is there no way to report these to the police?  --Vitenka

A couple of months ago some idiot did some really stupid thing in a car that could have easily killed me. I phoned up the police about it, and they said that they couldn't do anything about it at all over the phone - I would have to come in to a police station in person and report the incident myself within 24 hours. I went, and they said that (because there had been no actual contact), the only thing they could do was enter the details into the station logbook. I certainly haven't heard anything since, and I'm willing to bet that the owner of the car didn't either. --Admiral

A contact would mean that there was an accident - it's actually unlawful _not_ to report an accident :-)  If you log complaints, if that driver later has an accident the police will take them into account about whether or not to prosecute.  So by all means, make complaints, it may well make the difference between being let off or having a licence revoked. --Mjb67

I would be very interested to hear if they are actually able to find the complaints in the log book, given there didn't seem to be any indexing of any kind. The entry was just hand-written onto the next page in the book. --Admiral

DevilsAdvocate - they transcribe the handwritten notes to a more srearchable form of storage at the end of each day?  --Vitenka

With me and right-hand turns, it is very much "stick out your hand, and wait for the car behind you to notice and maintain a decent distance, then cut in front. Then you are in a position to turn right without worrying about what is behind you." Of course, if the road is wide enough, that car can then pass you on the left, especially if you are stopped and waiting for a gap in the oncoming traffic. What upsets me is when a car tries to overtake me on the right when I am in this far-right-of-the-lane position and still indicating right. If I can't get the vehicle behind me to give me room to go into that position, then I usually will stop and cross. --Admiral

PeterTaylor has received a long blast on the horn from some car driver who was upset that he turned right from a position in the centre of the road, where he'd been sitting indicating right while waiting for some pedestrians to clear his path. I think the driver wanted to overtake me, but I'm not entirely sure.

That happened to me a few days ago. The car tailgating me while I was in position to turn right (and indicating right) didn't expect me to stop when something else got in the way. --Admiral