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Special K Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 371 Location: London
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Posted Sun Nov 8, 2009 8:10 pm |
Saturday. Blackfriars Bridge, London.
Idiot bus driver cuts me up forces me up the curb. Despite pointing out I was right there in his field of vision, drove quite aggressively, ie. without evasive action there would have been damage to me/bike and maybe my mate as well.
The traffic allowed me the opportunity to take a photo of the registration number and a photo of the driver (he then tried to clobber me).
What next?
What would you do?
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downfader Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 2403 Location: 'ampsheeeer
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ride_whenever Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 8194 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted Sun Nov 8, 2009 8:22 pm |
report it to police and the bus company
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456!
silly little bike |
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rubbercolin Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 34 Location: London
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Posted Sun Nov 8, 2009 8:28 pm |
Police ,
In writing with photos to the Bus company --- and to TfL
(stops the bus company dithering -- TfL will follow up)
Tel: 0845 300 7000 (08:00-20:00 Monday to Friday)
Email: customerservices@tfl-buses.co.uk
Post:
London Buses Customer Services,
4th floor, Zone G7, Palestra,
197 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8NJ
Good luck
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bradford Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 121 Location: New Forest, Hampshire
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Posted Sun Nov 8, 2009 8:45 pm |
Go to the Bus company, get the bstard sacked Same thing happened to me and complained to the bus company about the incident and turned out he was on his last warning and got sacked! 
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deptfordmarmoset Joined: 05 Sep 2009 Posts: 358 Location: Sour Feast Lahn'n
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Posted Sun Nov 8, 2009 9:51 pm |
| bradford wrote: | Go to the Bus company, get the bstard sacked Same thing happened to me and complained to the bus company about the incident and turned out he was on his last warning and got sacked!  |
And, Special K, if you think that reporting him feels vindictive or vengeful, think about what he might do to more vulnerable cyclists than you. The streets would be safer without him.
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duncedunce Joined: 28 Jun 2008 Posts: 236
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Posted Sun Nov 8, 2009 10:26 pm |
I hope your mate is prepared to provide a statement, too. I expect that would lend more weight.
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BentMikey Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 4667
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Posted Mon Nov 9, 2009 7:07 am |
Report him mate. I'm about to report a bus driver for running a red light, assuming my video camera caught it. I'll feel bad about it, but at the same time I think it's my duty to do this for everyone else the driver might encounter in the future.
My bikes
My skates |
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Special K Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 371 Location: London
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Posted Mon Nov 9, 2009 8:45 pm |
Thank you.
Good advice and great support.
I hesitate because as an unemployed ex bus driver does he have a family to support? Will he in future insure his car? Give way to bikes? I don't know.
Morally I feel conflicted. I don't feel vengeance. I think I got that out of my system when I shouted at him
Anyway, thank you again.
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-spider- Joined: 05 Jun 2009 Posts: 523 Location: Ross-shire
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Posted Mon Nov 9, 2009 8:56 pm |
It's not about venence - it is about correcting unacceptable behaviour - don't let him get away with it. Viiolence - get the polis.
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-Spider- |
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Kieran_Burns Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 1996 Location: Derbyish
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metalmonkey Joined: 26 Oct 2009 Posts: 22 Location: London
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Posted Mon Nov 9, 2009 10:34 pm |
anyone else witness this besides you and your mate? If not it could make it harder to prove.
What do you mean the bus driver tried to clobber you? Can you expand on that as in hs manner both verbally and pyhsically.
Buses carry CCTV for 7 days so best get a move on if want to do anything about it. I wouldn't about the driver personally situation if they did as above, they shouldn't driving a bus. I watched a bus go through a red light tonight, I have had them pull out on me ect many times If I had my way, there would be no buses in london they are a pain in the ars* and clog up the road. I hope Boris get rid of those dam bendy bendy buses, London isn't desgined for them, the drivers are crap.
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bradford Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 121 Location: New Forest, Hampshire
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Posted Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:41 am |
! | Special K wrote: | Thank you.
Good advice and great support.
I hesitate because as an unemployed ex bus driver does he have a family to support? Will he in future insure his car? Give way to bikes? I don't know.
Morally I feel conflicted. I don't feel vengeance. I think I got that out of my system when I shouted at him
Anyway, thank you again. | !!! !!! Don't let him get away with this!! 
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Brian-Mc Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 19
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Posted Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:58 am |
| Special K wrote: | Thank you.
Good advice and great support.
I hesitate because as an unemployed ex bus driver does he have a family to support? Will he in future insure his car? Give way to bikes? I don't know.
Morally I feel conflicted. I don't feel vengeance. I think I got that out of my system when I shouted at him
Anyway, thank you again. |
Special K, do you have a family to support? Think what would have happened to them if this idiot had actually hit you! what about the next person he cuts up isn't so lucky!
Glad to hear that you're ok. 
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Special K Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 371 Location: London
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Posted Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:15 pm |
Writing to TFL and will pursue.
Thanks again for your support.
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jrduquemin Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 387 Location: Great Britain, 3rd Rock from the Sun
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Sicknote Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 725 Location: North London
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Posted Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:24 am |
I have a family and would like to know that someone like this is not driving a bus.
Report it now.
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Special K Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 371 Location: London
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Posted Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:37 pm |
Seems TFL might have had to write these responses to feedback once or twice before. Am really pleased to have received this from TFL today by email, and enclose it here minus the headers footers and reg number so you can draw your own conclusions and possibly some comfort that they might give a toss. Be safe.
Thank you for your feedback concerning the problems you experienced with a driver on 7 November 2009, bus registration number **********
I was extremely concerned to learn of the events you describe. I can understand how frustrating and distressing the whole experience must have been. Please accept my sincere apologies for any upset caused.
We expect the very highest standards of service from all our staff. This is especially true of our drivers as they are in many ways the face of our organisation. Drivers receive thorough training to enable them to operate their vehicles effectively. The safety of other road users is of paramount importance to London Buses. Clearly, drivers should be adhering to the standards we expect. The driving standards and overall driver behaviour you describe is unacceptable.
In view of your feedback, I have highlighted details of your experience to Metroline whose details correspond with the registration number you provided. Metroline will identify the driver from the details you have provided. Following this, the driver will be interviewed by a member of management and corrective disciplinary action will be taken in line with the operators internal disciplinary procedures. However under the Data Protection Act we cannot release details of any interviews or action taken as this is a confidential matter between the employer and employee.
Please be assured we take all complaints about poor driver behaviour very seriously. Some of the action that can be taken against drivers who do not adhere to correct procedure includes follow up monitoring by plain clothes inspectors, re-training, or in some cases dismissal. The action taken will also recorded in the drivers file for future reference.
Feedback from the public is an important source of information in our continued effort to improve driver behaviour.
Thank you for bringing this incident to my attention. I hope my comments help and sincerely hope you do not experience such poor behaviour from any of our drivers in the future. If I can be of any further assistance please let me know.
Yours sincerely
********* (named person and email at TFL, amazingly enough)
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Slow Downcp Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Posts: 2470 Location: Walsall
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Posted Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:47 pm |
Seems like a standard non-commital response to me - basically "he might get a balling out by his boss, but thats up you them. We can't tell you what they do though".
I'd have reported it to the police, and told TFL that you had done so. It would get followed up then.
Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos |
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redvee Joined: 09 Oct 2007 Posts: 4204 Location: Bristol
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Posted Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:55 pm |
That letter is the standard corporate fob-off. When I had a close call with a DHL lorry the wording of the phonecall was virtually as I expected and the same as the above letter if phrased somewhat differently.
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