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“I will squash you flat, I’m in a great big bus”

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TIM DEADMAN (his real name), an Inside Croydon reader, has asked that we post this open letter to all road users

Every day I cycle from my home in Kenley to my office in East Croydon, there are a few points I would like to raise as standards of driving is so bad lately that I’m considering getting back in my car.

A few pointers for all road users:

1. My hi-viz tabard is not a target, it is to help you see and avoid me. Incidentally, “avoid” does not mean missing me by two or three inches, it means leaving at the very minimum one foot between me on my bike and you in your car, van, bus or lorry.

2. Size and power have no bearing on right-of-way. It’s a simple fact, yet one that escaped the driver of a 250 bus in South Croydon, who after having nearly run me over, shouted at me to mind out of his way. After I pointed out to him that he should have given way to me as I was on a straight bit of road and he was turning right on to my road, he said, “No, you have to watch out for me, or I will squash you flat, I’m in a great big bus.”

3. If there isn’t enough room to get past me, there isn’t enough room. Don’t think you can squeeze me out, if I’m overtaking a parked car and there isn’t room to pass us both, then you should sit behind and wait. At most it will cost you 10 seconds and you will easily make that time once I’m past and pulled in.

4. The lane with the picture of a bike in it is a cycle lane. It is not a “cycles can use it if I don’t need it” lane, nor is it a “someone’s turning right in front of me, I’ll just pull into this” lane. It is a cycle lane. It is there for cycles to use.

5. There is no point 5

6. Pedestrians, please please stop just walking out in front of me, if I hit you it will hurt us both and as you are probably not insured, any days off I take will have to be compensated by you.

7. That thing on the side of my helmet is a helmet cam, have a look at some of the footage I have taken and try to avoid being a star of my little gallery…

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