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Ok so nearly killed is an exaggeration but none the less I came very close to be squashed by an Argos lorry tonight. Pedalling along a quite narrow road through the rush hour traffic I realised a lorry was behind me. He seemed to be patiently waiting for an overtaking place. But then he suddenly decides to overtake whilst blasting me with the horn. Those lorrys have very loud horns. Straight away I knew he was too close. It was one of the really big lorrys and as he about halfway past me and I was about to get hit between the quite tall curb and the lorry. Fortunately I somehow managed to hop up the curb and onto the grass verge so nothing more than a bit shaken up. I don't think most cyclists would have been able to hop up a curb that high, indeed I don't believe most commuters can bunny hop at all. If I hadn't I would have likely been very seriously hurt.
I reported it to lowestoft police who will duely do nothing unless someone else reports it. I resisted the urge to confront the drive at the argos store 200 metres further down the road. But I will be writing to Argos head office.
Just seems such a stupid and dangerous thing to do for the sake a few seconds delay to his journey (that he was being paid to make).
Resisted the urge? Are you bonkers? I'd have dragged him out of the cab*
*last time, similar story, transit van, punched him in the face.
definitely get in touch with Argos. maybe post on their Facebook/ Twitter page.
even if you didn't get a reg plate, they should be able to work out who was driving.
most companies [u]claim[/u] to take these things seriously and will 'have a word' with the driver.
I got the reg. EU63 EAP. Didn't fancy a confrontation afterwards. Plus all the lorry drivers I met are pretty tough.
Maybe he was trying to Click & Collect?
complain to argos via twitter/facebook
also any cctv in the area, you can request footage, also if argos lorries have cctv (unlikely) you can ask them
Email their head office and, if they don't react appropriately, head for Twitter. They will likely have GPS tracking, which will put the truck where you say it was, when the incident occurred.
Twitter is your friend in these circumstances. Big companies hate to be publicly flogged on it.
Not report it, you're a ****ing moron. Get on the phone tomorrow. Your happy for 40 tonne trucks to try and kill you....
bit harsh. he reported it to the police.
sounds like you've had a few "encounters" with rough truckers.Plus all the lorry drivers I met are pretty tough.
Seriously: glad you're ok. Definitely take it up with Argos.
Similar thing happened to me from the Post Office. I went to the depot - Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre, and reported it. They took it VERY seriously. AS I pointed out, those drivers are representing the company and company's have a reputation to protect.
Report it to Argos Head office. It is intimidation and whilst the Police may not be so interested, the company will be. Trust me.
They seem to have previous. I was crushed against a wall by one overtaking me 50m up a hill before a blind corner on an A road at rush hour. Surprise surprise a car came around the corner. It stopped, he could have but chose to pull in on me instead. I was incredibly lucky only getting a badly scuffed arm. I had to fight more or less from the cab not to go under the rear wheels. Witnesses, police, court and he got away with driving without due care ans attention.
Gutted for you mate.. Lorry drivers arent all tough.. They just look pissed off most of the time.. Hope that driver get sorted out.
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I knew bunnyhop is useful 🙂
Glad you're ok!!
Definitely report it to Argos, it can affect their operator's license for his depot. Too many black marks and the trucks can't go out so companies have to prove they are proactive about these things now.
Will get the wife to post on Facebook. What disappoints me most is that he did it deliberately. People do make genuine mistakes when driving, but this was intentional.
The driver is probably an agency driver, with no intrest in the job he does ,a prat.
His agency employer and ARGOS will be more intrested,
I had a Hermes lorry almost plow into me a few months ago cycling to work.
Indicating right for a good 10/15 seconds to turn into the driveway at work, Just as I start to turn said lorry decides to floor it and over take me. Bit scary like.
One of the lads I work with was behind the lorry and seen it all, he drove after the lorry, over took him and slammed on. Almost dragged him out the cab, bit mental this lad is like.
Words were exchanged and lorry driver was sh*tting himself.
Flame Argos on social media horrible place to shop as well.
I reported it to lowestoft police who will duely do nothing unless someone else reports it.
What? Why? No-one else is involved here, that's pathetic. I'd get back onto them and get them to do their **** jobs.
. The police said it would be my word against his so virtually impossible to do anything without an independant witness. Or, and God forbid it did happen, another incident.What? Why? No-one else is involved here, that's pathetic. I'd get back onto them and get them to do their **** jobs.
🙁 I didn't know Argos made lorries
The police said it would be my word against his so virtually impossible to do anything without an independant witness.
Typical.
Oh well, glad you're ok, that's the main thing I suppose. I think the advice to take it up with Argos is a good idea.
The police said it would be my word against his so virtually impossible to do anything without an independant witness. Or, and God forbid it did happen, another incident.
so if someone pulls a gun on me, and no one else saw it, the police wouldn't at least speak to the guy in question? thats a massive cop out by the police.
a bus pulled out on me today, it was coming out of a right side street, nothing serious, i had plenty of time to stop, but he obviously just thought, theres a guy on a bike, he isn't as important as me, I'll pull out. traffic jam 100yds up the road...
Had it been an Argos own-brand lorry it would have come off worse in a collision with a bicycle, as anyone who has used one of their melting woks will testify.
The police said it would be my word against his so virtually impossible to do anything without an independent witness.
I had this recently, it's galling, especially when you realise the Police want to take action but can't.
cop out by the police
heh
Exactly the same happened to me many years ago, riding along the road on Loch Ness. A forestry lorry, one of those double-trailered things seemed to be waiting for the long straight bit of road round the corner. Then suddenly, brooooom, he was overtaking on the corner into the face of oncoming traffic, causing him to pull in before he'd got past.
Cue similar monoeuvre - bunnyhop up a 5" kerb. The back wheels of the trailer actually bounced off the kerb. Terrifying.
Similar incident a while ago (thread on here) tosser tried to drive me into a hedge, then nearly plowed into a cyclist turning right. Tried to track the lorry down with no success. But wouldn't have left it to the police to sort out - what are you supposed to do, quickly flag down all the nearby motorists in the hope that they'll be witnesses??
Most lorry drivers aren't tough, they're fat immobile slobs.
these employers have a duty of care..
under health & safety at work any company driver must have to be provicient to drive considering hazzard perception.
Driver induction is needed to be passed. You've got to question how thorough it is.
I shall (continue to) boycott their stores.
Poor effort by police. Potential deliberate assault with an hgv not even worthy of a phone call to Argos.
I thought east Anglian police had a reputation for robust roads policing or is that reserved for stuff for tv shows (yes I know that's Essex not Suffolk).
I don't ride a road bike or commute by bike. But if I did, I'd have at least 2 video cameras; one pointed forward and the other to the rear. ❗
were abouts was it in lowestoft and what time? as im sure i saw the argos lorry going over the bridge earlier today almost hit someone and thought what a douche bag could have waited (or wednesday as its now 2am) was about 5ish give or take as wasn't really watching the time (day off from work) when i was driving back from ink and armour going to asda then home
I was thanked by a local dairy for bringing to their attention that one of their tanker driver passed me very close and pulled in when he wasn't really right past me. I pointed out that it didn't look great for their reputation. They certainly seemed to take it seriously with the 'transport manager' calling me back to double check the road number and time of day.
I'd definitely make a call to Argos head office.
Complain on Twitter or Facebook...I complained about an abusive bus driver (I wasn't a cyclist though) directly and never heard a peep back. I should have done it publicly but didn't as I didn't think I needed to splash it about to get noticed.
@ cannondaleking:
It was Tuesday at about 6:15pm. Going up Denmark Road away from the station and towards Argos. It was just past that massive block of concrete that in the middle of the pavement.
I run a large fleet of trucks. Social media is the way to get a fast reaction from the company (if they monitor the page). It will get re-directed to their transport manager pretty sharpish I'm sure. He is the man who needs the info...