I'm glad I'm not cycling around London if it's anything like in this video.
London Road Rage
- Thread starter awol
- Start date
I wish we had separate cycle lanes around us, at least it separates you from the traffic on our over used and unfit for use roads that we have!!!
The driver looks like he didn't notice he was being filmed otherwise he might not have acted like a big girls blouse but having said that the cyclist didn't cover him self in glory either with both using very agricultural lingo, both totally lost it in the heat of the moment.
Another case of 'trial and punishment' by social media.
The driver runs a small chain of cafes in south west London called Brew.
Lots of abuse posted by cyclists on his twitter and facebook pages.
There's an old pic doing the rounds which shows him standing on bathroom scales - presumably to demonstrate weight loss.
He is naked, and his bits are visible as a reflection in the shiny platform of the scales.
Thus he has also been abused for having a small willy.
He is the architect of his own misfortune, but as has been said the cyclist played a full part in the general unpleasantness.
Very hard to judge the impact of all the social media stuff.
Somewhere between storm in a teacup and something that could harm his business and, potentially, wreck his life for the next few years if not longer.
Hard to have much sympathy for him, but I'm not sure he quite deserves all he is getting.
The driver runs a small chain of cafes in south west London called Brew.
Lots of abuse posted by cyclists on his twitter and facebook pages.
There's an old pic doing the rounds which shows him standing on bathroom scales - presumably to demonstrate weight loss.
He is naked, and his bits are visible as a reflection in the shiny platform of the scales.
Thus he has also been abused for having a small willy.
He is the architect of his own misfortune, but as has been said the cyclist played a full part in the general unpleasantness.
Very hard to judge the impact of all the social media stuff.
Somewhere between storm in a teacup and something that could harm his business and, potentially, wreck his life for the next few years if not longer.
Hard to have much sympathy for him, but I'm not sure he quite deserves all he is getting.
I didnt know any of that (law of unintended consequenes being what it is this message sporeeeads it more) - i agree with much of what you say - that he does not deserve to have his life wrecked (on this overpopulated little island we do all have moments of madness when we loose it), but i dont think its OK to cut a cyclist off with a car, ive never done it myself (i do circa 15000 miles a year by car), i'd consider it somewhere between dangerous driving and manslaughter if i did it in my own mind(not legally).
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1028089-Reviews-or10-Brew-London_England.html#REVIEWS
He's got form for this type of behaviour . Likes to pose on twitter with his meat cleaver. He'll meet his match one day. Fit cyclist V fat slob should be fun.
He's got form for this type of behaviour . Likes to pose on twitter with his meat cleaver. He'll meet his match one day. Fit cyclist V fat slob should be fun.
All seems a bit clearer now man with big ego and a bully car is off set by having a small willy and even smaller brain, both of which are probably the same and kept in his underpants.
I've read he hit the cyclist with his door mirror hard enough to make it fold back. And (from @anarchobarista) that he's a violent,coked up, harassing boss who doesn't pay his employees or suppliers regularly. As for his life being ruined, I think he's just losing his existing cyclist customers (probably gaining some anti-cyclist ones...)
Not having read the story of this incident in the press, I don't know if the police have examined the footage. From what I can see in the film clip, there are strong grounds for prosecuting the dwarf bully-boy driver.
The driver's actions display nothing less than unequivocal road-rage, demonstrating threatening behaviour. Having caused other people to stop and watch the spectacle, he has also disturbed the peace.
The cyclist did nothing wrong; any responses emanating out of stress and fear. My conclusion is that if the police are aware and this motorist is not prosecuted and severely punished, we may as well all take the law into our own hands as we see fit. I know a lot of cyclists who would happily dismount and engage this particular pillock at his own level.
Tom
The driver's actions display nothing less than unequivocal road-rage, demonstrating threatening behaviour. Having caused other people to stop and watch the spectacle, he has also disturbed the peace.
The cyclist did nothing wrong; any responses emanating out of stress and fear. My conclusion is that if the police are aware and this motorist is not prosecuted and severely punished, we may as well all take the law into our own hands as we see fit. I know a lot of cyclists who would happily dismount and engage this particular pillock at his own level.
Tom
I'm going to be unpopular for posting this, but I think the cyclist was a moron, escalating something far beyond any justification. I often have a London driver cutting in just like that and I just stay put near the rear of the vehicle or ease off, and certainly never start abusing the driver.
At no point was that cyclist at risk, he was safe but chose to pull forward to be able to verbally abuse the driver.
What did he gain from that, absolutely nothing other than winding up himself and the driver into a situation where they both looked complete idiots?
On our crowded and narrow London roads these close proximity situations often arise, but panicky reactions to closeness are unnecessary. I get this and very much closer at times, but I've never once been hurt or knocked off, demonstrating that most drivers do know what they are doing, even though they shouldn't be that close.
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At no point was that cyclist at risk, he was safe but chose to pull forward to be able to verbally abuse the driver.
What did he gain from that, absolutely nothing other than winding up himself and the driver into a situation where they both looked complete idiots?
On our crowded and narrow London roads these close proximity situations often arise, but panicky reactions to closeness are unnecessary. I get this and very much closer at times, but I've never once been hurt or knocked off, demonstrating that most drivers do know what they are doing, even though they shouldn't be that close.
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D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
I didn't notice before, but there's a cycle path on the other side of the road that nobody is using. From the driver's first comments, it seems that he believes that's where the cyclists should be, not blocking his progress.
I must admit that I've been cut up and abused by motorists when I use the road instead of the cycle path.
I must admit that I've been cut up and abused by motorists when I use the road instead of the cycle path.
I thought he was struck by the car mirror seemingly deliberately and shouted at the driver. The driver then blocked him and stopped the car. I might be wrong but that's what I've picked up from reading comments including the cyclist's. It seems that so much turns on the specific facts.
The cyclist says the police interviewed him (the cyclist) for two hours looking at the footage and then fined the driver £90. I know it's not a great argument but if the police are in possession of the facts then maybe they got this one right.
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Another case of ignorance to road law and another motorist insisting that the carriageway is only available to motorists when there is a cycle lane available. The only solution for him is to go and do his theoretical test again.
This would not have happened if the idiot in his Land Rover had of used the road properly (overtaken correctly and safely) so any consequent action in the video was fair dinkum as far as I am concerned. What's a bit of swearing anyway? They were both at it.
I'm personally sick of being side swiped and then people complaining that you fingerprint smudged their car. The guy was driving dangerously and should be processed accordingly.
Drivers need to learn how to use the road properly around other vehicles. Especially bikes, bicycles and pedestrians. I would have had some stern words for the leather clad idiot myself.
This would not have happened if the idiot in his Land Rover had of used the road properly (overtaken correctly and safely) so any consequent action in the video was fair dinkum as far as I am concerned. What's a bit of swearing anyway? They were both at it.
I'm personally sick of being side swiped and then people complaining that you fingerprint smudged their car. The guy was driving dangerously and should be processed accordingly.
Drivers need to learn how to use the road properly around other vehicles. Especially bikes, bicycles and pedestrians. I would have had some stern words for the leather clad idiot myself.
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
Yes, I think that rather than a £90 fine, he should've been made to take his theory test again. That would be very apt.
I think not and the video does not support that account. Watch it and you'll see the driver did not move out again before stopping. Then, while the two of them were arguing, a cyclist wearing a green top rode straight through that kerb-to-car gap at some speed without taking any notice of the argument.
Therefore the driver had not blocked the cyclist, the cyclist just reacted in a panicky fashion as if he had been seriously threatened. My view is that if a cyclist cannot cope with close traffic without losing his temper and getting hysterical, he isn't yet fit to be riding on our crowded London roads.
That video alone shows cyclists pulling out passing each other without properly looking back to see if they are clear to do that and without any rear view mirror fitted or used. That's irresponsible, and those who do that are hardly in a position to criticise driver's poor behaviour.
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You have a very mild-mannered approach to your cycling by the points you make and in many ways that is admirable. I do however feel strongly that engaging drivers (even if it ends up going this bad) when they have driven so dangerously is a very important part of the process of correction.
Despite the fact that the guy could have backed off and ignored the fact that he was nearly squashed in to the gutter, the clear hatred of cyclists that this guy obviously has would have gone unchecked.
If the £90 fine is in fact true as well as the two hour police interview, then some good has come out of it. That's the reason I personally engage poor drivers whatever the circumstances. Oh, and have a helmet camera.
FWIW, I don't think the guys business should go down as a consequence. That however is the hard facts of modern life with cameras and social media. If it makes even one car driver think about they way they overtake a cyclist then it's done some good. If one life is saved because of the fear of getting 300,000 views of yourself driving dangerously or behaving aggressively then it's worth it to me,
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Apparently the two hour interview was with the cyclist, sorry for the confusion. Will edit post.