[Closed] Richmond Park road rage nutjob..

devash - Member
"You mahggggg!!!!!"

"You slaahhhhg!!!!!"

"You cahnnnnttttt!!!!!"

"You ****ahhhhh!!!!!"

"You mahgggggg!!!!!"

"You slaaahhhgg!!!!"

Rinse and repeat.

Could never live in London. Too many angry people piled on top of each other.

Gotta love laaahndarn dontcha...

Sorry,but I would have chinned the driver. Which is why I commute off road these days.

As a little devil's advocate here....

Bike lane alongside is perfectly adequate for cycling. Used to ride it both ways regularly for post-work rides of the cheeky-MTB variety around the Park.
It is, however, rubbish for being like really fast and having mad strava on your aerosled.

Flashy, I assume you've seen this??

Whether a bike lane is adequate is besides the point - you don't have to use it.

Something missed on the driver.

I've had several run-ins along that road for not using the cycle lane (which by the way is not adequate at all). One was a white van which cut us up then the passenger jumped out and gave a load of abuse like that. Fortunately there were 3 of us and we also managed to stop well before the van so it wasn't in-your-face abuse.

Having infrastructure means drivers expect you to use it.
When it's shit, cyclists won't use it as it's more dangerous or more inconvenient than just using the road but then you get ****s like that driver who seem to think you *must* use it.

That cycle path is often covered in leaves, full of pedestrians (inc kids as there's a school just further along) or just blocked by pavement parkers. And it stops just before the traffic lights anyway so it's pointless.

If they removed the cycle path completely it'd be safer than having it there. Shit infrastructure is more dangerous than nothing at all.

Whether a bike lane is adequate is besides the point - you don't have to use it.

Indeed. Well aware of that, and there were several I used to studiously avoid in London.

The point seems to be that many are saying that this particular one isn't good enough for them to ride on. I think they're wrong.

The point seems to be that many are saying that this particular one isn't good enough for them to ride on. I think they're wrong.

I find that a cycle lane's suitability often depends on what bike you're riding, and what your objectives are.

A few junctions and cracks in the pavement might not be any worry on a leisurely mountain bike ride. It might even make it more fun. But they could double your journey time (which may already be into hours...) or cause a serious danger on a road bike. Perspective changes a lot under different circumstances.

The point seems to be that many are saying that this particular one isn't good enough for them to ride on. I think they're wrong.

And as someone who also rides that road regularly I think you are wrong, for the reasons I made before.

I used to commute down that road quite regularly too, and never used the cycle lane either.

Far too bumpy, with too many driveways, and at commute times, too many pedestrians. It's also on the "wrong" side of the road for the cyclist in the vid.

[quote=CaptainFlashheart ]The point seems to be that many are saying that this particular one isn't good enough for them to ride on. I think they're wrong.

This one: https://goo.gl/maps/3eRlN https://goo.gl/maps/LNmEo https://goo.gl/maps/j4hOF

Yeah, it's hard to imagine why somebody might not want to use a cycle path which would involve you crossing to the other side of the road and giving way at every little side road and entrance. I wonder what shouty man would think if he was forced to give way every 100m or so when driving his weapon.

ke really fast and having mad strava on your aerosled.

Nice sweeping statement there..

Barely wide enough for single direction use let alone bi directional. See 2 cyclists riding alongside from Google:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/ @51.459672,-0.251887,3a,66.8y,228.66h,70.06t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sFj7NpcFcUqGjijiVD-HyjA!2e0

I imagine from the cyclist the filter passed and assuming there were more, that's probably where mini Micheal Knight got himself all riled up. Both seemed fairly wet, I'd choose not to ride with a camera so these kind of disputes can be settled in a more 'robust' way. But then I am a fairly anti-social person, I tend not to play well with morons like this.

it's an interesting one, do or don't use a cycle path. I tend to use them when on the hybrid or mtb. The road bike never feels right on them whether it's the handling, the tendency for higher speeds, the stretched out riding position or the general dislike of kerbs.

I'm not a lycra clad oddball, however I do my best to give them plenty of room on the road. I don't care who has priority or right of way, even if one is being a douche I'd rather they not go under my wheels, far too unpleasant. Unfortunately seems quite a few drivers don't think that way, I'm sure they'd feel differently when they're washing brains out of the front grill.

I find hurtling downhill between trees, through rock gardens and over large gap jumps safer than riding on the road, those of you that do; I think you're bonkers!

I suspect that there is previous that has been cut from the beginning of the video.

And the cyclist reacting badly to nearly being killed and then immediately threatened? Understandable, although I hope I'd react more calmly. Whether the cyclist was " too shouty" or not has nothing to do with the overtake and the immediate mad overreaction from the driver. Arguably if he'd stayed calm like I did (see above) he'd have been punched like I was. Maybe sounding as unhinged as the driver made him think twice about escalating it. The driver didn't look like he was doing much thinking, I'll admit that.

He went to the police station himself and said "there was a cyclist in the road, i beeped my horn but he didn't get out of the way so i punched him"

I have had similar reactions to the cyclist when people have got close.

Its often actually when Im relaxed initially plodding on my way and then suddenly something like that happens.

If you honestly think someone is trying to deliberately injure you is it reasonable to stay completely calm ?

And the cyclist reacting badly to nearly being killed and then immediately threatened?......

....some here react worse than that simply to a bit of "teh bantz" 😆

I'm not a lycra clad oddball,

There is a conception across the wider internet that STW is actually hostile to cyclists. I wonder how that came about... ?

I wonder how that came about... ?

.....The more than occasional glorifcation of [b]MORE SPEEEED[/b] by some of our petrol machine loving members perhaps?

Whether a bike lane is adequate is besides the point - you don't have to use it.

That bike lane as shown on the google maps link isn't a cycling facility in any real sense. It is a line painted on the pavement so that the council can claim from a central funding pot. It's a joke and shouldn't be allowed.

Blimey !
What was the outcome of that ?

West Midlands police told him and me that there was nothing wrong with the driving. Then they asked him to write a letter (it said "I regret that we bumped into each other" not "I'm sorry for attacking you") and told me that it was that or nothing.

Klunk - Member

it's an interesting one, do or don't use a cycle path.

It should really be this simple- cyclist decides if it's the best option for them or not. Anything else is like complaining that there's a car in front of you and that person could have walked.

That bike lane as shown on the google maps link isn't a cycling facility in any real sense. It is a line painted on the pavement....

...and that's more than half the problem isn't it, "we" either get a line of paint on the pavement or a line of paint in the gutter.
It's very rare to see anywhere with what you would call dedicated cycle lanes, and when you do they're usually pretty good and widely used.
My local large town is Woking, it seems to have put quite a bit of effort into bike racking, cycleways and shared use paths and as a result the town centre is cycle friendly and bikes don't feel out of place.
It does need a move away from cars and towards pedistrians and cyclists, no reason that any town centre can't be car free if there'sa decent "park and ride" system, public transport links and cycleways.

But while car is king this is just not going to happen and people will continue to be murdered by cars 🙁

West Midlands police told him and me that there was nothing wrong with the driving. Then they asked him to write a letter (it said "I regret that we bumped into each other" not "I'm sorry for attacking you") and told me that it was that or nothing.

I'd be writing to the chief constable and copying in my MP after that...that's absolutely outrageous. If the bloke did that to someone outside a nightclub then the book would be thrown at him.

A couple of weeks back I had an incident when a bloke overtook me way too close and way too fast. I reacted in surprise, my open hand went up in the air in a gesture of "what the heck?" and I turned the corner to come face to face with the driver brandishing a three foot long metal pole in my face, threatening to kill me.

I went straight to the police station and made a report. In the following seven days, I had to attend the station to make another report, ended up disagreeing strongly with the copper on the desk who had recorded the number plate of the assailant's car incorrectly and then complained about the cost of an online number plate search. The report was incorrectly filled out and lost.

Thankfully, another copper picked up the case and took a third statement from me. She duly went round to interview the driver who denied all knowledge of the incident, despite him matching the description I gave and her finding the metal pole in his boot...

...she duly made an arrest and advised him to make a statement at the police station under caution. He turned up and made a full admission (although he denied making repeated threats to kill me). He made an apology and stated that he had been seeking help for his anger issues.

It's not ideal, but it was the outcome I wanted.

jambalaya - Member

Whether a bike lane is adequate is besides the point - you don't have to use it.

I am not condoning the driver who has rightly been fined but cyclists not using the bike planes provided is indeed a source of frustration

The cyclist has a right to be on the road, so tough shit to any frustrated drivers - they can write to the council asking for decent cyclepaths.

There's one like this in Oxford I use once a year or so on a fairly busy road, it's a joke, having to give way every hundred yards.

Bikes were on the roads before cars were!

I have a painted on cyclepath on the footpath one on my way home, many of the the houses dont have drives so park half or completely on the pavement, where the 'cycle path' is. I dont use it as its rubbish, plus full of parked cars. Ive had verbal and toots off drivers for not cycling on the cycle path, even though it has parked cars on it. It leads to a brand new bridge over two rivers solely for the for cyclists and pedestrians, it cost millions and isnt used much.

I'd be writing to the chief constable and copying in my MP after that

He admitted an assault. There was not threat or danger from you as he was inside a metal box that they got out only to hit you
I would not accept anythin gless than a prosecution

Coming to the party late here so I'm not going to get into forensic examination of the video. I've seen plenty of this sort of thing from genteel Richmond Upon Thames where this took place, to rather less salubrious areas of London where the risk of something actually happening after a driver decamp is much higher. The driver was funny though, a proper little geezer - reminded me of Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.

I have used Priory Lane as a route in and out of Richmond Park and I would say that surface quality and design of the cycle lane leaves a lot to be desired, which does put people off using it (and yes, they have a choice!). Most cyclists stick to the road, which in car terms is quite narrow. As it's been said the road is used as a rat run to and from the A3 so can get quite busy. I've seen plenty of rather ambitious/foolhardy overtaking manoeuvres by drivers which have put cyclists and oncoming motorists at risk.

Whether you're a driver or cyclist, or both, keep a cool head and stay safe out there. It's just not worth being filmed and made to look like a complete numpty acoss the internet.

No he hasn't - he's just descended to level of the driver with some very ineffective swearing.

So I'd cut the victim some slack personally

meh.
Southeners.

This. Shouty London nobheads being shouty London nobheads.

Shouty London nobheads being shouty London nobheads.

Of course, this sort of thing never happens anywhere else, does it?

Oh yeah, it does! Silly me!

I find this whole thread extremely depressing. I've been on the receiving end of this kind of thing. There's so much aggression and tension in our lives waiting to spill out. I ride on the road as little as possible, preferring the quiet trails but even on my short hop to the local station i've had agro from car drivers. In these instances its sad, but for some riders and their families it becomes tragic.

THIS
He admitted an assault. There was not threat or danger from you as he was inside a metal box that they got out only to hit you
I would not accept anythin gless than a prosecution

I complained. It was investigated. The officer did nothing wrong and there are more important things to deal with was the wording and impression I got. A prosecution was what I wanted but when the investigating officer and their superiors say no there's not much you can do. Once he'd been told to write the letter then I don't think he could be reinvestigated and given a different punishment for the same crime so it wouldn't have made any difference anyway.

This is why I believe every regular cyclist in the UK should take out legal insurance, after reporting an incident to the police I would want my own legal representation to make sure it is handled properly.

We are brought up to believe the justice system will always do the right thing, unfortunately for those of us who are rarely likely to come into contact with it throughout our lives, we do not know how to handle the system to get the correct outcome.

I am not condoning the driver who has rightly been fined but cyclists not using the bike planes provided is indeed a source of frustration.

Yep, I often get frustrated by poor quality bike lanes.

not sure i would have let it go

Perhaps i should try clipping a [plastic] copper on a bike getting out of my car chinning them and I am sure an apology will do just fine

Shocking decision tbh

IME bike lanes are very hit and miss.

I dont use any locally as they are pretty rubbish - the ones through the new town they built are much better but shared use and walkers stand on both sides

I agree with some of the comments in the link that there should be some psychological element to a driving license - people like this are too irrational to be on the roads.

Also agree about bike paths. There's a lovely one near me that runs parallel to a very busy dual carriageway. Unfortunately it's also near a school so in the morning it's full of kids texting and mums with pushchairs!

[quote=bails ]I complained. It was investigated. The officer did nothing wrong and there are more important things to deal with was the wording and impression I got. A prosecution was what I wanted but when the investigating officer and their superiors say no there's not much you can do. Once he'd been told to write the letter then I don't think he could be reinvestigated and given a different punishment for the same crime so it wouldn't have made any difference anyway.

To the IPCC?* TBH I reckon the more important thing is to get the police to change their attitude than to get that particular motorist prosecuted, and that certainly could be achieved by escalating the complaint.

* I've just had a phone call from the professional standards unit of a police force regarding a complaint I raised about something completely different (longing to discuss on here, but he mentioned a possible prosecution for the officer, so probably best not) - when I raised that online there was an option to go via IPCC rather than the force's own complaints procedure.

Still agree
I cannot see what protocol/procedure allows them to ignore an unprovoked assault.

https://www.ipcc.gov.uk/appeals

Very interested in this.

A few years ago I reported something similar. A guy in a car gave me a friendly nudge while I was waiting for a rubbish truck to get out of the way so I could turn right. He threatened assault, I took his plate down and complained to the police.

The letter I got back from the police said they'd interviewed the person who did it. He admitted a "road rage" incident and that was all they could do because there were no witnesses.

TL;DR: Got bumped by a motorist. Complained to cops. Motorist admitted it but cops said nothing doing because there were no witnesses.

I don't buy the "there's more important stuff to investigate" excuse if they're not competent enough to arrest/charge someone who admits to a crime. How exactly is that supposed to happen?