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Scotroutes, I realise your point re youtube uploads but having spent time in that there London I am still of the opinion that 90% of the inhabitants both male & female are knobs - the attitudes, the aggression, the militantness of all the different groups - to me, it's a sh1thole.
To give some balance though - having driven in many places on this planet, I reckon the drivers in Edinburgh are the worlds worst for jumping red lights.
Having spent most of my life in Britain has made me realise that, much add I love this island it is mainly populated by complete knobs. Not just in London.
Good examples are the videos posted up by that Black Country Cyclist knob on YouTube.
This post has been up a while so I thought I would just add my 2 pence worth.
First I think the title of this thread is misleading. It leads the reader to believe that the driver had road rage and assaulted the cyclist. In my opinion the cyclist had the road rage here and got what he deserved.
The cyclist, was looking for a confrontation, he chose it with wrong people. At first he pipes up, ok job done. However his feelings were hurt as the Audi just sped off and didn't listen to him. That's when the red mist descended. Dis you see how he powered down the street like a crazy fool to catch up? Then he got his arse kicked. well I think he deserved it for acting like that. His behaviour has done nothing good for the cyclist today. Oh and did you see that after he got floored he turned back and went back up the road from where he came? it means that he has gone out of his way to hurl abuse at someone.
Now just consider this. Imagine that was you in the car and you had your child in the back? that kind of threatening behavior would have proper scared them.
According to the comments on the video, both the driver and the passenger have been arrested and charged (it also gives their names if you want to go and look, but I'm not sure that is all that relevant).Result - and if starting this thread helped with that, then I'm feeling very pleased with myself.
I thought your original post was so the cyclist could come forward and press charges for assault against the driver.
It's the cyclist being sought, not the driver (for those of you thinking the driver is the victim ) - no charges without a victim. Oh, and the thug throwing punches isn't the driver either.
Now the cyclist has been arrested too! I wouldn't say it was a result you were looking but definitely one for common sense and hopefully other road users, whatever they drive or ride, will think twice about their actions.
[quote=chief9000 opined]Now just consider this. Imagine that was you in the car and you had your child in the back? that kind of threatening behavior would have proper scared them.
Maybe if you've got kids in the back of the car you should drive more carefully. You did realise that he got angry because the car squealed off whilst he was stood very close and nearly ran him over?
Though congratulations for adding to the chorus suggesting that you deserve a punch for shouting at somebody (strangely the law doesn't see it that way, hence why the driver and passenger have been charged, and I presume the cyclist hasn't).
[quote=craigxxl opined]Now the cyclist has been arrested too!
Has he? Where do you get that from? What has he been charged with - as discussed above he has a statutory defence, and the CPS wouldn't press charges for what he did.
You're correct I misread your post as I thought it just said both, not the driver and passenger. Should have had my morning coffee first.
I still stand by my comment that hopefully all road users will think twice about their actions.
It always surprises me that drivers think they are the bigges person when in the car and also when they get out of it. I know a lot that would see that approach backfire on them and them end up getting a pasting off a pumped up cyclist.
Whatever was the case, the passenger assaulted the cyclist. You could say the cyclist took it too far or that he just stood up for himself!
Can the next video show the cyclist retaliate and paste the driver then put his bombers through his window please?
[quote=craigxxl opined]I still stand by my comment that hopefully all road users will think twice about their actions.
Which is a totally reasonable comment. I'm not defending the cyclist's actions at all or suggesting he was sensible to chase the car down - would have been far better off to leave it, though I can't be sure in the heat of the moment I wouldn't do the same. I'd suggest that the majority on here, even those saying the cyclists "deserved it" would also have likely done something a bit silly having had a car screech off at high speed when they're standing that close to it - I think a lot are missing that's the reason he get angry, not the ASL issue (actually I reckon those who think a punch is reasonable and can't rule out using violence themselves are more likely to have reacted like that). I can be sure that I wouldn't have jumped out of a car to punch somebody who was shouting at me.
As discussed ad nauseum above, the law also views punching somebody differently to shouting at somebody, hence why I'd not expect the cyclist to be charged, and why I was guessing you'd misinterpreted the bit about driver and passenger being charged.
Driver,idiot for entering asl.
Cyclist,idiot for chasing him down and swearing.
Passenger idiot for punching the cyclist.
Thread closed
Now how 'bout dem cannibal rats?
If I'd been the cyclist I would have left it after the initial pointing out of what the ASL is for. I wouldn't have moved right next to the car do that though as I'd be placing myself in danger like an idiot. I don't think the cyclist had his foot run over either if he'd chased down the driver like he had done. The driver proved himself to be dick head. If he'd still have been at the next lights when I got there I would have just shaken my head and laughed out loud.
Going after someone you've already established is a dick head with such aggression is only going to escalate the issue. If the cyclist can't control his rage then he has no right to be on the road and should stick to walking instead.
I would like to see the driver get a punishment to reflect his stupidity but in reality he will only get a fine and points. The punchy car passenger will probably only get a caution or at worse a small fine as his stupidity will be passed off as an heat of the moment snap.
What this should hopefully do is send out a message about the use of video cameras. Without the video chap this would have gone unknown, unnoticed and unreported and yet it happens daily. It's sad that so many people feel the need for cameras on their bikes but this incident shows the power they have.
I think that in big cities it's very easy to feel safe whatever your actions are through anonymity. Within five seconds of an incident you can be separated and never see each other ever again. Cameras change that.
I'd also suggest people take from this the huge and overwhelming strength of the cycling 'community'. It appears that through a massive and yet uncoordinated social media campaign, a random individual in a huge city has been tracked down to what will hopefully be a successful conclusion.
For all the 'I would have left it' crew, the problem is adrenaline is one hell of a drug.
Once upon a time in that London I was clipped by a car. I was in the wrong place in the road, I had positioned myself to make a right turn which a car couldn't make. Mr Mercedes came up on my left, and clipped me with his wing mirror. I stayed up, but I lost my mind. The next couple of minutes went down almost exactly like the video. I caught him at the lights, ended up calling him a **** (giving him the v for added effect), he gets out, takes a swing, a scuffle ensues (you are vulnerable when astride a bike, never mind with SPDs), he gets in the car and drives off.
I am not a confrontational person by nature, and will and have always walked away. However, on that day, the blood got up and it could have ended a lot worse. Lesson learnt for me and hopefully for everyone in that video.
It's not great that physical abuse of cyclists is so prevalent and neither is it so great that victims of such aggression seem to be frequently blamed for their own mistreatment - by police, public, other cyclists.
I don't believe the black, gay or female communities won their battles by blaming their own members for their mistreatment. Not being a member of any of them, I don't know but it does sadden me that when a cyclist appears to be standing up to someone who has quite definitely broken the law (moving into the ASL) that other members of the same community suggest it's his own fault for getting hit...
I hope the more widespread use of video in conjunction with social media can broaden the debate and begin to bring about change. Cycling has so much going for it for the general population yet the fear of getting hurt remains a massive barrier to mass participation...
I hope the more widespread use of video in conjunction with social media can broaden the debate and begin to bring about change. Cycling has so much going for it for the general population yet the fear of getting hurt remains a massive barrier to mass participation...
Well said.
Thankfully social media can have a bigger effect on peoples behaviour than any court can impose, and the idiot who attacked the cyclist last year and was prosecuted for asault after the video went Viral featured last night on a driving programe, and he got a large fine as well as been shown on primetime tv.
This chap http://road.cc/content/news/38853-breaking-bexley-video-attack-man-arrested
You are kidding brooness? He wasn't just standing up for our community,as you put it. Do you think he contributed to getting hit,as you seem to have ignored his behavior after the car drove off. I would hate that idiot to be representative of cycling,Rosa Parks he ain't.
See,this is what I don't think you or the OP get( or the cyclist in the film) l grew up in a shithole estate in Dundee. Speaking to somebody like that would only have one outcome...so you didn't do it. It has nothing to do with having a car around you or hating cyclists,it is a mindset developed during your secondary socialization.
I realize that there has been a fair bit of debate on this thread about how the cyclist did nothing in the eyes of the law,but to me,guy on the bike produces the first disproportionate reaction by chasing down the car and confronting the driver, Passenger second.
Did he deserve a punch for swearing? Nope. Was he contributing to getting one? Yup.
Brooess for president.
I think you've hit the nail on the head. Why should we allow ourselfs to be treated like shit on the roads.
๐Brooess for president.
Duckman, you're right that calling someone a prick when they've already proven they're aggressive and ignorant (of the law around ASLs) isn't likely to end in you having a peaceful day... BUT...
the driver broke the law. There's no debate about that. That kind of aggression and generalised mistreatment of cyclists is what has to stop if society in general (ie: real people) are to benefit from cycling e.g.
Obesity (adults and children)
Mental health
Pollution (Air and noise)
Global warming
General chilling out, friendliness and being nice to people
So having a pop at the cyclist for not letting it go isn't really helping is it?
It's not great that physical abuse of cyclists is so prevalent and neither is it so great that victims of such aggression seem to be frequently blamed for their own mistreatment - by police, public, other cyclists.I don't believe the black, gay or female communities won their battles by blaming their own members for their mistreatment. Not being a member of any of them, I don't know but it does sadden me that when a cyclist appears to be standing up to someone who has quite definitely broken the law (moving into the ASL) that other members of the same community suggest it's his own fault for getting hit..
The cyclist wasn't assaulted because he was a cyclist he was assaulted for confronting the driver/passenger.
I'm not helping what exactly baroness? ( iPad spell check,but suits l think) again,cyclist was an idiot. Do you think his behavior was acceptable? You clearly do by trying to make excuses for him. He escalated the situation by going for the car,which despite any justification you try to make for him,he did.
Imagine the cyclist was a young child eg under 16, cycling to school etc with dad, car pulls up close to son and dad points out the driver has made an illegal movement,driver swears at dad and son, driver rushes off to be chased by dad whos not having his child threatened, man juumps out of car and attacks dad.
Or imagine the driver had a swan in the back seat of the car and it jumped out and broke the child's arm with one peck of its mighty beak. Well if we are reaching the conjecture stage...
Imagine the cyclist was a young child eg under 16, cycling to school etc with dad, car pulls up close to son and dad points out the driver has made an illegal movement,driver swears at dad and son, driver rushes off to be chased by dad whos not having his child threatened, man juumps out of car and attacks dad.
but that didn't happen did it? If we want to throw up hypothetical situations...
(And as someone else said) imagine if it was you in the car with your child in the back and some nutter started banging on the window and screaming abuse. What would you do?
Imagine if they had a half alligator\half shark man in the boot of the car with a roll of ducktape?
[quote=tpbiker opined](And as someone else said) imagine if it was you in the car with your child in the back and some nutter started banging on the window and screaming abuse. What would you do?
I wouldn't pull into the ASL or screech off when there was a cyclist standing close enough to my car that I could easily hit him. That's what I'd do - and to be honest that's what anybody with or without a child in the car should do. Having a child in the car makes for no more of an excuse for reacting with violence when you're pulled up on your incorrect behaviour.
So in future, if a car breaks the highway code, nearly runs someone over, we should let it go. No one should tell them they're wrong, so they can continue driving like a prick. Till they kill someone...
[quote=duckman]You are kidding brooness? He wasn't just standing up for our community,as you put it. Do you think he contributed to getting hit,as you seem to have ignored his behavior after the car drove off.
Yes, in just the same way women in short skirts contribute to getting sexually attacked. You see that's just what you're doing there - the law doesn't consider somebody shouting abuse at you to be a defence against a charge of assault any more than it considers women's attire to be a defence against a charge of sexual assault.
I think the big issue here is that the driver's behaviour is seen as so commonplace that we're conditioned to just ignore it. When somebody doesn't ignore it they're the one who is different - not only different to other drivers, but also different to other cyclists who seem to reckon that the best solution is to simply be meek in the face of poor driving behaviour.
...and what uselesshippy said
The cyclist was a complete numpty who has issues.
The driver displayed poor driving skills and etiquette.
But did not endanger the cyclist or do anything to illicit such a response from the cyclist.
You could see the cyclist clearly lost the plot chased down the car, braked hard narrowly avoiding hitting the car before leaning in to scream obscenities with his angry head at the driver.
He clearly lost it, either he is a bully or was having a bad day and just saw red.
But what he did I would consider threatening behaviour.
And would have caused the driver to be either fearfull or want to get out and give him a smack in the mouth.
Maybe the driver was intimidated and the passenger took it upon himself to smack him in the mouth.
The law says you can't smack someone even if they behave like a complete plick but that does not give you the right to be a plick.
So in future, if a car breaks the highway code, nearly runs someone over, we should let it go. No one should tell them they're wrong, so they can continue driving like a prick. Till they kill someone...
There is telling someone they have done something wrong and then there is screaming offensive language through a window.
The first conversation seemed relaxed enough.
He trys to tell them they've done something wrong, then the Audi jumps a red light and nearly runs him over.
I agree, the cyclist was OTT, but deserving a slap? No.
There is something wrong in our society if we defend assault and driving like this.
tpbiker - Member
Imagine the cyclist was a young child eg under 16, cycling to school etc with dad, car pulls up close to son and dad points out the driver has made an illegal movement,driver swears at dad and son, driver rushes off to be chased by dad whos not having his child threatened, man juumps out of car and attacks dad.
but that didn't happen did it? If we want to throw up hypothetical situations...(And as someone else said) imagine if it was you in the car with your child in the back and some nutter started banging on the window and screaming abuse. What would you do?
Just wind down the widow a bit and ask him to calm down, then pull over and have a chat with him about his obvious upset, so easy and no agression neded.
Real world, actions have consequences.
If you think some one can go around verbally abusing people with a big angry head and not cop the occasional slap, you're wrong.
May not be right, but that is how it is.
Real world if you get out of car and punch someone from behind when they are not looking you are a bit of a coward and deserve to get arrested.
[quote=chip opined]Real world, actions have consequences.
If you think some one can go around verbally abusing people with a big angry head and not cop the occasional slap, you're wrong.
May not be right, but that is how it is.
Yeah, just like women walking around at night in short skirts.
Did not say you don't deserve to get arrested.
But I will say, my money is on that this is not first time that particular cyclist has behaved like this. And I am guessing he does not limit his wrath only to people big and ugly enough to defend them selfs, and gallant he ain't.
Aracer,
What is with your obsession with women and short skirts.
Aracer,only in your fevered imagination is thinking the guy in this clip is a dick is the same as thinking that I an apologist for assaulting women. Such a comparison suggests are an idiot.
[quote=chip opined]The cyclist [s]was a complete numpty who has issues.[/s] got upset by aggressive driving.
The driver [s]displayed poor driving skills and etiquette.[/s] broke the law.
But did not endanger the cyclist or do anything to illicit such a response from the cyclist.
Really? Screeching off when the cyclist was stood within inches? Clearly the cyclist thought he was endangered, and I thought that was the standard the violence apologists were applying for justifying retaliation.
You could see the cyclist ... braked hard narrowly avoiding hitting the car
er, no he didn't
either he is a bully
๐
But what he did I would consider threatening behaviour.
I don't think the law would
And would have caused the driver to be either fearfull or want to get out and give him a smack in the mouth.
Did the cyclist deserve it?
Maybe the driver was intimidated and the passenger took it upon himself to smack him in the mouth.
I'm sure that was the case.
The law says you can't smack someone even if they behave like a complete plick but that does not give you the right to be a plick.
Strangely enough the law says you have a right to shout sweary things if it is justified (by for example a driver not paying much attention to your safety).
[quote=duckman opined]Aracer,only in your fevered imagination is thinking the guy in this clip is a dick is the same as thinking that I an apologist for assaulting women.
You don't appear to have understood the comparison. You're suggesting his actions contributed to him getting hit. Women going around at night on their own in short skirts contribute to them getting attacked. Just because you don't like the comparison doesn't make it invalid.
Since you feel the cyclists actions were justified,and are attempting to suggest anybody who does not is wrong,aggressive and actually an apologist for sexual assault,l will leave you with one Q...If the cyclist hadn't thumped the window,what would have happened?
Try writing a post without a load of strawmen and I might consider it. Not that I'm sure it's a particularly useful question - I'll answer a different one for free - if the driver hadn't pulled into the ASL box, or hadn't screeched off when the cyclist was stood right next to the car I don't think anything would have happened.
I would have knocked the Audi nob out
I would have knocked the Audi nob out
thats what the guy in the video thought. Look how that turned out ๐
Any lawmen reading this answer this? If someone is screaming abuse and you hit him or her, would it be treated differently to someone cocking an eye at you in a jauntily questioning manner and you hitting him or her? Would you be arrested for the same offence and just treated differently when it came to sentencing or would you be arrested for a different offence?