That Anthony Hollings chap sounds like a lovely fella – threatening other legal users of the Public Highway.

At least he’s been considerate enough to fit a flourescent purple ‘bell’ at the front-end of his car. Presumably to warn other road-users to hit the gutter before he ‘f…. them up’

Erratum: Newcastle LEEDS area

There are literally hundreds of comments to that incident, so many are threatening violence/murder against cyclists for being in primary. All seem perfectly happy to publicise their intent. The manager did the right thing toimmediately dismiss the driver, but next time it could be the actual manager of a company. Who will sack her/him? Please be wary out there. I can’t read any more facebook, it really does make me begin to despise what has become/is becoming of the English/the UK. Completely depressing. Er, ‘lol’.

Comments like that are just born out of ignorance ^

Education is key.

Comments like that are just born out of ignorance ^

Really? Even if you truly believed that horse/pedestrian/cyclist hadn’t contributed any tax payments towards transport infra, even if you truly believed they were in the road to ‘provoke you’* would your first recourse be to physically harm them?

I believe there is much more going on than simple ‘ignorance’ in these comments and attitudes. They are projecting/assuming hostility into the motives of others (in this case cyclists). Smacks of seeing a stranger/immigrant/homosexual etc in ‘your’ local pub, and then going into the old ‘Are you looking at my pint? Did call my pint a poof?’ routine. ‘Well ‘they’ provoked me, coming in here…’

I really believe education will help, but some people are simply hostile as well as uneducated – and so they assume everyone else is. They also often have an exaggerated tribal mentality, ie tend often towards chauvinism/nationalism. This recent growth in anti-cyclist agit-prop is partly driven by the more nationalist media mouthpieces/tabloids as it appeals to a certain mindset. A country divided, and in so many increasingly sad and stupid ways 🙁

I really believe education will help, but some people are simply hostile as well as uneducated – and so they assume everyone else is.

I completely agree with what you’re saying. But I think those that are hostile always will be whilst they have means to justify it.

I suspect a quantity of the comments are meant as a joke – as we know, it’s not always clear when it’s not face to face. But also

That Anthony Hollings chap sounds like a lovely fella – threatening other legal users of the Public Highway.
At least he’s been considerate enough to fit a flourescent purple bell at the front end of his car. Presumably to warn other road-users to hit the gutter before he ‘f…. them up’

Surely there are some potential incitement to violence charges to be found among some of these comments?

I’d have “educated” the Audi driver who tried to force me into the central reservation of the M4 the other day.
If it had been this side of the tolls he’d have been sat on the floor by the barrier awaiting “police assistance “
As it was it was after and yes the video, stole and location have all been passed on to the police.
Not just cyclists these arseholes target.

I’m really not so sure – most of them seem to throw around insults and swear words combined with the hostility. It’s not exactly the normal way to joke. Hopefully most of them wouldn’t actually do the things they’re threatening, but I reckon a significant proportion would if they could get away with it.

Probably not something which should be debated on here as, but I reckon it’s worth mentioning that I checked out the profile of one particularly obnoxious character threatening death on cyclists – he appears to be a UKIP/Trump/Le Pen supporter which I reckon also says a lot about the sort of person you’re dealing with.

I completely agree with what you’re saying. But I think those that are hostile always will be whilst they have means to justify it.

Hmm, not quite sure what you mean by that. Me may agree. I do just think some people ‘learned’ to be impervious/thick as shit and hostile with it. Every hostile and aggressive act (barring that caused by severe mental illness/disability) seems to be justified by ‘means’, whether or not those means or justifications actually exist anywhere other than in their minds.

Take the van-driver for example, or the nice fellow in the VW up there? They are openly hostile without any ‘justification’ at all. Except for the nasty warring fantasy in their minds, which they see as ‘justified’, of course. I would argue that aggression is only ever justified if you literally require it to defend life and liberty and there is no other option.

What’s occurred to me is what all these motorists could be capable of when surrounded by 2 tons of metal. It borders on ‘hate-crime’.
There would be a absolute uproar if you replaced the word cyclist with the ‘N’ word.
..i would of run the N over..
Punch the N in the head as you drive past…
All N’s are…**nts
Theres no difference as to how these motorists should be treated.

One last one, I promise. It may explain a lot. (FB comments now in response to the van-driver’s dismissal)

Yes, if you look closely, there it is. In plain English:

Seen this pop up on my FB feed the other day. Read a few comments then just left it.. It’s a really sad state of affairs that so many people just don’t get it. I like to think of myself as relatively good at problem solving but I just can’t see a solution to this..

I’ve started taking increasingly longer routes to and from the office to just avoid some roads completely.

I had an absolute blinder pulled on me last week.. Car overtook me as I was overtaking a parked van with a car coming the other way.. I checked over my shoulder took position early but the car just came anyway and forced me towards the parked van.. reckon I had about 2 inches either side between car and van. Absolute **** dickhead of the highest order.

Oh.. and that ^^^ driving instructor wants a good shake, actually no a punch in the throat, and his license taken off him. Tosser

Wherever Chris Froome is riding at the moment seems just as safe…

Just got rammed on purpose by an impatient driver who followed me onto the pavement! Thankfully I'm okay 🙏 Bike totaled. Driver kept going! pic.twitter.com/o7FT4iXsAo

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) May 9, 2017