Granted, falling over the kerb is likely preferable

Depends which way you fall really.
I could do the hop successfully most of the time but when wet and with consequences of being hit if I fall the wrong way it would be a final choice option.
Like when there are halfwits an inch of the wheel going down a country lane. They have to wait a tad longer than someone who gives sensible distance which allows me to chose slightly more dodgy areas to pull over on.

but this one seemed very odd

Not if you watch more than 5 minutes of any of the Motorway/Rapid response Cops programmes on telly. Driving offenders get away with most things – no insurance, failing to stop, crashing into buildings, ramming police cars, causing £1000s of damage – usually just a couple of 100 quid fine, few points on the license. Occasionally suspended sentence or community work order.
Punching a cyclist is probably seen as a positive thing

Not if you watch more than 5 minutes of any of the Motorway/Rapid response Cops programmes on telly. Driving offenders get away with most things – no insurance, failing to stop, crashing into buildings, ramming police cars, causing £1000s of damage – usually just a couple of 100 quid fine, few points on the license. Occasionally suspended sentence or community work order.
Punching a cyclist is probably seen as a positive thing

Depends on the circumstances, the offence, the sentencing guidelines and any previous convictions. For every one I think is too lenient, there’s usually one gets locked up for one of these.

Enjoy those mindless Police chase programmes, the latest Interceptors is Nottinghamshire so I’ve worked in a lot of the areas, and the Derbyshire Traffic Cops includes a sergeant who lives round the corner.

And I suspect the sentence for punching a cyclist is in line with punching anyone else – we aren’t as special as we like to think we are, and the law treats everyone equally (badly)

and the law treats everyone equally

Really? You sure about that? I think there’s a **** of a lot of cases that show that’s just garbage.

Leaving that aside. With plenty of low ramps onto the kerb and no other users on the pavement I would have been up on it. Always a useful option whether legal or not.

A fair point and I often have on that stretch but I had a very heavy rucksack on that day so wasn’t keen and then by the the it became obvious he wasn’t slowing or moving over (the road is plenty wide enough) I got a bit target fixated on the gap and lost track of which bit was dropped and which wasn’t.

Really? You sure about that? I think there’s a **** of a lot of cases that show that’s just garbage.

There’s thousands of cases dealt with daily that we never hear about. Those we do hear about tend to be the exceptions, and media and commentators – on whichever side of the debate – only give you the details they want you to know, not what was shared in court.

Yeah, sorry, of course you’re right, there’s never been any reports of cyclists been treated as second class road users in the yes of the law, this thread was bullshit from the start, cycling in this country is an utter joy. I do apologise for disputing anything you so wisely typed.

Pot/kettle?

No new from police re NIP yet but this is a still from today on same bit of road, just coming other way, to me it shows had the driver moved over there would have been plenty of room.
In this case had I not stopped it still would have been an acceptable gap, maybe not 1.5m space but enough for me to have not batted an eyelid.

Oh and now I have calmed down a bit I can see that the thread title was stupid so sorry for any offence.

Why no pic?

Depends on the circumstances, the offence, the sentencing guidelines and any previous convictions. For every one I think is too lenient, there’s usually one gets locked up for one of these.

I had a drunk driver drive his car in to part of my living room, drive off, abandon the car, attempt to hide in a pub and claim the car was stolen. He was already banned, left the scene of a crime and lied whilst being covered in residue from the air bag exploding in his face. Oh and he wrote off a neighbours car and caused damage to another before ending up at my house.

He got a six month ban, few points, fifty hours community service and had to pay me £100 (I get a couple of quid randomly every now and then). The excess on my insurance for repairs was £300. Bunch of other crap on top of that.

I actually left the house to see if he was okay. The smell of booze was overpowering. Ten years ago when I wasn’t as calm as I am now I would probably have dragged him out of the car and hurt him. For what he got I sometimes wish I had. How did I end up out of pocket and he get off lightly?