Naughty cyclists in Sussex

Now, that’s not the way to treat bad drivers…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-11710188

Well, not always.

(Note: I do not approve of the stubbled man’s actions)

Was just down the road from me, more detail here;

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/8623643.Road_rage_attack_cyclists_leave_Hove_driver_fighting_for_his_life/%5B/url%5D

couple of things the bbc doesn’t report that the witness did;

1) the cyclists weren’t travelling together – it was just 3 separate cyclists.
2) the one who hit the driver wasn’t the one hit by the door.

It’s degenerated into the usual cyclist bashing (sic) on the comments though…

i’ll be sure to duck and cover on my way to work tomorow!

Hmm, more serious than the bbc news indicated 😕

Gotta love comments on Evening Argus site, not this article but in general.

Yep a bit uncalled for although the Argus indicates a single punch
– now then how many white, unshaven men in the height range of 5’10” to 6′ are there in Hove…

damo – I try to comfort myself by thinking that at least 50% of them must be trolls but often I worry they might not be 🙁

It’s basic roadcraft to not ride too close to parked cars and to have your eyes open, so the cyclist has only got himself to blame, but it wasn’t even him who landed the brain injuring blow.

I’m not condoning idiots who open car doors without looking, but it is feasible the cyclist was not seen in the driver’s mirrors. People do make mistakes!

Therefore, using violence on the driver was bang out of order!

I hope they catch the culprit and throw the book at him! He’s potentially wrecked several lives and cost the public purse a fortune for his self-righteous vigilante style revenge attack. Worse still, he’s added fuel to the fire of the anti-bike lobby. This could lead to attacks and even death on innocent cyclists!

What a stupid fecker!!!

If you know him, shop him!

Ho hum

The motorist was from Hove…..who cares if he is hurt!

I’ve been mown down twice while riding by cars in Brighton so no sympathy here. The police were a lot less interested in my case when I was swerved into by a car leaving the golf club at Waterhall.

In my defence I’ve only once clipped a cyclist while driving in Brighton but he was only winged so I just drove off without stopping.

Spongebob – that road is a nightmare to cycle along – there’s junctions evry 50-60 yards, double parking, traffic islands, people on double yellows etc – even at weekends it’s a bit dodgy. It’s difficult to always leave room next to the parked cars due to the other traffic and obstacles.

I agree though – this isn’t about someone being on a bike, it’s about someone punching another in the head.

road rage tut tut… some people should catch the bus! I think the general opinion is that bikers get in the way and are just a pain on the road i get enough grief when im on the road im sure you will agree. Nothing right about him punching him though totally out of order.

It’s basic roadcraft to not ride too close to parked cars and to have your eyes open, so the cyclist has only got himself to blame..

As said, you’re not in a position to make judgements about that.
I always recall the paramedic who picked me up off the road telling me about a woman trundling along, hit by a car door, knocked off her bike and got brain damage. Her fault eh?

Yep Brighton police weren’t too interested in the hit’n’run on me,
nor the f***er who tried to run us off the road down Montpelier.

Thing is, we don’t know the exact sequence of events that led to the punch, do we? I’ve been in situations where I’ve almost been killed, then the driver has got out to have a pop at me. Seriously, if you come at me with what I perceive to be violent intent, then I’ll take appropriate defensive action. If you end up fecked as a result, then it’s yer own fault. I won’t wait until I’ve been harmed, I’ll do what’s necessary to prevent myself being injured. Self defence, pure and simple.

the cyclist has only got himself to blame

WTF?? How? Surely it’s the car driver’s responsibility to check before he gets out of his car, no? Bearing in mind a car door can be over a metre wide, how far out does the cyclist need to be? in the middle of the oncoming lane?

Sounds like it was a bit of shouty-shouty, then the cyclist has smacked the bloke one. We aren’t told if that blow caused the life-threatening injuries, as the victim could’ve hit their head as they fell. Could’ve just bin an unlucky punch.

Tiz the time of year for it. Despite flashy LED’s and reflective clothing I was nearly punted off 4 times last week. Gggrrrrr makes me maaad. Praise the lawd for Elixir brakes otherwise there would have been some serious chafing/hair stretch injuries. On the fifth day I fitted the Lupo and shared it’s 900 lumens. Amazingly, cars started to move over for me. Go figure.

I loved the comment about all other road users have registration plates….really?

Horses? runners, OAP wagons, ferrets? frogs and toads, dear? The elderly? Rocks?…they all have road signs, but then all frogs look allike and act alike don’t they?

I really wish all motorists found guilty of malicous acts against cyclists should do a lap of the city centre of a local city on a bike at rush hour, with lights hi viz jackets and little twinkly bells, and a blind fold!

the cyclist has only got himself to blame

i dislike comments like this too, sounds like you think cycling is solely for the experts who spend all their time on the hobby rather than a normal way of getting around for the general (non bike obsessed) population.

Roadcraft is an advanced way of compensating for other peoples lack of road skills, its not a replacement for other users basic responsibilities.

Well said HH.

otherwise there would have been some serious chafing/hair stretch injuries

Chaffing incorporating hair stretch? Nasty.

Personally I think there is loads not said here, an arguement takes 2 to make it kick off to the point of violence. I find it highly unlikely said demonised cycling thug decided to stop and lamp him because he saw him hit another cyclist with a car door, without further provocation.
Seriously unfortunate that a sinngle punch has caused that damage though, he could be in spending a long time in jail for that when the police catch up with him.
Couple of minutes stupidity and 2 lives ruined.

Brighton is getting worse to cycle around, only yesterday I had a bloke push a wheelbarrow out in front of me while heading down Bear Road.

Overall though I think generally the standard of driving in Brighton is actually a lot better than the standard of cycling. I know cyclists don’t directly do damage very often to others but every time I see one piss off another motorist by doing something stupid and selfish I reckon that’s another motorist whose going to show me less respect.

As a local I too read the article. If I was going to make a sweeping statement I would say the description made the guilty cyclist sound like a worthless scraghead with no actual cycling skills or cares and just fancied a srap 😯

I am going to agree with spongebob to some extent – its still the car drivers fault for opening the door but you should always ride more than a doors width from parked cars – basic defensive riding.

You look in every car before you pass it to see if there are people in it and to try to judge if so what they are going to do

I’m with DT78 on this one. I just cant see a third party sparking the driver out without provocation. More likely the guy started ranting at the cyclist for riding into his door and generaly bashing cyclists to the point the culprit saw red and offered him a big hand of shut the **** up.

Ok so I hit the send button before I’d actually finished my rant!!

I drive around Brighton all day long and too read this article. If I was to make a sweeping statement I would say the offending cyclist sounded like a junkie on his way to his dealer who just fancied a scrap….. the amount of times I have to take evasive action due to scragheads on shitty old bikes too smashed to even know where they are. For every serious safe cyclist in Brighton there are 5 junkies roaring out of T junctions and straight across the road without stopping. Only yesterday a smackhead roared down the road out of the Brighton general and straight across the main road causing us all to jam on, didn’t look like he had any brakes. In the summer I was parked up on the side of the road on my mobile and a junkie literally stopped cycling and fell off his bike and into my van, totally smashed! I had to carefully pick him up off the road.

I work for the probation service and was once reprimanded for using the term ‘junky’.

I’ve been referring to them as ‘heroin enthusiasts’ ever since 😈

Some seriously iffy bicycle shaped objects are the transport of choice for a lot of our guys. One of them rides quite a well maintained Rockhopper though.

One of the three was riding a fluorescent green bicycle.

sounds like someone’s just bought a new on one with the glow in the dark paint…

I often take a second look at what some of the local heroin enthusiasts 😉 ride, always wonder if they have just nicked it. I always give parked cars a wide as possible berth and check for occupants especially the cap wearing OAP’s don’t know why but the ones that wear hats are like Kamikaze pilots they just pull out no matter what.

TJ: its still the car drivers fault for opening the door but you should always ride more than a doors width from parked cars – basic defensive riding.

HH:Roadcraft is an advanced way of compensating for other peoples lack of road skills, its not a replacement for other users basic responsibilities

HH is right. We “cyclists” will know how to ride defensively, there are many that rely on the other road users, as they are not as experienced as us*.

(*obviously not a numpty like me eh TJ?)

not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but this is a very sad end to this story. My thoughts are with his family. Bet this Lambeth chap is going to be very worried now!

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/8708149.Hove_greengrocer_Tony_Magdi_dies_following_bike_rage_attack/?ref=mr

Yes that is sad, a lot of this stuff happens and it makes no sense 😥

Lots of flowers and cards outside his shop today.

Very sad, he was such a nice bloke.

I’m not going to say anymore about the man that did it – the last thread with that on got pulled.

don’t know why but the ones that wear hats are like Kamikaze pilots

Reminds me of 20+ years ago with my girlfriend who said the same.. she always used to say “Beware the hat-wearers, they’re unpredictable”.

After that, I used to look out for hat-wearers and sure enough, many of them did do unpredictable things.

Obviously a rare case of a woman being right! 😀

it was me

chris_mbuk – ?

A man is due to appear in court today charged with manslaughter following the death of Tony Magdi.

Paul Lambeth, 35, of Stafford Road, Brighton, is accused of one count of manslaughter and one of possessing cannabis.

He is due to appear before Brighton magistrates.

Mr Magdi died on November 28 in hospital after being assaulted on November 7 in Hove.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/8731093.Man_charged_with_manslaughter_following_Tony_Magdi_s_death_in_court_today/%5B/url%5D

Sounds like it was a bit of shouty-shouty, then the cyclist has smacked the bloke one. We aren’t told if that blow caused the life-threatening injuries, as the victim could’ve hit their head as they fell. Could’ve just bin an unlucky punch.

No such thing as an ‘unlucky punch’ (except for the victim). If you go around punching people, you should be prepared (and deserve) to go down for assault or possibly even manslaughter.

Hmmm, Road rage I think use of roads turns everyone into a cock these days, seems like the reporting is a touch varied though in terms of details included/omitted….

The car driver has come off worst here and yet again cyclists are vilified as a result but I don’t think hitting people is or, ever should be the solution when people have a disagreement on the roads.

It sounds like a poorly judged decision to punch a “**** in a Jag” will probably result in a prison sentence for this bloke in Hove, I can’t say he doesn’t deserve it though, while I appreciate his anger at the attitude you seem to find with a lot of drivers an “Unlucky Punch” is still a punch, normally the last resort of someone without he wit to make coherent argument or to simply walk away…

As a cyclist I don’t want to be tarred with the same brush as some bloke who lamps strangers on the seafront…

a “**** in a Jag”

You’re wrong, Tony was one of the nicest blokes in Hove – there’s a large pile of flowers and cards outside his shop and new ones keep appearing.

He may have made a mistake opening his car door but I suspect that’s all it was.

Is this the incident where someone on here nows the perp?

yes, although that thread got deleted when discussion of it started so probably best avoid any specifics?