Richmond Park road rage nutjob..

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

Probably not. I ride that road regularly. You need to “take the lane” as it’s not even close to being wide enough yo overtake in the lane safely. There are a lot of cyclists on it. I’ve frequently seen punishment passes and abuse. I think that was a failed overtake to start with. Then he was pissed off and started the abuse.

The bike path on the other side is just about usable in the opposite direction but is far too narrow to be bi directional and loses priority at every driveway and side road.

LB10 SFJ Black Land Rover Discovery. A vehicle to look out for obviously.

Depressing how sanctimonious some of you are. Hope the cyclist takes it to the police and they treat it as assault (with a deadly weapon!)

If you could be arsed to read the very first paragraph.

A driver who suffered a road rage meltdown and threatened to kill a cyclist for not using a bike lane has been fined under a public order offence, according to the man who posted footage of the incident.

The cyclist was clearly a bit shaken by it all. Simple fight or flight response. I would love to say that under the same circumstances I would remain calm and deal with the confrontation in an intelligent way. But I wouldn’t. I know my fight or flight response is much too strong and I’m not physically capable. Far too much adrenalin. It’s all or nothing.

No, the cyclist doesn’t help matters. But it’s a very natural response to a direct threat. The driver on the other hand, is just a bully, and a very dangerous one.

If you could be arsed to read the very first paragraph.

Ah right, shame there’s no official confirmation on that.

As one of the commenters on the story points out, the driver does look a lot like a tiny Razor Ruddock.

Hope his friends and family see the video.

devash – Member
“You mahggggg!!!!!”

“You slaahhhhg!!!!!”

“You cahnnnnttttt!!!!!”

“You wankahhhhh!!!!!”

“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 **** 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.

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.

It’s possible, of course, but I was clipped by an overtaking driver I’d never seen before who stopped, jumped out, knocked me to the ground and punched me in the face. 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 can completely believe that that’s the first time the driver/gimp and cyclist had met.

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”

Blimey !
What was the outcome of that ?

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 MORE SPEEEED 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.

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. There is a bike lane (on the pavement) along Sopwith Way from Battersea over Chelsea Bridge but most cyclists chose to use the bus lane and hold up the buses. There is a similar situation on the embankment in the same area.

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 ?

He clipped me as he overtook too.

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

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

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.

I’ve had people try to run me off the road before, after the adrenaline and anger spike my usual witty repartee has a habit of failing me. With nob head in the gimp suit screaming abuse in your face, you’ve got to be a very controlled person to just stand there quietly and ignore him/wait for your chance to make a scathing comeback. Most people are going to either shout back or hit him.

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!