Threatened assault :(

Riding home tonight along a 40mph dual-carriagway (two lanes each way) and heard a vehicle behind me drop a gear and accelerate hard.
Vehicle shot past me VERY close, no more than a few inches off my handlebar and pulled in hard to the left. Gave me a real shock, so when i caught up at the lights i pulled alongside his passenger side and waved at the driver. When he wound down his window i said “That was a bit close mate” and then it all kicked off.
He started screaming that i should have been riding on the double yellow lines, that i was too far out into the road, that i should get out of the way because he was in a car etc.

I was 3ft from the kerb, it’s a wide straight road (Manchester Rd, Rochdale nr Highfield Hospital) that i ride every day with no trouble.

I attempted to point out that i was riding in the correct manner when he shouted me down and threatened to hit me, so i told him i was reporting him to the police – at this point i just wanted him to think about what he was saying.

Anyway, he shoots off at speed and i catch up with him again at the next set of lights. He’s turning left in a feeder-lane and i’m going straight ahead. At this point i’m in the left hand lane of two lanes going straight on and he (and his wife) are in the further left hand lane to turn left. All lights are red.

As i pass him he yells out of his window, i stop at the lights and say look, i’m reporting you if you don’t stop.

He then climbs out and runs down the road leaving his door wide open and his car blocking the lane. He gets right in my face – about 2″ away – and starts making threats again. I ask him if he’s going to assault me, cos i’m sure the police will be interested in that.
Lots more threats, threats to hit me etc.

I stayed calm and told him i was reporting him to which he replied “Good”.

Said something about all cyclists deserve to get run over, which made me think he’d done the original fly-by on purpose.

Just reported to the cops, waiting on a phone call/visit from the officer dealing with the case.

Must be something in the air today… 🙄

Can be quite wild out there these days, try to stay safe muddy dwarf 😉

Did well mate remaining calm there – you must have talked him down v effectively if he got back in his car, that or he didn’t fancy taking you on 🙂
Seriously that is a shite thing to happen so glad you’re ok.

You did not bring your zombie shotgun out while riding? ts! ts! ts!

Benelli M4, don’t leave home without it!

or

Glock 19 – effective but without safety. Easy to service.

p/s: why do the Italian made such nice gun as does Austrian … hmmm … plenty of zombies over there?

Garry – he was a hefty bloke about 5’10” and i’m a shortarse at 5’2″ and about 9.5 stone so i doubt that was running through his mind! 😆

Hmm, Ithaca MAC10 assault shotgun is the preferred toy, one round will kill/disable everyone in a softskinned vehicle – i.e. a car.
Only carries three rounds but after three rounds the war’s over… 😉

where’s your axe when you need it eh MD?

Edukator will be along shortly to advise riding in the gutter so as not to upset people

Did you not have your axe?

No axe today folks, cops took the last one so all the others are safely tucked away 🙂

Edukator will be along in a minute, to tell you you where wrong and to adjust your behaviour to the area.

The police will take it seriously,its road rage and a serious threat.

There really are some **** about. Shame you didn’t have a helmet/headcam on (not that you should have to) as the only other likely witness the Police will find will be the passenger. I’ve had a few similar ‘incidents’, though I didn’t manage to stay as calm as you 😳

in all seriousness you did the right thing, lets hope when the police pop round for a chat they find out hes got no insurance

Silly thing is, i have one of those muvi camera things, didn’t have it with me today though.

Might be worth using it for a bit as i have to ride that bit of road every day at that time…

Warra bumwipe!

Glad you got away okay and I hope the police follow it up.

I hate to disappoint so:

It’s all down to public attitudes which stem from the media stereotyping of cyclists which encourages prejudice and discrimination. In short, it’s all Clarkson’s fault.

<snigger> 😛

Did you get his reg? So the police know which door to knock on?

Make sure to mention the large bags of white powder you saw on the back seat.;)

imply he had a knife

Full reg, description of vehicle etc.

Just waiting to hear from the cops now.

No witnesses, passenger says you were riding recklessly and provoked them, very sorry sir but there’s nothing we can do.

Just waiting to hear from the cops now.

probably be a long wait for nothing

Pretty much what i’m expecting Cougar, from previous reports i’ve given.

Mind you, not been actually threatened up close before, wonder if there is CCTV round there?

cctv would be a help otherwise not much can be done – however the idiot will get a marker on his ANPR thingy more than likley

a lot of angry people about and for some reason cyclists are a target
think one issue on dual carriageways is that they are perceived by some drivers to be vehicle only routes – also (speeding/tailgaters) in outside lane give any driver that thinks it a good idea to pull out to pass a cyclist a hard time

a sort of successful prosecution from the news over on roadCC

http://road.cc/content/news/51269-birmingham-motorist-pleads-guilty-following-road-rage-incident-caught-helmet

I agree with Edukator.

I feel dirty, and not in that good way.

Oh – and yo clealry need an axe holder on your bike. that’ll learn ’em

Pity he wasn’t fat eh md? You could have used your best line ever. 🙂

Anyway, well done for staying calm. The most that’ll happen is that the cops will have to visit him. I’m sure it’ll go no further than that. However, a squad car turning up and a couple of bobbies questioning him might make him think about his future behaviour.

Doesn’t matter whether they nick him or not, at least it shows him that you did report him. They will probably listen, hear his bullshit side and do nothing as there’s no witnesses. I had a case similar to this but had a witness and he was done – also for no documentation on his vehicle so you never know. Best of luck.

I’d like to hear his version – especially the bit where the cyclist 20 yards away forced him to exit his vehicle!

i’m so glad that i don’t have to ride on british roads…. the worst i have to deal with here is being told taht i’m cycling on the wrong side of the street by some cantankerous codger…

Jeez mate that sounds pretty scary.

Really I think we ALL need to be a bit careful out there (to coin a Hill St Blues phrase). You’ve no way of knowing who you’re about to confront, what kind of person they are or what they’re willing to do.

There is a pretty strong argument for not confronting someone unnecessarily unless you can back it up. By unnecessarily I simply mean if they’ve p**ed you off but not actually done anything to harm or wrong you, then confront them by all means, but maybe make sure you can back it up?

Oh and if someone had done that to me, being toe to toe is more than enough of a threatening behaviour to warrant a first strike.

Karate ni sente ashi my arse.

I was sat astride my bike at a junction in full view of at least a dozen vehicles so no real need to get physical – even if i thought i could have done.
He knew he was in the wrong ‘cos of his reaction when i tried to say he’d been too close. He was instantly on the offensive which makes me think he’d done it on purpose.
Most people, if someone quietly says “Bit close there mate” would say something along the lines of “Oh, i’m sorry i didn’t realise”.

Pretty much what i’m expecting Cougar, from previous reports i’ve given.

Thing is, if enough people report it, and the same drivers keep getting reported, it might actually make a difference. You’d hope anyway.

a few years ago I got jumped by a couple of neds at the front of stopped traffic.

Off the numerous drivers that were sitting and must have seen the whole thing…one helped…by moving my fallen bike out of his way…then like the rest he drove off 🙄

Cops looked into cctv but no joy. Does make me wonder in that situation if an appropriate response is to whack them with your kryptonite…

Does make me wonder in that situation if an appropriate response is to whack them with your kryptonite…

Funny you should mention that because of the very few ‘street fights’ I’ve had, one was with a bike courier riding his bike on the pavement who ended up coming at me with his krptonite D-Lock. I still have a scar from where he contacted me in the ribs (hard enough to break the skin but I managed to block the worst of the impact).

Not sure what injuries he sustained as by the time he’d picked himself up I’d walked off.

Report it anyway. Driver of AJ04OBB is wanted by the police for my assault under exactly the same circumstances. Unfortunately, his car wasn’t registered.

Most reasonable drivers acknowledge their mistakes.

Does make me wonder in that situation if an appropriate response is to whack them with your kryptonite…

I have pondered this one.

I did / do carry the lock looped over my bars so its a handy ” weapon of opportunity” I id get into an altercation with a white van man and ended up damaging the van with the lock – fairly indefensible really. The guy did nudge his van into me during the row, I waved the lock – he nudged again so I whacked the van hard – I did resist the temptation to but his screen in but I did do a fair bit of damage. Having a weapon to hand tempts one to use it. A known concept

I also discussed the concept with a senior cop and he reckoned that as the lock has the potential to be really dangerous you are on very shaky self defence grounds. they would need to have made the first blow and / or have a weapon and / or you were badly outnumbered

http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.com/2012/01/scott-lomas-convicted-and-sentenced-for.html

a QC who had a driver threaten to kill him and got it on CCTV…eventually culminated in a prosecution.

*keyboard warrior time* I’m amazed you managed to stay so calm with him in your face like that. I’m afraid I’d be the one up for assault in that situation *keyboard warrior time*

Disclaimer – years and years of martial arts train you to react rather stongly to somone in that situation (the 2″ from your face, not shouting out a car window bit). This is not always right and you’ll def get nicked for it!