Vigilante Motorist and could the cyclist 'fess up?

I don’t commute which presumably reduces my probability of run-ins, but I recently had my first incident in many many years when a driver overtook on a country lane with plenty of available space to go round me, but instead chose to pass as close as possible without actually hitting me. It was clearly very deliberate. People are fallible and people make poor judgement calls, but I simply can’t comprehend the apparent hatred some people show towards other road users that leads them to carry out these ridiculous and dangerous acts.

baffled

rockhopper70 I don’t know whether they were a regular user of that route and nor does DezB – but I do know that I don’t overtake unless I know what’s coming up. If you can’t see 5s up the road, then it’s not safe to overtake apart from in a very narrow set of circumstances.

DezB then got annoyed. Which is fine. It’s normal. Stop trying to be holier than thou! We’re all human.

The link in the OP doesn’t work for me 🙁 However it does all appear to be going down in my home town –

Toilet door at new Northampton Railway Station defaced by graffiti weeks after building opened

dezb it’s all about the role reversal, you having a go at a motorist for slowing you down, you see? Got it? You were inciting road rage at a poor lady In her little car because you had to slow down and don’t look skillfull enough to do it without crashing into her car. As a vulnerable road user you need to get a grip, there is no argument here you ride like a cock and are giving us all a bad name.

rockhopper70 I don’t know whether they were a regular user of that route and nor does DezB – but I do know that I don’t overtake unless I know what’s coming up. If you can’t see 5s up the road, then it’s not safe to overtake apart from in a very narrow set of circumstances.

In all fairness, that car had brake lights on for eight seconds until it stopped (they were on for fully three seconds before DezB matched her speed) and they didn’t come on until the driver was fully in front (otherwise we wouldn’t see them), and she didn’t seem to be scrabbling to a halt with the ABS kicking off.

I am, however, fully aware that cameras can massively distort what we see compared to where the rider’s head is at, so I wouldn’t even count this a blip in DezB’s otherwise exemplary riding career. 🙂

Can I just say I agree with Dez and I doubt she heard that insult.
Crap overtaking move at a pinch point
I am also not sure how you incite “road rage” and less so from a poor lady in her “little car” – I assume these dont hurt when they hit you 😕 I am saddened that you empathise with the shitly driven car and dont GAS about the cyclist who ONLY had to slow down because she overtook. She should have waited and then nothing would have happened

10/10 for provoking a reaction though Jonesy but better be liked that get attention this way [ yes you mean it we all know how it “opinions” work on the internet]

@ 1 second and mid overtake and still not on her side of the road she has already started braking. If you are braking whilst overtaking you are not driving well

Strange, the link was working this morning but not now…click bait fail?

One of the most annoying things when commuting is having to slow down because someone overtakes you, just to turn, look at the scenery or, as I once had, because they’re a total cockwipe and think it’s funny – car overtook and slowed, blocked me off, went on a bit. I caught up again on a long downhill, car slowed and blocked me off – quiet B road with nothing in front. Happened too or three times and I could see the smarmy tuesday and his shit eating grin looking at me in the mirror while he did it.

Funnily enough when we got to civilisation and he was stuck in a queue he completely ignored me as a tapped on his window to enquire what exactly he thought he was doing, he just did the rabbit in the headlights stare straight ahead.

DezB – Member

Annnnyway, I don’t think this thread was supposed to be about me and my one blip in an otherwise exemplary riding career

Too late cupcake! 😀

Huh? who have I slowed down?

Read it again; you weren’t the one doing the slowing down, you were the road user doing stupid things.

because I was there and I saw them brake before the pinch point was in view.

So the driver slowed down before they could see the pinch point?
Tell me, at what point did the driver slow down in relation to the sign warning of the pinch point coming into view? 💡

Either way, anyone who deliberately engages in a collision with another road user is an idiot, and anyone who condones such behaviour is an idiot.

I was an idiot when I deliberately rode into the back of a car that pulled out in front of me.
That was years ago though, and was much closer.
I also did the job properly and put my chainrings into his boot. You big fairy. 😛

I have punched a wing mirror off a car before, wasn’t on bike, but was due to an inconsiderate parker that left me a 4inch gap to try and get in the drivers door, when I had a baby to get back in car. There was just enough room to get in the passenger side. To say I was angry would be an understatement…that was a few years ago now. I can still rememeber to pain in my knuckles once the red mist had settled.

Normally I’d stick up for the cyclist in most situations but I’m sorry DezB, riding and dishing out of abuse like you did in that video is what gives all us cyclists a bad name with many drivers, making the roads not safer, but more dangerous for all of us cyclists.

The overtake looked fair enough to me, plenty of room given. Okay so the driver made a slight mistake in not spotting the constriction and traffic ahead until the overtake was in progress – but it was hardly a near miss now was it, hardly deliberate? And yet you still think it’s your duty to bully and verbally abuse her in the process?

What do you think she thinks about cyclists now? What has she told her friends and family? How had their perception of cyclists in general now changed because of your behaviour?

Sorry, don’t like to critisize but feel it’s justified in this case. You were not in danger, merely inconvenienced. I’m just glad it wasn’t my elderly mother in the car you rode in to and thank goodness for the rest of our safety you’re conducting your bully boy behaviour on a bicycle and not in a 4×4 or something bigger.

I have in the past (a while back now) hit wing mirrors when someone has properly scared the shit out of me and endangered my life, still haven’t managed to punch a wing mirror off

They’re designed to swing out of the way if they hit something from the front or back and you’ll just hurt your hand. Hit down and they break off remarkably easily. Not that I’d recommend it – whilst the Police have seemingly zero interest in any form of driving offence, whether merely dangerous or a deliberate attempt to cause serious injury, ‘criminal damage’ will spur them into immediate action.

Given the unwillingness to deal with the incidents described through this thread, a failure of the courts to deliver any form of deterrent level penalties for driving offences, the reduction in traffic police numbers over the last few years (coinciding with an upsurge in road injuries), or even to deal with drivers when they’ve got them bang to rights (the motorists who the Police say were driving idiotically on the Isle of Sheppey 150 car pile up are being offered education rather that being charged), I can’t help thinking that Vigilante action is a rational response.

DezB then got annoyed. Which is fine. It’s normal. Stop trying to be holier than thou! We’re all human.

I’m not, I was just asking a question and making an observation.
I wasn’t there and don’t know the layout.
The driver might initially have seen the pinch point was clear only to be faced with an ejit speeding the other way and she had to take evasive action.

But I’m allowed to say that I wouldn’t ram someone intentionally, to prove a point (although I suspect the point was lost on the driver, who probaly expected the cyclist to be able to stop easily in the distance available).

Q.- When is it too late to overtake a cyclist if you are turning left ?

A.- Never.

I do think some people on here don’t actualy ride in the same country I do. I think pretty much every ride I have a driver make a manoevere that is dangerous to me or other road users.

Either left hooks, close passes , the ‘ quick get in front of him and block the gutter so we wont be stuck behind him for 5 secs when the lights change ‘ move.
The Force overtake. I cant see 20m round that corner , and I have a waaaay better line of sight than you do (RH bend) , but please feel free to dwardle pass increasing your TED with an idiotic overtake

Maybe Im just unlucky.
Cars dont seem to understand the momentum thing. You are buzzing along at say 20mph, making progress but in a car that feels stationary. IN a car to get to 20mph its 2 seconds and 2 calories of effort on the loud pedal. Bit longer and alot more cals on a bike, and Im not not paying attention . Red lights are red lights and I wait, but stopping on an A road to let road users out of side roads , or the overtake / block / RH turn is all too common

you still think it’s your duty to bully and verbally abuse her in the process?

Bully? What would you call overtaking in a large lump of steel when there was no room to get past and then you had to slam on before you had even completed the move forcing the vehicle you overtook to slam on as well ?

What do you think she thinks about cyclists now?

I assume she still does not GAS about us but may think next time in case someone “bullies” her

You were not in danger,

neither was she despite your hyperbole

I’m just glad it wasn’t my elderly mother in the car you rode in to

I hope she does not drive like that and is not as fragile as you.

and thank goodness for the rest of our safety you’re conducting your bully boy behaviour on a bicycle and not in a 4×4 or something bigger.

Oh the irony considering a car just forced it way past and made him stop Oh the irony

The driver might initially have seen the pinch point was clear only to be faced with an ejit speeding the other way and she had to take evasive action.

You mean it was not safe to overtake there

I’m beginning to see where dailymash are coming from.

I dont think either of them drove that well but one arsehole started it and they had 4 wheels

Its not me this time!

TBH I rarely have a real “WTF?” moment on either my commute or out on the roads. Ive changed my commute because the most direct route was also the most stressful, with stupid and dangerous driving every single day. Waiting at a right turn in a three-lane carriage way at a red light was frankly terrifying due to drivers slamming on behind me/using the straight ahead lane to undertake me/using the vehicle to intimidate me.
All this whilst using 3 decent rear lights, taking the lane properly at the junction etc.
I ride properly, take the lane at ALL junctions & often wait in the queue if I judge the approach to the junction to be unsafe, stop at reds etc. I now very rarely get hassle on my commute now, but do get more idiocy when out on the road bike, there is a minority of drivers who WILL do their best to show you your place in the pecking order, not a lot you can do about those people but report them*.
I recently reported a driver who tried an overtake approaching a pelican crossing that was in use, with stopped cars ahead, cars parked to my left & oncoming traffic. My shout of “effing hell” was enough for him to chase after me, try to knock me off twice & then when I got off the road come up screaming in my face. I kept calm, took his photo & one if his car and told him I was ringing the cops.
He got dragged into the station and rollocked apparently.

*I also reported myself for punching a wing mirror off.

The HC disagrees with you:

oh and also

Hi Junkyard not quite sure what you are getting at I wasn’t aware this was a popularity contest, my aim isn’t to provoke a reaction and to be honest I couldn’t really care less what you or anyone else thinks.

What I am doing is disagreeing with what’s being said about a video of someone intentionally riding a bike into the back of a car and screaming verbal abuse at them (that’s the inciting bit). After seeing shocking riding everyday by the normal ‘cyclist’ which tarnishes us all the last thing I would expect is to see a member of this forum acting like that.

Apologies for not conforming to your idea that every motorist is evil and trying to kill you, they are not and also that every cyclist is innocent maybe the motorist made a very slight error in your eyes, not mine, but the cyclists actions are far worse. Having lost a friend last year after he was knocked off his bike I will ‘GAS’ all I want about this as having seen what it has done to his young family is devastating. I don’t know dezb’s situation but he needs to think long and hard about that!

Indeed a stupid place to overtake but to shout abuse then purposefully ride into the back of a stationary car… not doing cyclists any favours that.

Also, when the car started braking it looked from the camera movement like the rider was still pedalling for a good few seconds.

Ha! Still going on. Funny stuff. Thanks Junky for taking my (the cyclist’s) side against the, what was the word? Cocks.

Here’s a prime example of someone WITHOUT A **** CLUE!!
thank goodness for the rest of our safety you’re conducting your bully boy behaviour on a bicycle and not in a 4×4 or something bigger.

I mean, really? Your comprehension skills and grasp of logic need some work before you go making your comments public, they really do.

Cripes, armchair analysis is a bigger internet hobby than I thought!
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had idiots overtake me while I was signalling right and moving across the road and you’re damn right I shouted abuse at them.

I smashed a wing mirror a couple of months ago.

I hate confrontation, I very rarely have any actually dangerous moments. On my commute a guy overtook me while shouting something about “stay over to the left” and making a sweeping “move over” gesture. I ignored it, I usually do, no sense getting wound up. Passed him (and a dozen other cars) by filtering down the right in a traffic jam moments later, thought nothing of it.
5 minutes later, in more free flowing traffic, he overtook dangerously close and this time was going properly mental, screaming about cyclists should **** stay left. I slowed to let him go past but he brake checked me then, once I was on his inside, swung left into me. I pushed myself off using the convenient wing mirror (which ‘accidentally’ fell off…) and disappeared sharpish down an alleyway. Bloody lucky that I had that escape option. Changed my route to work after that, in fact I didn’t ride for ages.

Didn’t get a plate or description of the guy, not even a make/model of car. 🙁 Colour and a rough estimate of type is all so I don’t even know what to look out for.

Point being that if a cyclist smashes a wing mirror, there’s probably a bloody good reason for it based around the driver being a weapons grade bellend.

You need to decide if Dez is inciting or bullying as they are not synonyms though his analysis of your views is pretty much spot on

Apologies for not conforming to your idea that every motorist is evil and trying to kill you, they are not and also that every cyclist is innocent

You beat that straw man to death there. Well done 🙄 Just for aracer that one 😉

maybe the motorist made a very slight error in your eyes, not mine,

You are free to ignore the highway code [ cited above your post] in reaching your judgement about their driving standards and I am free to ignore your view which is at odds with the law and common sense.

You are free to ignore the highway code

Which bit of the highway code condones deliberately colliding with other road users?
😆
Is deliberately colliding with other road users

at odds with the law and common sense?

💡

MSP that video’s ridiculous! That took place right outside my work, just recognised the roadsigns! Can’t see why the truck had to get so close at all, it’s a really wide open stretch of road with hundreds of cyclists on it every day due to BAE being over the road. It’s stuff like that which makes me go down the backs when I make the occasional commute by bike.

I think if it’d been me and they’d been stopped at those lights round the corner I’d be knocking more than their mirror off! That would definitely be a red mist moment.

Ha! Still going on. Funny stuff. Thanks Junky for taking my (the cyclist’s) side against the, what was the word? Cocks.

Here’s a prime example of someone WITHOUT A **** CLUE!!
thank goodness for the rest of our safety you’re conducting your bully boy behaviour on a bicycle and not in a 4×4 or something bigger.

I mean, really? Your comprehension skills and grasp of logic need some work before you go making your comments public, they really do.

DezB, nice to see you use this sort of language and bullying on a public forum too? You’re a pretty nice guy aren’t you?

Anyway, if the lady in question had had the good fortune been driving a Golf R (or similarly powerful car) she’d have overtaken and been safely past the angry little chip on shoulder man cyclist well before the pinch point.

I had to pat myself on the back for being a zen master this arvo..

cycling along a densely populated residential area and I saw a big white transit about to join the road from a T-junction ahead of me..
As always in this situation, I prepared for him to do summink silly and made eye contact so I could be sure he had seen me and wouldn’t pull out..

As I drew level with the corner of his bumper he slowly pulled out, looking at me as he did so..
I stopped and gave a cheery wave to let him through.. he gave me the finger and I laughed

I might be biassed due to the fact I get overtaken dangerously about once a week on the ~1 mile of twisty road on my commute and about once every month or two it’s to the extent that some poor driver coming the other way has to slam their brakes on – and all for some **** to get to the next traffic jam 5s quicker than they would if they waited for a safe opportunity.

Correct you do, however wrong! Now I will leave you to your own little world as there is a limited number of times I can arsed writing the same thing and you missing the point!

yunki – Member

I had to pat myself on the back for being a zen master this arvo..

cycling along a densely populated residential area and I saw a big white transit about to join the road from a T-junction ahead of me..
As always in this situation, I prepared for him to do summink silly and made eye contact so I could be sure he had seen me and wouldn’t pull out..

As I drew level with the corner of his bumper…

…you deliberately rode into the van to teach him a lesson?

Yeah! Right on! 😀

😆

Which bit of the highway code condones deliberately colliding with other road users?

Is deliberately colliding with other road users
Whoosh Clearly I am , as aracer was, discussing the overtake move
Dez can explain what he did.

this sort of language and bullying on a public forum too? You’re a pretty nice guy aren’t you?

Oh passive aggression you is the awesomes 😕

there is a limited number of times I can arsed writing the same thing and you missing the point!

No one has missed the point you dont understand the highway code.

If the car obeys the highway code nothing happens they are the cause but, today, Dez does not reach Yunki levels of enlightenment .

Junkyard – lazarus

Whoosh. Clearly I am, as aracer was, discussing the overtake move

Of course, but now would be a good time for you and aracer to condemn the cyclist’s deliberate action of colliding with the car.
For clarity, you know.
😉

I dont think either of them drove that well but one arsehole started it and they had 4 wheels*

I am sure you will apologise for your double error rather than have another pop …for clarity, you know 😉 🙄

* thats me that is in relation to a cyclists are arsehole t shirt post

Junkyard – lazarus

I am sure you will apologise for your double error

Are you talking to me?
What are you talking about?
I just thought it would be helpful if you clarified your opinion on the actions of the cyclist, as you appeared to be concentrating your posting efforts on the road user that didn’t deliberately collide with another road user.
🙂

If you are still confused its because you are trying really hard to be confused to save face and look “funny”.

Its not working very well and it is not very convincing.

I haven’t lost face. 😕
I thought the cyclist was a prat for his actions and still do.

I just wondered if you could bring yourself to categorically condemn his course of action, an action that no one in their right mind would ever condone, in lieu of your obvious bias.

Thank you for concluding my curiosity.

Dezb words his initial post to suggest he hit the car on purpose,that was the source of the initial comments people made,you know the ones he reported when replies didn’t go his way to stop it escalating. He made a point of it in his post,so to my mind if you view all the clip it’s dumb overtake/dumb reaction. Maybe the two of them should do one of those internet dating profiles,they may have a lot more in common than they think. And tell me he doesn’t call the driver a “tard”?

I ride in London every weekday

I was going to add my experiences to this thread, but it’s all gone a bit handbags, so I’ll sit this one out

If agreeing he was an areshole is not enough and not categorical enough then I doubt I can . What do you want me to say? He was a big a one as you are being now 😉

to my mind if you view all the clip it’s dumb overtake/dumb reaction.

Agreed but she started it with the dumb overtake and it was best avoided by her obeying the highway code