Stupid Cyclist

[Nexus]

If you drive in rush hour you see it all the time.

Somebody does something minor to the other that he doesnt like, an inconsiderate lane change etc..

The person then takes offence to this, and takes revenge by trying to do something to them back. Other person doesnt like this either and responds back.

Each time it escalates into something more and more dangerous until the only thing left is either to crash into them, or just stop in front of them and get out of the car.

We've only seen half that process in the video.

I'm inclined to disagree.

The Van Driver is clearly a nut job.

That aside, I've seen people do similarly stupid moves with no previous altercation between them. Infact just look at some of the other cycling videos on YouTube and you can see where there are other nutters who have done something totally stupid that's nearly hurt a cyclist with nothing going on between them beforehand.

I genuinely believe that nothing has gone on beforehand and the driver isn't on some kind of revenge mission to get him.

 

[andi]

The cyclist won because the van driver was in the wrong and made a stupid dangerous maneuver. You can make up stupid stories to try and justify it based on zero evidence all you like, but a judge with all the facts made the decision.

If it had been a road rage incident, that would have come out in the trial. He wasn't punished for getting out, he was punished for his poor driving.

 

[MattU]

Why have you invented this elaborate back story of them being involved in road rage before this happened? Nowhere else seems to think that's what happened including the court?

 

[Fr0dders]

he got out and had a swing at him, how is that not a road rage incident ?

 

[mattyfez]

The cyclist won because the van driver was in the wrong and made a stupid dangerous maneuver. You can make up stupid stories to try and justify it based on zero evidence all you like, but a judge with all the facts made the decision.

If it had been a road rage incident, that would have come out in the trial. He wasn't punished for getting out, he was punished for his poor driving.

After the turn yes, I agree, the van was agressive and dangerous, but before the turn, the cyclist had plenty of room, and had the option to not put himself into a potentially dangerous situation. The video is obviously edited, so it's hard to draw any conclusion.

I'm not in favour of either individual based on that clip to be honest, they are both idiots.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

Personally I insure my bike as I don't want to have it nicked, it also covers me for £3 million in public liability insurance and assistance if involved in an accident and such. So in that case, I'd have somebody to help pay.

Many people are also members of cycle clubs and the CTC which again covers you automatically as part of the membership. The people unlikely to have this though are people who don't cycle as a hobby and don't have a bike they consider worth insuring. Whether another general insurance policy covers for such events I'm unsure.

A respectable cyclist then?

The trouble though with asking this question though is that it's rarely the other way around where a cyclist damages a vehicle. The cyclist and the push bike are always going to be the items that come off worse in any kind of collision.

I understand that but at the same time when vehicles collide theres always going to be someone worse off.

Secondly the other point I always see brought up in these threads (here on OCUK) is that cyclists scrape their cars. Personally in two years commuting I've knocked the wing mirror of a van driver who was too far into the cycle lane once with my backpack. Didn't do any damage of course. There seems to be this assumption from what I've seen on here that all cyclists getting close to vehicles are going to scrape it like they've got James Bond style retractable spikes on their wheels.

In three years commuting in London I've seen a fair share of accidents, but never anyone scrapping the side of a car.

Fair enough but in the case of you flew past someone too close and your handlebar or whatever run along the side of the vehicle creating a huge scratch/gash, would you stop? Would you be oprepared to pay to have the panels resprayed?

I'm referring to pedal bikes in case you're talking about cars/motorbikes. Standard example would be the 3 way junction whereby cars actually do not change speed or direction and i just move along side + also empty but still red on some roads.

Standard cycles mate, lights and follow their instructions is part of the HWC no?

You hit me, it might be my fault or yours. If its mine then i'll try to get out of there, walking, if the bike is totalled. If its your fault then i'd except cash to replace/fix bike and settle it.

Yeah thats what my insurance is for.

If i hit you, and my bike is working, id just cycle away.. tough luck, give more space next time, nobody on a bike intentionally wants to crash into a car because bikes damage easily.

Because cars intend to crash into each other?
Bet you wouldn't be doing that if you had some form of ID plate that people could then claim you left the scene of an accident eh

I don't need high vis as I am in London there are a ridiculous number of street lights, if someone cant see me they shouldn't be driving and that's that.

Dark roads, minimum lightning and a cyclist with no vis or lights?
You think thats safe cycling?

I agree with you that people should not cycle on the pavement, i never do that.

As for lights, it doesn't make it more likely to have an accident, there is very little risk to everything i do, you and others think its risky or dangerous when its not

One incident i remember is this, guy on right lane turns into road on left, cutting me off completely (he did not even signal, and fyi traffic lights were green)... What happened is that i slid along the car, as he was turning, and im turning with the car, eventually he stops, i cannot stop in time, i smash off his side mirror with my hand guards (not intentional).

Then im like *************.. Then i cycle off.

from what you said the no indication of turning is questionable.
But If I went into the back of a car wouldn't it be my fault for not leaving enough stopping distance?

 

[Nexus]

Fair enough but in the case of you flew past someone too close and your handlebar or whatever run along the side of the vehicle creating a huge scratch/gash, would you stop? Would you be oprepared to pay to have the panels resprayed?

As I already pointed out, in three something years commuting, I've never once scrapped the side of a car.

Secondly, the only bike I ride on the road is my Road Bike. It has drop handle bars which don't stick out, they are also, like most road bikes covered in grip tape, much the same as you have one a hockey stick.

The widest point is always going to be the rider anyway, not the bike.

I think there is just this assumption by a lot of motorists that I've seen on here, such as yourself that cyclists are just going to somehow scrape their cars. I've never done it, I've never seen anyone else do it and it's also never happened to me when driving.

 

[BringTheRain]

If he hit/punched my van. He'd be wearing his cycle

 

[steve-h]

If he hit/punched my van. He'd be wearing his cycle

And then you'd put your keyboard away and then drive off into the sunset eating your fish finger sandwiches.

 

[LordSplodge]

Are you sure you mean what you think you mean? Because that sentence above reads that it is the cyclists fault more often than not.

I've edited it, thanks. I was replying in a hurry!

 

[scorza]

Pedestrians are a menace, they just walked out without looking and almost hit those poor cyclists /Nexus

 

[support_bae]

Wow. Didn't expect thread to be this big but I still think the cyclist is in the wrong.

Even just for kicking the man's van I wished he was crushed by the van or at the very least knocked out by the driver.

Who does he think he is, shouting at the driving, giving driver orders, provoking the driver, kicking the van and trying to cause a collision just be cause he has a sissy cam.

 

[VaderDSL]

Ok, we've had driver vs cyclist, what about pedestrian vs cyclist.

They're a bit stricter in American cities when you don't use the PEDESTRIAN CROSSING by the sounds of it But the cyclist is a bit of a **** no helmet, wrong way down a street.

 

[joeyjojo]

Do you have a handlebar moustache, skinny jeans and rarely wash your hair as well perchance?

A la

?

No I don't.

 

[javv5]

Some good footage there scorza. Shame about the jaywalking pedestrian also...

 

[grudas]

Wow. Didn't expect thread to be this big but I still think the cyclist is in the wrong.

Even just for kicking the man's van I wished he was crushed by the van or at the very least knocked out by the driver.

Who does he think he is, shouting at the driving, giving driver orders, provoking the driver, kicking the van and trying to cause a collision just be cause he has a sissy cam.

i hope you get crushed by a trunk and killed.. or at least crushed and freed up by firemen.


i see no sense in your post.

 

[Amp34]

As I already pointed out, in three something years commuting, I've never once scrapped the side of a car.

Secondly, the only bike I ride on the road is my Road Bike. It has drop handle bars which don't stick out, they are also, like most road bikes covered in grip tape, much the same as you have one a hockey stick.

The widest point is always going to be the rider anyway, not the bike.

I think there is just this assumption by a lot of motorists that I've seen on here, such as yourself that cyclists are just going to somehow scrape their cars. I've never done it, I've never seen anyone else do it and it's also never happened to me when driving.

I and a few people I know cycle and there is only one incident that I know of that involved a scraped car (at least I hope it did)...

My sister was cycling along the main exit road in our local supermarket when a car just decided to pull out of a side column/road, straight into her as the driver turns. Sisters leg ended up between the car and the frame and she ended up on the floor... Luckily it was a slow speed incident so there was little damage to her or her bike, we have no idea what the damage was on the car as it didn't stop, or even acknowledge hitting her. My sisters pedal saved her leg from further damage so we hoped the car driver would get back home and find a large gash along the side of their car... Probably go and complain about stupid cyclists...

Today I also cycled for the first time in london. It didn't seem as bad as I thought it would be, however I did have a bus pull out into me as I was going past it...

Personally I think people who never cycle should stay out of threads like these. They generally have no idea what it's actually like cycling on the road and seem to end up with the tired old "all cyclists break the law and are dangerous" line, without realising just how bad other motorists are...

 

[Shmo]

Cyclists should get off the roads............ and on to sensible and adequate cycle paths.

The main culprit in this story is our ridiculous traffic system. These events are just going to become more common as fuel prices go up and more people switch to riding a bike to work. Instead of shouting at each other, the two people in the video should be voicing opinion to local government as to how the traffic system is endangering lives. Hopefully when enough people do this, serious reforms of roads and cycle provisions will follow.

 

[Amp34]

Wow. Didn't expect thread to be this big but I still think the cyclist is in the wrong.

Even just for kicking the man's van I wished he was crushed by the van or at the very least knocked out by the driver.

Who does he think he is, shouting at the driving, giving driver orders, provoking the driver, kicking the van and trying to cause a collision just be cause he has a sissy cam.

Yeah, unfortunately he had a choice, get his leg out of the way or have it crushed... I know what I'd be doing...

 

[Amp34]

Cyclists should get off the roads............ and on to sensible and adequate cycle paths.

The main culprit in this story is our ridiculous traffic system. These events are just going to become more common as fuel prices go up and more people switch to riding a bike to work. Instead of shouting at each other, the two people in the video should be voicing opinion to local government as to how the traffic system is endangering lives. Hopefully when enough people do this, serious reforms of roads and cycle provisions will follow.

That was one positive about the root I cycled in london today, 90% of it was on cycle lanes or bus lanes.

However I disagree entirely with the rest of it. The more cyclists on the road the better, firstly they have just as much right to cycle on them as people with IC driven vehicles and secondly the more cyclists the more observant other motorists will be to them. The stats about the number of cyclists increasing in London and the reduction in incidents just proves this. More cyclists, more respect for them generally.