My word; how many posts have I wanted to comment on or reply to but here are a few of my thoughts having read the whole damn thing
(Forgive me if I forget to insult anyone or praise a 'nobber' by mistake....)
Just above, for the first time, the word 'Proportion' has been mentioned. I think in many aspects of law and life, proportionality is a key message in respnses. If losing his job is proportional having given Matthew the bird fits with your own personal yardstick, then fine. It doesn't fit with me. If this is the 17th such incident and he has been reprted by 16 other seperate motorists/road users or even passengers, then that would be different. I believe that in London, if Hackney or Licensed Taxi drivers have one minor complaint, nothing much happens. If they have one MAJOR incident and are at fault, they can lose their job and badge. Many or several small incidents being reported to PCO (?) then a 'word' is had and that can obviously end up with loss of badge.
I don't feel it is appropriate to comment on the bullyng 'claims' and rebuttals for all sorts of reasons....
Highway Code. Now here is a good one.... I would have stated categorically that I was fairly familiar with the Highway Code as I studied it fastidiously to pass my test (1984!) To this day, I would have sworn blindly that the wording was 'cyclists should not ride more than two abreast, especially on busy or narrow roads'. It doesn't! I have now read it and see how I was wrong about something so simple. Has it changed? I have no idea. WHich leads me on to a question; Why do we not have retests of our driving test? In this stupid land of culpability and litigation, surely it would be POSITIVE to retest people in command of big metal boxes? There would be uproar I am sure for a few years, so introduce it in (say) 10 years or so - plenty of time for people to grow accustomed to the idea? PSV drivers do (I believe) have to retest and one would hope that this includes the HC? Maybe not, does anyone know?
On the OP (Sorry for tangent above) my very very first reaction was to reach for the popcorn and put the kettle on whilst the thread builded and I waited for the video. My very first thought on watching the video was 'oh dear, I would not have posted that first overtake up!'. COming back to my HC point above, I was convinced that the rules were simple - 'DO NOT OVERTAKE ON ZIGZAGS and on the approach to a corssing etc.' This was set in stone or so I thought..... HAving now read the HC and looked for 'my proof' it appears that the 'rules of the road' are weighted slightly differently for drivers and cyclists. I would still interpret the 'no overtaking on zigzags' to apply though - as opposed to filtering.
The BD (Thanks for the shorthand key above) may well have thought 'what the hell - what a knob!' as MT 'flew' past
irresponsibly. There is always a chance that the BD has other issues which may well have contriubuted to his following behaviour but..... Notwithstanding these possible issues, having been 'startled' and annoyed by the irresponsible cyclist (in his mind), to then see the cyclist calling him a 'nutter' with the generally accepted pointing at head gesture, I was not particularly surprised by the BD's behaviour when confronted at the 'Depot'. (Probably not correct to generailse too much about BDs...
)
Was anyone else really surprised by BD2 and (Damn cannot remember the funny one about the chap with glasses who thought he was God's gift and 'cool' so - ) BDWGWTHWGGAC backing up their colleague and possible mate? That is what happens and I would hope that my colleagues and mates'
first instinct is to stand up for me
(As I can be a c0ck, it wouldn't last that long
)
I also loved the bit about the HC but why oh why not carry around a proper little HC with those coloured tabs poking out the sides so you don't take 34 seconds to find the page..... I may have responded in a similar fashion to BDWGWTHWGGAC re my own two examples above if confronted with a 'print out' and not the little book - or am I showing my age again?
I think the BDs did not cover themselves in glory on this video - BDWGWTHWGGAC is simply a jumped up little tw4t and I think driving a bus is simply a coincidence. Cycling in London does lead to many VERY GOOD (BD) driver experiences and also some utter idiots - I am not happy that I have gestured at times. In LOndon and outside; sometimes it is a shake of the head or a frustrated gesture, sometimes a little stronger but PROPORTIONALITY please????? Both with MT and many posters on here who seem to want a fight over minor misunderstandings and perceived insults etc....
The main point of reading the whole thread (from my own PoV) is to learn and question my own views on the OP and video. I have changed some of my views, moulded some more and binned some. SOme have also been massively reinforced so thank you to all for that!
The whole thing may not have happened without the initial 'moody' and mad (IMHO) overtake at the crossing and zigzags. WOuld everything else have happened if MT had simply overtaken at the Bus Stop? I don't think so but we will never ever know...... It might have done?
Personally, I think a bit more anticipation and diplomacy would help MT to enjoy his cycling more and also possibly make his hobby much safer for him. I have said it before but riding a motorbike for many years and being trained to do so properly mean I am a much better cyclist now than I could ever have hoped to be without it - certainly better than when I was 18/19
