Drivers Beware! The Cycling Vigilante is after you.

[GrumpyGregry]

They're both needless and inevitable. Confront people (needlessly) often enough and you'll get into grief.

I'd be fascinated to know what the KSI stats are for people involved rtc's where a link to mobile use has been suspected by the investigating officers versus the KSI stats for road rage incidents.

Allowing anti-social behaviour, and anti-social driving is precisely that, to go unchecked is a recipe for disaster for our communities. And given that "leave it to the police" is about as effective a remedy as a chocolate fireguard is a health and safety measure is it any wonder folk will turn vigilante? It is entirely possible to confront someone assertively and not have that escalate into aggression and violence despite what the naysayers might think.

But then again, the police hereabouts, recognising the problem of anti-social driving is pretty much out of their power to control decided to do something about it and now actively encourage such vigilantism http://www.operationcrackdown.org/ My own experience has been that is it is a bit hit'n'miss, much like my experience of direct interaction with the boys in blue.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

This is Harlow. The PCSO would have his bike nicked before issuing his first ticket.

Hence I made no reference to a bike....

 

[Drago]

Where there is evidence to support it mobile phone use is recorded for the government's stats. Not being at work I don't have the figures at my fingertips, but the incidents of road rage related assaults we receive daily comfortably exceeds to number of all the RTCs reported to us, and when you consider that only a proportion of those RTCs involve mobiles then you're left with being slapped as a much higher likelihood. Perhaps coppercyclist could let us know how they compare up his way? As aforementioned, I've been involved in more road rage deaths than mobile phone related ones - a whole 'one'.

Why spend your days filming drivers placing others in danger, and then willingly place yourself in greater danger by getting involved in barneys with people? I'm suspicious of this chaps motivation in actively participating in these confrontations. Small man syndrome? Simple lack of self control? Just daft as a brush? I don't know, but why do it? I've seen road traffic prosecutions dropped because the witness undermined their own credibility by acting in such a manner, so at best he risks undermining his own efforts.

 

[MisterStan]

....snip....
Why spend your days filming drivers placing others in danger, and then willingly place yourself in greater danger by getting involved in barneys with people? I'm suspicious of this chaps motivation in actively participating in these confrontations. Small man syndrome? Simple lack of self control? Just daft as a brush? I don't know, but why do it? I've seen road traffic prosecutions dropped because the witness undermined their own credibility by acting in such a manner, so at best he risks undermining his own efforts.

Perhaps he just has a conscience and thinks he can do some good in his local community.

IMHO he'd be best off just filming people and sending the evidence straight in, why confront people?

 

[Arjimlad]

It would be rather good if one didn't have to confront these phone-addicted wombles and could just send some film in.

Captain Astravan spotted on the way to work this morning gassing away on his white mobile phone whilst turning right with one hand...

Also the usual teenyboppers in Corsas and school-run Mums texting away in slow-moving traffic.

I don't have a camera but would gladly dob them in. I reckon I'd get at least five a day. Perhaps the fine income could be spent on road maintenance ?

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I don't have a camera but would gladly dob them in. I reckon I'd get at least five a day. Perhaps the fine income could be spent on road maintenance ?

Do the run home through Swanley, I spot at least five every day in slow moving traffic reading their email, updating facebook, or sending texts on their mobiles. Still, at least it keeps them off the roads... oh, wait.

 

[Mugshot]

I'd be fascinated to know what the KSI stats are for people involved rtc's where a link to mobile use has been suspected by the investigating officers versus the KSI stats for road rage incidents.

The issue here is whether the police have any interest in investigating properly or not, in particular the use of mobile phones. Folowing my RTC (driver in a 4x4 piled into the back of my van) the investigating officer had no interest in actually investigating. Amongst a stream of bollocks and lies he tried to feed me was the answer to my question concerning mobile phone use.
Me - "Did you check to see if Mr X was on his phone at the time of the collision or leading up to it?"
Officer - "There's no evidence to suggest that Mr X had a mobile phone with him."
Me - "So you didn't check?"
Officer - "There's no evidence to suggest Mr X had a mobile phone with him."
Me - "Could you explain how his wife got to the scene as quickly as she did if he didn't contact her to pick him up?"
Officer - "Uh, er, um."
Sadly, whatever the reason for it is, there appears to be a distinct lack of interest in pursuing convictions for road related crime (I had to fight tooth and nail to get the guy that wrote my van off convicted, most people would have given up) particularly mobile phone use.
Here's a nice recent story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29502630
I could stand outside my shop and see more in a day than were charged in 6 months in North Wales! It makes my blood boil

 

[glenn forger]

I've seen drivers hold the phone in their right hand to their left ear, and take their remaining hand off the steering wheel to change gear.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Officer - "There's no evidence to suggest that Mr X had a mobile phone with him."

Isn't 'he's over the age of 8 and it's 2014' evidence enough that he almost definitely had a mobile phone with him?

 

[Mugshot]

Isn't 'he's over the age of 8 and it's 2014' evidence enough that he almost definitely had a mobile phone with him?

You certainly would have thought so wouldn't you?

 

[jefmcg]

Bullied at school, too much time on his hands, or both?

Please don't say stuff like that. Combined with your avatar, it sounds like he reminds you of someone you used to bully in school.

Edit: (this is going to get me in trouble ....)

Or this


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1jbNpi44Kk

 

[jarlrmai]

Its pretty simple, if the authorities took dangerous driving and mobile use seriously especially when presented with evidence of said dangerous driving / mobile use then there would be less confrontations.

As it is because they fail to do anything about it you will get "vigilante" episodes with cyclist confronting drivers.

 

[Accy cyclist]

After years of seeing selfish twats(both on and off road) using mobiles while clearly unaware of their surroundings i applaud this chap! If the plod are incapable of catching the offenders then the general public have to take the law in to their own hands!

 

[EltonFrog]

"Smile"

Evidence in one small photograph of someone who is taking himself far to seriously. Whoever that is, he does not look like he's very happy. If may be so bold to use a popular vernacular as used by some younger folk, he needs to chilax.

 

[GrasB]

Are the confrontations needless or just inevitable? Should we always shy away from doing the right thing because it may result in confrontation?

Some confrontations are inevitable as you get caught up in stuff that involves road space conflicts. However this guy doesn't seem to just observe he seems to need to get an oar in as well, this means he gets into needless confrontations.