Got one....!

[ComedyPilot]

For all the 'get a camera' brigade, I ride about 4000 miles a year (not much but at least I do it) and have only had a few incidents worthy of footage, and they lasted a few seconds.

Hardly worth the expenditure and boring (heavy breathing) footage really.

If I rode more in busy traffic (like the london crew and Magnatom) then it might be worth it.

For the 'using a camera makes them look for trouble' brigade, I ride about 4000 miles a year (not much but at least I do it) and I ride very defensively and safely. However if some twunt needs the error of their ways pointing out, then I will do so, I do not go out of my way to look for trouble, it (very seldom) finds me instead.

 

[jimboalee]

Given that he crashed into a traffic island - an incident that he could have avoided had he been more observant and less impatient - I think the answer is unquestionably yes.

Of course, that doesn't preclude him having been even more stupid. Trying to drive on two wheels to make the gap, for instance.

But the answer is still yes.

OK so he misjudged the manouver. He elected to crash into the centre island and not ComedyPilot. He may have been messing with a CD or lighting a cigar. If this was the case, and he looked up and saw a cyclist ahead very close, his natural reaction was one of 'life preservation'.

When out on a bike, all cyclists are subject to unattentative motorists. In this case, the cyclist was not hit. It would be useful to keep it in mind that there ARE unattentative motorists, they are not obvious to recognise and the motorist behind YOU might be less attentative than most and not see you at all... just feel a sudden bump and hear a crunching sound.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Was he stupid? He could have done a much more stupid thing and we would never had the pleasure of ComedyPilots posts again.

Thanks for the concern.

As stated in my post though, I saw him coming (cunning use of bike mirror), knew what he was going to try (local knowledge and I was looking at the road well in front of me - unlike him obviously), and (Derren Brown-like) predicted the slamming on of brakes and the island-straddling that culminated.

Not stated in the post is that armed with all this knowledge, and a strong primary position, had he not straddled the island and gone for the 'gap' instead, I had 3 feet of road to my left, and a lovely grass bank to lie down on if I had to make adjustments to compensate for his inadequate driving.

 

[Headgardener]

That island has two bollards and a what looks like a lamp post on it. How did he not take out at least one of the bollards and/or the lamp post in his efforts?