Intimidation with vehicle

[Matthew_T]

I don't understand why people think that not being in a cycle lane is just cause to swerve a ton of car at a human.

They didnt really swerve at me. It was down this road (a little further) and I saw them driving on the left side of the road. They then clearly moved over right driving almost on the verge forcing me to go around them. When I passed the passenger pointed and I stopped. They then reversed up to me.I only turned my camera on just before I passed them so didnt catch the swerve.
I shouldnt have stopped really because having a pointless argument with them almost made me miss an exam at college!

 

[sabian92]

Exactly, the driver whines "You were riding too far out!"- so he has basically admitted using three tons of car as a weapon.

Why it isn't a prosecutable offence I'll never know. In Sabian's Britain it will be punishable by 5 close passes and being forced to crush your own car!

 

[GrasB]

Well is the OP going to provide the police with the footage?

I don't understand why the OP didn't move over and let the car pass? Riding down the middle of the road for what, to hold up the car behind? Footage is rather dark but I think there weren't any parked cars on the nearside when the car actually passed. Another altercation brought about by a cyclist's unreasonable road positioning. I don't think the driver's response when approached by the cyclist was unreasonable either.

What a driver centric view from one who reports to be a cyclist.

The motorist is also driving vey quickly down the road & accelerating quite aggressively away from each speed bump giving the cyclist little opportunity to pick a safe place to allow the motorist past. The motorist proceeds to overtake, but is forced to brake & pull towards the cyclist due to a badly judged overtake. So the driver has compromised the safety of others due to careless & aggressive driving, not just the cyclist but potentially also pedestrians & also other drivers trying to pull out of drives..


A motorist should be the one to yield & show consideration to the more vulnerable road user & those with when there is a potential conflict, especially when their yield is a minor inconvenience which increases the vulnerable road users safety. The rider was manoeuvring around cars & ducking in & out between parked cars is a good way to become hidden to anyone wanting to pull away from the kerb & driveways or simply cross the road.

So why should a cyclist impair their safety for a motorist convenience?...

 

[sheffgirl]

I was annoyed by a car overtaking me earlier this week. I was in the filter lane preparing to turn left over Hillfoot Bridge, which is a sort of crossroads controlled by traffic lights. I took the primary position, firstly due to the traffic lights and the fact that I need to swing out slightly when taking the corner, so I don't really want people overtaking me as I go around the corner if I can avoid it. I was suddenly aware of a car to my right, overtaking me despite the fact that I was in the middle of the lane, forcing me to move over to the left, whilst his female passenger just stared at me.

 

[classic33]

Nah, you don't need that many words. Only two. F and off

You have this thing about sex & travel don't you!

 

[theclaud]

Well is the OP going to provide the police with the footage?

I don't understand why the OP didn't move over and let the car pass? Riding down the middle of the road for what, to hold up the car behind? Footage is rather dark but I think there weren't any parked cars on the nearside when the car actually passed. Another altercation brought about by a cyclist's unreasonable road positioning. I don't think the driver's response when approached by the cyclist was unreasonable either.

Clearly not. But then you've already voluntarily surrendered your right to the road, so are probably about as well qualified to offer advice as the d**khead driver in the video.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Unpleasant to watch and not rare in my cycling life. The driver was an impatient thingummy and might reasonably have stayed behind the cycle-contraption. Some oddities on the tape:

1. I wouldn't be driving a car over sleeping policemen at that speed. This man does not pay for his own repairs.
2. There were gaps where the cyclist might have pulled in with no loss of progress, to be cooperative and jolly. I usually do that and find the action well received by other road users. It's a matter of perception and I wasn't there, so I may be wrong on this.
3. There was plenty of room (where there were no cars on the right) for both parties to facilitate a pass by the car, but I'm not sure why the driver would want to go much faster (see point 1).
4. For a road hog (which he undoubtedly is) the driver seemed fairly erudite and reasonable. I've never had a driver pull up for a word and manage full sentences with semi-colons. Chapeau for the gift of clear speech, but not for being a roadcock.
5. Not sure why he pulled up at all... A bit odd.
6. Worrying for me as a cyclist and the father of cyclists (does this sound like Just So Stories?) that there are motorists ignorant of the door zone.
7. Good also that the cyclist stayed rational and calm. It's so easy to get sucked into rants of righteous purity at these times.

All in all, an unpleasant scene but not one I'd take to the authorities.

Carry on.

 

[jarlrmai]

He pulled up because he heard the cyclist say something.

The door zone is a real thing, but also this is a leafy residential street, kids coming out of behind parked cars etc is a real possibility, people drive way too fast down them.

 

[Matthew_T]

"The door zone? You can see people getting out of their cars" Wrong.

When I was taught to cycle on the roads, I learnt that with cars facing you, you might be able to see an adult getting out of the car. With cars facing away from you, you cannot possibly see who is in it. Also whether or not a car is forwards or backwards, you cannot see a child getting out of it.
This is why all road users (not just cyclists) should stay out of the door zone.

 

[400bhp]

You have to get your point across straight away in those situations. Don't let them get the first word in.

Explain succinctly and don't be aggressive. And don't get into a discussion/argument.

It's worked for me several times now.

Easy to say the above of course

 

[Crankarm]

What a driver centric view from one who reports to be a cyclist.

The motorist is also driving vey quickly down the road & accelerating quite aggressively away from each speed bump giving the cyclist little opportunity to pick a safe place to allow the motorist past. The motorist proceeds to overtake, but is forced to brake & pull towards the cyclist due to a badly judged overtake. So the driver has compromised the safety of others due to careless & aggressive driving, not just the cyclist but potentially also pedestrians & also other drivers trying to pull out of drives..


A motorist should be the one to yield & show consideration to the more vulnerable road user & those with when there is a potential conflict, especially when their yield is a minor inconvenience which increases the vulnerable road users safety. The rider was manoeuvring around cars & ducking in & out between parked cars is a good way to become hidden to anyone wanting to pull away from the kerb & driveways or simply cross the road.

So why should a cyclist impair their safety for a motorist convenience?...

Not at all. I viewed the footage and felt the cyclist's road manners and positioning were poor, holding the car up and then shouting at the driver were unecessary. And a post from some one who regularly boasts how fast he cycles around Cambridge streets and admits to owning an Alfa male car = petrol head. Pot kettle black.

 

[veloevol]

You sir cower with the notion we should cycle in the gutter. I share the road which means I hold up cars and they hold up me. Then we smile and get on with our day.

Your defence of this drivers actions and my own positioning is truly dumbfounded.

 

[Black Country Ste]

I had this one this evening. Honking his horn at me, then swerving towards me as he passed.


Turns out he already has a reputation for mobile use and RLJs as lozcs pointed out from @GreatBirmingham's Twitter feed.

 

[GrasB]

Not at all. I viewed the footage and felt the cyclist's road manners and positioning were poor, holding the car up and then shouting at the driver were unecessary.

Actually the driver didn't give veloevol enough time to delay him, he accelerates off the speed bump & doesn't stop accelerating until he needs to brake for the second speed bump. In doing so commits to a dangerous manoeuvre that he couldn't complete before impinging on the riders road space!

... and admits to owning an Alfa male car = petrol head. Pot kettle black.

What has being a petrol head got to do with anything? Oh yeah, the fact I'd never drive like that, I like my cars to much. Also means I'm motivated enough to go out & become a RoSPA advanced driver. This means actually learning how drive to a high standard by developing good observational skills, on-the-fly risk assessment & manoeuvre planning. I also know had I pulled that stunt on an assessed drive I'd lose my RoSPA AD status.

 

[glenn forger]

I had this one this evening. Honking his horn at me, then swerving towards me as he passed.


Turns out he already has a reputation for mobile use and RLJs as lozcs pointed out from @GreatBirmingham's Twitter feed.

Cyclists are only a tiny fraction of road users. Helmet cam cyclists are rarer still. So, if two cam riders both catch a driver being aggressive in his vehicle, how many times as he done it and it wasn't recorded?