It makes my blood boil!

[Angelfishsolo]

Looks like he is a self employed Farrier, so unlikely to sack himself.

Might lose some customers though?

 

[timmcp]

A farrier, idiot wouldnt want him touching a horse that played up

 

[downfader]

Lets take a slightly different road on this thread...

..I did a quik scan of the forums online to see if and how this story has been seen. If there was ONE thing that should come ot of this it SHOULD be that assault is wrong and people SHOULD at the very least start to show a little sympathy for cyclists who get caught up in such a scenario.

However the truth is VERY different. We are universally hated it seems. And I'm talking far worse than a few years back with the Howard case. There is no justification for assault but people are putting it about that we deserve this kind of treatment, or that we deserve this because we're freeloaders.

There has been a real backlash. We're screwed.

I had a reply from the Evening Standard this morning. The guy shifted responsibility saying I should engage with anticyclists. I dont see how I or anyone else can. We're in a minority with a very loud and vociferous majority now shouting us down and drowing us out. I've tried to engage but theres no longer any reasoning. They take every opportunity to chip-chip-chip away.

Its depressing, tbh. It leads me to think that whatever outcome from this case that the public will side with the driver just as they have on the many, many internet sites. If a jury is swayed in such a way will he be convicted?

So the big question is really this... have we lost? I really hate writing this but its the way I think its going.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Lets take a slightly different road on this thread...

..I did a quik scan of the forums online to see if and how this story has been seen. If there was ONE thing that should come ot of this it SHOULD be that assault is wrong and people SHOULD at the very least start to show a little sympathy for cyclists who get caught up in such a scenario.

However the truth is VERY different. We are universally hated it seems. And I'm talking far worse than a few years back with the Howard case. There is no justification for assault but people are putting it about that we deserve this kind of treatment, or that we deserve this because we're freeloaders.

There has been a real backlash. We're screwed.

I had a reply from the Evening Standard this morning. The guy shifted responsibility saying I should engage with anticyclists. I dont see how I or anyone else can. We're in a minority with a very loud and vociferous majority now shouting us down and drowing us out. I've tried to engage but theres no longer any reasoning. They take every opportunity to chip-chip-chip away.

Its depressing, tbh. It leads me to think that whatever outcome from this case that the public will side with the driver just as they have on the many, many internet sites. If a jury is swayed in such a way will he be convicted?

So the big question is really this... have we lost? I really hate writing this but its the way I think its going.

I have had to fight all my life because I was always a little different. The one thing it has taught me is never to give in to bullys. Once you back down you have lost. If this guy gets a stupid sentence then maybe a critical mass ride is in order?

 

[SportMonkey]

I have had to fight all my life because I was always a little different. The one thing it has taught me is never to give in to bullys. Once you back down you have lost. If this guy gets a stupid sentence then maybe a critical mass ride is in order?

That fight is a great attribute, it makes you a stronger person.

A critical mass ride sounds like a good idea for the lenient sentence of the hit and run driver though.

 

[MockCyclist]

In my view the tipping point was when the cyclist slapped the car. The driver's personal space was invaded and something about having his vehicle "touched" whilst it was occupying "his piece of road" caused him to seek revenge. I can imagine quite a lot of car owners / drivers sympathising with that. "Dare to touch my car in anger, you're gonna know about it - even if you think I'm forcing you off the road."

 

[Angelfishsolo]

That fight is a great attribute, it makes you a stronger person.

A critical mass ride sounds like a good idea for the lenient sentence of the hit and run driver though.

If one is organised I will do my best to be there.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

In my view the tipping point was when the cyclist slapped the car. The driver's personal space was invaded and something about having his vehicle "touched" whilst it was occupying "his piece of road" caused him to seek revenge. I can imagine quite a lot of car owners / drivers sympathising with that. "Dare to touch my car in anger, you're gonna know about it - even if you think I'm forcing you off the road."

I guess if it was hit with enough force it could be classed as criminal damage.

 

[marinyork]

Lets take a slightly different road on this thread...

..I did a quik scan of the forums online to see if and how this story has been seen. If there was ONE thing that should come ot of this it SHOULD be that assault is wrong and people SHOULD at the very least start to show a little sympathy for cyclists who get caught up in such a scenario.

However the truth is VERY different. We are universally hated it seems. And I'm talking far worse than a few years back with the Howard case. There is no justification for assault but people are putting it about that we deserve this kind of treatment, or that we deserve this because we're freeloaders.

We live in a very macho society that has a predilection for violence. You'd get a broadly similar amount of piling in with almost any case. It is true that we're an outgroup that makes it a lot worse, but you'd get similar comments. You tend only get to sympathy if it was say a 'war veteran pensioner', police officer or some other group. We have an image problem, but then so did say teenagers who were the victims of gang violence. The media totally changed this, ten years ago you'd get a lot of people not sympathising. After some horrific shootings and stabbings of teenagers the media changed their tune and people now actually see these teenagers as real human beings and victims.

 

[d87heaven]

I too came across a few comments on forums about this and the overriding comments aimed at cyclist was
- they are annoying because they hold us up
- I pay road tax, they don't so they have no place on the road
- They are a law unto themselves
- Serves them right, effin cyclists are scum
- The cyclist probably provoked him, it happens all the time with cyclists.
- I would have punched him (the cyclist) too if he touched my car.
- Why don't they use the road.
- Shame he wasn't punched harder, effin cyclists.
- Serves them right for riding 2 abreast holding all the traffic up all the time

There were one or two voices of reason but they seem to be ignored.

We are all doomed...dooooomed I tell ya!

Lets take a slightly different road on this thread...

..I did a quik scan of the forums online to see if and how this story has been seen. If there was ONE thing that should come ot of this it SHOULD be that assault is wrong and people SHOULD at the very least start to show a little sympathy for cyclists who get caught up in such a scenario.

However the truth is VERY different. We are universally hated it seems. And I'm talking far worse than a few years back with the Howard case. There is no justification for assault but people are putting it about that we deserve this kind of treatment, or that we deserve this because we're freeloaders.

There has been a real backlash. We're screwed.

I had a reply from the Evening Standard this morning. The guy shifted responsibility saying I should engage with anticyclists. I dont see how I or anyone else can. We're in a minority with a very loud and vociferous majority now shouting us down and drowing us out. I've tried to engage but theres no longer any reasoning. They take every opportunity to chip-chip-chip away.

Its depressing, tbh. It leads me to think that whatever outcome from this case that the public will side with the driver just as they have on the many, many internet sites. If a jury is swayed in such a way will he be convicted?

So the big question is really this... have we lost? I really hate writing this but its the way I think its going.

 

[marinyork]

I'm glad the BBC posted the video after a while. Good on them and the Daily Mail. It means it can get on to a conclusion to the matter.

 

[downfader]

I agree that we should never give in to bullies. But this is different, this is now institutionalised bigotry.

It never used to be this way, I've seen it change over the past few years, slowly creeping in, perhaps unhindered by us as we stood by and ignored much of the comment that was made. Its not just a viewpoint.... its a "recieved wisdom" in the same way racist Fathers and Mothers "teach" their kids to hate.

With the newspaper comments, it appears to me that the admin teams dont mind that any story is taken over as a spring board to slag anyone off. I agree with Marin, teens do still get it in the neck, and I wonder how these people would feel if someone went on a news story about a teen being stabbed after a robbery and left a load of sh*t about "kids do this, kids do that, its their own fault!"

I feel like printing up a shirt that says: "I am not a law breaker!"

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I agree that we should never give in to bullies. But this is different, this is now institutionalised bigotry.

It never used to be this way, I've seen it change over the past few years, slowly creeping in, perhaps unhindered by us as we stood by and ignored much of the comment that was made. Its not just a viewpoint.... its a "recieved wisdom" in the same way racist Fathers and Mothers "teach" their kids to hate.

With the newspaper comments, it appears to me that the admin teams dont mind that any story is taken over as a spring board to slag anyone off. I agree with Marin, teens do still get it in the neck, and I wonder how these people would feel if someone went on a news story about a teen being stabbed after a robbery and left a load of sh*t about "kids do this, kids do that, its their own fault!"

I feel like printing up a shirt that says: "I am not a law breaker!"

I wonder if any TV programme makers would be interested in this?

 

[pshore]

We are universally hated it seems.

I think a big problem online is anonymous comments that gives a voice to cowards. I see similar styles of bigotted comments on a variety of issues such as: students, unemployed, public sector workers, travellers - not just cyclists.

The problem is that lower life newspapers love creating an argument so they can generate page hits and more revenue. The higher end newspapers are not clean on this either but you do see a lot of removed comments and they are more likely to have threaded comments so you can foster good discussion.

The newspapers are responsible for content published on their sites so if they can be shown to be irresponsible, an external body might be able to punish them. The recent hacking story might be the catalyst for reigning in these papers.

 

[TheBoyBilly]

Digital Cowboy, I take all your points on board (though I disagree with most) but I cannot take seriously your opinion about the assailant's family and any suffering they may or may not feel from any legal procedings. That is surely a matter for the concience of the assailant himself, and nobody else. Sometimes people just have to accept some responsibilty for themselves. Un-PC I know but life is hard. (Lefties take note)