Police let down

[mjr]

I honestly thought I'd get hit and rode in the gutter in the few seconds I had to do anything, as the car passed I shouted Feck off! as loudly as i could, it was a fearful shocked reaction and just came out. The Audi continued as if I was invisible.

Yeah. I've been in that sort of situation more than once. A simple exclamation (something like "whoao!") was part of what triggered the road rage confrontation (along with their dangerous overtake!) five or six years ago which motivated me to get a handlebar camera and yet, I still sometimes can't help exclaim when a motorist does something incredibly dangerous near me. I think the last one was a "bloody hell" on 2 October as a few of us headed onto the verge when an oncoming white hatchback driver decided they weren't stopping in a passing place on a single-track road up near the coast for no bloody cyclists.

That same ride, on the wider single-carriageway coast road (A149), on the short stretch between a village and our turning off it, I saw something I'd never seen before. Please excuse me if I've mentioned this before. A motorist overtook with their car fully on the other side on a long straight with perfect visibility and just didn't accelerate at all... with the result that an oncoming car met it. Credit to both motorists for stopping dead rather than pulling in and crushing cyclists dead, but what the heck were they thinking? Driver of the oncoming car wasn't happy but we turned off before I saw how that one was resolved.

 

[jarlrmai]

I had it on my last ride, I was going around a blind corner with double white lines on a slight downhill so about 20+mph, a car over took me with oncoming traffic the gap was closing I had to move sharply into the gap I had to the curb I exclaimed "jesus christ" the car stopped up ahead and I heard some expletives from the window which I ignored (I was totally isolated on a country road I looked at my stem and just hoped he didn't u turn or reverse at me.) eventually he drove off but at every side road/pull in I kept an eye out for him. I didnt have my camera as I was on a 40 miler and it doesn't last long enough.

 

[benb]

[QUOTE 4519410, member: 9609"]Had the driver parked up especially to have a go at you ? if he had then I would have thought that would constitute road rage in itself[/QUOTE]

Yep, he specifically parked up to accost me.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Well he was over the line as regards section 5 public order act, but other than that, there wasn't much the police could do there. In the grand scheme of things, the initial pass wasn't as close as some I've had. Having said that, it wasn't ideal. I wouldn't have reacted to the pass, save for a quick coffee shaker possibly, but he didn't actually try to grab you or hit you, so that's probably why they decided on no further action.

 

[T4tomo]

For those who are saying it's "not that close", you'd be hapy to be overtaken as close would you?
View attachment 148407

2/3 of his car is not in the lane. I'm not saying it's great driving, but I've seen a lot lot worse

That said, his behaviour post pass of driving along looking at and arguing with cyclist should have been enough evidence for police for careless driving or what ever it's called as he was paying no attention to the road ahead, and he was clearly spoiling for a fight.

There should be an offence of "being a general nobber" which the driver was clearly guilty of.

 

[Pale Rider]

there should be an offence "being a general nobber" which the driver was clearly guilty of.

I've often thought the same, but such an offence would criminalise the entire population so it would quickly lose impact.

 

[benb]

2/3 of his car is not in the lane. I'm not saying it's great driving, but I've seen a lot lot worse

That said, his behaviour post pass of driving along looking at and arguing with cyclist should have been enough evidence for police for careless driving or what ever it's called as he was paying no attention to the road ahead, and he was clearly spoiling for a fight.

There should be an offence of "being a general nobber" which the driver was clearly guilty of.

Are you serious? I'm on the centre line. He is less than 50cm away from me.
His position in the lane is not relevant; it's his position relative to me that is.

 

[Justinslow]

Are you serious? I'm on the centre line. He is less than 50cm away from me.
His position in the lane is not relevant; it's his position relative to me that is.

Just as a question, and I'm in no way criticising you but if he passed you close and you were in the centre then why not ride over to the left a bit more and he could have made a "safe" pass? I don't know the road, is this not possible?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Popcorn moment.

 

[Justinslow]

Popcorn moment.

Trying to see it from both sides mate, you know an "open mind".

@benb was clearly saying "stay behind me" with his bike positioning, but alas it didn't work and he got close passed and the police want nothing to do with it, what else could he have done to avoid a close pass?

 

[jarlrmai]

Nothing, that's the whole f**ng point.

 

[Justinslow]

Nothing, that's the whole f**ng point.

Well it looks in the video that the pinch point isn't really that narrow, the car squeezed through and didn't hit @benb and didn't hit the raised kerb so it stands to reason that if his positioning was slightly to the left there would have been a bigger gap, given that some car drivers don't give a monkeys and will overtake anyway, at least he would not have had a "close pass"?

 

[jarlrmai]

The driver was punishing him for holding him up through the 1st pinch point and then again when the oncoming traffic is overtaking the bus, he overtakes closely whilst staring at him. Maybe should have been more central, but at the point he overtakes him there's actually no pinch point (the 1st driver is the one that cuts him up at the second pinch point.)

 

[Pale Rider]

"Come on, Hamish, get a move on."

"Better wait, Angus, he's one of those headcam idiots so we'll only end up getting slated on CycleChat."

 

[steve50]

"Come on, Hamish, get a move on."

"Better wait, Angus, he's one of those headcam idiots so we'll only end up getting slated on CycleChat."

Really????