Riders revenge

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marzjennings

marzjennings

Guru
Location
Houston, Texas, USA
I don't think the OP has anything to worry about legally, if the story is true that the driver did attempt to run the rider off the road and then admitted to it when confronted as a deliberate act, I see no problem in the disarming the driver. If someone threatens you with a knife/bat/stick/banana and escape is impossible your next goal is to get rid of that weapon and disarm your attacker. I think the OP managed to successfully disarm their attacker without any injury to their person, nice job.:thumbsup:
 
StuartG

StuartG

slower but further
Location
SE London
marzjennings said:
I don't think the OP has anything to worry about legally, if the story is true that the driver did attempt to run the rider off the road and then admitted to it when confronted as a deliberate act, I see no problem in the disarming the driver. If someone threatens you with a knife/bat/stick/banana and escape is impossible your next goal is to get rid of that weapon and disarm your attacker. I think the OP managed to successfully disarm their attacker without any injury to their person, nice job.:thumbsup:
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What was said by both parties and the original near miss are almost certainly not actionable because of the lack of independent evidence. However the damage that was done was inside the motorists car. It was the motorist who was in defensive mode seeking to disarm the attacker. The evidence points to a rider invading the car in a threatening manner and hereby justifying some reasonable defence.

The paradox here is that if the motorist wished to make an issue of it - he can claim damage and it is the cyclist who is on the backfoot. OK so the police might sensibly tell them they are both idiots. But the danger is, as above, he might want to make an issue of it extra-judicially.

Sure hope the people who think you scared him off are right and we are wrong. just think what you did was unwise. Very understandable in the heat of the moment but not in retrospect. And unwise encouraging others to follow the same path.
 
Brains

Brains

Legendary Member
Location
Greenwich
18 months ago I had a very similar situation (which can be read about in detail here)
https://www.cyclechat.net/

Basically involved in a hit an run, the offending vehicle was then blocked in by other cars until such time as I got up, cycled 200m to where the car had been blocked in, and approched the driver, who denied anything was wrong and made to drive off again, I reached in to get the keys, the key broke off in the lock, but I had the rest of the bunch.

I then phoned the police, it being the Friday before Xmas despite waiting around for 45 mins after the accident they cound not get a car there to take charge.

Eventually the despatcher said I had to give back the keys, and go to the cop shop and make an official complaint.

End result is nothing was done about the driver at all, police dropped the case (I had witnesses etc)

So whilst I would say I was on firmer ground than you were in removal and breaking the key, even I had to give them back.

I looked into the cost of barrel replacement (as apparently it's almost impossible to remove the remains of the key) as I was interested to know what the cost would be if they ever chased me for 'damage' (they didn't). Replacement of the barrel of a typical car is over 100 quid! as well as the issue of the car being undrivable until work is completed. So you have caused a fair bit of damage.
 
Jezston

Jezston

Über Member
Location
London
£100? Haha excellent.
 
Moodyman

Moodyman

Legendary Member
I recall a story (on here) where someone thought he'd be clever and kick the driver's wing mirror for perceived bad driving, the driver and his mates chased him down and kicked him black and blue.

He came onto this forum and told us about it. Perhaps getting cocky with someone in a 2 -tonne car is not as clever as we applaud.
 
PBancroft

PBancroft

Senior Member
Location
Winchester
I think that there are two ways I would look at this.

The first thought that springs to mind is that the driver did something bad and wrong, and without something being done about it is quite likely to continue to do bad and wrong things on the road up to and potentially including killing someone.

The second thought is... let's swing this around to look at it from another angle. Let us say a cyclist does something a motorist doesn't like (dangerous or not), and the motorist takes them to task for it. The cyclist gives as good as they get and doesn't want to apologise for something they don't see as being wrong. The arguments increase and culminate with the motorist leaning through the window grabbing a bunch of cables on the bike. The cyclist tries to pull away and in the ensuing struggle the cables come loose, leaving the cyclist without gears and/or brakes. One up to the driver as he pootles away.

I think I fall smack bang in the middle of my own dilemma. I don't think breaking someone's keys is the right way to respond to the OP's situation. But then I don't think letting people behave like dicks is appropriate either. I genuinely don't know how to deal with that kind of situation, and I think it is this frustration which causes a lot of road rage.

Solve that, and I think the road to work might be a happier place.
 
kevin_cambs_uk

kevin_cambs_uk

Guru
Location
Near Cambridge
Spot on mate
biggrin.gif
 
Tyres

Tyres

New Member
Location
Preston, Lancashire
With regard to the deliberate motives of the car driver, this is something I've witnessed more of in recent years during my commute. Some motorists must really think that by putting the 'frighteners' on cyclists simply for being on the road actually works! Many a time I've had car drivers blasting their horn, revving their engine and skimming me as they go past - one recent skimmer as I call them must have skimmed me at way over 70 mph! That shook me!

Heck I've even witnessed 2 cars trying to run each other off the road because neither one of them would give way when the road narrowed from 2 lanes to 1 - that was probably the last time I kicked off at a motorist - yes - I caught up with one of those drivers and gave him what for. But after seeing that I've decided to calm down - it's just not worth it any more. As my wife puts it, "you might be able to handle yourself, but there's always someone bigger than you". Personally, I wouldn't want to be in tincaman's situation right now even if do agree with some of his actions - but not all.
 
6

661-Pete

Guest
Well the OP hasn't returned to this thread; I wonder how he's feeling about the very divided responses to his actions. Personally, I can't condone what he did, though I appreciate there was provocation, and I wonder what would happen if one day I 'lost it'. I know I have a short fuse, but thus far it's only ever got to 'verbal' (I did take a wing mirror off a car once, but it was purely accidental for my part). Sometimes I have visions about doing something similar to the OP.... I might do it if I suspected the driver was over the limit - the idea being to protect other members of the public.
 
OP
OP
tincaman

tincaman

Guru
Location
Chudleigh, South Devon
Took the cycle path the day after, what a pain, loads of junctions to navigate, bumpy, broken surface outside exeter, only added 5mins to my time though.

I think the key to my response to his actions was how quickly I caught up with him afterwards. If it had taken me another minute I probably wouldn't have bothered.

I am not normally like this, the beast in me has obviously awakened.......
 
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