This morning on Holburn Viaduct/Newgate St. EC, heading East:
WVM gets flashed through gap in traffic, into side street. I'm in cycle lane but he goes for it anyway (hell - I'm only a cyclist after all). I stop just in time, muttering something at him. He's done a U-turn to park up and takes offence at my muttering. He goes ape, every other word is f**k and basically says I should look where I'm going; he was turning right so it can't be his fault, etc. I point out there's two lanes, one for cars plus a cycle lane. More effing and blinding and I'm seriously annoyed by this ignorant git by now so I don't give in.
As luck would have it he'd parked on double-yellows about 50 yards from Snow Hill police station. I pop in and ask the desk Sergeant if he can do anything. Just then a squad car arrives at the station and one of the PCs is asked to have a chat with me. I tell him what happened but WVM has disappeared down an alley with a delivery. Just as I'm giving a description he re-appears and just as he sees me I point at him and say, "that's him". The PC goes and has a long chat with him then returns to tell me that the WVM recounted the incident exactly as I had, so he wasn't hiding anything but really believed he had done no wrong. PC gave him a bollocking, explained highway code etc, that bicycles are vehicles and just cos you're flashed across etc., etc.
So, result. Immediate bollocking for shitty driving.
I felt a bit bad when the desk sergeant said he wasn't sure anyone would be available as there'd been a suicide in the Thames earlier that morning. S'pose it puts my moaning cyclist behaviour into perspective but I've had enough of drivers using abuse to cover for their crappy behaviour.
WVM gets flashed through gap in traffic, into side street. I'm in cycle lane but he goes for it anyway (hell - I'm only a cyclist after all). I stop just in time, muttering something at him. He's done a U-turn to park up and takes offence at my muttering. He goes ape, every other word is f**k and basically says I should look where I'm going; he was turning right so it can't be his fault, etc. I point out there's two lanes, one for cars plus a cycle lane. More effing and blinding and I'm seriously annoyed by this ignorant git by now so I don't give in.
As luck would have it he'd parked on double-yellows about 50 yards from Snow Hill police station. I pop in and ask the desk Sergeant if he can do anything. Just then a squad car arrives at the station and one of the PCs is asked to have a chat with me. I tell him what happened but WVM has disappeared down an alley with a delivery. Just as I'm giving a description he re-appears and just as he sees me I point at him and say, "that's him". The PC goes and has a long chat with him then returns to tell me that the WVM recounted the incident exactly as I had, so he wasn't hiding anything but really believed he had done no wrong. PC gave him a bollocking, explained highway code etc, that bicycles are vehicles and just cos you're flashed across etc., etc.
So, result. Immediate bollocking for shitty driving.
I felt a bit bad when the desk sergeant said he wasn't sure anyone would be available as there'd been a suicide in the Thames earlier that morning. S'pose it puts my moaning cyclist behaviour into perspective but I've had enough of drivers using abuse to cover for their crappy behaviour.