The justice league of camera cyclist ride out.

[benborp]

If you think something positive can ever come from confrontation , or that my exhorting my compadres to protect their safety by avoiding confrontation is somehow a bad thing, then feel free to block my user name. I don't need your permission , I don't want to see anyone hurt or worse when it could be avoided, and I won't ever stop saying it.

On at least four occasions I have got off my bike and walked away from the road without indulging in any shouting or aggression, just simply removing myself from the presence of a driver I consider dangerous, only to find that they have pursued me on foot and are intent on physically assaulting me. On each of these occasions turning and confronting the driver immediately removed the threat. There have been numerous other times when I'm sure that my deliberately abrasive initial response to a drivers aggression has stopped the conflict dead. Every situation is different and there are no guarantees when responding to somebody's already bizarre behaviour.

 

[Origamist]

No one got stabbed. Droid got assaulted with a taxi but I won't hold my breath waiting for any prosecution on an appropriate charge.

Well, if the CycleChat Prosecution Service were called upon to adjudicate, I'd imagine SOTW would be the one getting charged (for "aggressively" beeping his horn and his inability to avoid getting hit). Thankfully, and I'm not quite sure why I have this belief given the Met/CPS's form in this area, but I do have faith that a charge will be brought (maybe I'm just naive). However, I think this more likely to happen if the video goes viral. I'm also expecting a sequel, so winjim might get his desire to see more of the footage of the incident.

 

[Milkfloat]

My 2p worth (well 1.5p anyway).

Droid is an attention seeking individual who looks for trouble. However, he may have used his horn exactly as it should be used, it was a little parp not a long aggressive blast. The horn is to be used to say 'I am here', which in this case is fair use as if the driver had not seen him he could then suddenly pull in or turn left etc. Slightly tenuous I know, but perfectly plausible. In regards to the riding/driving, Droid seems to be well placed, just outside the door zone - so not complaints with the positioning from me. As soon as the driver passed Droid and the horn went, the driver slammed on the brakes as if he was waiting for a confrontation. Droid was well within his rights to continue on, I know I would have done the same, I don't have the time to educate drivers. As for leaning on the cab (which I don't see happening too much anyway), you have two choices, be pushed into parked cars at 20mph or try to squeeze through the gap with a vehicle doing roughly the same speed as you - which would you choose?

Despite Droid's usual antics, I don't see that he did much wrong here - the cab driver on the other hand committed a series of offences and the outcome could have been significantly worse.

The most worrying thing of all to me is some of the reaction on here - I would have expected a lynch mob for the driver, maybe that would have happened if if was not Droid, but if the situation is being viewed by people in polar opposite ways on a pro-cycling forum, what hope have cyclists when this reaches the police/cps/court.

 

[benborp]

My 2p worth (well 1.5p anyway).

As for leaning on the cab (which I don't see happening too much anyway), you have two choices, be pushed into parked cars at 20mph or try to squeeze through the gap with a vehicle doing roughly the same speed as you - which would you choose?

There are certainly times when a deliberate lean on to a vehicle is the only way to stay upright. It is not a pleasant choice and only really any use when an awful lot of other options have disappeared. It most often crops up as a response to a deliberate squeeze. Funnily enough it has overwhelmingly been taxi drivers that have helped me develop the technique.

 

[benborp]

So if you really want to not annoy a psycho that is almost certain to stab you, you should scream and shout and gesticulate at them and honk your horn if you have one, that would be the safest course of action?

And if drawing everyone's attention to them isn't enough to stop the incident you have witnesses, someone to call the emergency services and maybe passers by to intervene. It's a valid technique.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I assume he decided he didn't want to hang around and talk to a taxi driver who had just decided to brake abruptly in front of him, you don't tend to get nice invites to come and partake in a cup of tea and a natter after that. I suspect I'd want to leave the scene too!

come on be fair. the taxi didn't spontaneously brake, he responded being beeped at, for all we & sotw know at that point he might have been concerned for any reason under the sun and asking what the beeping was for to help or fix the problem in a nice manner. We don't have the benefit of the second pass there and then to judge if sotw further aggravated the situation after already escalating a poor pass with his airzound.

we also don't see anything of the aftermath of sotw hitting the deck and how the taxi driver responded, i suspect if it had been an aggressive and abusive tirade or just driving off, we'd have had that youtubed for posterity so the justice league get to score another martyr point, that the video cuts off so abruptly where it does is more than a tad suspicious from an impartial point of view.

 

[summerdays]

I meant that he stopped suddenly in the road meaning that the cyclist he overtook was going to have to take an avoiding action whether it was to stop or go round. People don't stop like that because they are feeling happy and content with the world, and if he'd wanted to help he would have stopped in a different position, that was an aggressive stop.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

<snip> That driver would have done the same to any cyclist, not just Trafficdroid. <snip>
.

really? If I'd tutted to myself and though w@nker (as is my usual with a close pass when I'm clearly in primary and have an 'out' if necessary) the driver would have spontaneously slammed his anchors on and if I'd then driven round him, pulled alongside shouting something out of his window at me?

the driver responded to the airzound, the airzound responded to the first poor pass and so the escalation goes. it took two to tango.

 

[Origamist]

On the one hand, we have Drago pointing out that a stabbing would not have surprised him if SOTW had stopped to confront the driver and shouldbeinbed suggests that the driver might well have been stopping to “fix the problem in a nice manner”, even though the situation seems to have been escalating. I’m not sure which outcome is more outlandish, possibly the latter.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I meant that he stopped suddenly in the road meaning that the cyclist he overtook was going to have to take an avoiding action whether it was to stop or go round. People don't stop like that because they are feeling happy and content with the world, and if he'd wanted to help he would have stopped in a different position, that was an aggressive stop.

I'll have that and hindsight tends to assist that viewpoint, but if you go around sounding an airzound at people. it shouldn't come as a total surprise if now and again they stop like that at the provocation/indication that someone has some issue with your action - call it what you will.

 

[PK99]

i have long thought that Droids propensity to use his horn to admonish drivers, or express annoyance, would sooner or later get him into trouble.

Another ex inmate here has similar horn issues:

See 2:05 into this Video from one MatthewT:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAEdLshIARU

 

[shouldbeinbed]

On the one hand, we have Drago pointing out that a stabbing would not have surprised him if SOTW had stopped to confront the driver and shouldbeinbed suggests that the driver might well have been stopping to “fix the problem in a nice manner”, even though the situation seems to escalating. I’m not sure which outcome is more outlandish, possibly the latter.

simply suggesting an alternative scenario at that point to yet another thread going down the mob mentality route on here.

have a read of my first post on the thread, I clearly call the poor driving for what it is and that I wouldn't wish to be in or around that cab.

 

[Origamist]

simply suggesting an alternative scenario at that point to yet another thread going down the mob mentality route on here.

have a read of my first post on the thread, I clearly call the poor driving for what it is and that I wouldn't wish to be in or around that cab.

Sadly, the irony of that post seems to be wasted on you.

An alternative scenario that seems very far-fetched, given what preceded it.

 

[benborp]

Sounding an audible warning device when another road user passes closely without any apparent awareness of your presence is not escalating anything. It's what they are for.

Braking heavily and pulling to the left is not the response of a concerned motorist. Seeing as TD is so practiced at manipulating the weak wills of London's motorists to his every whim he would be perfectly aware of that and his decision not to engage was perfectly valid.

It's not at all taxing to think of several entirely legitimate reasons why, when prosecution is entirely possible, the face and justifications of such a driver are not broadcast.

 

[Origamist]

i have long thought that Droids propensity to use his horn to admonish drivers, or express annoyance, would sooner or later get him into trouble.

Another ex inmate here has similar horn issues:

See 2:05 into this Video from one MatthewT:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAEdLshIARU

When did you first realise you had an unhealthy interest in horns?