Vicious Bus Driver

[Whiskey88]

I've had some near-misses in the short time I've been in London, some have been absolute "WTF" moments, but nothing compares to the viciousness of a bus driver I encountered today.

The whole episode is caught on video. Not only does the driver seemingly attempt to knock me off once, he then ignores me banging on his door later (the first time I've felt the need to bang on a door/window of a driver) and attempts to run me over for a second time.

My question is this: where do I send this footage? If that's the drivers attitude to other road users, he really needs to be getting the sack this time yesterday. Even a driver behind me, when we stopped at the next set of lights, was commenting on the aggressiveness of this bus driver and calling him all sorts.

I will, of course, upload the video once I've settled down and stopped sweating. The video doesn't seem to show the pass as being as close as it was (I have a wide-angled lens and have been told this makes things look further away). Make no mistake though, I am angry about this and I want blood.

 

[classic33]

Whats the company?

 

[ComedyPilot]

If the driving is as dangerous as you say, send it to the police.

End of.

Don't mess about going to the firm - the responsibility is on all road users to ride/drive safely and considerately - and anyone transgressing that should be dealt with.

Also, don't make a one-sided youtube job of it.

Just post it as 'Bus incident' with no commentary and let people work out for themselves what happened without being led.

 

[Spinney]

In other circumstances, people have recommended that you make a written complaint (email will do) first, without mentioning the video. Then when the bus driver has lied to his boss, you then send the video and take it from there.

I also think it might be worth getting on your bike with your camera on and 'calibrating' the distance - e.g. get a tape measure and put your bike 20 cm from a fence or something, film straight ahead and then down to show what the tape measure is reading, repeat at different distances. You could send that as well as the video of the bus to help to demonstrate that it really was a close pass.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/contact/default.asp?type=buses

 

[Whiskey88]

Wow, really quick response, thanks everyone.

@ComedyPilot When it comes to Youtube - I'm not interested in putting it up. I got the camera for evidence if something went wrong, not to make myself a psuedo-celebrity. I'm also wary of going to the police as I still have an active case with them for the hit and run - I don't want it to look like it's my cycling that's to blame for these incidents when it isn't.

@classic33 - Not sure of the company, but it was a red, local service bus. I'll watch the video back later on a bigger screen and try to see if I can see a company name. I know it shows the rego though.

@Spinney - I really like the tape measure idea and there are a good couple of fences that I could use. It'll be interesting to note, as my front wheel sticks forwards with "bendy-forwardy" forks and the camera is mounted on the handlebars. Letting him lie first is also a good idea - I'm all for giving people the rope with which to hang themselves.

@Mr Haematocrit - thank you for the link

@User30090 and @User - I feel I left you out of the mentions, so I'm including you here.

 

[Spinney]

You should be able to find the bus company by looking up local bus routes on the web, or visiting bus stops, if it isn't clear from the video. If the bus number is not clear, then the time should allow the company to narrow it down.

Don't many buses also have CCTV cameras? Not sure, but think I've heard about it on here - some of these show the outside of the bus. But best contact the company quickly, as the tapes (or whatever they use these days) won't be kept for long.

Good luck with it, anyway.

 

[lee1980sim]

I would send it to the police, the council and the company responsible in that order informing the company its been sent to the police, I may even psy them a visit so they watch it while I'm there

 

[gbb]

As an example, here's what I did...
Following a very close pass by a bus, who stopped a short distance later, I pulled up in front of him, remonstrated with him through the windscreen, he lurched the bus forward a foot (to try to intimidate me), touched my leg, tipping me over.
A kind witness on the bus gave me the ammo, I didn't have a cam, I immediately called the police...but did inform the bus company as soon as I got home.
The police were VERY sympathetic and took it seriously. The bus depot manager spoke to the driver and of course, his version was somewhat different to mine. Naturally, the manager was non committal in his communications with me.
Police investigated and charged the driver with two counts (which sadly I cant remember exactly what they were )..one something like behaviour likely to cause fear of violence (or something like that)...and something along the lines of using a vehicle as a weapon. Sorry, they were odd terms, criminal or just driving offences I didn't find out.
He was found guilty, I was recompensed by the bus company, I assume he lost his job.

That was Stagecoach.
Don't assume the police will just brush it off, they certainly didn't in my case.

 

[classic33]

You should be able to find the bus company by looking up local bus routes on the web, or visiting bus stops, if it isn't clear from the video. If the bus number is not clear, then the time should allow the company to narrow it down.

Don't many buses also have CCTV cameras? Not sure, but think I've heard about it on here - some of these show the outside of the bus. But best contact the company quickly, as the tapes (or whatever they use these days) won't be kept for long.

Good luck with it, anyway.

Nearly every company that have cameras fitted record to a hard drive these days. Most are capable of holding a weeks worth of video at a minimum. Depends largely on the number of cameras involved.
Nice idea about the tape measure, but they may come back saying that its not a proper tape measure. I've had it done to me, so I used something who's size could not be disputed taped to the tape measure.

 

[classic33]

@Whiskey88 I don't have details for Stagecoach yet & I don't work for MI5 or MI6!!

 

[amaferanga]

Did you get the witness's details?

 

[Whiskey88]

Ok, I've looked back over the footage. I'm 99.9% convinced that the bus was operated by Tower Transit (their Wikipedia page also confirms they run the route in question). @amaferanga - I wasn't thinking straight at the time, so unfortunately I didn't - I don't actually get angry that often, so when I do, it's through the roof levels! Even the guy that caused the collision last week then ran away, I wasn't angry, just disappointed and frustrated.

@classic33 - but you'd say that, even if you did.

The video is included (hopefully, if I haven't messed it up) and is the complete, unedited loop. A point to note, and something I didn't realise when it happened, is the driver who blocks me at the beginning is the same driver that gets too close.

I believe the second instance is deliberate - I've just banged on his glass, so he knows I'm there.

View: http://youtu.be/-6iXUN1spDs

 

[gbb]

Ok, so playing devils advocate, while really sympathising, sometimes you (I mean I) look back and think...did I contribute to that ?..did my actions make it worse ?
Your (quite understandable) anger made you sqeeze dangerously between the buses on two occasions, and down the side of one at least once. This may work against you, they may claim you put yourself in danger.
The drivers lane discipline is outrageous and on occasions dangerous
I dont mean to be unsympathetic, i nearly always look back at an incident and come to the conclusion, In some cases, my actions may have contributed to (usually in a small way), to the outcome.
Perhaps what I'm saying is, if you go out all guns blazing, you might expect some flack back

 

[Whiskey88]

To be fair, @gbb you've said it in the best possible way. Yes, I hold my hands up, afterwards I went into a red mist and did make a few mistakes.