Cyclist vs White Van Man Twitter Scandal
Discussion
budgie smuggler said:
Van driver is a prick. Like a child having a tantrum, he can't communicate his anger so he has to lash out and make a point with his fists. Swinging the door open like that was f
king dangerous too.
The cyclist definitely got the message though. He won't do that again.king dangerous too. budgie smuggler said:
GrumpyTwig said:
Cyclists generally don't seem to help themselves though on the road, riding in the middle of the road for no reason,
It's not for no reason, it's called 'primary position' and it is to make people think twice about overtaking when it's unsafe or to give extra safety margin when people are likely to overtake too closely. I.e. to avoid situations like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpHdhePAVzI
Edited by budgie smuggler on Saturday 27th April 00:07
Edited by budgie smuggler on Saturday 27th April 00:10
There a lot of videos displaying riders in no danger of the above at all with a cycle line on their left still riding in the middle of the lane. I'm not attempting to demonise all cyclists but as with anything else it's often a 6 of one half dozen of the other situation.
I don't cycle on the road much these days but I've ridden on two wheels in some form for long enough to sympathise with cyclist...
Edited by GrumpyTwig on Saturday 27th April 00:40
Edited by GrumpyTwig on Saturday 27th April 00:42
Edited by GrumpyTwig on Saturday 27th April 00:44
KingNothing said:
So someone stops their vehicle dead in the middle of the road because a cyclist sounds their horn, flings the door open into moving traffic without any regard, then afterwards, chases down said cyclist, dumps their van in the middle of a road, dives out, then chases the cyclist down and pulls them off their bike and hits them, and it's justified? Are you guys fking stupid or something?
I don't think ANYONE thinks that bit is justified - if they do, I'd like them to kill all their children and then themselves, but I don't think anyone really thinks that - at worst they're trolling.king stupid or something? The overtake looked fine to me. I get worse than that every day. I did see a horn for cheap on Chain Reaction, but it's clear that it doesn't do what I would want it to, which is to make drivers give me more room. All it would do is irritate and anger them, some to the point of trying to literally kill me - which is what could happen if that door had been flung open when you were cycling into it at around 20mph. Door edges are sharp.
I do cycle more centrally in the road than most cyclists, because I have had that door flung out and narrowly miss me more than once. I now leave a gap the approximate width of a car door. I do get beeped occasionally, but that's better than being gubbed.
Then as a driver (no way, you can do both? Yeah, it's possible. I have a car AND a bicycle. Mind. Blown.) I am aware of this. It has to work both ways. Sometimes you get utter cycling dicks who undertake you even though you're clearly signalling left and wanting to turn. Sometimes you get fkwits who cycle two abreast in front of you down an NSL road which would be plenty wide enough to overtake a single cyclist, but they're determined that you should be behind them. Then there's the traffic light jumpers. I almost killed one once. Not on purpose, but he went through a red light on his side that had been green on mine for 20+ seconds. Luckily I had slowed down already as I'd seen him overtake the queue of cars waiting properly at their red light. He saw me a bit too late, leaned on his front brake and went sailing over his handlebars as I came to an abrupt but controlled stop about 5 yards from hitting him. I got out of the car to ask if he was OK, but he managed to swallow his pride by calling me a "fking boy racer ". I was in a Purple 998cc Fiat Cinquecento.
I do cycle more centrally in the road than most cyclists, because I have had that door flung out and narrowly miss me more than once. I now leave a gap the approximate width of a car door. I do get beeped occasionally, but that's better than being gubbed.
Then as a driver (no way, you can do both? Yeah, it's possible. I have a car AND a bicycle. Mind. Blown.) I am aware of this. It has to work both ways. Sometimes you get utter cycling dicks who undertake you even though you're clearly signalling left and wanting to turn. Sometimes you get f
kwits who cycle two abreast in front of you down an NSL road which would be plenty wide enough to overtake a single cyclist, but they're determined that you should be behind them. Then there's the traffic light jumpers. I almost killed one once. Not on purpose, but he went through a red light on his side that had been green on mine for 20+ seconds. Luckily I had slowed down already as I'd seen him overtake the queue of cars waiting properly at their red light. He saw me a bit too late, leaned on his front brake and went sailing over his handlebars as I came to an abrupt but controlled stop about 5 yards from hitting him. I got out of the car to ask if he was OK, but he managed to swallow his pride by calling me a "fking boy racer ". I was in a Purple 998cc Fiat Cinquecento.krunchkin said:
I'm a cyclist and a motorist and I'm sorry but it does seem to me that these bellends who insist on tooling themselves up with helmet cameras and big honky horns and all the other nonsense seem to bring it on themselves, or go out of their way to attract it.
I got a lot of that from his article too - the fact he didn't understand why the driver was pissed-off, he'd totally forgotten the undertake (which he fortunately left in the video) and thought the driver just wanted to push past him...I think cyclists are developing a victim mentality - they know they're at risk and they're actually LOOKING for trouble and inadvertantly creating it - they're freaked-out vulnerable women with a can of mace in their hands or little-old-ladies seeing a mugger in every hoodie 24/7
and yes, I've cycled and I know how bad it is, but I took my experiences and decided to cycle less (on the road, at least) rather than buying a tonne of gear to take on 2 tonnes of not-easy-to-harm metal with a horn and a camera...
Edited by 405dogvan on Saturday 27th April 00:46
I can't believe the number of people on here who think that using a horn means you'rer fair game for a physical assault.
Just because someone acts like a tool doesn't give them the right to hit them. Guys riding was poor and horn use was silly, doesn't mean he deserved to be physically attacked.
There are a lot of stupid people out there who think they are "well ard" and if they don't punch someone for "disrespecting them" their world will implode into a shameful oblivion. If you want to fight someone, go to a gym do some boxing, physical assault is pathetic and mugs game in modern society.
It's like people have forgotten how to use words....
I do my best to avoid these people.
Just because someone acts like a tool doesn't give them the right to hit them. Guys riding was poor and horn use was silly, doesn't mean he deserved to be physically attacked.
There are a lot of stupid people out there who think they are "well ard" and if they don't punch someone for "disrespecting them" their world will implode into a shameful oblivion. If you want to fight someone, go to a gym do some boxing, physical assault is pathetic and mugs game in modern society.
It's like people have forgotten how to use words....
I do my best to avoid these people.
jackh707 said:
There are a lot of stupid people out there who think they are "well ard" and if they don't punch someone for "disrespecting them" their world will implode into a shameful oblivion.
jackh707 said:
I do my best to avoid these people.
Uh huh, and that's what most other people do too, apart from this guy on the bike. SMcP114 said:
budgie smuggler said:
Van driver is a prick. Like a child having a tantrum, he can't communicate his anger so he has to lash out and make a point with his fists. Swinging the door open like that was fking dangerous too.
The cyclist definitely got the message though. He won't do that again.king dangerous too. GrumpyTwig said:
reason when it's quite safe for them to ride further to the left. I'm quite aware of the door zone, pinch points etc. as well. I can see these as a car driver and would be fine to see them take position when required.
There a lot of videos displaying riders in no danger of the above at all with a cycle line on their left still riding in the middle of the lane. I'm not attempting to demonise all cyclists but as with anything else it's often a 6 of one half dozen of the other situation.
There a lot of videos displaying riders in no danger of the above at all with a cycle line on their left still riding in the middle of the lane. I'm not attempting to demonise all cyclists but as with anything else it's often a 6 of one half dozen of the other situation.
fair enoughEdited by budgie smuggler on Saturday 27th April 01:08
405dogvan said:
I've cycled and I know how bad it is, but I took my experiences and decided to cycle less
And that outcome is why some think it is necessary to restrict our freedoms as motorists - and, from some of the comments I see on PH, I am beginning to think they may have a point.How can anyone have a go at the cyclist for riding in the middle of the road?
On the first road that has 2 lanes on each side its pretty clear their are parked cars in the first lane. He's hardly really riding in the middle of the road, just in the 2nd lane where he's allowed to be. It would be pretty dangerous for him to try and tuck into lane one and cycle inches away from parked cars (what if one of them opened their door? You even see the octavia at the beginning open their door).
There's nothing wrong with his positioning either when he turns into the more narrow road either.
Cyclist did nothing wrong imo.
On the first road that has 2 lanes on each side its pretty clear their are parked cars in the first lane. He's hardly really riding in the middle of the road, just in the 2nd lane where he's allowed to be. It would be pretty dangerous for him to try and tuck into lane one and cycle inches away from parked cars (what if one of them opened their door? You even see the octavia at the beginning open their door).
There's nothing wrong with his positioning either when he turns into the more narrow road either.
Cyclist did nothing wrong imo.
Colonial said:
The anti-cyclist fraternity on here are just getting more and more ridiculous.
Juvenile and pathetic in the extreme.
I was worried this thread would descend to that but a lot of the problem is that whilst many drivers have poor observation and don't see cyclists (or are too impatient and so on), cyclists behave like a law unto themselves and I think a lot of drivers no longer really give a damn.Juvenile and pathetic in the extreme.
Cycling on busy roads is a risk beyond that which I'm willing to take and many people who do it are clearly engaging in 'combat' - this guy actively seems to be seeking out confrontation - why else have a horn?
What also strikes me as wrong is that you can ride a bike with zero knowledge of the highway code - no understanding of filtering and undertaking and use of the pavement, whatsoever.
That's not right surely? I reckon to cycle on the road you should have to pass a basic test and get a proper licence - which we can and will endorse and even ban you if you break the rules. You could even unify that and the car/motorbike licence - I know a lot of people who'd ride a LOT safer if they knew they could get points on their car licence!
SlimJim16v said:
budgie smuggler said:
Fear of getting your head cracked by some cock-tip shouldn't prevent you from sounding your horn/bell/shouting whatever
It should however prevent you from acting like a "cock-tip" in the first place.405dogvan said:
Cycling on busy roads is a risk beyond that which I'm willing to take and many people who do it are clearly engaging in 'combat' - this guy actively seems to be seeking out confrontation - why else have a horn?
You really think a car or lorry is going to hear or react to a bell? No is the answer. ambuletz said:
How can anyone have a go at the cyclist for riding in the middle of the road?
On the first road that has 2 lanes on each side its pretty clear their are parked cars in the first lane. He's hardly really riding in the middle of the road, just in the 2nd lane where he's allowed to be. It would be pretty dangerous for him to try and tuck into lane one and cycle inches away from parked cars (what if one of them opened their door? You even see the octavia at the beginning open their door).
There's nothing wrong with his positioning either when he turns into the more narrow road either.
Cyclist did nothing wrong imo.
On the first road that has 2 lanes on each side its pretty clear their are parked cars in the first lane. He's hardly really riding in the middle of the road, just in the 2nd lane where he's allowed to be. It would be pretty dangerous for him to try and tuck into lane one and cycle inches away from parked cars (what if one of them opened their door? You even see the octavia at the beginning open their door).
There's nothing wrong with his positioning either when he turns into the more narrow road either.
Cyclist did nothing wrong imo.
Edited by budgie smuggler on Saturday 27th April 07:55
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