# Death Wish??



## Trickedem (27 Oct 2012)

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Flat-out-cyclist-gets-backs-up-at-area-forum-meeting-26102012.htm
Shocking reaction to this recumbent rider


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## CopperCyclist (27 Oct 2012)

Horrific! They should replace 'cyclist' with 'small child' and see if they get the same responses.


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## Trickedem (27 Oct 2012)

"Michael Stanton, who represents Repton on South Derbyshire District Council, said he had a close encounter with the cyclist when emerging from the driveway of his home in Ticknall in his pick-up truck.
He told the meeting: “I was about to pull out when I noticed this wire going past the bonnet with a pennant on it, then I saw this fellow go past lying on his back in a cylindrical type object.
“If it had been one second later I would have killed him. If he gets killed it probably serves him right, but the problem is, he may end up killing or injuring someone else.”
Bloody cyclists, serves them right eh!!


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## ohnovino (27 Oct 2012)

"However, the bike was entirely legal and taking action against its owner was difficult unless there was evidence he had breached traffic law."

Oh great. So now you have do actually do something _illegal_ before you can be arrested. It's political correctness gone mad.


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## StuAff (27 Oct 2012)

What an utterly appalling situation. Sounds like a velomobile- quite possibly one of the riders who posts videos on YouTube etc. If this moron couldn't see him, he wasn't looking properly. No excuses for that.


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## Arch (27 Oct 2012)

Trickedem said:


> "Michael Stanton, who represents Repton on South Derbyshire District Council, said he had a close encounter with the cyclist when emerging from the driveway of his home in Ticknall in his pick-up truck.
> He told the meeting: “I was about to pull out when I noticed this wire going past the bonnet with a pennant on it, then I saw this fellow go past lying on his back in a cylindrical type object.
> “If it had been one second later I would have killed him. If he gets killed it probably serves him right, but the problem is, he may end up killing or injuring someone else.”
> Bloody cyclists, serves them right eh!!


 
So he was about to pull out, but apparently hadn't looked left or right and seen the velomobile approaching?

Frankly, in a lot of the huge pick up trucks I've seen, I wouldn't be sure of being visible over the bonnet on an upright. 

I wonder if he'd be making the same fuss about a sports car? I've seen a Lotus locally that's barely taller than most velomobiles.


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## plantfit (27 Oct 2012)

Mr Stanton was probably reversing out of his driveway so it would be difficult to spot the rider as much as it would be difficult to spot another truck driver, doesn't the highway code say all vehicle should reverse into a driveway so that entering the highway will be forward allowing you to see up and down the road you are about to drive on?

Roger


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## neil earley (28 Oct 2012)

What a n,,b he should take care before reversing out of his drive, and the bent rider is probably more visible than a DF I should imagine with a flag as well !.


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## middleagecyclist (28 Oct 2012)

"when I noticed this wire going past the bonnet with a pennant on it..."

So, he actually managed to notice a fellow road user who was even flying a small flag. Whoopeebloodywhooo! Good job he was paying attention before he drove out of his his driveway onto the public highway. What a f*****g hero!


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## snorri (28 Oct 2012)

The standard of debate at some local council meetings can be depressing at times.


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## byegad (28 Oct 2012)

ohnovino said:


> "However, the bike was entirely legal and taking action against its owner was difficult unless there was evidence he had breached traffic law."
> 
> Oh great. So now you have do actually do something _illegal_ before you can be arrested. It's political correctness gone mad.


 
A welcome move by the Police. Lets hope they keep it up!


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## CopperBrompton (28 Oct 2012)

I've submitted a comment to the website to the effect that if he missed a recumbent cyclist he would also miss a four-year-old child, and perhaps he should look properly in future before reversing. I doubt it'll be published.


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## cyberknight (28 Oct 2012)

I Commute through Stanton everyday and like others i have been appalled by the article and i have emailed the CTC and the complaints commision for the council , if you wish to contact the council ....
Mark Alflat, complaints officer for the council.
mark.alflat@south-derbys.gov.uk


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## cyberknight (28 Oct 2012)

Trikeman said:


> I've submitted a comment to the website to the effect that if he missed a recumbent cyclist he would also miss a four-year-old child, and perhaps he should look properly in future before reversing. I doubt it'll be published.


The website says something about a small child , no other comments yet .. i have laid it on really thick on my comment.


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## cyberknight (28 Oct 2012)

The meeting heard the cyclist was routinely followed in a van by his wife, who filmed him ‘for his own protection’ because of the abuse he received from other road users."
"Councillor Stanton said the cyclist risked killing himself or others and suggested he would be ‘better off going to Dignitas’ — the Swiss clinic which carries out assisted suicide."


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## Recycle (28 Oct 2012)

Clearly councillor Stanton believes rule 202 of the HW code does not apply to him.
202 Look carefully before you start reversing. You should ...
check that there are no pedestrians (particularly children), cyclists, other road users or obstructions in the road behind you.


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## redflightuk (29 Oct 2012)

"The man, who asked not to be named, said the same cyclist had recently collided with the back of his tractor and was now claiming £9,000 compensation as he had to import replacement parts from Australia"​ 
What's the recumbent made of. I think it would be a right off if it had done that much damage to any of the tractors at the farm i'm on.​ 
​


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## Recycle (29 Oct 2012)

There is some ambiguity in the farmer statement. Who is claiming the £9000, the farmer or the cyclist?


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## Thomk (29 Oct 2012)

> Michael Stanton, who represents Repton on South Derbyshire District Council, said he had a close encounter with the cyclist when emerging from the driveway of his home in Ticknall in his pick-up truck.
> 
> He told the meeting: “I was about to pull out when I noticed this wire going past the bonnet with a pennant on it, then I saw this fellow go past lying on his back in a cylindrical type object.
> “If it had been one second later I would have killed him. If he gets killed it probably serves him right, but the problem is, he may end up killing or injuring someone else.”....
> ...


 
Or....

An unnamed recumbent cyclist, going about his normal business, said he had a close encounter with a local councillor when passing a driveway in his home town of Ticknall on his bike.
He said “I was just passing the driveway in my highly visible, perfectly legal, recumbent bicycle with added high viz flag when I noticed this sleepy looking fellow in his enormous gas guzzling monster of a pick-up truck reversing towards me”.
“If it had been one second later he would have killed me. If he kills someone it probably serves him right, but the problem is, the other person will be dead”.
The cyclist said the motorist risked killing someone and suggested he would be better off dropping a big atomic bomb on Ticknall – the English village in Derbyshire with a sad history of interbreeding.


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## cyberknight (29 Oct 2012)

The CTC is already involved and has passed my comments to the local officer so it seems at the very least some stern words will be had .


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## Globalti (29 Oct 2012)

If it's true, why does the cyclist's wife follow him around with a video camea? Kinda defeats the point of cycling, doesn't it?


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## cyberknight (29 Oct 2012)

Just recived a reply from the complaints department of the council stating that Mr Stanton has issued a press release apologizing.


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## neil earley (29 Oct 2012)

cant be an a,,,hole all your life lol,nice to fess up.


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## PK99 (29 Oct 2012)

plantfit said:


> *Mr Stanton was probably reversing out of his driveway* so it would be difficult to spot the rider as much as it would be difficult to spot another truck driver, doesn't the highway code say all vehicle should reverse into a driveway so that entering the highway will be forward allowing you to see up and down the road you are about to drive on?
> 
> Roger


 
Try learning to read: 


> “I was about to pull out when I noticed this wire going past the bonnet


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## PK99 (29 Oct 2012)

neil earley said:


> What a n,,b he should take care before reversing out of his drive, and the bent rider is probably more visible than a DF I should imagine with a flag as well !.


 
he did not reverse


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## PK99 (29 Oct 2012)

Recycle said:


> Clearly councillor Stanton believes rule 202 of the HW code does not apply to him.
> 202 Look carefully before you start reversing. You should ...
> check that there are no pedestrians (particularly children), cyclists, other road users or obstructions in the road behind you.


 
Why are you writing about reversing? * “*


> I was about to pull out when I noticed this wire going past the bonnet


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## neil earley (29 Oct 2012)

Goes to show he didnt now his boot from his bonnet lol.


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## Recycle (29 Oct 2012)

PK99 said:


> Why are you writing about reversing? *“*


Does it make him more justified if he was going forward? The duty of care when moving onto a public road remains the same.


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## arallsopp (29 Oct 2012)

redflightuk said:


> "The man, who asked not to be named, said the same cyclist had recently collided with the back of his tractor and was now claiming £9,000 compensation as he had to import replacement parts from Australia"
> 
> What's the recumbent made of. I think it would be a right off if it had done that much damage to any of the tractors at the farm i'm on.


 
I'd assumed it was the cyclist was claiming the money, as that's roughly the price of a Glyde (recumbent velomobile from Oz). Which does kind of skew the account a little.


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## plantfit (29 Oct 2012)

Sorry PK99, I missed that point, of course I can read but being on a cycling forum I didn't realise one needed to take any sort of observation test before passing a genuine opinion, once again please accept my apologies for such a stupid mistake therefore I can only aspire to your greatness

Roger


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## Lanzecki (29 Oct 2012)

I laughed imitally, Then I realised this was actually written seriously. 
"_but the problem is, he may end up killing or injuring someone else.”...._

Please!


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## riggsbie (30 Oct 2012)

Good to see open minded progressive people in positions of power.........NOT !

There is no hope !!


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## mcshroom (30 Oct 2012)

Well it looks like he's had to back down, though I notice the apology is rather mealy-,outhed.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Cyclist-remarks-are-met-with-barrage-of-criticism-29102012.htm


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## cyberknight (30 Oct 2012)

cyberknight said:


> Just recived a reply from the complaints department of the council stating that Mr Stanton has issued a press release apologizing.





mcshroom said:


> Well it looks like he's had to back down, though I notice the apology is rather mealy-,outhed.
> 
> http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Cyclist-remarks-are-met-with-barrage-of-criticism-29102012.htm


 
Echo


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## middleagecyclist (30 Oct 2012)

mcshroom said:


> Well it looks like he's had to back down, though I notice the apology is rather mealy-,outhed.
> 
> http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Cyclist-remarks-are-met-with-barrage-of-criticism-29102012.htm


Mealy mouthed is certainly one way of putting it.


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## mcshroom (30 Oct 2012)

cyberknight said:


> Echo



You didn't have the newspaper article with it though


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## cyberknight (30 Oct 2012)

mcshroom said:


> You didn't have the newspaper article with it though


Seeing as i am "Concerned " mentioned in the paper and partly my actions by contacting the ctc and the derbyshire councils complaint officer , i hear a lot of talk on here but not a lot of action at times.


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## Recycle (2 Nov 2012)

This story has just got better. According to CTC cycleclips, the velomobile cyclist that was subject to Cllr Stanton's tirade is registered disabled.
Nice one Cllr Standton!


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## starhawk (5 Nov 2012)

Here around the cars see me from a long distance and give me a wide berth, maybe Mr Stanton should go here and get an education in road-behavior


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## sackville d (5 Apr 2014)

Thats him,on the left.


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## sackville d (6 Apr 2014)

I`ve just noticed that the Burton Mail has reported two local road fatalities inside one week.
Maybe Mr Stanton on the Safer Neighborhoods group can pull his finger out , stop blaming harmless minorities and stop talking sh**e.


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## classic33 (6 Apr 2014)

Standards Committee at the time of the incident and for a while following it. Sign of expectaions on the council?


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