f1_fan if you want to know what drives cyclists to worry so much about bad driving check this thread. It's hard to explain how vulnerable you feel or are sometimes.
BentMikey and a Subaru Driver
- Thread starter Origamist
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Crackle said:
Oh believe you me I understand it. From 1983 to 1990 I cycled everywhere around Manchester. Then one day I was cycling up Oxford Road when a black cab pulled out on me and I clattered into the side of his cab and went 'a over t'. I was lucky as I had a lot of cuts and bruisesand a sprained ankle, but nothing broken.
To be fair the cab driver was great, he made a mistake and we have all done that, but I couldn't help but realise then and there that had I been in a car he may have seen me and if not I would have a damaged wing and he a damaged door, but no injuries. That day I gave up cycling forever. It is the same reaosn that despite me being a complete petrolhead I have never learnt to ride a motorbike, for me you are just too vulnerable on two wheels.
I admire you guys for getting on with it and dealing with all the crap that comes your way, but I still do not 100% condone Mikey's methods of dealing with the incidents he witnesses as I can't help but feel there is an element of looking for troible about what he does. If I am wrong then so be it, but in the video posted a couple of pages ago with the lorry I really do think he was being a little over zealous about the space he was given, it really did not look that bad to me. Still maybe I have forgotten after all these years what it is like to be on a bike, who knows?
I've said it before and I'll say it again...
some of these videos are truly appalling but most are really not worth posting, anyone who wishes to create these clips simply dilutes their case by posting trivial clips.
posting clips of drivers using phones is really not necessary and only causes the kind of anger that we have witnessed in this topic, this guy is NOT A POLICE MAN
in the case of the op, regardless of what happened, the driver responded like a tit.
nuff said... bitch
some of these videos are truly appalling but most are really not worth posting, anyone who wishes to create these clips simply dilutes their case by posting trivial clips.
posting clips of drivers using phones is really not necessary and only causes the kind of anger that we have witnessed in this topic, this guy is NOT A POLICE MAN
in the case of the op, regardless of what happened, the driver responded like a tit.
nuff said... bitch
Joe24 said:No, Blazed just got you to go out onto the street and measure a white line
I think he has infact got you, and got you good
Did anyone see you measuring this white line?
Remember the correct passing distance advised by the IAM and others is the length of 6 erect penises.......... so next time you get a close pass just think that the driver is usingtheir own reference - the distance was 6 times that driver's penis!
Now... back to DAN - I leaveyou to your own conclusions.
ComedyPilot said:
Sorry, wasn't clear...
A copy of a letter to the Police with video was sent to the company.
I got a letter in reply stating that it was not the first complaint, and he was suspended awaiting the Police investigation. When the drivers was fined and docked points he was then sacked.
thomas
the tank engine
- Location
- Woking/Norwich
the anorak said:
A lot of my helmet camera footage is not that big a deal but I don't go around filming people one phones and what not. I have seen cyclists start yelling at car drivers about them being on their mobile phone and I was just embarrassed.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
Evening all, I'm back! Well, that's been pretty funny reading through all that stuff, quite entertaining! I'm very grateful for those who gave such glowing character references, that's very kind of you!
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
BentMikey said:
You know, i saw that BentMikey had replied to this, and was confused, not seen this username pop up in a while!
Tinuts
Wham Bam Helmet Cam
- Location
- London, UK.
thomas said:
Well Thomas, much as I respect your opinion, I can't agree with you there. But, as it's my vid, that's not really surprising.
The guy, IMHO, was too damn close and deserved a good long toot to convey my utter displeasure at his obvious disregard for both the highway code and my safety.
If he had chosen to get antagonised/take offence (and I must emphasise the chosen bit) then that's his problem. Like it or not, we all choose how we react to incidents - the incident may be something that happens to us, our reaction is entirely our responsibility. However, like dellzeqq, I'm quite prepared to admit that, judging from his restrained response, BM is far better at controlling his response than am I. I'm not, on the whole, particularly inclined to be on my best behaviour when confronted by a dick-brained motorist who has just put my life at risk.
Without wanting to hijack the thread, other members might like to know that I reported the twat in my vid to the Police. I won't go into all the details of their poor performance in dealing with the matter; suffice to say they considered that, as I hadn't appeared to take "evasive action", a prosecution would likely be unsuccesful. Obviously, any such evasive action I might have taken would, quite possibly, have resulted in me driving into the roadside barrier. Interestingly, they did actually manage to view the vid on YouTube!
As to some of the other sentiments expressed in this thread, the idea that wearing a camera is provocative stinks about as much as the "speed cameras are unfair, revenue raising and therefore souldn't be allowed" argument motorists regularly bleat on about because, basically, they don't like to be caught speeding. It's really quite simple: if you don't want to be filmed, don't break the law!
I've been commuting in London for over 25 years, during which time the driving standard has diminished along with the respect shown to other road users. What has also diminished (and with good reason) is the fear motorists have about being apprehended for any misdeeds they commit whilst driving. What hasn't changed, of course, is the fact that cyclists are still just as vulnerable as they ever were. There may be more of them on the roads but they now have to deal with more aggressive, abusive and dangerous behavior from motorists.
I started using a cam because one stupid (motorist) stunt too many resulted in me being knocked off my bike by an idiot who didn't look. Luckily, on that occasion, a pedestrian offered to be a witness. Had he not I would have been unsuccesful in my attempt to get considerable compensation from the idiot's insurance company. Had I then owned a camera I would not have needed the witness. As witnesses are generally pretty hard to come by (that wasn't my first accident so I'm quite familiar with the potential-witness-sudden-amnesia effect) I believe helmet cams to be, for me at least, an essential bit of kit.
To come back to the BM incident, I totally understand and support the posting of such clips on YT. People like the dangerous, dimwhitted DAN deserve to be named-and-shamed in public. I'm sure that, like me, BM probably posts a fraction of the incidents he encounters. Life is, I'm afraid, just too short.
One thing, though. I absolutely don't tell people they'll be on YouTube!
I tell them they'll be on TV.
You wouldn'y believe the results I get.
Oh, and BM, if you're worried about getting the seeing to hinted at in some of the posts above then buy a truncheon!
blazed
220lb+
Mark T said:
These lines are going to be the death of you. It starts off innocently, you whip out the tape measure every so often and measure a yellow, double yellow even a red but then you start hitting serious shoot, the box junction. So many lines you dont know where to start and dont see the bus coming.
It happens all the time promise me you wont go down that path.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
So Blaze, is that a very nice picture to draw? If I recall correctly, the lorry was about a foot away from me, rather different than the picture in the highway code in rule 163.
Some other points to the scooby drivers here:
I rather like scoobys, and until this chap D4N, I've experienced excellent driving from them.
Badly lit recumbent? I think not, my lights are in the brightest 1 or 2% of cyclist lights you see on the roads.
100mph? That was when d4n overtook the witness, according to the witness, not when he drove past me.
Sad for filming? If you say so. Does it matter to you unless you drive badly?
Some other points to the scooby drivers here:
I rather like scoobys, and until this chap D4N, I've experienced excellent driving from them.
Badly lit recumbent? I think not, my lights are in the brightest 1 or 2% of cyclist lights you see on the roads.
100mph? That was when d4n overtook the witness, according to the witness, not when he drove past me.
Sad for filming? If you say so. Does it matter to you unless you drive badly?
