Left hooked by Police Car

[deckertim]

Unusual story, in that the daily hate appears to be on the side of the cyclist in this story.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008995/Cyclist-forced-slam-brakes-avoid-hit-police-car.html

Comments have been disabled, presumably because the website would have fallen over with the weight of anti-cyling venon directed at you....you red light jumping, pavement riding, untaxed, lycra clad weirdos you!!

 

[jefmcg]

The comments are live where I see it - but they a pre moderated, and last one is date 16:58 so obviously the moderator knocks off at 5pm exactly.

It's very weird - are they autogenerated? They are all eerily similar - road tax, rlj, greatest hazard on the road etc etc.

The article is also very weird. That screen grab doesn't prove anything: am I missing a link to the video?

 

[Cubist]

I wonder if he would bother giving us a left hook, may be he would just go straight over the top. I wonder if he has Bull Bars fitted to his Discovery?

Where was the reference to the make and model of his car? You just can't ****ing help yourself can you?

 

[RedRider]

The article is also very weird. That screen grab doesn't prove anything: am I missing a link to the video?

It's a shame the bloke hadn't complained to the police before going the papers and that the writer didn't have the time/inclination to get past the press office brush-off but it seems clear from the pics the cyclist was cut up.

On a general point it is more disconcerting when police behaviour is below par. For example, I hear comments like the one User9609 quotes without getting too stressed but when me and my OH walked with our bikes past a copper and heard him say to his colleague in a stage whisper: 'I effin hate cyclists', I'll admit I was a bit shaken.

 

[APK]

Link to you tube:
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIqCx_tAx8U


wouldn't have said the car's action was excessive, I suspect they were caught out by the cyclists speed? (afterall they probably had to do 35 in a 30 to get past in time to get around the corner!) didn't look like he had to break/swerve much to avoid?

 

[d87heaven]

Perhaps he's after a bit of compo to get himself a new camera?

 

[upsidedown]

Another view of the incident at

http://www.mailwatch.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3345&start=1575

Page 106

 

[dellzeqq]

it's all a bit odd. The 'left hook', while irritating, wasn't too worrying - and one presumes the police driver had his or her reasons for being in a hurry - and the Mail siding with the cyclist is bizarre.

And, yes, he should have pursued the matter with the police.

 

[Chris.IOW]

Perhaps he's after a bit of compo to get himself a new camera?

Lol,

It is some pretty shocking footage, (the quality that is not the incident, which whilst annoying hardly seems worthy of a lengthy article in a 'news'-paper!)

 

[Paulus]

From the grainy pics of the incident I would say that the rider was not left hooked at all, There seems to be at least 20 feet between the car turning into the side road and the rider. A close shave maybe, but being left hooked is when you have to go round into the road with the car, or else collide with said vehicle. I think there maybe a little more to this story than meets the eye.

 

[Norm]

That chap must be really short if this pic was taken by "a tiny camera fitted to his helmet".

Still, I bet that "Keen cyclist Paul Brown" feels that he has justified the purchase of "a tiny camera" to get himself into the pages of the Daily Wail.

 

[G-Zero]

My thoughts, for what they're worth........

Police and other emergency service drivers are taught the system of car control as per "Roadcraft", which seperates the braking phase from gear changing and steering input. Therefore, the correct method for that Police driver to make that left turn, would be to brake on the straight, release the brakes on the straight, select the appropriate gear and commence the turn.

Looking at the still pics, the Police driver has the brakes applied during the turn leading me to the possibility of one of two theories ;-

A) The Police driver is a crap driver and has cut the cyclist up, as well as not driving to the system, needing a good kick up the backside and refresher training.

or

B) The Police driver passed the cyclist safely, with plenty of time to make the turn ahead of him and without causing him to brake, then was confronted with something unexpected in the juction (off camera), which would only become visible as their view into the junction opened up and which has then caused them to brake.


EDITED to add - I have just seen the actual video footage and amend my choice of theories to A only.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Read some the comments on this one and of course the cyclist was to blame for not riding up to the curb. I felt completed to leave a polite comment. No idea if it will be published or not.

 

[StuartG]

There may or may not be good reason for the manoeuvre. Point is that we seldom see our driving/riding from other road user's viewpoint. I'd be fascinated to see a video of mine. Sadly it may show I'm not as good a driver as I think I am.

I keep putting my reg into the youtube search box but no one has clocked me yet

 

[abo]

Wasn't much of a left hook IMHO, bit annoying especially with it being a copper but didn't exactly endanger the cyclist by making him swerve or brake madly. I think he just went to the papers because he wanted his 15 minutes and thought he had something to go with.

And oh dear... Some of the comments... I've been sucked in and posted one ffs