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Road Rage

A few weeks ago I was cycling from Dover to London with 6 other riders. We were coming through a Southeast London suburb when a car tried to overtake whist we were going past a traffic island which significantly narrowed the road. We remonstrated with the driver, shouting etc.

The car stopped and the driver and passenger got out and started using very threatening language and their body language was highly aggressive.

I was slightly ahead of the "gentlemen" concerned, standing astride my bike, looking over my right shoulder at what was making all the noise. I said nothing. They saw me reading the number plate and said "we see you have our number, now we're effing gonna run you over you ****ing etc...".

So they got back in the car and drove off with wheels spinning and clipped my right hand with a wing mirror. Being on a spring, it made a loud noise, and they stopped again, but this time the driver came over and punched me to the ground. I thought they would start kicking me, as I lay tangled in bike on the pavement, but the bystanders (people waiting outside a restaurant) told them to "go away".

I was shaken but not hurt. The event was witnessed by my fellow riders, a bus driver and the bystanders. It was also captured on video from a helmet cam. The police were called and eventually came.

You'd think that it would be easy to locate and prosecute. It turns out that the registered keeper of the car was not using the car that day (he/she was not on the video) and apparently whilst the keeper went to a funeral the car was left unlocked with the keys in the ignition.

Upshot is that someone else, obviously being protected, was the driver and assaulter that day. Unless the police can get the keeper to talk, the assaulter goes scott free!

What a world!!!

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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27 comments

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hmm1971 | 12 years ago
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I've just read online he's handed himself in this morning

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/9139998.UPDATE__Man_arrested_over_cycl...

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stuartpeck1 | 12 years ago
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Then the next time this half-wit sees a cyclist on the road, he'll jump out and punch the crap out of them.

At best he'll get a fine, maybe a few hours community service. Most probable as we all know, he'll get a talking to by PC plod, told not to do it again and he'll drive off into the sunset with even more pent up anger towards other road users.

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apothegm | 12 years ago
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You should setup a facebook group to catch him, like the cat in wheelie bin woman! That'll force the police's hand.

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SimpleSimon replied to apothegm | 12 years ago
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That's a great idea, but I am a Facebook learner and have no idea how to do it - any Dummies guides?

Don't forget, every post requires a donation http://www.bmycharity.com/L2P24 !

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defsdoor | 12 years ago
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This is on the Daily Mail site now so interest should pick up.

I'm sure given enough time someone will identify the yobs concerned, and if the owner of the car is claiming not to know who took it, then theft charges can be added to the tab - else the owner can be done for wasting police time if it turns out they did know them.

Totally shocking behaviour and probably the only way the yob will learn is if gets a severe beating himself.

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SimpleSimon | 12 years ago
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The camera was turned on just before the incident because the cyclist could see that something was going on. We had been training for our L2P in 24hours ride (completed this weekend!!) and he had only been recording snippets. The battery has a limited life and the memory is limited also.
I now have a CamSport HD Extreme Max with 2 batteries and a 16Gb micro SD card. There is a setting for "loop mode" which is great for commuting journeys as it overwrites itself.

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Nevans | 12 years ago
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I don't suppose anyone could "accidently" post the road the owner lives on here, sounds the sort of owner I'd like to "accidently" put a brick through their car window. Might make them think twice about leaving it with the keys in it in the future.

Law should be if your the owner you are the one responsible and breaking the law. I hear of cases (can't confirm true) where speeding/dangerous drivers get away with it in court, because cant confirm it was them who was driving.

Slightly different angle, whats considered the best helmet cam? Been thinking about one for a long time and this definately shows the need for them.

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james-o | 12 years ago
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The exception that proves a rule? The driver wasn't driving his own car (allegedly) so maybe he's a BMW driver normally.

Or maybe not )

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stuartpeck1 replied to james-o | 12 years ago
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james-o wrote:

The exception that proves a rule? The driver wasn't driving his own car (allegedly) so maybe he's a BMW driver normally.

Or maybe not )

 21

They do look a bit like BMW types, or White van man in the daytime. Hopefully Karma will catch them up

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richdirector | 12 years ago
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Like so many wankers in so many towns with gelled hair small cocks and no brains

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Gkam84 | 12 years ago
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Really? feck i didn't know that, if it was up here under Scots law we would be in the sh*t

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Gkam84 | 12 years ago
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Of course they could do something, they could just tell the owner they dont believe their story and charge them with withholding evidence, bet they spit the names of all involved then  4

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don_don replied to Gkam84 | 12 years ago
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Gkam84 wrote:

Of course they could do something, they could just tell the owner they dont believe their story and charge them with withholding evidence, bet they spit the names of all involved then  4

There is no crime of withholding evidence in English law.

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Fixedwheelnut | 12 years ago
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I ride through the village most days so I'll keep an eye out for this car.
Surely the vehicle owners story is rubbish and the Police could do more if they wanted to?

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james-o | 12 years ago
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The reg is clear -

KJ56 HGF, Silver 4-door Peugeot 4-series.

If the owner won't say who was driving, well, karma can take many forms.

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stuartpeck1 replied to james-o | 12 years ago
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james-o wrote:

The reg is clear -

KJ56 HGF, Silver 4-door Peugeot 4-series.

Surprisingly not a BMW (ducks)  3

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Velo_Alex | 12 years ago
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Any chance of seeing *all* the footage involving these people? I appreciate the 'highlights' show the part of most interest to us but it's out of context.

And no, I'm not making excuses for the people in the car.

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stuartpeck1 | 12 years ago
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"it seems that on the day in question the vehicle was left unlocked with the keys in the ignition, only for it to be taken without consent but somehow later returned to the owner by person or persons unknown"

How convenient. How many car thieves take a car back
untouched, especially in S E London.
That is a mystery  39 If that was the case and the car had been stolen right at the same time as video evidence of the owner and his knuckle dragging mates were seen hitting someone to the ground, The car would have been either torched, never seen again, or featured on next Thursday's episode of Crimewatch.

I was wondering what could they have done to provoke such a reaction, but then i thought, 'Aaah look at them, do you think they need any provocation? They live in perpetual frustration and can't wait to punch someone'

Glad that you're ok, although another 'nil point' for the MET

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Gkam84 | 12 years ago
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Bugger taking it higher, just get it all over facebook and twitter, BBC will soon pick up on it and put it on the news

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downfader | 12 years ago
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My advice - if the Police have failed to investigate - go higher. If that doesnt work, go to the press! The Times and the Indi, maybe the Guardian?

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dave atkinson | 12 years ago
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I know the registered owner has said he wasn't driving, but the police *have* checked that he isn't either of the two people on that footage, haven't they? rather than just taking his word for it...

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dbevacqua | 12 years ago
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The footage seems to start just before the punch. What about the initial incident and "remonstrations"? Surely they were recorded on the helmet cam as well...

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SimpleSimon | 12 years ago
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKB9V7MNEXY

Can anyone identify the assailants?
Bexley, Kent

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timlennon | 12 years ago
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Surely the police should be doing the owner for some form of obstruction beef: keys in the ignition? Car left in the same place? You didn't report it? Everything still inside?

I confess, I also thought: "7 of you? Why didn't you just give the two of them a sodding good kicking?" It's wrong, but also right ... (No, I probably wouldn't have done, either.)

Frankly, I don't think the police are taking this very seriously. It'd be different if you walked into the station, smacked the desk sergeant and walked out, wouldn't it?

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Nevans replied to timlennon | 12 years ago
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timlennon wrote:

I confess, I also thought: "7 of you? Why didn't you just give the two of them a sodding good kicking?" It's wrong, but also right ... (No, I probably wouldn't have done, either.)

Have you ever tried swinging a punch while on cleats, bloody impossible!

timlennon wrote:

Frankly, I don't think the police are taking this very seriously. It'd be different if you walked into the station, smacked the desk sergeant and walked out, wouldn't it?

Brilliant

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SimpleSimon | 12 years ago
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Video evidence is with the Police but they still have not found the guys. The bus also recorded the intitial "traffic incident" I think, and the Police have apparently requested the footage.
Civil compensation - well there was no real injury, and any such funds come out of the public purse. What I really wanted was the perp to be charged, but it looks like it is not to be  20

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A V Lowe | 12 years ago
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What is to stop you sharing the picture of the driver and passenger with the Police and the wider world?

Keys in the ignition? Pull the other one mate.

All London Buses contracts require the buses to be fitted with CCTV cameras - if you have the details - get this grabbed before the system, writes over the record (every 14 days usually)

Even if no criminal action can you get civil compensation?

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