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London taxi driver altercation

Following an unpleasant though fortunately non-injurious altercation with a London taxi driver on the way home from work today I've just sent the email below to both Transport for London and a relevant local police station.

Does anyone know of any other bodies that might be interested to hear about it and / or could censor the driver in some way?

As I say it seems very minor but that hardly seems to excuse it so I thought I'd do what I could...

Thanks!
Andrew

This evening at about 6.30pm I was cycling south down Southampton Street on the eastern side of Russell Square. A black cab drove fast past me, very close, and stopped at the new traffic lights completely covering the cyclists-only advance stopping section.

To make myself safe, I put my bike in front of the cab while I waited for the traffic lights to change.

As I was waiting, the taxi driver deliberately drove into my back wheel, knocking my bike over and making me stumble, clearly aggravated that I had stopped in front of him, despite his being completed over the space reserved for cyclists to wait safely.

I spoke to him straight away and he was very aggreesive, complaining that I was in his way.

I'm glad to say that I wasn't hurt but I was quite shaken by the incident and clearly the taxi driver has very little respect for cyclists on the road.

The licence plate of the taxi was LD09 KWB. A chap called Darren on a moped very kindly stopped and offered to act as a witness to what he saw. I have his email address and phone number should you want him to corroborate my story.

This was a relatively minor incident but it was extremely unpleasant and the driver concerned should have his license suspended temporarily. This is no way to treat fellow road users, especially those in a far more vulnerable position (ie on a bike rather than behind the wheel of a taxi).

I will also report this to the police and any other authority I can think of. If you could please let me know that you've received this and what you'll do about it I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks very much
Andrew

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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9 comments

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Raleigh | 11 years ago
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There's a twitter called @Tf_fail.

Mostly about the tube though.

Those drivers are the kind who readily wield axes, so be careful yeah

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paulfg42 | 11 years ago
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veseunr | 11 years ago
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What's his phone number .... we could ask him to be more careful  4

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pieeater | 12 years ago
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You're right, we do need to do this more often (your post has helped sway me to put in my insurance form against a stupid bus driver)
We have every right to be on the road and the sooner these aggressive bus & taxi drivers realise that, the less accidents they'll be.

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Minty | 12 years ago
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Follow this link for how to complain about a taxi driver

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/TaxisAndP...

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Coleman | 12 years ago
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Stick with it. I'm glad the chap on the moped offered help. Whilst waiting in the bike box near Bank tube some tosser on a moped crashed into the back of me. No injuries and no detected damage but I was very angry. When I asked him what he was playing at he said I was riding like a maniac and wasn't wearing a helmet. OK, not so helpful anecdote out of the way. I signed up with CTC. Membership includes considerable financial assistance if you encounter another prat and the outcome is more serious. Good luck and don't be afraid of putting yourself where you can be seen i.e. using the ASLs as they are intended.

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andrewfurlow | 12 years ago
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Thanks very much both. The local police station in Bloomsbury that I emailed have been very helpful but you then have to fill in this form:

http://www.met.police.uk/traffic/documents/form207.pdf

I don't mind doing that of course except that I wasn't injured and my bike wasn't hurt so it's not quite relevant - this is less a collison that a case of dangerous and reckless driving. I'll persist anyway and see what happens...

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trampsparadise | 12 years ago
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Some very good info here:
http://www.lfgss.com/thread4213.html

That thread was the result of myself being involved in a very similar incident.

Good luck!

-Mike

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cborrman | 12 years ago
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I think we need to start doing this more until Boris Johnson and others trying to promote cycling realise that the single most important problem facing cyclists in London is not the lack of highways, lack of bikes or the ability to buy or lock or use bikes, but is the fact that in just one ride it is patently clear that many road users seem to think that cars, vans, taxis or even buses or whatever vehicle they are driving has priority on the roads over cyclists. Two of the key culprits are those whose license to operate is under his watch: busses and taxis. Other versions of this I frequently get is:

-overtaking just before a speed bump and then braking and swerving into your path to avoid the speed bump

-busses and taxis overtaking to then cut up cyclists in a bus stop or to pick up passengers

-busses that do not have their indicators on when you start passing them, then put their indicators on and pull out with the cyclist alongside them

-complete disregard for cyclists turning right or left at box junctions - they will wait for cars to pass and then cross in front of a cyclist, leaving the cyclist either in the middle of the road of make them brake and hesitate until the light has gone red and they are in the line of oncoming traffic

-deliberately turning left to block or intrude in cycle paths with cyclists in them.

-others worse (have not happened to me I am glad to say) as Andrew reports

In general we need cycling needs campaign to make people realise, some cyclists included, that the use of roads is a privilege, not a right, and in that all vehicles are equal.

this needs to be highlighted in billboards, the press and other exposure which at present is just being used to promote how lovely the Mayor of Londonship is...

while we wait for this to happen, we need to report all and every incident and I now record even training rides.

Andrew - can this reporting be done online?

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