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Video: Close-passing driver becomes enraged by cyclist who taps his car

Warning: Footage of Kingston road rage incident contains plenty of strong language

A video of a road rage incident involving a Kingston cyclist and a motorist who pulled out in front of him has today been made public after the matter was closed with police. The uploader says the driver was charged with dangerous driving and threatening behaviour and received a formal police caution.

Early in the video, we see the driver pull out in front of the cyclist from the right. The cyclist finds himself alongside the car but the driver can’t pass.

In the video description, Surrey Suburban Cyclist writes: “He gets very upset because I tap his side to tell him to get away. He then proceeds to drive dangerously at me three times and then gets out and moves threateningly towards me. First time I'm frightened enough to defend myself with the D-lock.”

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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44 comments

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roubaixcobbles | 4 years ago
0 likes

The cyclist behaved exactly as I would have in that situation. Unfortunately I'm a bit of a twat sometimes on the bike who has been warned more than once by wife and cycling mates not to seek confrontation unecessarily. The rider could have slowed slightly and gone through the cycle chute to the left of the traffic furniture and there would have been no need for the confrontation. The fact that the driver is an unpleasant aggressive twat (who should have got way more than a caution for the outrageous behaviour following the initial confrontation) doesn't alter the fact that the cyclist deliberately went looking for a confrontation when there was no need. That driver looks just the kind of little prick who'd carry a Stanley knife or a sharpened screwdriver and be itching to use it to prove what a man he is - just let him go and pat yourself on the back for having a lot more brains and sense than him.

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philwolsey | 7 years ago
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Two men with a hypertrophied sense of entitlement.  Whether on a high powered motorbike or a bicycle it's important to me to ride defensively. Only the paranoid survive so whilst competing with, rather than giving ground to a bloke in a car, using foul language and having to defend yourself with a D-lock is lovely macho handbags, it's nothing I would want for myself. 

Do you want to be right and maybe dead, or do you want to get along (and stop feeding the cycle of mutual loathing)?

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paulfg42 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Another dickhead driver who values a lump of metal more than a human life.

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Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
1 like

The biggest offence there was the car and the fact he cleary thinks he's cool in it. I'd have excused him a Mk1 Golf cabrio but that's about it as cabrio hatchbacks go. 

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kitsunegari | 7 years ago
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I can't actually work out the need for the cyclist to have done what he did.

It seems - from the video - that the driver didn't really look when pulling out. However, when he pulls out there actually is plenty of room, and more to the point plenty of time to slow down.

Yes the driver should have looked, yes he should have left a cars width, but the whole thing could have been so easily avoided by the cyclist just tapping his brakes.

And really, there's no excuse for f'ing and blinding like that.

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ChrisB200SX replied to kitsunegari | 7 years ago
2 likes

kitsunegari wrote:

I can't actually work out the need for the driver to have done what he did.

It seems - from the video - that the driver didn't really look when pulling out. However, when he pulls out there actually is plenty of room, and more to the point plenty of time to slow down.

Yes the driver should have looked, yes he should have left a cars width, but the whole thing could have been so easily avoided by the driver just tapping his brakes.

And really, there's no excuse for f'ing and blinding like that.

Fixed that for you  1

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RedEsau | 7 years ago
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I cycle in West London, and experience this sort of driving on an almost daily basis.

By challenging the driver the cyclist escalated the motorist's aggression, putting himself at greater risk of harm. Which is what happened to me a few years back and I ended forced into the curb and onto the pavement. Being right isn't enough, as cyclists we are very vulnerable, and can look to zilch support from the police and the courts. 

My strategy is to be helpful: "Sorry, I think there's a problem with your indicator." "Don't want to worry you but there's a £60 fine and three points if the police take a dislike to you on an ASL." (I wish!) 

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j@n | 7 years ago
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In my opinion both reactions are over the top. The motorist's outburst was waay too aggressive, but if I was the cyclist I would have held back, and let the guy go, rather than potentially get into the argument in the first. I certainly wouldn't have tapped his car for that manoveur, but the motorist shouldn't have reacted like that.

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Judge dreadful | 7 years ago
2 likes

Initially the cyclist was being a bit of self righteous tw@. He didn't need to pull up to the side of the car, and he chose not to use the 'cycle escape' bit on the left of the traffic calmer, when he could have just backed off a bit, and the car would have been long gone. The driver did then start driving like a bloody idiot, so didn't help himself. My verdict, pair of tw@s.

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ydrol | 7 years ago
2 likes

Impressed with road.cc commenters resisting the urge to "joke" about this drivers gender or race due thier behaviour. Well done. Keep it up. .. please ?

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marionr replied to ydrol | 7 years ago
0 likes

ydrol wrote:

Impressed with road.cc commenters resisting the urge to "joke" about this drivers gender or race due thier behaviour. Well done. Keep it up. .. please ?

They did comment on the car though. Saying it's a girly car (as if being a girl is an insult) or a hairdressers car (which I guess means it is for gay men? not sure...)

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Leviathan | 7 years ago
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What is this world coming to. I must have thumbs downed his whack job, chem trail, flat earth video; and it has pushed him over the edge. 

I keep asking, but not one of them can tell me what is on the other side?

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50kcommute | 7 years ago
2 likes

Cyclist is an idiot for escalating the situation... Driver is stupid for pulling out... Newsflash, people are stupid and do not always behave appropriately, hopefully they both learn for next time.

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velo-nh replied to 50kcommute | 7 years ago
3 likes

50kcommute wrote:

Cyclist is an idiot for escalating the situation... Driver is stupid for pulling out... Newsflash, people are stupid and do not always behave appropriately, hopefully they both learn for next time.

I think the take-away here is that the cyclist did right to escalate the situation, thus leading to actual penalties to the motorist.  

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vonhelmet | 7 years ago
4 likes

Trivially avoidable...

So what now? Are we supposed to put ourselves in harm's way and let drivers do stupid things then report them and hope for the best?  Or do we defer to them and let them get on with it such that it continues?  Either option sucks.

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fenix | 7 years ago
1 like

Yeah driver was a muppet but I'd rather have backed off a bit than risk something more serious.

Bike v car there's only going to be one winner and I like my legs intact.

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Bikebikebike replied to fenix | 7 years ago
3 likes

fenix wrote:

Yeah driver was a muppet but I'd rather have backed off a bit than risk something more serious. Bike v car there's only going to be one winner and I like my legs intact.

well it's a good job there's brave people like this out there willing to take aggressive ad dangerous drivers like this to the police. Maybe he will be less dangerous next time thanks to this. You just wave these guys off into the distance next time, and don't worry about the rest of us. 

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Barraob1 | 7 years ago
2 likes

All it takes is for a few vids of these twats being laid out unconscious and that'll put an end to this kind of moron using their cars like that.

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Dnnnnnn replied to Barraob1 | 7 years ago
3 likes

Barraob1 wrote:

All it takes is for a few vids of these twats being laid out unconscious and that'll put an end to this kind of moron using their cars like that.

Or using their cars to run us over. Anyway, I wouldn't put much money on your average skinny cyclist in cleats in a fight with the average aggressive driver.

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DaveE128 | 7 years ago
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Do you think he's related to Jason Wells? He reminds me of him!

http://road.cc/content/blog/153639-angry-cafe-owner-jason-wells-jon-rons...

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buntysouth | 7 years ago
1 like

At least the driver was listening to Opera. 

 

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dafyddp | 7 years ago
3 likes

Why is there never a convenient dog poo-bag hanging from a nearby branch when you really need one?

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Jimbomitch | 7 years ago
7 likes

It's all a conspiracy theory maaaan, seek the truth! (Check out his T Shirt).

 

By the way, that's a girls car.

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brooksby replied to Jimbomitch | 7 years ago
3 likes

Jimbomitch wrote:

It's all a conspiracy theory maaaan, seek the truth! (Check out his T Shirt).

Tell you what - if the weather is being engineered, I hope someone kept the receipt.

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helenclondon replied to Jimbomitch | 7 years ago
4 likes

Jimbomitch wrote:

By the way, that's a girls car.

You need a vagina to drive it?

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bikebot replied to helenclondon | 7 years ago
3 likes

helenclondon wrote:

Jimbomitch wrote:

By the way, that's a girls car.

You need a vagina to drive it?

It's not a strict policy, I hear they're also available to hairdressers.

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laura_ci replied to Jimbomitch | 7 years ago
5 likes

Jimbomitch wrote:

It's all a conspiracy theory maaaan, seek the truth! (Check out his T Shirt).

 

By the way, that's a girls car.

 

Please, no girl would drive that piece of sh!t  3

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Mungecrundle | 7 years ago
1 like

Does happen, if you are paying attention it shouldn't catch you out and frighten you. Open top car, what would be wrong with a cheerful "good morning" to warn the driver of his near miss and lack of observation. Much more likely to get an apology rather aggression.

Having said that, I reckon the MTB bar ends would make a splendid dent in paintwork that got too close.

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dodgy | 7 years ago
5 likes

This happens a lot. Driver sees you, so they calculate that it's safe to pull out as long as they stay on the wrong side of the road for a while.

Mostly they get away with it and I'm not bothered either way.

 

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brooksby | 7 years ago
9 likes

Why is it that these people are in such a damned hurry that they will risk running into others, and "must get in front" (TM) , and yet somehow they always have the time to stop and lecture people on what *they* did wrong?

(Agree with velodinho above: if I get the opportunity then I'll mention (with a friendly smile) that their indicator/brake-light/whatever seems to be broken, did they know?  Still generally doesn't get any response other than f- off, mind...).

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