Some final thoughts on the whole Bolton Abbey car key/car chase incident

After a fairly rubbish week, in which the whole Bolton Abbey car chase incident has affected my sleep and stress levels, I would like to post a plea to road users on both two and four wheels, and to users of this forum.

Let's stop being judge and jury online, and extrapolating beyond the agreed facts and overwhelming evidence. With regards the conflict between Nick Ahad and the key snatcher, we have two contrasting accounts about what happened. However, let's agree that there are two areas where both accounts concur. They both state that Nick Ahad was driving alongside the key snatcher on a narrow twisty road, shouting out of the window. This doesn't seem like safe and considerate driving. They both state that the key snatcher then took the keys. This seems like an over-reaction when a phone call to the police could have solved things. Beyond that, there is too much speculation. Some forum users seem to assume that Nick Ahad meant to hit the cyclist, whereas the key snatcher himself says in retrospect it could have been plain old dangerous driving that led to him being forced onto the verge. There is a difference between malicious intent and incompetence - see Bez's Beyond the Kerb blog for some great stuff on this.

Let's respect the fact that although there may be grave problems with the way cycling incidents are dealt with by the police and juridical system, such as the notorious Helen Measures/Denisa Perinova incident, there are often limitations to what the police can do. In this incident, where it is a handful of people, each with their own account, with few witnesses and no other evidence such as CCTV or forensics, I don't expect them to spend much time investigating either Nick Ahad, the key snatcher or the red car driver. I don't have a registration number for the red car, there is no CCTV, and my description of the driver isn't much. So unless there is a miracle, it is a poor use of resources to investigate it  in depth.

A better use of resources would be to stick a 20mph speed limit and some "watch out for cyclists" road signs on the road between Bolton Abbey and the A59.

Finally, let's all - people on bikes, cars, and internet forums - stop being so angry. I'll be honest, I have shouted swearwords at drivers who cut me up on my bike and whilst in my car. Many years ago, I threw a water bottle, Mario Cipollini style, at some lads in a boy racer car who threw litter at me. I missed badly - despite the user name, I am no Cipollini. But it has never improved my enjoyment of cycling. It has generally soured my ride completely. The shouting and over-reacting just made everything worse. Can anyone ever say that getting into a shouting match improved their day? So, let's all go a bit Gandhi, and maintain a stoic assertive silence. This whole incident started with a car driver shouting at a cyclist, when then resulted in the car driver losing his car keys, and another car driver trying to knock off a random cyclist - although this last incident was malicious, not incompetence. I don't think this escalation improved anyone's day. Even the key snatcher has stated his regrets at taking the keys. I presume that Nick Ahad has regrets as well. I hope red car driver has regrets (if not, he is actually evil).

I'll be back on my bike at the weekend, weather and family permitting. And I'll cycle back to Bolton Abbey, to exorcise/exercise those demons. I'll take that narrow twisty road, holding my line in primary position where relevant. I might even go out there in the car with the kids for a walk in the woods. If a car comes alongside with the driver shouting, I'll ignore them. If I end up cycling on the verge, I'll just back in the road in primary position. If I am in my car, I won't overtake until safe, and I won't shout at other drivers. I might buy a little camera to go on my bike, just so there is proper evidence of anything that might happen. However, if I get chased by red car man again, I reserve the right to shit myself.

Stay safe, sane, considerate, and most importantly, enjoy the ride.