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news
Cambridge cycle vandal.jpgPolice seek Cambridge cyclist attacking taxis with lock and chain
Police in Cambridge are seeking this man, who is suspected of vandalising taxis in the city with a bike chain and lock.
Taxi drivers say the cyclist has a vendetta against them, and has damaged their vehicles in ride-by attacks.
It is not the first time the man has been suspected of similar violence, but he has finally been caught on camera, and police want to speak to him.
Karl Stamper, a member of Cambridge Hackney Carriage Association, said he was targeted and the attack terrified an elderly passenger he was carrying.
The incident happened on July 11, when he was driving through Hobson Street at around 1.50pm.
He says his cab was hit with a lock and a chain.
He told Cambridge News: "I had passengers in the taxi and one was senior and we both jumped. He obviously knows what he is doing.
"It seemed he had gone out to deliberately do this. It was totally unprovoked and we know he has done it before. He must be stopped."
Another taxi driver told the paper: "We've got one nasty cyclist going round hitting taxis with his padlock."
One driver on Facebook said a man had punched his wing mirror when he cycled past on Bridge Street. "The glass fell out and I stupidly tried to chase him on foot. He gave me a 'two fingers' sign for good measure as well."
Another said: "He actually hit my car with a D-lock. Nasty man, pure mouth on him until you challenge him."
"Starting to wonder if it's the same one who punched my mirror on The Broadway," said another cabbie.
Anyone with information should call Cambridgeshire police on 101.
Last year we reported how a cyclist seen in a YouTube video smashing a car window during a San Francisco protest ride was arrested. 39-year-old Ian Hespelt was spotted by police who were on cycle patrol outside a Billy Joel concert who recognised him and his bike from footage of the incident.
Police also made use of second video to help them identify him.
After investigators finished questioning him, Hespelt was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, false imprisonment, and maliciously and wilfully throwing a substance at a vehicle – all of which are felonies. He was also booked on a misdemeanour charge of inciting a riot.
The incident took place during the monthly San Francisco Critical Mass protest ride. A stand-off between protestors and a driver saw a group of cyclists surround a car. When the driver tried to manoeuvre around them, one hit the car with his bike, while Hespelt repeatedly swung at it with a U-lock. The vehicle is said to have sustained about $3,000 dollars’ worth of damage.
Latest Comments
- Coolkitty 11 min 52 sec ago
I agree, however, it works both ways and cyclists should learn the highway code - especially in todays traffic
- David9694 58 min 7 sec ago
Clevedon: Controversial end of free parking 'will be monitored' after outcry...
- cardch 1 hour 7 min ago
That is a great idea. And surely someone will call them Arsegos.
- chrisonabike 1 hour 31 min ago
Agreed - but with a bit more set-back from roundabout. Also how well respected is this in practice?...
- ErnieC 2 hours 6 min ago
I'm a bit screwed then, one bike has straight carbon forks and the other straight steel forks ...
- muhasib 11 hours 43 min ago
"the cost to rebuild the M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange is £317 million. The project is expected to be completed in 2025. "
- mark1a 12 hours 7 min ago
I think they did, from memory back in the 70s/80s... haven't seen one for years though, our current milkman uses a standard van, albeit hybrid.
- S.E. 13 hours 53 min ago
Yes, sleep apnea produces more CO... I'm not aware of any doping effect but what do I know....
- Gd29 16 hours 1 min ago
That's true enough. But doesn't address my point that the chainset you get as a replacement will not physically fit chainrings from the chain set...
- brooksby 16 hours 32 min ago
In all fairness, it almost certainly NEVER happened…
Add new comment
38 comments
I've enjoyed the upbeat tone of the comments on this, most of which reflect that minor vandalism not actually that serious, in the big picture.
The main headline over on the source newspaper yesterday was a Cambridge town centre cyclist KSI story.
Yeah I don't buy the attack on people argument. That's not what this offence is.
It's more akin to people attacking bankers' homes and headquarters during times of the financial crisis. It's a retaliation for perceived wrongs in the form of property damage. It's not legally ABH, GBH etc. Attacks on GAP and McD's during the G-XX meetings. That sort of thing.
Sure you could try to argue that a common assault has occured or some other minor offence to the person indirectly but still, you'd have to prove that was his intention. Don't think you're going to get very far with that, it's a bit watery.
If the cyclist was dealing with a direct threat or immediate endangerment from the taxi in each case I'd consider his action somewhat justified. I did read the comments of the taxi drivers but wonder if the taxi driver say "well I cut him up a bit" even if he had?
Many years ago as I rode at the front of a fair sized group a car driver deliverately cut in to intimidate me as he passed. Once got the usual mouthing of the word prat (or similar), the second time got the reaction involving waving of arms and the third time within a couple of hundred yards (they are a bit like metres but smaller) I hit the passenger door very hard with my fist as he tried to squeeze me to the kerb - result one completely caved door. I know I have never felt any guilt about my defensive action in this case. Had I had the chance to grab and use a D-Lock maybe my conscience might be a little less certain of clarity.
If this man's action against was taken againt random taxis or taxis with which he had a previous problem then he deserves to be apprehended and punished.
Looking at him, he's probably just annoyed he's stuck in 1991. I'd guess he was a PWEI and Ned's Atomic Dustbin fan.
Now you've said it, I *can* see him spinning round and round to Vic'n'Bob and the Wonder Stuff...
Criminal damage of property is massively over punished as a crime. When someone is driving around and is inches away from killing someone, the appropriate response is apparently to send them a stern letter, if you have the number plate and a picture of the driver. When they bash a few wing mirrors off, a campaign is launched to find the culprit, who no doubt will be taken to court to be flayed alive in front of the jurors for their amusement.
Why was the taxi so close to him that he could hit it from his bicycle? I'm not blaming the taxi driver, I just want them to be safe.
Were the taxi driver and the passenger wearing helmets? I don't see why they wouldn't when they could get hit in the head at any time.
Sorry, an awful lot of whataboutery on this thread. He's a violent thug who thinks it's acceptable to smash cars up. No excuses, he's a fucking tit.
Yes, what he's doing is wrong, and I don't think anyone else should do it whatever the circumstances.
At the same time, I understand that people do this kind of thing (vigilantism) when justice is not being served by the police and courts. I think it's quite possible to be against vigilantism and the causes of vigilantism, no?
It's wrong, but unimportant, but the police devote effort to finding him. Killing and maiming people is also wrong, vastly more important, but excused by our pathetic legal system.
This sort of action is inevitable when there is no justice for cyclists on the receiving end of assaults by car drivers. Does not make it right but it is inevitable.
I myself was a victim of taxi and even with video evidence the police were unwilling to take any action.
Double standards by the police.
I don't condone what the cyclist is doing at all but this is the sort of thing that happens when cyclists, time and again are treated as third class citizens - when a cyclist death at the hands of a driver is written off as "just" an accident, when a driver gets an £80 fine or 200 hrs community service.
I'm willing to bet this guy had a serious run in with a taxi, the police ignored it so he's resorted to a bit of vigilante justice of his own. It's hardly surprising when you consider how marginalised, victimised and criminalised cyclists are. You have a legal system that constantly fails vulnerable individuals and sooner or later one of them (perhaps slightly more unhinged than most) decides to take the law into his own hands.
Was that photo taken in 1987?
What a prick. I hope they catch him. Shouldn't be too hard with that barnet...
Old school looking bike, note the metal top brake levers. Cambridge full of ancient tech.
I was in cambridge on Thursday night, walking down a one-way street on the pavement (near the Oxfam bookshop) and a taxi driver drove straight at me to park his van, meaning I had to jump out of the way. I don't think what this guy is doing is right, but seeing as I almost got run over for my heinous crime of walking on the pavement, I'm not surprised somebody has snapped and decided to slap a few wing-mirrors off the taxis.
Funny isn't it. If it was an article about a car driver throwing eggs or juice out of the window at cyclists the comments would be ablaze with outrage. But us cyclists can do no wrong.
Every day cyclists get abused (both verbally and physically) by self important car drivers and if you do enough cycling on roads you will encounter that. So, when there's an article about some angry young man dishing out abuse the other way round, it's almost refreshing. I've often fantasised about dealing out damage to cars/taxis that endanger me, but have never carried it out.
Every day people are abused (both verbally and physically) because of their religion, gender, sexual orientation, looks, etc. etc, etc. By your logic, it would be "almost refreshing" if the people of Nice start attacking random Muslims.
You're setting up a strawman argument there and completely mis-representing my logic. You'll notice that the cyclist in question is not attacking drivers and instead is attacking inanimate vehicles. Also, you may find that car drivers are the majority whereas in your "argument" you've twisted the proportions round which makes your whole post just a sad apologist wreck.
But the difference is that I doubt that this person is doing this for the lols.
Either they've had a *serious* run-in with one or more taxis, or even with these particular cabbies (not outside the realms of possibility), or they've self radicalised by watching Premium Rush too many times
You can't watch Premium Rush too many times.
Some years ago, I got caught between a parked taxi in the bike lane, and a bus on my right shoulder. The clatter of offside wing mirror on road after my left forearm went through it, and yelp of anguish and outrage from the taxi driver is the very definition of guilty pleasure.
I feel no shame.
The last cyclist reported on here having an egg thrown at him was seriously injured, possibly blinded. This guy, whatever his motives, is only doing a bit of damage to property.
If hell exists, I really hope there is a part reserved for anyone who thinks denting a car is anywhere near as bad as blinding someone.
No, not wrong. But we can't do any physical damage to a motorist.
It's the ghost of laurent Fignon
That's some classic trouser clips...
"all of which are felonies"
I looked it up, we don't have 'felonies' in the UK, felony - definition of felony in English from the Oxford dictionary
EDIT: Oops, article talking about the US guy not the UK one.
That bit of the article is talking about an incident in San Francisco.
I think the problem is that the taxis are dark colours and not easy to see when there's shadows around (e.g. night-time, dusk or bright sunshine). The taxis need to be covered in some hi-viz outer covers and maybe some protective equipment so that the locks/chains don't do any damage. I don't see why the taxi drivers are complaining when they don't even take the most basic steps to protect themselves.
Post of the year!
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