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Near Miss of the Day 133: Breakfast-eating close pass driver fined

Our regular feature highlighting close passes caught on camera from around the country – today it’s London

We’ve featured breakfast-eating motorists from across the UK here on road.cc before – here’s one showing a Maserati driver in Glasgow, while this one happened in Hampton Court – and now another one makes it into our Near Miss of the Day series, with the driver concerned receiving a fine after being caught munching on film by a cyclist on whom he had just made a close pass.

The footage was shot last September in Jubilee Way, Chessington, by road.cc reader Mitch, who reported the motorist to the Metropolitan Police Service and has now received a letter from them detailing the outcome of proceedings at Bromley Magistrates’ Court.

The driver was found guilty of driving without reasonable consideration as well as not being in a position to have proper control, and was fined £134 plus £130 costs and had his licence endorsed with three penalty points.

A bit of an expensive breakfast, that … although at least he avoided porridge.

> Near Miss of the Day turns 100 - Why do we do the feature and what have we learnt from it?

Over the years road.cc has reported on literally hundreds of close passes and near misses involving badly driven vehicles from every corner of the country – so many, in fact, that we decided to turn the phenomenon into a regular feature on the site. One day hopefully we will run out of close passes and near misses to report on, but until that happy day arrives, Near Miss of the Day will keep rolling on.

If you’ve caught on camera a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with another road user that you’d like to share with the wider cycling community please send it to us at info [at] road.cc (info [at] road.cc) or send us a message via the road.cc Facebook page.

If the video is on YouTube, please send us a link, if not we can add any footage you supply to our YouTube channel as an unlisted video (so it won't show up on searches).

Please also let us know whether you contacted the police and if so what their reaction was, as well as the reaction of the vehicle operator if it was a bus, lorry or van with company markings etc.

> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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18 comments

Avatar
frogg | 5 years ago
2 likes

What strikes me is, overall, these drivers wouldn't take such risks if it was for themselves. They have more consideration for hedgehogs. I don't know what the mental process leads to the fact that cyclists have virtually zero value. But there's clearly something to it.

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iandusud | 5 years ago
1 like

A good result getting a conviction but the fine/points were derisory.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
2 likes

it should be dangerous driving, if i casually swing a sledgehammer at a coppers head it wouldn't be a simple slap on the wrist, particularly if best part of a hundred people a year were being killed by them and thousands seriously injured.

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dassie | 5 years ago
7 likes

Same close pass but without the food, and I suspect nothing would have been done by the police.

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Cyclax Maximus | 5 years ago
3 likes

Six points would have been better and his rectal passage reamed out in a correctional facility. Still, what the mouthy chav got was better than nothing I suppose. Hope his cholesterol levels ramp up in good time.

Also, has anyone ever noticed that when you do have confrontations with knob head drivers, they're never ever apologetic or hold their hands up even if they are in the wrong. If they were half decent you would probably let it go in most instances.

Avatar
jasecd replied to Cyclax Maximus | 5 years ago
12 likes

Cyclax Maximus wrote:

Six points would have been better and his rectal passage reamed out in a correctional facility. Still, what the mouthy chav got was better than nothing I suppose. Hope his cholesterol levels ramp up in good time.

Also, has anyone ever noticed that when you do have confrontations with knob head drivers, they're never ever apologetic or hold their hands up even if they are in the wrong. If they were half decent you would probably let it go in most instances.

 

Yes, lets all hope he gets raped. After all abhorent sexual violence is a fitting and civilised  punishment for a "chav".

Always depressing when the comments section slides into non-thinking prejudiced nonsense like this.

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kil0ran replied to Cyclax Maximus | 5 years ago
2 likes

Cyclax Maximus wrote:

Six points would have been better and his rectal passage reamed out in a correctional facility. Still, what the mouthy chav got was better than nothing I suppose. Hope his cholesterol levels ramp up in good time.

Also, has anyone ever noticed that when you do have confrontations with knob head drivers, they're never ever apologetic or hold their hands up even if they are in the wrong. If they were half decent you would probably let it go in most instances.

Depends on how you engage them. I've had a few honest, friendly discussions - normally admittedly with older drivers/female drivers. Something along the lines of "that was way too close, you should give at least 4 feet gap when overtaking". If they're receptive at that point I give the practical advice that the best way they can judge that (for the average single carriageway) is that they should move out far enough so that they're over the white line

Avatar
Cyclax Maximus replied to kil0ran | 5 years ago
1 like

kil0ran wrote:

Cyclax Maximus wrote:

Six points would have been better and his rectal passage reamed out in a correctional facility. Still, what the mouthy chav got was better than nothing I suppose. Hope his cholesterol levels ramp up in good time.

Also, has anyone ever noticed that when you do have confrontations with knob head drivers, they're never ever apologetic or hold their hands up even if they are in the wrong. If they were half decent you would probably let it go in most instances.

Depends on how you engage them. I've had a few honest, friendly discussions - normally admittedly with older drivers/female drivers. Something along the lines of "that was way too close, you should give at least 4 feet gap when overtaking". If they're receptive at that point I give the practical advice that the best way they can judge that (for the average single carriageway) is that they should move out far enough so that they're over the white line

 

Totally agree regarding engagement. There are some decent types out there, I guess I just attract all the brain deads.

 The thing is with that I've found, is that they simply do not like being told how to drive any more than I like being told how to ride my bike.

Avatar
kil0ran replied to Cyclax Maximus | 5 years ago
1 like

Cyclax Maximus wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Cyclax Maximus wrote:

Six points would have been better and his rectal passage reamed out in a correctional facility. Still, what the mouthy chav got was better than nothing I suppose. Hope his cholesterol levels ramp up in good time.

Also, has anyone ever noticed that when you do have confrontations with knob head drivers, they're never ever apologetic or hold their hands up even if they are in the wrong. If they were half decent you would probably let it go in most instances.

Depends on how you engage them. I've had a few honest, friendly discussions - normally admittedly with older drivers/female drivers. Something along the lines of "that was way too close, you should give at least 4 feet gap when overtaking". If they're receptive at that point I give the practical advice that the best way they can judge that (for the average single carriageway) is that they should move out far enough so that they're over the white line

 

Totally agree regarding engagement. There are some decent types out there, I guess I just attract all the brain deads.

 The thing is with that I've found, is that they simply do not like being told how to drive any more than I like being told how to ride my bike.

It's difficult when someone's just tried to kill you but I always try to put myself in their shoes - I'd probably end up being quite defensive/sweary if I was confronted by an 18st sweary beardy bloke fuelled on adrenaline. But yeah, some are just cokcs - the ones that really get me are the close passes only to turn off in a couple of hundred yards. I'm not exactly hanging about on the flats so it gains them nothing in return for risking my life.

 

 

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rtw replied to kil0ran | 5 years ago
2 likes

kil0ran wrote:

It's difficult when someone's just tried to kill you ......

There are VERY few people out there trying to kill you, because those who do try, don't miss and usually manage it. This is part of the problem. It feels deliberate, but it most likely wasn't. Then you are angry because you were scared, and that sets the tone for the interaction to be confrontational. 

 

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to kil0ran | 5 years ago
3 likes

kil0ran wrote:

Cyclax Maximus wrote:

Six points would have been better and his rectal passage reamed out in a correctional facility. Still, what the mouthy chav got was better than nothing I suppose. Hope his cholesterol levels ramp up in good time.

Also, has anyone ever noticed that when you do have confrontations with knob head drivers, they're never ever apologetic or hold their hands up even if they are in the wrong. If they were half decent you would probably let it go in most instances.

Depends on how you engage them. I've had a few honest, friendly discussions - normally admittedly with older drivers/female drivers. Something along the lines of "that was way too close, you should give at least 4 feet gap when overtaking". If they're receptive at that point I give the practical advice that the best way they can judge that (for the average single carriageway) is that they should move out far enough so that they're over the white line

 

If the receptive reasonable ones are overtaking badly in the first place, that suggests there are some problems with driving instructors and testers.

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cidermart | 5 years ago
3 likes

Arrogant prick got a modicum of comeuppance for eating however yet again they glaze over the real threat to the life of the cyclist. Why not a driving ban and points or even just banned from driving totally they'd soon pull their heads out of their arses and give the cyclists some room.

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burtthebike | 5 years ago
3 likes

Well done for catching him up and getting the evidence for the prosecution.  The usual crap from the driver, who quite obviously couldn't give a ****.

As zero trooper points out, given that this was two offences, why is the fine and points so low?  Oh sorry, I forgot, the really dangerous one only threatened the life of a cyclist.

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zero_trooper replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

Well done for catching him up and getting the evidence for the prosecution.  The usual crap from the driver, who quite obviously couldn't give a ****.

As zero trooper points out, given that this was two offences, why is the fine and points so low?  Oh sorry, I forgot, the really dangerous one only threatened the life of a cyclist.

If the investigating officer had issued an endorsable Fixed Penalty Notice on the evidence presented in the video, which I believe certain police officers can, then it would have been 3pts on their licence and a £100 fine. Albeit with no court costs. This would only have been for the close pass i.e. driving without reasonable consideration.

Hardly worth the effort of taking them to court 

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balmybaldwin | 5 years ago
2 likes

So not prosecuted for the close pass then?  How is driving without hands on wheel whilst eating anything less than dangerous driving?

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zero_trooper replied to balmybaldwin | 5 years ago
6 likes

balmybaldwin wrote:

So not prosecuted for the close pass then?  How is driving without hands on wheel whilst eating anything less than dangerous driving?

The driver was found guilty of driving without reasonable consideration 

That's your close pass

as well as not being in a position to have proper control

and that's your 'look, no hands'

Nice he was prosecuted, just a disappointment at the punishment. Feels like 2 offences, but only dealt with properly for 1. Maybe all the magistrates had rolled into a McD's drive-thru for their sausage and egg McMuffins on their way to court  3 

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StraelGuy | 5 years ago
3 likes

Indeed. And, in fact, a 'cockwomble'.

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Russell Orgazoid | 5 years ago
2 likes

What an asshole

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