A cyclist has posted footage to YouTube showing a motorist threatening him with a baseball bat moments after he nearly knocked him off his bike – with the driver backing down once he realised he was being filmed.
Shot in Avenue Road, St John’s Wood in north west London, the video was uploaded to the site on Friday by YouTube user Amere Rider.
In the film, the cyclist was riding along a cycle lane when the driver overtook him and immediately turned left. It is not clear whether the rider came off his bike, but – unsurprisingly, given the circumstances – he reacted angrily, which the motorist countered with a tirade of his own.
“Oi what the f*ck! You stupid f*ucking idiot!” the rider shouted as he banged on the vehicle, a Volkswagen Polo.
The male driver got out of the car and after rummaging around in the boot confronted the cyclist with a baseball bat, saying, “Are you f*cking mad?”
Asked, “Is that a baseball bat, are you threatening me with a baseball bat?” the motorist replied, “I am threatening you.”
With another cyclist coming to the aid of the rider who was cut up, and other witnesses apparently nearby, the driver starting to calm down as he became aware he was being filmed.
He also insisted he did not knock the cyclist off his bike, saying “I did not hit him over. I am sure I did not hit him over,” but says he will accept “full responsibility” if it is established that he did.
Some of the commenters to the video on YouTube have urged the cyclist to go to the police with the footage.
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police, quoted in the London Evening Standard, said: “We are aware of the video that has been uploaded and it has been brought to our attention by the media.
“No further details have been provided to us to ascertain exactly when the incident took place.”
43 thoughts on “Video: Driver cuts up cyclist – then threatens him with baseball bat”
Young people are silly & make
Young people are silly & make bad choices. He is extra silly.
“Oi what the f*ck! You stupid
“Oi what the f*ck! You stupid f*ucking idiot!” the rider shouted as he banged on the vehicle…
I think that is probably the best way to get any male motorist out of a car and then get yourself threatened. Bonkers.
Bobbinogs wrote:
But the alternative in that situation is to act like Eric Idle in National Lampoons European Vacation…
I think the swearing is completely justified, and also think (as has been said elsewhere) that it’s less hitting the car as riding into it.
Won’t be long before he’s
Won’t be long before he’s either nicked or hands himself in.
Wilts Cyclist wrote:
When he will show all appropriate remorse, very sorry, wife and kids at home, previous good character, needs a car to get to work, etc, etc… And be let go with a very slight tap on the wrist.
brooksby wrote:
Nah – the cyclist gets charged with a public order offence.
Guns and cars. Some people
Guns and cars. Some people are too seriously unhinged to be in charge of either.
Never, ever touch a motorist
Never, ever touch a motorist’s car. People go mental. Not saying that’s right, but honestly, the response is entirely predictable from that point on.
cyclist had every right to
cyclist had every right to right cross the little c#nt as soon as the bat appeared.
Yogic Cyclist wrote:
Yep, he showed a lot more patience that I have.
vonhelmet wrote:
This one time, the white lines were all being repainted on a toucan crossing I use. A car came through, stopped at the second set of traffic lights (it’s on a bend/junction) which of course meant that he’d stopped right across the actual crossing (after all, there was no white paint to tell him this was a f-ing stupid thing to do).
I shuffled round to cross and slapped the back of his car (not hard) as I passed, not even looking back. He leapt out, going a wonderful shade of burgundy, screaming at me for touching his car (even though the lights had now changed).
I pointed out that he’d not stopped, etc, and made some comments about his eyesight, but apparently if the paint isn’t there then you really are allowed to stop anywhere so long as you haven’t actually crossed the last lights (?).
vonhelmet wrote:
There are many motorists who see it as akin to touching their own body, I think. Take it very personally.
vonhelmet wrote:
You would have predicted he would get a baseball bat out of his boot?
Bikebikebike wrote:
Maybe not a baseball bat, but I certainly wouldn’t have expected a nice sit down with a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit.
I suspect he’s been
I suspect he’s been rehearning his moment of confrontation in front of a mirror, Travis Bickle style. When his moment comes, he fluffed it big-time. He’s very, very lucky the cyclist didn’t grab the bat and turn it on him.
Cyclist should have called
Cyclist should have called his bluff and nutted him. You don’t get a baseball bat out and then stand right up to someone, you at least need swinging room. He would have had enough evidence to call pre-emptive defence.
That happened so quick, no
That happened so quick, no amount of rational restraint would have stopped me touching the car in that situation. Yes, if someone cuts you up, and then you catch them up at the next lights, it is extremely unwise to slap the bodywork of their car in retaliation. But that was a reflexive defence action. Of course, drivers never see it that way. This one seems genuinely puzzled by the notion that someone would put the safety of their own flesh and bone ahead of the paint job on his brand new car. It’s not a big step to go from that attitude to thinking carrying a baseball bat to inflict actual bodily harm on anyone who crosses you is reasonable. He’s a spoilt little brat, but that is what our society encourages. And the automobile is the most effective ever tool for training people to be assholes, starting while you’re still in a booster seat and watching your parents drive (which, for this guy, was probably about two years ago.)
That happened so quick, no
Black cab did the same thing to me on Saturday. Intuitive bang on the body was my only self defense. I am with you on this
Ok, I’m backtracking a bit…
Ok, I’m backtracking a bit… I’d not watched the video earlier, only read the article, and it’s not really accurate. It refers to the cyclist banging on the vehicle, which would have been stupid, but the cyclist didn’t really “bang” it, so much as he “crashed into it” on account of being cut up with no room at all. So forgiven in this instance, though I stand by my point that under normal circumstances touching a car probably won’t end well.
vonhelmet wrote:
Ironic that drivers are perfectly happy to use their cars as weapons with no concern for any damage to their vehicle when they drive them deliberatly at pesky cyclists.
Neill_M wrote:
oops, double post
Neill_M wrote:
^^ This.
Riding home from work I was about 30m behind a mate (fortunately far enough back to appear completely unconnected to him in the incident that followed). A car overtook in very slow moving traffic doing maybe only 1-2mph faster than we were. He drew level with my mate but couldn’t really get past so just drove alongside him mere inches away. Mate taps gently on window to ask please give more space. Driver went absolutely apoplectic, got closer and closer. In that situation, even if hated all cyclists, I’d have thought “oh, my car might get scratched, I’ll give him more space”.
I got chased once when I banged on the side of a panel van that cut me up. I never bang on the sides of vehicles anymore…
WTAF! So not only did he left
WTAF! So not only did he left hook him into a dead end road, while on the phone, he then threatens him with a baseball bat. Stupid and dangerous. Straight to the Police. First charge; carrying an offensive weapon. I bet there is no baseball or glove in the back of the car so it could only be there as a weapon.
I think the twat in the Polo is lucky the Royal Marine on the other bike took a very grown up approach and didn’t put him on the floor face first. He’d ‘ve every right to do so.
If someone threatens you with
If someone threatens you with a baseball bat, I presume you’re allowed to hit them first in self defense?
Doesn’t even know what a
Doesn’t even know what a handbrake is – vehcile rolls after he gets out!
What driving skills 😮
They should have phoned the
They should have phoned the police there and then. As long as they didn’t mention that man being threaten was on a bike and the guy with the baseball bat had got out of a car they police would have turned in seconds with a fire arms unit.
And given the mets record for gunning down people from ethnic minorities I wouldnt have fanced the drivers chnaces, the met would have probability called it a terrorist incident.
But seeing as he got out of a car! Just driving without due care and attention if we’re lucky.
“Never saw you mate” (Despite
“Never saw you mate” (Despite the hi vis vest and helmet )”Just going to pick my adorable children up from rounders class, what else do you think the bat is for ? “
“Stupid Cyclist. You should have been paying more attention ” says judge !
Did anyone notice the other
Did anyone notice the other cyclist was wearing a Royal Marine Commando top? The videoing cyclist didn’t seem too intimidated by the idiot with the bat but that was some nice back up to have.
Vehicle also doesn’t appear
Vehicle also doesn’t appear on the government tax checker?
or on the insurance database
or on the insurance database
B1gf00t wrote:
You’d be surprised how many cars are not on the databse. Some lesser known / smaller insurance companies dont submit their list of vehicles to it.
You know how I said in
You know how I said in another thread about:
“There’s always something you could have done different”
Well in this case, that nearside rear door could really have done with a bigger scratch / dent / boot mark and the driver could have benefitted from having that baseball bat put safely out of harms way by being lodged firmly up his backside.
So the guy in the car is
So the guy in the car is Willo? 😛
So the guy in the car is
I didn’t want to say that twice but the website insisted.
Duplicate post erased.
Very, very clear evidence of
Very, very clear evidence of careless driving and a Section 4 Public Order Act offence by the driver.
The cyclist did nothing wrong – he doesn’t “bang on the car” so much as collide with it when left-hooked.
What’s the betting that the Police do chuff all?
Baseball bat or not I’d have
Baseball bat or not I’d have chinned the little sh*t, after turning said camera off! Oh and unless he has a glove and a ball in the boot he is actually carrying an offensive weapon, get him rozza’s!
Both people acted like
Both people acted like unrestrained idiots. Just because someone cuts you up doesn’t give you the right to unleash a hail of invective. Just because someone unleashes a hail of invective does actually give you the right to defend yourself if you believe you are under threat. The guy in the car drove like an idiot, but the guy on the bike beat him to the punch in proving himself to be one. Prime example of Ass-Hattery.
And yes, I have been in this exact situation (being a tyre iron from a truck instead of a baseball bat), and yes there was a third person who defused the situation. Fortunately for both of us.
Yes, I understand the cyclist’s pissed-offed-ness, but his reaction was never going to end well regardless of if it had been a hostile manoeuvre or innocent mistake from the guy in the car. I’ve been cycling for a loooong time and had this done to me numerous times. But never twice by the same driver.
His name was Mohamed. The
His name was Mohamed. The cunt did it on purpose! The road was blocked! He wasn’t turning or going anywhere, he wanted to start a fight with a middle class white Bloke. He soon backed down when he realised the cyclist wasn’t gonna put up the the cunt. The young Asian wasn’t looking where he was going and didn’t think to put on his hand brake cos he wanted to start trouble, like most young Asians in cars!
Harmanhead wrote:
Road.cc mate. UKIP forums —> that way.
Ban plz ^
Ban plz ^
The driver is lucky he didn’t
The driver is lucky he didn’t do this to a more unhinged cyclist, given that he’s a bit of a weed and obviously didn’t have any intent to actually use the bat about 0.5 seconds after reaching for it. I know quite a few people who would have happily taken the bat from him and smashed his car up with it.
“Gunna git man baseball bat
“Gunna git man baseball bat out the boot mate, yeah!
Ohh Ohhhhh hold on, wait there, wait there, cars rolling away, just put the handbrake on a minute. That’s better.
Gunna git man baseball bat out the boot mate, yeah now I’m threatening you!”
wot a tool. Innit
Shame that the police are not
Shame that the police are not interested in this case.