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news
Edinburgh taxi driver (source Another Edinburgh Cyclist YouTube still).JPGVideo: Fine for taxi driver who cut up cyclist then swung punch at him
An Edinburgh taxi driver has reportedly been fined £360 plus costs and had his driving licence endorsed with nine penalty points following an incident last August in which he cut up a cyclist, then appeared to assault him.
Following the trial last week at which the driver is said to have pleaded guilty to careless driving, the cyclist posted footage of the incident - in which strong language was exchanged - to YouTube under the user name Another Edinburgh Cyclist.
Riding along Princes Street in the centre of the Scottish capital at around 4pm on 28 August last year, the cyclist stopped at a red light, with two taxis positioned in the bike box.
After the lights changed, he continued cycling along the road and as the two lanes narrowed into one and he crossed the tram lines, one of the taxi drivers passed him closely, whereupon words were exchanged.
A few minutes later, as the cyclist rode down Regent Road, he encountered the taxi driver again, who was out of his cab and apparently waiting for him, swinging a punch.
The driver, who has not been named, was apparently also charged with assault in connection with the incident, although the Edinburgh Evening News does not report whether he was found guilty on that specific charge.
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.
Latest Comments
- Rendel Harris 57 min 18 sec ago
I should get onto the Guinness Book of Records people then, as they have the world record slowest heart rate for a healthy person down as 26bpm,...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 22 min ago
Add Scotland to that list. You won't even find a dashcam reporting portal in Scotland either so you can forget that also.
- E6toSE3 2 hours 6 min ago
And years ago Laura Trott, Daniel King, Joanne Rowsell, as theyvwere after Olympic gold, got lots of being and Jaguars, when Jags were very...
- lawrence18uk 2 hours 43 min ago
I must admit I find it odd. I assumed a cyclist had run into a bus driver, fallen off and as a consequence, died (as in "run over by a bus driver")...
- Hirsute 3 hours 21 min ago
I made a complaint within an hour of the story being published. I have zero faith that they will amend anything....
- chrisonabike 3 hours 39 min ago
Especially children, near a school, one might imagine? By a bus driver driving children to school?...
- chrisonabike 3 hours 43 min ago
TBF I think that's before she saw the light and got on her bike. Not so great if her views have been informed by Mr. Briggs though.
- Saracen888 4 hours 22 min ago
That's a great price. Just bear in mind Import duty and handling charges will be applied pre delivery.
- Griff500 5 hours 44 min ago
Yep, I appreciate your problem. I wouldn't buy a bike without at least sitting on the same frame configuration on a trainer in the shop, something...
- Secret_squirrel 6 hours 58 min ago
One less thing to clutter up your jersey pockets no? Though difficult to retrieve in a hurry...
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30 comments
I'm disappointed that's there was no comments open on that article, bingo card at the ready.
love this article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/recreational-cycling/drivers-get-out-of-m...
got to get a helmet cam
Cabbie sure is one ugly dude with a mean attitude, but frankly nowhere near as scarey as those tram lines. I almost pooed myself at 1.02 crossing those tracks at that angle!
I've just watched the video. I can't believe how far ahead this taxi driver went, before waiting to ambush the cyclist... Seems completely insane.
@psts - "why did he bother pushing ahead of the taxis to then have them cut him up?" - because the lights were still red, so he figured he could get to the ASL and then ahead of them. I know I would have done.
And finally - those tram tracks look really dangerous. Are they common there? I'd probably be looking for a different route, rather than face them every day.
There is no traffic except for the two taxis. From what i see in the video I would have waited behind them rather than pushing through, only to have them overtake again. Its pointless and antagonistic.
He had the right to use the bike box, but I don't see that pushing through there made good sense. That didn't give the taxi driver the right to hit him but it is all about having a little bit of understanding about how other people view your actions.
Maybe he wanted to make a point about there being no traffic except for those two taxis sitting in the ASL
[/quote]
Maybe he wanted to make a point about there being no traffic except for those two taxis sitting in the ASL
[/quote]
Yes, exactly, the taxi driver clearly got the point...
Yep, the driver's got anger management issues that need to be resolved. City Cabs needs to review its hiring practices.
As for Edinburgh's trams, there's a book to be written about them. The project took far longer than expected, cost twice the original budget and the network covers less than half the originally planned distance. It's an excellent example of how not to manage a major capital project in fact.
Anyone intelligent would've realised that Edinburgh has a massive network of old commuter rail lines torn up in the 60s that would've been ideal to build tramlines on. After all, the old routes were built for 50tonne steam locos so could easily handle 15tonne trams. About 2 or 3 light steel bridges would've needed to be built, one at the bottom of Leith Walk for instance. Some old bridges would've needed refurbishing.
These old urban rail routes are used for cycling/dog walking but are very underused due to the risk (whether perceived or real) of muggings. In the many times I've cycled or jogged along them, I've not exactly seen heavy use by cyclists or pedestrians.
With all that, an entire network circling the city could've been built and with minimal disruption either. It would've linked the airport to Leith and Morningside and through to Portobello. The old Scotland Street tunnel links to the main Waverley Station though the station end is now blocked by piles for the shopping centre built in the late 70s - but there could have been a very central terminus underground at St Andrew's Square linked by lifts/elevators. Another disused line could also have linked the airport to the Forth Bridge - with the new bridge opening late this year and the old road bridge planned for buses and trams, it could have connected the trams all the way to (the Kingdom of) Fife, where there are yet more disused rail lines with potential for light rail.
Instead the council opted for the most disruptive and complex option of building the tracks along the city streets. The rest as they say is history and having spent its transport budget, Edinburgh now has no money left to fix its crumbling roads either.
I'd love to see a video of someone doing this to a cyclist and then getting a kicking from said cyclist! It's not right but would definately make me chuckle.
It's not the answer, but, should have turned the camera off and beat the shit out of the taxi driver! I'm a bad person I know!
And then you'd be getting the £350 fine and possibly a jail sentence. Brilliant. Well done.
Non sarcastic question. Is the punishment for assaulting someone without provocation simply £350? Obviously without a car involved there wouldn't be any points involved. So if I walk up to someone in the highstreet and punch them in the face I can expect to get away with a £350 fine and nothing more?
Other news sources are saying that, although he plead guilty to assault, the court chose to merely admonish and dismiss him on that charge. And because of that, he probably gets to keep his job, making money using a public resource he has clearly demonstrated his inability to be trusted to use sanely and safely.
I wonder how far away from your car you have to venture for your violent crimes to not be punished beyond the slap on the wrist you get for "careless driving". One hundred metres? Two hundred? Does the court take into account whether you keep the engine running?
The tram tracks at the start of the video are far more lethal than any punch that clown could throw.
If you behave like the taxi driver did then you have to expect that justice of some for or another will come.
However I can't help thinking that the stupid of beggar should have been given a good wallop and that would have been it. He wanted rough and tumble, thats why he was in the bike box, thats why he cut the guy on the bike up, thats why he stopped.
The guy on the bike wanted to have an altercation (why did he bother pushing ahead of the taxis to then have them cut him up?). They were winding each other up , this whole thing should have ended with a brawl and the pair of them go home and think about their actions.
On another wesbite it is reported that he supposedly pleaded guilty to careless drivinga dn assault, given 9 points and £350 plus costs.
It must have been the premeditation to assault the cyclist that did for him.
Presumably he has now lost his taxi licence but will return as an Uber driver?
As long as you get out of a car first you do what you want can't you. Take away the car and its would be assault and given how quickly this arsehole has flown off the handle I'm sure it's not the first time.
Interesting he was punished only for the driving - only 'admonished' for the assault+battery (or whatever the Scots equivalent).
I doubt the cyclist would have gone to the police just for the driving : how much driving is deliberately bad ?
Staggeringly, he is still driving for City Cabs, Edinburgh, as it was his first offence !
Presumably the Taxi Licensing office at the council might not renew his licence.
City Cabs are happy to employ violent criminals are they?
"appeared to assault him"
Seriously? What do you think he was doing.. giving the cyclist a hug?
Until he's been convicted of assault - and as far as we know right now, he hasn't - we can't say outright he assaulted him; until then, we have to observe legal niceties. You're entitled to read between the lines in the meantime.
Jeez how much evidence do you need!? Of course we can flippin say outright the taxi driver assaulted the cyclist. He's stood in the middle of the road, swings his arm out and then propels it into the slowing cyclist who recoils back slightly. It's an assault, and it's perfectly clear. He didn't flippin pat him on the back as job well done did he....
Hopefully there will be consequences for him with Glasgow City Council as well.
That's Edinburgh, not Glasgow. It's like something happening in Manchester and then talking about Liverpool.
[[[[[ Careless driving? Maybe, but where's the premeditated assault charge?
Daft old cunt.
The most disturbing thing is just how long there was between the verbal altercation and the taxi driver stopping to assault the cyclist. It is one thing saying something in the heat of the moment, quite another thing to hit someone during a arguement and a different scale all together to drive on for a few minutes and the line up to attack someone.
The taxi diver is absolutely unsuitable for his chosen profession and the privilege of driving should be lost.
That link is missing a '2', it should be: http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/video-edinburgh-taxi-driver-attacks-cyclist-1-4104822
I hope he's found guilty of the assault charge.
Radge cunt!
No surprise to see taxis (or any other vehicle) in the ASZ.
When you're squeezed by a vehicle, it's more dangerous where there are tram tracks.
For most of the video, it's just the usual stupid, inconsiderate driving. Then when the taxi driver stops his cab and hangs around in the middle of the road waiting to swing a punch, you have to think he's lost the plot. He doesn't look especially young or fit or hard or tough, so unless he has a secret past career as a professional boxer, it seems unwise.