driver stops in middle of road to give me a lecture ...

riotgibbon wrote:

today was a much lighter day ....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaVb0j2Y5jk

TVP! Seldom cycle along there but run it regularly. And home of Reading parkrun

keirik wrote:

Dont trust the police to do anything. I have a mate who's a sergeant and Ive never met anyone more rabidly anti-cyclist, and who admits to trying to block cyclists from going past him. He doesnt seem unusual.

Bit of stereotyping going on there.  Perhaps you need to persuade your mate to grow up. 

keirik wrote:

Dont trust the police to do anything. I have a mate who's a sergeant and Ive never met anyone more rabidly anti-cyclist, and who admits to trying to block cyclists from going past him. He doesnt seem unusual.

on the other hand plenty of police are cyclists and will go out of their way to protect and help cyclists. 

Just like there are motorists that'll do it too. 

Good and bad everywhere. 

riotgibbon wrote:

Yeah, I've sent it in, there was no way it was ever going to court, but I'm hoping for a Dixon of Dock Green style 'now then lad, you were being a bit hasty there, and has thaa actually read t'Highway Code?' semi-frienfly /menacing chat. Though that last bit might be Juliet Bravo.

Years ago, I forced into crashing up a kerb by a tosspot in one of those little Suzuki Carry vans.  I had a pop at him half a mile before for a close pass, got round him while he queued at lights, and then when they went green he came alongside and just kept inching in towards me until I had to crash up the kerb.  Chased him to the bakers where he worked afterwards, and all his mates came out, so I left it.  I did report it to the police who assured me they would go and have a word with him.   It's all you can hope for really, but I still won't let a close pass go without a shout and gesticulation.

guyrwood wrote:

It may be a bit late to get the police involved. They are perfectly happy to accept video evidence from cyclists and investigate it but they do say not to share the video publicly first, it can affect the evidentiary value of the footage if and when it goes to court.

Will it go to court? Not all times the police are involved have to be prosecutions. 

Send it in, ask for restorative justice. You can ask the police to deliver messages on your behalf, meet with the driver and explain why it's dangerous, or even request he performs some sort of punitive action as a consequence. It could be as simple as he has to do some basic cycle training so that he understands the risk and dangers and learns about the Highway Code. 

Its too too easy to focus on the court route, but there are other options you could look at. And to be honest, it's easier for the cops to do as there is much less form filling, and no need for the same burdens of proof etc. Plus it can be much more impactive on the perpatrator than court action. 

guyrwood wrote:

It may be a bit late to get the police involved. They are perfectly happy to accept video evidence from cyclists and investigate it but they do say not to share the video publicly first, it can affect the evidentiary value of the footage if and when it goes to court.

I've seen this said a lot. It doesn't affect the evidentiary value at all. It might affect, in a case widely distributed, the right to a fair trial but that's extremely unlikely as well. 

riotgibbon wrote:

OK, so should I send it to the cops? On what grounds grounds precisely? We can all be a bit of dick sometimes, and do we really want to be a community of whiney little grasses? Or is he an arrogant dangerous menace who would benefit from a firmly worded letter on official notepaper? What would result most in the world we want to see?

People are pricks because they continually get away with it. He had a go at you because he's got a chip on his shoulder about cyclists. Sure you can say you don't want to grass him up, but if next week he's having a go at a woman who gets put off cycling, you'd probably feel a bit shit about not doing something when you had a chance. 

Personally, I'd let him have his commupance purely on the basis that he's picking on a vulnerable road user from the safety of his 2 tonne pram. The guy doesn't deserve any credit.

I've driven more miles than cycled, I don't remember ever being a dick to anyone and I was pretty hot headed, maybe still am a bit. 

Don't have to say the driver caused an offence, the police decide that no matter what you say on a submission. You have your kid with you, it's not right what he did.. 

riotgibbon wrote:

christ, what is this, a 1995 bulletin board?

here you go ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgmN4k12xEM

Don't waste your time engaging, and give them a cheery wave when you pass them two minutes later.  If they've "politely used their horn", that's permission to improvise on the cheery wave.