Apparent deliberate attempt to cause a crash this morning

[Greenbank]

ATC-2K is a fat bar*tard - there is no way I would attach that much weight to my head.

I don't really notice it, and I don't normally wear a h*lm*t, but then my commute is only half an hour.

[spindrift]

Cheaper:

Amazon.co.uk: Oregon Scientific - AT18 Water-proof Action Camera: Toys & Games

[Gattopardo]

Report them. I had a similar incident, reported it and the driver was fined £110 and cautioned.

Wow just from your report?

The Police took a statement from me; visited the "lad" and based on both our statements this is what he was given. I understand his attitude to the WPC was rather poor. For the record he and his mate drove very close and then tried to slap me -- I am a hardened cyclist but, on such a road in particular, that was just too much! At the following lights they were rather defiant, but I had plenty of time to take full details and descriptions of the occupants and car.

Ah failure of the attitude test.  Good result hopefully he'll think about his actions.

[Wascally Weasel]

Is it just me or have the members of this forum got a lot thinner-skinned of the usual driver rubbish lately? 

I don't know to be honest, only this wasn't the usual driver rubbish from my POV - I commute about 28 miles per day, most days a week and often do longish rides at weekends - I have to say that I've rarely witnessed anything as blatant and apparently deliberate as this.

I get overtaken badly far too often to count, even on one ride.  This really seemed to me to be a deliberate attempt to cause me to crash - If I had had a camera I would post the footage for you to judge.  I'm kind of hoping this will be the last of this sort of thing for a while though.

[Frenchie]

Report them. I had a similar incident, reported it and the driver was fined £110 and cautioned.

Wow just from your report?

The Police took a statement from me; visited the "lad" and based on both our statements this is what he was given. I understand his attitude to the WPC was rather poor. For the record he and his mate drove very close and then tried to slap me -- I am a hardened cyclist but, on such a road in particular, that was just too much! At the following lights they were rather defiant, but I had plenty of time to take full details and descriptions of the occupants and car.

Ah failure of the attitude test.  Good result hopefully he'll think about his actions.

I think it is worth reporting actions such as these. Otherwise it is becoming more acceptable, until something more serious happens. I report deliberate, dangerous actions; not every bad driver!

In my case the guy got a £80 and a £30 fine for two different offences.

[Wascally Weasel]

Cheaper:

Amazon.co.uk: Oregon Scientific - AT18 Water-proof Action Camera: Toys & Games

Looks good but doesn't have the memory capacity that I need.  My commute is about an hour each way and I'll need the 4GB capacity that the 3000 copes with.

[spindrift]

Found it available with red helmet , but the 4g card is £45!

Amazon.co.uk: ATC2000 Action Helmet Camera: Electronics & Photo

[Wascally Weasel]

Is it just me or have the members of this forum got a lot thinner-skinned of the usual driver rubbish lately? 

I think it's the heat getting to everyone, as someone (I think it was WB) pointed out to me earlier in the year when I suddenly found myself being very angry with idiots walking on bike lanes when there was a perfectly good footpath right next to it!

EDIT: X-posted with Mikey

It's a fair point.  I have certainly trained myself to realise that if I get home ranting about the behaviour of everyone else then the aggression (and fault if any), probably lies with me.  I don't believe today's tale is a case of this but being me, am not in the best position to judge if it's only in my head.

I would add that I’m not a serial reporter of motorists (or I think, serial ranter on the forum) - the last driver that I reported was in about 2001 after I was rear-ended by a BMW driver while stationary waiting for the lights to signal the right turn onto Putney High Street from the Lower Richmond Road.

I will report this case and will keep on open mind regarding police response (while being aware of the difficulties that having no independent witness presents).   I would be happy for the driver just to be questioned on the incident, if nothing else it will remind the driver that such actions can result in a response from the police if not an actual prosecution in most cases.


Edit:  Off to Tate Modern for a lunchtime stroll and to de-stress.

[Gattopardo]

Report them. I had a similar incident, reported it and the driver was fined £110 and cautioned.

Wow just from your report?

The Police took a statement from me; visited the "lad" and based on both our statements this is what he was given. I understand his attitude to the WPC was rather poor. For the record he and his mate drove very close and then tried to slap me -- I am a hardened cyclist but, on such a road in particular, that was just too much! At the following lights they were rather defiant, but I had plenty of time to take full details and descriptions of the occupants and car.

Ah failure of the attitude test.  Good result hopefully he'll think about his actions.

I think it is worth reporting actions such as these. Otherwise it is becoming more acceptable, until something more serious happens. I report deliberate, dangerous actions; not every bad driver!

In my case the guy got a £80 and a £30 fine for two different offences.

Hopefully reporting it will do something, but in target based police service delivery it does not come highly.

I would hope that it was logged and see if there was a pattern of behaviour eg threatening cyclists and then acted upon.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I think it is worth reporting actions such as these. Otherwise it is becoming more acceptable, until something more serious happens. I report deliberate, dangerous actions; not every bad driver!

I've been cycling for just over a year, and I've reported two car drivers to the police and two van drivers to their companies. I don't report every instance of bad driving I see - I'd never be out of the police station. I report the ones who have deliberately threatened me, harassed me, endangered me and/or endangered other people (eg the TNT lorry and the GSL van which jumped red lights the other week), and I have no hesitation in doing so. No matter what I do to keep myself safe on the roads, I can't stop other people being complete cuntpuffins and if someone's actions deliberately put me at unnecessary risk, I want something done about it.

[Frenchie]

I think I have reported two cars in 5 years. The two actions were really bad.

It is a pity if these are not taken seriously by the "system"; as I said if I had fallen down, at speed, the consequences could have been rather serious.

[spindrift]

I've reported a car. The plates were false.

I've reported liveried vans a couple of times, one verbally assaulted a traffic warden and screeched off on the pavement. Turned out the company had GPS fitted and they saw I was telling the truth. Driver was sacked.

[David Martin]

Found it available with red helmet , but the 4g card is £45!

Amazon.co.uk: ATC2000 Action Helmet Camera: Electronics & Photo

Go elsewhere. I just bought an 8G, 4G and usb stick with card reader for half that total.  And they were class 6 cards as well. From Amazon. The transcend ones are fine.

..d

[spindrift]

Found it available with red helmet , but the 4g card is £45!

Amazon.co.uk: ATC2000 Action Helmet Camera: Electronics & Photo

Go elsewhere. I just bought an 8G, 4G and usb stick with card reader for half that total.  And they were class 6 cards as well. From Amazon. The transcend ones are fine.

..d

Wouldn't have a link would yopu please David?

I betcha as soon as I get a helmet cam absolutely bugger all will happen on my commute.

Which is just fine and dandy AFAIC.

[Gattopardo]

Completly off topic

Try seven day shop (daneelec ones are good), play.com and memory for less?

If you want branded, see the price on play.com and then go to pc world who will price match and knock off 10 percent for the same brand cards.

[spindrift]

Update- They've called me about the van incident this morning, very apologetic fleet manager, the driver's out of London but been called in for a disciplinary. It helped, probably, that my company use that firm. hate getting someone in trouble but this was so reckless I thought the van was nicked!

[David Martin]

Found it available with red helmet , but the 4g card is £45!

Amazon.co.uk: ATC2000 Action Helmet Camera: Electronics & Photo

Go elsewhere. I just bought an 8G, 4G and usb stick with card reader for half that total.  And they were class 6 cards as well. From Amazon. The transcend ones are fine.

..d

Wouldn't have a link would yopu please David?

I betcha as soon as I get a helmet cam absolutely bugger all will happen on my commute.

Which is just fine and dandy AFAIC.

Amazon search for Transend SDHC card

Make sure the helmet cam you get can cope with SDHC and get class 4 or 6 - 6 to be on the safe side.
My experience with these cards has been extremely positive.

..d

[spindrift]

that's really kind, thanks.

[spindrift]

Another email:

Afternoon Philip

Sorry for the delay in responding as promised in my e-mail of yesterday.
This is due to the fact I was invited to a client meeting last night in
Manchester for this morning.

Taking on board your e-mail below and supporting information which has
been supplied to me, I can confirm the Self-Employed courier in question
has been dealt with accordingly as per our Self-Employed Couriers
complaints procedure.

The summary of our findings are as follows for your information:

*       The courier in question is a Self-Employed Courier who offers
his services to CitySprint on an Ad Hoc courier basis

*       The courier at the time of the incident was not offering his
services to CitySprint and was actually undertaking some of his own
personal business

*       The courier acknowledges his behaviour was unacceptable and
apologises for any inconvenience caused and is willing to write an
apology letter to you

*       Additionally we have instructed him to undertake a Driver
Assessment program at his own cost & time

*     CitySprint will not offer any business to him until we are
satisfied this course has been completed in full

CitySprint take matters of Road Safety seriously and over the past few
years we have engaged in several Road Safety training programs which
have seen the rate of road traffic incidences reduce.
 
CitySprint support the Road Safety charity Brake and we are always
continually reviewing safety processes to ensure safe driving on the
road.

Again I can only apologise for the conduct of this Self-Employed
individual and if you wish to report this to the Police, CitySprint will
co-operate in full.

Regards

[clarion]

Interesting outcome

[hellymedic]

Result!

[Maladict]

Funnily enough, I spent some time last night re-assembling my set-up, as I am commuting by bike regularly again, and getting a bit sick of some of the behaviour.  I don't know if it's my imagination or what.  Anyway I recorded the commute this morning, one driver did force his way in front of me when overtaking into a rapidly vanishing gap.  Perhaps I should send the clip to the courier company.

I use a mix and match set-up of a Dogcam camera (Sony CCD) with a mini DVR.  I quite like the POV-1 as a solution though as it's an all-in-one thing.

I'm thinking of adding a rear-view camera as well. 

[spindrift]

Result!

I won't insist on a letter, but i was gonna ask if i could speak with him and let him know it was really, really scary!

I'd report it maladict, word will get round that cyclists have cameras....