Here we go again

[Wowbagger]

Further to my fun and games on 26th July, detailed here, I have had another Big Altercation on exactly the same stretch of road, albeit travelling in the opposite direction. Bear in mind that as I was going quickly down the slope in the previous incident, I struggle to maintain 10 mph going up the slope, so I am reluctant to take the primary position. There is room for reasonable overtaking by cars and small vans between the bollards, but not for coaches and HGVs.

A coach had been sitting on my tail for 100 yards or so travelling south towards the Temple Farm roundabout. I accelerated, hoping he would turn off, and I left him waiting on the roundabout as I went straight on. A couple of cars came past, and then the coach, only to stop in a queue of traffic waiting for a funeral cortege to turn right into the crematorium. I filtered on the outside to the front of the queue and as soon as I reached the front, the last funeral car turn in and I was able to keep going without stopping.

A few cars passed me and then the coach, swerving violently in front of me as there are bollards along this stretch and therefore only room for one vehicle, making me take evasive action. Again, very shortly the coach joined a queue for the roundabout on the A1159 and I overtook him, stopped just in front of his cab and pointed out how unnecessary and dangerous his overtaking had been. He opened his window and within 30 seconds I was all of a cock, a cunt, a prick and an arsehole. I tried to photograph his number plate and then prepared to cycle off, but as I got onto the roundabout so this time he undertook me (we were both heading for the second exit). Again, I had to take evasive action, swerving away from him and just hoping that any vehicle behind me and turning right at the roundabout would not mow me down.

The company's website  publishes all the registraton numbers of their fleet, and since my photograph didn't come out and my memory was a bit shaky, it was good to have confirmation of the identity of the vehicle. I telephoned the company and complained. The lady I spoke to was apologetic and said she would have a word with the driver. I told her I would be reporting him to the police.

I really do believe in bringing thugs like this to book, but it doesn't half wear you down.

[Regulator]

Report it.  With a bit of luck, after your current travails with the constabulary, the police will take things a little more seriously.

Plus, look after yourself.  You may be in shock.  You need to sit down with a pint or two of rather good ale!   

[clarion]

There are a lot of idiots with no understanding on this planet, and a lot of them have driving licences.

Glad to hear you're still with us.  Report it now, and take care.

[Jacomus]

Good on you for reporting it - we all know why it is important.

Very glad you are unscathed.

On a different note, and please don't think I am insinuating that this was your fault - because it was the driver being a twunt.

Why did you overtake the coach in the queue?

I ask because if you were going uphill, or even downhill on a road that has pinchpoints, I would always asses overtaking a short line of stationary traffic (especially one containing such a large vehicle) to be more dangerous than it is worth.

In that kind of situation I ask myself how long it will take before the traffic I just passed, will want to pass me again. IMO trading 1 or 2 minutes in a queue (if that - usually stopping 2 or 3 cars short of the head of the queue would save what, 10-15seconds at most) is worth it, and polite. 

Again, not criticising you, just suggesting something you may not have considered.

[Wowbagger]

Filtering past queues is pretty standard cycling in my view. The queue waiting for the cortege to turn right was quite long, maybe 20 vehicles or more, and the coach was the last of these I think. At the point I overtook the queue, I wasn't going uphill. That wasn't until a bit later.

With hindsight, of course, and bearing in mind the attitude if the coach driver, I would have been much safer staying back in the queue, which would indeed have cost me a couple of minutes. However, I don't think the outburst I received, or his driving, could reasonably have been predicted. All of the cars and vans in the queue ahead of him overtook me quite safely and successfully without once resorting to swearing.

[Wendy]

Oooh, shame Wowbagger, my sympathy.  Here's a virtual cuppa and a manly hug.  That sort of experience really sucks, I hope you don't let it get you down.  I'm even more impressed by your dedication to chasing up consequences for these moronic drivers, thank you very much for the effect it'll have on the rest of us.

Having seen the high quality of your riding in person on the odd occasion, let me make it clear to any company representatives reading this that I'm personally in no doubt that the coach driver is *entirely* to blame for his bad behaviour and driving.  I aspire to ride as well as Wowbagger.

[Pete]

I missed the entire thread about your earlier 'encounter', Wowbagger, due to its being in 'Bill and Bailey' which I seldom browse.  Oops! 

Sorry to hear about your account and experience of yet another bus-driver-from-hell.  Is it just me, or are they concentrated in certain parts of the country?  I can honestly say that I don't get those sorts of encounters, for my part.  But I play the timid one and allow myself to be the loser a lot of the time, I won't pass a bus unless I'm sure it's not going anywhere!

[Jacomus]

Filtering past queues is pretty standard cycling in my view. The queue waiting for the cortege to turn right was quite long, maybe 20 vehicles or more, and the coach was the last of these I think. At the point I overtook the queue, I wasn't going uphill. That wasn't until a bit later.

With hindsight, of course, and bearing in mind the attitude if the coach driver, I would have been much safer staying back in the queue, which would indeed have cost me a couple of minutes. However, I don't think the outburst I received, or his driving, could reasonably have been predicted. All of the cars and vans in the queue ahead of him overtook me quite safely and successfully without once resorting to swearing.

I absolutely agree - the coach driver was certainly a moron. There was no need for his dangerous and aggressive driving, the option of staying back shouldn't really be necessary - it is only oxygen thieves behind the wheel that make it a worthwhile hold up.

Also - you didn't mention the bad driving of the coach prior to the stop, so you didn't have an indicator of what was to come.

Lets hope your complaint causes mud to stick.

[Adam]

Sorry to read about your further altercation Wowbagger.

It's only by standing up and making a noise, that people realise they've done something wrong.

Stick to your guns.  Hopefully the police will do something.

[Wowbagger]

I've been contacted by the police regarding this and expect to be interviewed in a day or two.

It's a good job I've got YACF and Bikejournal: I'd forgotten to put the date and time of the incident on my letter to the police.

[Wowbagger]

Statement to be made at 8 o'clock this evening.

[Wowbagger]

I have just occupied about 90 minutes of valuable police sergeant time making my statement. He wrote it all down in a very detailed manner and I had to make one small correction (his description of the boundary between the 30 and 40mh limit was on the wrong side of a roundabout).

Very pleased with the progress so far.

[peliroja]

Well done Wow. Hope it comes to something.

My Mum once gave a statement to the police after she was mugged in Preston. The officer was all of twelve, so she had to mark his statement for spelling errors before she was happy.

Keep us posted, and well done again. 

[Pete]

Been there too.  Hopefully, now that a Statement Has Been Taken, Something Will Get Done....

Why oh why is it always the policeman who has to write the statement, in longhand, to your dictation?  I mean, where is E-mail, where are computer databases in all this?  Forget Dixon-of-Dock-Green, seems we're in Bow Street Runner territory here...

Good luck, anyway!

[fuzzy]

Why oh why is it always the policeman who has to write the statement, in longhand, to your dictation?  I mean, where is E-mail, where are computer databases in all this?  Forget Dixon-of-Dock-Green, seems we're in Bow Street Runner territory here...

Good luck, anyway!

Because the witness is required to sign their statement and electronic signing has yet to be accepted.

[Wendy]

Surely that wouldn't prevent an email being typed up and hand-signed, or the statement being written by the witness rather than the officer and then signed?  I'm just ignorant here - I don't actually understand why the policeman has to take dictation.  Is it just traditional?

[fuzzy]

The Police Officer takes the statement becuase they know what is and isnt admissable/ relavant. The statement needs to be evidential.

E mailing info to the Office to write the statement would work but it would not save time as, in most cases, the Officer needs to ask questions, clarify points etc. It is just about always more efficient to take the statement in person.

[Wowbagger]

I've followed this incident up. Apparently the police interviewed the driver on 22nd November (offence date 10th September!) and the case has been sent off to the CPS to see if they want to take it further.

[her_welshness]

Good stuff - although it being over 2 months after the incident 

[teethgrinder]

Good stuff - although it being over 2 months after the incident 

I think that it's rather good timing. It might give them someting to think about over Christmas.

[Wowbagger]

Good stuff - although it being over 2 months after the incident 

I think that it's rather good timing. It might give them someting to think about over Christmas.

Bearing in mind that the driver in question is (was) an employee of a company and drove coaches for a living, he may have rather more to think about than the CPS.

[Tourist Tony]

"professional drivers".....
I had an altercation this morning with a cabby from London at the airport. After I politely asked him what he considered was a safe distance to pass a bike (apparently six inches)
"I didn't hit you, so what's the problem?"
He nearly crapped himself as my fist passed within half an inch of his nose and I then repeated his own words back to him.
Ths was in front of a traffic warden, who laughed out loud and saId "Nice one! Now, do you want to get out of that disabled bay......sir?"


"Pro drivers".
The worst of all. More power to the Wowbagger elbow.

[Fixedwheelnut]

"professional drivers".....
I had an altercation this morning with a cabby from London at the airport. After I politely asked him what he considered was a safe distance to pass a bike (apparently six inches)
"I didn't hit you, so what's the problem?"
He nearly crapped himself as my fist passed within half an inch of his nose and I then repeated his own words back to him.
Ths was in front of a traffic warden, who laughed out loud and saod "Nice one! Now, do you want to get out of that disabled bay......sir?"


"Pro drivers".
The worst of all. More power to the Wowbagger elbow.

    love it Tony 

[Wowbagger]

I received a letter from the police today - not further action. I'm not surprised, but it must have given the coach driver a lot to think about, having the police come round to his company to interview him. I see these coaches about fairly frequently and I haven't seen this particular guy. He may have lost hs job - he deserved to.

[cpjmathieson]

Always worth pursuing like you said Wowbagger......Its hard to get the CPS to run with anything, but at least he's had the experience of being interviewed by the Police. He may think twice in the future if he is still driving.
Good on you!! Just shame about the outcome