London cyclist gets punched in the face after calling the driver

[bloody sunday]

a f****g prick for moving into the bike box

http://youtu.be/GfdvIfT8H5c

http://www.bikeradar.com/commuting/news/article/video-cyclist-who-called-driver-a-fing-prick-punched-in-the-face-39662/

crazy stuff.

[vqdriver]

what's the bike box for? is like a waiting area for cyclists?

[bloody sunday]

what's the bike box for? is like a waiting area for cyclists?
I'm thinking so. England is weird.

[wallymann]

...would have a crushed windshield along with seriously dented door, hood, and face after that.

[Kirk Pacenti]

I saw something similar in Harlem once... only worse.

Guy riding his bike through cross walk, car screeches to a stop nearly running the red light. Taps cyclist knocking him down. Cyclist stands up flips off the driver. Driver gets out and punches cyclist in the face knocking him down again. ...talk about adding insult to injury!

[4Rings6Stars]

Meh, don't aggressively scream in somebody's window and not expect a confrontation.

Not saying he deserved to be assaulted, but they're both a-holes.

[gdw]

Todays lesson.... mouthy cyclists who can't take care of themselves should keep quiet unless they want a beatdown.

[Anarchist]

I'm thinking so. England is weird.

We have bike boxes in Canada. They are designed to provide a place at the head of the line of traffic for bicycles to stop, safely, and get priority.

Cars are not allowed to intrude into bike boxes.

[Idris Icabod]

Meh, don't aggressively scream in somebody's window and not expect a confrontation.

Not saying he deserved to be assaulted, but they're both a-holes.

As a weird English chap I kind of agree with this, Audi didn't do much wrong, just wanted to nip round the cyclists before oncoming traffic blocked him. Really no reason to scream into the fellows window, I was expecting Boris Johnson to sidle up anytime.

[Bkat]

Todays lesson.... mouthy cyclists who can't take care of themselves should keep quiet unless they want a beatdown.

I'll hope you're sensible enough not to think that the driver assaulting the cyclist was in any way justifiable. :no:

[vqdriver]

We have bike boxes in Canada. They are designed to provide a place at the head of the line of traffic for bicycles to stop, safely, and get priority.

Cars are not allowed to intrude into bike boxes.

so you share a lane while moving but cut to the front when at a stop and make all the cars pass you again when the light turns? hmmmmm... i like the sentiment but seems like it would quickly become a "target" box in the states.

[therealpeel]

Yeah,..I try to avoid confrontations with cars and their drivers. Doesn't win us any friends and they have a really big fast stick to kill me with.

Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk

[bcroslin]

Not sure why the cyclist felt like he needed to scream at the driver. I'd say he's lucky he only got pushed over. Not condoning the drivers behavior but I'm not sure what the cyclist thought would happen if he screamed through the windshield like that.

[Anarchist]

so you share a lane while moving but cut to the front when at a stop and make all the cars pass you again when the light turns? hmmmmm... i like the sentiment but seems like it would quickly become a "target" box in the states.

Right turns by motor vehicles are not allowed where there is a bike box, so right hooks are reduced. Cyclists better positioned to make left turns and allows traffics to move more smoothly when light goes green again. Of course, they are best paired with meaningful bike lanes, and relatively courteous drivers.

[Climb01742]

FWIW, the Top Gear boys often say that the biggest pricks in London drive Audis.

[gdw]

"I'll hope you're sensible enough not to think that the driver assaulting the cyclist was in any way justifiable."


Justifiable, no... but if you use that kind of language when confronting a stranger than you best be prepared for things to escalate.

Did you swear at the driver with the mystery plates before your altercation?
:banana:

[vqdriver]

Fwiw. I don't necessarily know that this is a driver vs cyclist deal. Seems more like a jerk vs impatient jerk to me.

[bloody sunday]

FWIW, the Top Gear boys often say that the biggest pricks in London drive Audis.

that's funny considering the now infamous picture posted by Jezza recently

[Bkat]

"I'll hope you're sensible enough not to think that the driver assaulting the cyclist was in any way justifiable."


Justifiable, no... but if you use that kind of language when confronting a stranger than you best be prepared for things to escalate.

Did you swear at the driver with the mystery plates before your altercation?
:banana:

You really like that dancing banana.

Anyways, to answer your question, I did not swear at the driver before my altercation. Nor did I have any contact with him prior to him punching me in the head. Nor did I instigate it. If you'll recall since you've commented on it, he came up from behind after I'd been knocked down by another car. Most likely, he bore a grudge against anyone on a bike and saw his opportunity to act tough. Fortunately, I'm good at ducking.

What I do have a problem with is mindless violence being in any way, shape, or form, considered normal or inevitable. Like the 23 year old woman that was beaten to death (http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0122-nightclub-beating-20140122,0,3486011.story#axzz2r9TuJ7HW) last weekend. There simply is no excuse and no way to justify physical violence as a response to being called a nasty name.

[rustychisel]

Silly on one side, mean and aggressive on the other.

London's pretty much like that with all those narrow and winding antediluvian streets (hence the congestion charge in an attempt to try and reduce vehicular traffic).

Anyway, bit of a shame it didn't involve a 30lb bike being dropped and scraped over every panel of the Audi (it's true as a generalisation, Audi drivers are cocks).

[Fixed]

We have bike boxes in Canada. They are designed to provide a place at the head of the line of traffic for bicycles to stop, safely, and get priority.

Cars are not allowed to intrude into bike boxes.

Montreal has this
San Francisco has bike lanes and bike trails and most drivers here are respectful to bikes
Cheers

[druptight]

so you share a lane while moving but cut to the front when at a stop and make all the cars pass you again when the light turns? hmmmmm... i like the sentiment but seems like it would quickly become a "target" box in the states.

We have these at some intersections in Boston too, especially where the bike lane crosses sides of the road - which is stupid, but does happen in Boston. Don't ask my how you're supposed to cross if you hit these intersections with a green light. I still haven't figured out their intention on that one.

[cinema]

Just carry some AA batteries and wait for the car to pass. throw batteries. win.

[ultraman6970]

With so many people riding a bicycle how is that car drivers can't get used to it?

There is a reason why frame air pumps are very useful :D

[Bob Ross]

Just carry some AA batteries and wait for the car to pass. throw batteries. win.

Tell me more...

[bcroslin]

FWIW, the Top Gear boys often say that the biggest pricks in London drive Audis.

I thought it was BMW's?!

[oldpotatoe]

FWIW, the Top Gear boys often say that the biggest pricks in London drive Audis.

I thought they think the biggest pricks in London ride bikes...

[redir]

Two wrongs don't make a right. I'm surprised the cyclist didn't fight back though. Maybe at that point he realized .... Oh Sh**

[ultraman6970]

I would had been all the way over those tail lights and ride to the sunset against the traffic, done!

Thought years ago about the batteries, too heavy to carry them but I guess if i was using a backpack,,, hmmm... perfect idea...

The day a judge starts forcing this type of drivers to ride a bicycle for at least 3 months this attitudes won't change.

[Bkat]

The day a judge starts forcing this type of drivers to ride a bicycle for at least 3 months this attitudes won't change.
Now that's a suitable punishment!

[Schmed]

> driver does something wrong (drives into bike box)
> cyclist yells at driver
> driver responds by pushing over cyclist
> cyclist doesn't respond

Driver is clearly wrong. Shouldn't respond to words with violence - especially when he was wrong in the first place.

People just snap too quickly anymore.

[Zoodles]

turn up the sound guys, the audi is revving his engine while sitting behind the bikes, which are waiting where the law deems appropriate.

Aiming a deadly weapon (the car) at another person, regardless of their mode of transport, deserves a punch in the face. The angry cyclist should be better prepared next time.

[ColonelJLloyd]

what's the bike box for? is like a waiting area for cyclists?

We have a couple as "pilots". http://www.louisvilleky.gov/BikeLouisville/IWantTo/6-18-13bikeboxes.htm

http://www.louisvilleky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/0339616E-D9FE-4399-8615-C44E305A72BA/0/bikeboxlg.jpg

[AJosiahK]

Thats crazy. Interesting about the bike boxes. Awaiting the day when American citys adopt European bike systems. I live outside of Boston, and here too Audis tend to be the more aggressive of drivers. Weird how that is.

Ride Safe guys!

[cookietom]

Who had the road rage, biker or driver?

[cinema]

I would had been all the way over those tail lights and ride to the sunset against the traffic, done!

Thought years ago about the batteries, too heavy to carry them but I guess if i was using a backpack,,, hmmm... perfect idea...

The day a judge starts forcing this type of drivers to ride a bicycle for at least 3 months this attitudes won't change.

batteries are an old messenger thing i learned from bay area messengers.

you comment about making drivers ride a bike for a few months is seriously the best thing i've ever read.

[ultraman6970]

Yeah man, the issue is that judges gives them no punishment at all, they go free of driving even if they kill a cyclist. Maybe a letter saying... "you are a very bad guy" but besides that nothing. The day any judge starts applying punishments as simple as forcing this suckers to ride a bike to work for 2 or 3 months they won't know how it feels for them not to be respected because are the lighter vehicle.

Is not necessary to get the guy in jail, put his life in danger for a 3 months riding to work in a bike and I bet you that he will see the picture way different after a week.

Same with drunks that ran over cyclist, generally they go free. Jail is not a punishment good enough IMO. Put their ass in a bike for 6 months, they will think it over and over again before ran a cyclist or even drink.

[Neil]

We had a load of fatalities in London toward the end of last year (heavy goods vehicles crushing cyclists, basically).

There was a lot of attention in the media, and the Police responded with an epic victim-blaming campaign- they were given a target for the number of tickets they had to issue to cyclists.

Meanwhile the head of the Metropolitan Police went on national TV to say that he understood that people might have to use a bicycle if they were too poor to use the bus.

Nothing -absolutely nothing at all- will happen to the fat chap in the beige slacks who jumped out of the back of that Audi to hit the cyclist whose foot had been run over at the start of the video.

The police in London are bone-idle, they'll take the path of least resistance and refuse to investigate any incident involving a bike unless there is a) harm requiring hospitalisation, b) multiple witnesses and c) legal action from the victim forcing them to take action.

In this case there was a camera, and hopefully someone familiar with the incident will spot the car parked somewhere and set fire to it.

[zap]

I'm missing something.

What use is a bike box that's the width of a lane if the traffic light turns green for everyone at the same time. In other countries, the light turns green for cyclists (who are in a bike lane) first then several seconds later green for motorists.