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news
Priory Lane road rage driver Jason Wells delivers a threatening tiradeLocal paper identifies extreme road rage driver as SW London cafe chain owner
A local newspaper has identified a motorist who was filmed unleashing an expletive-laden rant against a cyclist near Richmond Park as a master butcher and south west London coffee shop owner – with his business now facing a backlash from cyclists on social media.
The Richmond & Twickenham Times says that the Land Rover driver featured in the YouTube video we reported on yesterday is Jason Wells, owner of the Brew café chain, with outlets in Clapham, Putney, Wandsworth and Wimbledon. His representatives are making no comment at this time.
The business is due to open new branches in Chiswick and Kew according to the newspaper, which besides accompanying its article with a still from the video filmed in March this year, also has a picture taken from his Twitter profile of Mr Wells in a calmer moment … albeit posing with a meat cleaver.
The location of the chain’s outlets means it is popular with cyclists in the south west of the capital heading to or from Richmond Park or further afield – although some are reconsidering whether they should continue to give it their custom, according to these tweets.
@brew_cafe used to be my favourite too. @annasykes @mattb80 & I used to spend ££ there every Saturday brunch. Not any more. We're cyclists
— Pablo Burt (@Pablo_Burt) June 1, 2015
@simonbromley remarkable given Brew on LRR is FULL of cyclists paying £20 a pop for brunch every day. I'm one of them. If it's him, obvs...
— Pablo Burt (@Pablo_Burt) June 1, 2015
@Pablo_Burt @brew_cafe What a plonker. Not going into any of those cafes again!!
— rogerbarr (@rogerbarr) June 1, 2015
In case you missed our story yesterday, here’s the video again – we should warn you, it contains extreme language, so not one to watch at work with the sound turned up.
The Richmond & Twickenham Times says that a spokeswoman for Samphire Communications, speaking on behalf of Mr Wells, said she was “not confirming” whether or not it was him in the video, adding “ and “There will be no comment at this time.”
The cyclist who shot the footage said that the motorist involved has been fined for committing a public order offence.
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.
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136 comments
My parents live on Priory Lane and I'm not surprised to see this kind of altercation (not that I am defending the actions of the driver in any way).
About 15 years ago the council in their wisdom reduced the width of the road to put a cycle lane on the pavement. A few issues with that...
1) The cycle lane is too tight for 2 way cycling traffic and cyclists frequently have to stray onto the pedestrian element of the pavement to pass each other safely
2) You have to cut across 2 lanes of traffic on the main road to get on the cycle lane at the bottom, and then again at the top by Bank lane unless you want to be diverted down bank lane and around the houses to the park - at which point you have to cut across 2 lanes again to enter the park
3) By putting the cycle lane on the pavement pedestrians now cannot walk along the pavement side by side as 1 of them will be walking in the cycle lane (a matter made worse by the overgrowing shrubs on the pavement wall) or if 2 pedestrians pass in opposite directions. In fact in many places there is literally no pavement left for pedestrians, because of the overgrown shrubs, and they are forced into the path of cyclists travelling at 15+ mph at times.
4) The road is now so narrow that 2 cars passing cyclists on each side of the road would have a head on collision because cars are forced into the middle of the road to pass a cyclist
5) Since they installed this wonder they have now put in a pointless mini roundabout by the Priory and 2 speed humps in the lane also making it even harder.
Basically pedestrians, cyclists and drivers have all been compromised by the ridiculous layout. I told the council that back then, and that I thought it would lead to big issues and even a serious accident one day, but the genius at the council wouldn't be told. They were very proud of their solution. Idiots!
Personally I wouldn't be threatened by someone in a gimp outfit who is smaller than my 6 year old daughter.
That driver was very aggressive. If that cyclist had punched the guy or pulled and gun and shot him; if I were on the jury I would acquit him under self defense.
If you have a home contents insurance policy you will have personal liability insurance (occupiers liability) this will cover you for third party liability for cycling on the road, or anywhere else. normally cover is for up to 2 million but some times more.
How on earth has that tiny man avoided being charged with an offence?!?
Threatening behaviour, public disorder, blocking the highway, being a twat.
His actions were appalling.
Have to wonder if his wife and kids are subjected to that kind of abuse if they upset him.
Fair points, except this one - overtaking another car "forces" drivers into the adjacent lane. Not just the middle of the road. Surprisingly enough, that's what the Highway Code demands of drivers regardless of the vehicle they overtake, including bicycles. Anyone who doesn't change lanes when overtaking a cyclist is nothing but a careless twunt who ignores the Highway Code.
No, you won't. Don't assume that this is the case. You need to check that the policy also include Personal Liability as well as Property Owners as they're 2 different things and not all policies include both.
Property Owners Liability covers you for an incident to a third party within your home or on the grounds of your property where it can be shown that your negligence has caused it. You injure somebody on the street 50 miles away? Tough, you're on your own.
Personal Liability covers third party damage or bodily injury caused by you. You injure somebody on the street 50 miles away? This will help.
Priory Lane goes to nowhere. Or more precisely, it goes into Richmond Park via the Roehampton Gate. The council wants to keep drivers on the A205 (Upper Richmond Road) or the A306 (Roehampton Lane). It is trying to discourage the use of the Priory Lane/Clarence Lane cut through to Roehampton/the A3 or Priory Lane and through Richmond Park. Narrowing Priory Lane (aka using cyclists as moving speed control devices) adding mini roundabouts and speed humps (as well as those bollards at the foot of Clarence Lane) are all designed to make Priory Lane unappealing as a means of saving time. I don't have cause to use the A205 end of Priory Lane any more so I can't comment on whether this has had the desired effect.
I don't ride this road as much as I used to. But it is terrible road planning. I seem to remember the frustrations of drivers who find the combination of road bumps and cyclists a massively slowing set of obstacles. They can't do anything about speed bumps, but cyclists they can. It used to feel like cyclists were not particularly aware or sympathetic to the cars at times. Anyway, if they address the road layout that might prevent more of the above confrontations.
Loved the scales, little prick in a big car.
@anarchobarista makes for an interesting read. Karma is a bitch.
https://twitter.com/anarchobarista
Cocaine is a hell of a drug
He should experience the full force of the law and the judicial system
trying to work out how anyone can justify a puncture repair for £12 ... Got to be some pretty dumb cyclist to do that !
Even Halfords charged me only a fiver (inc. inner tube) when I forgot my tools once and had one.
Pah, he's an amateur. Round our way the nuns are tougher than him.
I'm not going to condone what the driver did, but is the cyclist ANY better? You cannot complain about not having enough cycle lanes then not use them simply because it is inconvenient!
The cycle lanes are there FOR A REASON! If you don't want to use them fine - but then you CANNOT complain about the lack of them!
Maybe if cyclists paid a tax as other road users have to, then more cycle lanes would be made available!
If you look at the video the CYCLIST started the verbal abuse!
You CANNOT have it both ways!
Can you all hold for two minutes before replying to the newly registered psgm. I'm going to need tea and biscuits.
Whilst the driver of the 4x4 is an obvious bell end the cyclist doesn't come out of this with any positives, as has been pointed out he was effing and jeffing as much as the bell end.
That in itself is a public order offence, to make matters worse he doesn't have his say and leave he continues the verbally abusive tirade against bell end, thereby inflaming the situation even more.
I have no issue naming and shaming dicks like bell end but cyclists can't take the higher moral ground behaving in the way he did. And yes I have had similar bell ends do the same to me whilst riding.
Is he the love child of Bill Bailey and Neil Ruddock by any chance?
Heh. I've just watched the video for the first time. As someone said in the other thread it's a shame no one pinched the keys out of his car while he was giving it all that and hurled them over the hedge...
Can't help thinking that he's off his tits on coke, watching his behaviour...
Just goes to confirm my view that people who drive this type of huge 4x4 off road vehicle in an urban environment and who use them to intimidate and frighten other road users are complete tossers.
I hope his business fails and that he and his spawn lose everything.
And he speaks!
(via Evening Standard)
Here's our friend Jason showing us around his lovely home in the local property rag;
http://www.theresident.co.uk/homes-interiors/modern-real-home-richmond/
I'm guessing he might be seeking a lower profile for the next few years though.
actually credit to him or his PR for a statement that blames only himself, the right thing to do.
Paul, I just take the words on face value and what he has said for me means he publically has taken the stick and the blame.
Threats to kill, to break some one's neck, of extreme violence, …………
Jason Wells who owns Brew Cafe a very angry and nasty individual. Do not cross him as he severe anger management issues.
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I have 'Righteous indignation about poor cycle infrastructure'
or how about some 'bully drivers, driving badly'
I also have a special on 'pedantic but correct comments on VED' guaranteed to go right over the head of the Car tax crowd!
I also have plenty of ' Cycle helmet saved my life'... opps, sorry - wrong topic!
Troll feed, Troll feed. Get your Troll feed here.
Fair to say he has mixed publicity in the independent today.
I would pay to see his reaction to the comments under this article.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/reviews/londons-b...
Why not DEPORT Mr Wells as he is Australian? Or would this infringe his human rights which he denied to the cyclist?
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