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Cyclists sign and London cab (copyright Simon MacMichael)Cyclist climbs on taxi bonnet in protest during argument
Cycling in London can, at times, be a tense experience, and no less so for one cyclist who, after an apparent altercation with a taxi driver this week, decided to get off his bike and climb on the cab's bonnet in protest.
Photos taken by passersby show the incident, which took place on the Mall, in which the cyclist apparently abandoned his bike in front of the cab after a disagreement, before standing on the taxi bonnet peering in at the driver, and then sitting down, leaning back against the windscreen.
Police on bicycles were stationed nearby, and arrived at the incident, a few metres from the Buckingham Palace gates, shortly after the man climbed on the cab bonnet. Both men were allowed to go after a few words of advice.
- Cycle Superhighway outside Buckingham Palace gets go-ahead
One witness is reported by the Express as saying: "I was in my car waiting to cross at the lights when I saw the cyclist cut right in front of the taxi.
'He jumped off his bike - leaving it directly in the driver's path - and climbed onto the bonnet."
"Once on top of the cab, he sat down and exchanged words with the man - who looked almost as shocked as the tourists heading towards Buckingham Palace."
The man cycling was apparently complaining the taxi driver had given him a rude gesture.
- Taxi drivers' Cycle Superhighways challenge dubbed "desperate" and "unmeritorious"
Two people, believed to be a mother and son, are reported to have left the taxi during the incident without paying.
One lane of the Mall was blocked during the incident.
Yesterday it was announced a section of East-West Cycle Superhighway that runs past Buckingham Palace has been given the go-ahead after months of talks with the Royal Parks, which will encourage riders to use a parallel road from the Mall.
Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decadeâs experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britainâs National Cycle Network.
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24 comments
The comments on the article are actually pretty funny when you read them. What they lack in critical analysis skills they make up in 'mashing the keyboard with own face' skills.
I don't find them funny, the level of stupid is making my head hurt, most of these people drive cars.
The Express claims the photos show the man "lumping" on the cab's bonnet.
Doesn't sound good, would take a good hose down to clean off probably.
Do you guys really believe this is all over a rude gesture? I strongly suspect something else happened just prior to that eg. taxi driver did a u-turn in front of the cyclist. Judging by the number of factual errors and generally sloppiness of the Express article - it reads like it was written by the work experience intern - I'd say there's a lot of incorrect and missing information in this story.
That picture linked above has the look of a cabbie about to do a U-turn.
That cyclist would get a free drink from me, f*****g hate cab drivers.
Express comments make me laugh. I wonder if these plebs blame all motorists on the actions of a few who's road rage antics makes the press
Good skills from the taxi passengers to take the opportunity to leave without paying.
I really should know better by now than to scroll to the bottom of a Daily Express / Mail article to read the comments.
I'm never quite sure whether the Express or Mail qualifies as the most elaborately decorated bog roll.
Rule 5 and ride on.
There are more important things to get worked up about than a rude gesture.
The taxi is in a very strange position.
http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/590x/secondary/The-cyclist...
I agree, but as we can all agree the true crime here is the use of a tablet to take a photo on the right. Just use your phone already! Better yet, don't take a photo at all.
Worse, I think it might be a phablet...
However the true crime is the mis-use of the word "already" in such a dreadful Americanism! Put your own house in order first!
True, but then you'd need to look at your use of the vile portmanteau that is "phablet"...
About to do a U-turn?
Why should he have to handle anything?
That is taking things a bit far... If you can't handle a finger flip or a little verbal abuse, you shouldn't be riding in London.
I fail to see how a non-violent protest (i.e. sitting on the taxi) is taking things a bit far. It sounds to me like a very reasonable way of getting your point across without anyone getting hurt.
If you can't handle someone sitting on your bonnet, then you shouldn't be driving in London.
There are right ways and wrong ways of making a point. Touch my bike when I'm riding and that's unacceptable. Touch my car when I'm driving and it's unacceptable. Climbing on the car - grow up.
If I can touch your car, you're too damn close.
Touching your bike while your riding is unacceptable because there's a realistic chance you could fall or be forced to swerve, and also its very close to touching you. I'm not sure I see why touching your car should be unacceptable.
The article is all hearsay without anything that is verifiable. Not even anything from the taxi driver or the cyclist and the Express can never be relied on to be an authoritative source of information, yet you seem to be confident that you know exactly what happened.
Good on you.
typical sloppy anti-cyclist reporting from the Express, the guy is wearing baggy shorts quite clearly.