Uber driver 'knocks out disabled cyclist' in Central London

On a related note, if any fellow disabled cyclists are reading this, there's a survey here for you:

https://twitter.com/WfWnews/status/824923092485025792

Previous surveys have indicated that cycling is much easier than walking for many with mobility restrictions - I certainly agree with this. 

Crippledbiker - hope that you can get back on wheels ASAP. I know the frustration of being housebound.

(I'm fortunate that my bike is a standard, off-the-shelf number, although I'm currently struggling with the fit - been riding it for years and started to get aches and pains I've not had before. Not sure what's gone wrong - probably my body throwing another spanner in the works.)

My view is that Uber and minicabs should be banned. Taxis should be heavily regulated and should have their private hire licenses temporarily suspended if they have a collision etc. but also have permanent bans across the whole country so they can't just move to a different area. 

As a nation we need better public transport, especially in rural areas but also for disabled and elderly people. Get them out of cars and onto the buses or bikes!

@CrippledBiker

Three months without wheels - that's a bummer. Titanium and carbon fibre?  Sounds like it was a pretty specialised chair.

As psling says, be careful what you post and good luck with the court case.

I am the cyclist in this incident.

It was not an accident that he drove me into another car, it was intentional.

Just before this, at the part where you cross the A40 over to Endell Street, he had come into my lane and drifted progressively further left, before coming close enough, ignoring my horn and the horn of the taxi behind me, that I felt it necessary to slap the side of his car to warn him I was there. I have almost a meter of bike in front of me, if I can slap your car then you've knocked a normal bike over.
He then stopped at the top of Endell Street, waited until I passed him, the rammed into my wheelchair and got out to attack me.

I did not slap his bonnet. But I did use it to pull myself out and the push off.

Bastard destroyed my wheelchair, currently stuck at home.

As soon as I saw the article I knew it would be a Prius. It's not the cars themselves but they are the biggest danger to cyclists in London. I used to complain every time I cycled to work that a Prius or two had nearly taken me out and then someone told me that they were all Uber drivers. I had to remonstrate with one last week who u-turned in my path and then claimed that he "was indicating" and therefore it was my fault that I had to brake hard and swerve to avoid him. The guy just had no concept of right-of-way.

I'm guessing he never passed a UK driving test either....

What I really dislike about uber is that it washes its hands of responsibility when it owes a duty of care to all road users in putting so many more bad drivers on the road.

I was hit by one of them last june when the guy saw me and decided to pull out of the junction and turn right across me in a sort of "might is right manouevre" and knocked me off. He then drove off  and tried to make a getaway but thankfully the incident was witnessed by the police and he was reeled in pretty quickly.

He was prosecuted and I offered him the chance of retaking his test and no further action. The unrepentant bastard declined, plead not guilty and was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident (the met couldn't be arsed to prosecute him for dangerous driving). He got fined a few hundred quid and given 5 points but he's still on the road and no better driver for any of this.

I very much doubt that the man concerned had ever passed a test in the UK (he appeared to have no awareness of his obligations at all) yet he is still able to ply his trade.

My point is that it is past time uber are allowed to just look the other way when it comes to safety and standards and I hope that someone takes them to court sooner rather than later or we'll keep getting more repugnant stories like this one.  Above all, I hope that the cyclist recovers soon and is able to resume his daily life after a deeply unpleasant incident.

“I ran round and pulled him off. And everything was calm for a couple of seconds"

Snigger

‘look what you made me do’

standard excuse of a psychopath...

"...cyclists are clusterfucking this guy like I've never seen before. It's like a swarm of bees."

this guy has very unusual taste in nature porn!

I'm unsure why the second story is tacked onto the first one, maybe to lighten the heavy tone with this comedy account from a total knob - bit inappropriate.

No doubt the culprit will get a 40 hours community service order at worst. It wouldn't surprise me if he's one of those long history of violence types that goes to court and gets told it's his last chance every time because they can't be arsed sending people to jail anymore. 

I'd also erased that 'geezer' literature from my mind until you reprinted the Guy Richtie of blogs. It's like the script for some shit betting advert. 

That is seriously low

Well done to the intervening witness, let's hope we have a judge with the balls to dish out an appropriate sentence.