A Manchester cyclist who uploaded footage of an angry pedestrian to YouTube has discovered that the man in question is known to a number of cyclists in the area and apparently screams abuse at them regularly.
The video, shot by Joe Silver, show a female cyclist riding ahead of him, travelling south along the Wilmslow Road Cycleway.
As the cycle lane cuts behind a bus stop outside the Friendship Inn in Fallowfield, a man, who has been standing in the lane, makes as if to cross in her path.
She veers around him and he then mutters a muffled complaint to Silver, as he passes. “That’s nice. What a lovely person you are,” he replies.
The argument continues and the man says: "If that bike would've injured me I'd have fucking put her in hospital." Keen to launch a couple of stones from his glass house, he adds: "and you with her, you baldy cunt."
International Business Times reports that when the video was posted to Reddit, a number of other users recognised the man.
One said: “I see that guy on Oxford Road all of the time yelling at cyclists. He really hates cyclists for some reason. I've seen him shouting ‘I hope you fucking get hit by that car!’ to random people going past. Never met someone walking who hated cyclists that much.”
Another added: “He walked out in front of me just before Christmas just down the road. Utter bellend. Next time I'll be aiming for him.”
Some suggest that the nature of the bus stop bypass may be part of the issue, with one saying: “I hate the way cyclists use that part of Fallowfield; the entrance to a massive supermarket and a bus stop - then suddenly you're ‘in the road’.”
Add new comment
26 comments
There's some places where floating bus stops and recessed cycle lanes work really well. This is not one of them. Too much foot traffic, and too much potential for pedestrian/cyclist conflict like this. The one further up opposite Whitworth Park is similarly pants.
It's ten minutes up the road from me, and when I have to use it (as rarely as possible), I just take the road section. Safer and quicker.
This is partly due to poor cycling infrastructure and a failure of planners to realise how busy this section is.
However, this guy clearly has ahate towards cyclisst. Hate crime? Public order offence?
a1white
Fair call. When I watched it it looked like she tried to squeeze between a pedestrian and the wwaste bin while the pedestrian was trying to walk to the bus stop. But on closer look, nope, Angryman was trying to obstruct her
Not entirely sure I can speak for her, but knowing what some women riders have to put up with on the roads I'd say that when faced with an aggressive looking gent stepping towards her the emphasis is to get away, not stop and be at a disadvantage.
This guy needs help, or an attitude adjustment. Clearly a breach of the peace and an ASBO awaiting to be awarded, he's deliberately nasty and offensive.
If he was standing in the road looking for confrontation with cars all the time i think the system would have processed him by now, but because he's only aggrieving cyclists nothing has been done.
That silly man needs a Superman fist on a ride by, what a total bell.
Had some very angry guy shout at me to slow down in Hammersmith the other day.
Not sure why. I wasn't going fast at all. He just seemed to be very angry.
Classic Fordist tactic. Place cyclists and pedestrians in conflict with each other while ignoring the real problem of motor dominance: note the vast reserve of dual carriageway for motoring on the right.
If separatist infrastructure is ever going to be a good idea in European cities with pre-20th street dimensioning, then take the space off the motors, not poor elderly pedestrians tottering off to pick up their pensions. I'm not surprised that bloke is fed up. Just say no to pavement cycling.
cycle-ped-conflict-illus.png
Border line mentally ill I'd say, and as such doesn't deserve to be posted on the internet for his behaviour. Not helpful for anyone.
Watching the cyclist's approach to the 'floating' bus stop, if I was that pedestrian and that happened to me every day, I'd be pretty fuk't off by the 3rd day....
Alternative headline: "Shit design of bike path and lack of care by cyclist triggers personality disorder in pedestrian".... Just not as catchy
What did the cyclist do wrong? She wasn't going fast and she was ringing her bell to warn of her approach. He watched her coming and stepped out to try to cause a confrontation.
What it really needs is for the next person instead of saying "What a lovely human being you are." is to give him a slap.
I'm fed up with all this shit. It's time to fight back - HARD.
I agree with David Moyes here..
Daily Mail shortly after... "Cyclist assaults mentally ill pensioner"
We'll never win.
Double post - only happens here though.
There were denizens of south Manchester exactly like that 30 years ago when I was a student.
Plus ça change...
Mentally ill? Without discernible provocation he rains down verbal aggression on others, apparently fixed on one inexplicable theme over time. He is routinely inappropriately agitated but is not reported to escalate to physical aggression. He derides someone else for a trait he seems oblivious to in himself. And there's something atypical to his prosody. He could be psychotic enough to stick out but well enough or well-supported enough to stay clean and nourished. As a cyclist I was angered by his behavior but I hope I would have responded as did the cameraman: use mild humor, keep moving.
This is just a guess. Equally possible he's an honorary alt-right bile cannon.
I don't have a problem with the design of the cycle lane from what I've seen on the video - it's better than any round my way, because it has some kerb/bollard protection.
I know some people dislike floating bus stops, but it seems to me they work ok, except if someone on foot stands in the cycle lane because they are deliberately looking for confrontation.
SO when he calls the cyclist a baldy c**t, are we to assume that he doesn't have a mirror, or that he does and doesn't realise that it's himself he's seeing, like a dog. Or that he gets called baldy c**t a lot, has no clue what it actually means, and just blurts it out at other people as he thinks it's something offensive.
I notice that he appears to have had his nose altered susequent to his birth date. Possibly an "abrasive" person generally, might be relevant?
Write to your MP saying that the general atmosphere of animosity to cyclists is a source of disunity at a time when the nation is supposed to be 'pulling together' and that it is making you think about taking your skills and expertise elsewhere in the world.
it's Manchester - that is the local MP!
Haven't seen the video but is it Chris Grayling or Lord Carlisle?
Daily Mail journalist?
Sorry, by "journalist" I mean scribbler of random insults that would disgrace a ten year old child, not that they were an honorable reporter of facts.
No, too polite for that.
He needs a close pass.
Two observations:
1) What a poor design of a cycle lane
2) What a poor design of a human being