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National champion Adam Blythe "almost ran off the road" by driver - and is made to apologise by policeAdam Blythe (credit Aqua Blue Sports).JPG

National champion Adam Blythe "almost ran off the road" by driver - and is made to apologise by police

Aqua Blue rider was told to say sorry to motorist for calling him a "stupid old man"...
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, Jun 02, 2017 15:45
42

British national road champion Adam Blythe is the latest pro cyclist to have taken to social media to protest about poor driving.

The Aqua Blue rider posted a series of three tweets this morning in which he revealed he had called the police after he was “almost ran off the road” by a motorist.

But rather than taking action against the driver, police made Blythe apologise to the couple in the car for having called the motorist a “stupid old man.”

The 27-year-old from Sheffield did not reveal whereabouts the incident happened.

The incident comes days after FDJ pro rider Davide Cimolai revealed that he had been knocked off his bike while riding near his home in Italy – where Astana’s Michele Scarponi was killed in a collision involving a van in April.

> FDJ pro’s safety plea after driver knocks him off bike in Italy

Last month, Tour de France champion Chris Froome said he had been deliberately rammed by a hit and run driver while on a training ride in the South of France.

> Chris Froome back on the bike day after being rammed by driver

The Team Sky rider was unhurt, but his Pinarello bike was written off.

Adam Blythe
close pass
Simon MacMichael

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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42 comments

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brooksby replied to Rapha Nadal | 7 years ago
0 likes
Rapha Nadal wrote:

One does wonder what "evidence" is required for the police to actually do anything.

House of Commons parking space voucher, police warrant card, "a special handshake": that sort of thing...

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KevM | 7 years ago
8 likes

Plod need to realise that screaming at drivers is a knee jerk reaction. When someone is close to causing you injury or taking your life, a massive dump of adrenaline needs to go somewhere and chances are it isn't going to be in a polite manner.

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mikecassie | 7 years ago
1 like

Similar response by the police, different incident though.  I'd a woman reverse into my car, we were stopped on the approach to a pedestrain crossing and the car in front of here wanted to reverse park, so she simply went into reverse, didn't look to see if there was anyone behind her!  I leaned on my horn as there was a car behind me and she eventually stopped.  

I got out and was a bit angry, not overly angry but angry as anyone would be if their two week old car gets reversed into.  The passenger was a gobby cow and gave me a heap of abuse, even tried to say I'd drove into them!  By then I'd composed myself as I saw there was no damage, she just touched the number plate but it was sooo close.

Went to the police straight away incase they tried to say I had drove into their car.  The forearm tattoos and vest look of the women didn't give me any confidence of their honesty.  So once the police had spoke with them and sorted things out they called me back and first thing he said was "you were rather angry when you approached them"  I did say I wasn't exactly over the moon but in the circumstances I was fair.  

So it seems in the eyes of the law, you can't swear or question peoples abilities even when they damage you or your property.  It's all fucked up.

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Zebulebu replied to mikecassie | 7 years ago
6 likes
mikecassie wrote:

Similar response by the police, different incident though.  I'd a woman reverse into my car, we were stopped on the approach to a pedestrain crossing and the car in front of here wanted to reverse park, so she simply went into reverse, didn't look to see if there was anyone behind her!  I leaned on my horn as there was a car behind me and she eventually stopped.  

I got out and was a bit angry, not overly angry but angry as anyone would be if their two week old car gets reversed into.  The passenger was a gobby cow and gave me a heap of abuse, even tried to say I'd drove into them!  By then I'd composed myself as I saw there was no damage, she just touched the number plate but it was sooo close.

Went to the police straight away incase they tried to say I had drove into their car.  The forearm tattoos and vest look of the women didn't give me any confidence of their honesty.  So once the police had spoke with them and sorted things out they called me back and first thing he said was "you were rather angry when you approached them"  I did say I wasn't exactly over the moon but in the circumstances I was fair.  

So it seems in the eyes of the law, you can't swear or question peoples abilities even when they damage you or your property.  It's all fucked up.

Classic copper tactic. See any argument between two parties as a 'domestic' and instantly try to apportion blame equally on both sides, shake hands and move on - largely as a result of:

a - not wanting to fill out a load of paperwork
b - not wanting to do any work in general

Vast generalisation there, but I speak from personal experience on dealing with the Police on a number of occasions for various things

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Jimmy Ray Will replied to Zebulebu | 7 years ago
2 likes
Zebulebu wrote:

Classic copper tactic. See any argument between two parties as a 'domestic' and instantly try to apportion blame equally on both sides, shake hands and move on - largely as a result of:

a - not wanting to fill out a load of paperwork
b - not wanting to do any work in general

Vast generalisation there, but I speak from personal experience on dealing with the Police on a number of occasions for various things

To be fair to the police, rather thanit being a case they don't want to do any work, the reality os they don't want to waste time dealing with 'work' that will ultimately go no where. 

In the case of Adam Blythe, without evidence, it was his word against the couples, which will not lead to any conviction for anything, if there was anything that could be taken further anyway.

In the case of the example above... woman doesn't cause damage to another car... words were exchanged. 

Where can things go from there? 

Seems an effective tactic to start laying the blame on the person raising the issue, as it will, in all likelihood, get that person to get back in their box.

I remember getting t-boned by a landrover once, as it pulled out into my right of way on a mini roundabout. The police were very quick to tell me that I should think carefully before persuing the matter as everything suggested my speed was not appropriate for the junction.

On reflection, after taking their 'advice' and not taking the matter further, I am not sure how my speed could possibly have been judged. The driver saying he thought I was going too fast would suggest they had seen me. whether my speed was appropriate or not, the fact would be that they had misjudged my speed, or deliberately moved into my path.

Anyway,I digress. 

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WillRod | 7 years ago
10 likes

I would refuse to apologise.

 

The UK seems to have become more aggressive. Another cyclist on Facebook was cycling along a shared use path by a canal and slowed behind an elderly couple as they went under a bridge, he rang his bell which was ignored, he then rung again and the old man squared up to him saying he heard the bell the first time and that he was being rude. 

 

Ive bought a mountain bike so I can generally avoid the dodgy drivers, but will still ride on the road, but try to avoid busy times and areas.

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don simon fbpe | 7 years ago
11 likes

What an absolute load of bollocks! Having to apologise to an old duffer for having a pop at him... No wonder people feel they can treat cyclists like shit.

Had a fella stop and bark at me after I'd given him the finger. He was on the wrong side of the road and essentially driving directly at me. Obviously my fault.

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Zebulebu | 7 years ago
10 likes

It's definitely getting worse out there. I used to think that was just a lot of hype, but in the past few months I've started to see more and more shitty behaviour from motorists on my training rides. I used to only see this when I was on club runs in large groups (angry twats not wanting to spend thirty seconds behind a group of cyclists has always been a problem and didn't get invented in the past few years) or when commuting (car drivers during the rush hour have never been noted for being courteous) but have, in the past four/five months:

Been close passed at least 20 times - two of those within six inches at 25mph (me)/50 mph (them)
Had four unprovoked attempts to run me off the road simply because I was on a narrow lane
Had two incidents where someone has thrown something at me out of the passenger side window, presumably 'for a laugh'
Had two lots of four shitbags in a clapped out banger intimidate me by driving up alongside me during an interval and revving their engine, leaning out of the window to try and grab my bars, flick fag butts at me and/or try and squeeze me into an approaching parked car
That's on top of someone attempting to kill me by opening his door on me whilst the car was moving because (his words when confronted by a witness) he 'didn't like cyclists'

I don't know what the solution is, but it's not pleasant

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bstock | 7 years ago
9 likes

I've only bothered contacting the police once about a driver but the officer taking the statement seemed far more interested in my admission that I'd responded with verbal abuse than the fact that the driver had deliberately drove into me. Nothing happened of course it was a waste of time.

 

Seems a standard police reaction that cyclists responding with less than temperate language are a bigger problem than the aggressive drivers who deliberately target them.

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Redvee replied to bstock | 7 years ago
6 likes
bstock wrote:

Seems a standard police reaction that cyclists responding with less than temperate language are a bigger problem than the aggressive drivers who deliberately target them.

 

Same happened to me, a car changed lanes to close pass me but did 'warn' me of his approach by blasting the horn from 3 bike lengths away. As the car drove away I gave a middle finger wave goodbye and called the driver a wanker. Reported it to the locla plod with video evidence and the officer said he'd written to the owner but didn't hear back from the owner of the car but did tell me to be careful of my language.

What language are we supposed to use when our lives are threatened by drivers? Do we thank them for not hitting and injuring us?

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brooksby replied to Redvee | 7 years ago
2 likes
Redvee wrote:
bstock wrote:

Seems a standard police reaction that cyclists responding with less than temperate language are a bigger problem than the aggressive drivers who deliberately target them.

 

Same happened to me, a car changed lanes to close pass me but did 'warn' me of his approach by blasting the horn from 3 bike lengths away. As the car drove away I gave a middle finger wave goodbye and called the driver a wanker. Reported it to the locla plod with video evidence and the officer said he'd written to the owner but didn't hear back from the owner of the car but did tell me to be careful of my language.

What language are we supposed to use when our lives are threatened by drivers? Do we thank them for not hitting and injuring us?

Exactly; and don't also forget to doff your cap in an appropriate manner /sarcasm=off

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ConcordeCX replied to Redvee | 7 years ago
3 likes
Redvee wrote:

Same happened to me, a car changed lanes to close pass me but did 'warn' me of his approach by blasting the horn from 3 bike lengths away. As the car drove away I gave a middle finger wave goodbye and called the driver a wanker. Reported it to the locla plod with video evidence and the officer said he'd written to the owner but didn't hear back from the owner of the car but did tell me to be careful of my language.

What language are we supposed to use when our lives are threatened by drivers? Do we thank them for not hitting and injuring us?

 

I'm reasonably sure, though not a lawyer so don't use this as a defence, that it is not a crime to swear, so the police have no business telling anyone to mind their language. It is certainly not a crime to swear at a policeman, so if one does tell you to mind your language you're within your rights to tell them to proceed elsewhere.

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