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news
st_thomas_street_bristol_via_streetview.jpg"I'm going to kill one of you bloody cyclists"
A Bristol cyclist says a Transit van driver attempted to run him over while he cycled through the city centre this week. Eugene Conlon said that when he subsequently confronted the motorist, the man replied: "I'm going to kill one of you bloody cyclists".
The Bristol Post reports that Conlon had been riding along St Thomas Street at around 3.45pm on Thursday when he saw the van approaching from the opposite direction.
He says the driver, a man in his 60s, aimed his vehicle directly at him and that it was only by diving out of the way that he managed to avoid being hit.
He confronted the driver at traffic lights on Bristol Bridge.
"When I asked him what he was thinking, he replied it was a one-way street and that he thought I was going the wrong way. It isn't a one-way street, I have worked on the street for many years.
"He then said 'I'll tell you what, one of these days I'm gonna kill one of you bloody cyclists'. He was driving a very large vehicle which he had used as a weapon."
A police spokesman said: "We’re investigating following a report of a public order offence in St Thomas Street, Bristol, at about 3.40pm on Thursday 10 May. Enquiries are ongoing."
Conlon isn’t optimistic that anything will come of it.
"The police are very busy," he said. "They don't have enough officers to look into each case of wrong-doings on the roads.
"It does feel like it's been getting worse on the roads. I've been cycling for five years and in the last year there does seem like there's been more incidents of cars being less tolerant towards cyclists.
"The roads are meant to be shared. There are vulnerable road users; cyclists, horses and motorcyclists – drivers should appreciate this vulnerability by driving safely with due care and attention at all times – and certainly not driving enraged. "
Last month, London’s former cycling commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, was deliberately knocked off his bike following a road rage incident.
After a black SUV stopped suddenly in front of him, Gilligan said he went to “politely” remonstrate with the driver, who started to get out of the vehicle.
“He looked rather threatening so I thought I should cycle off,” he said. “He revved up and went straight into the back of me.”
A 27-year-old man was arrested.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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Just get them to walk a treadmill - or better, ride exercise bikes to power path lighting.
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26 comments
I spent the weekend cycling around the Peak District and was amazed to find that even though the place was filled with "bloody cyclists, coming over 'ere and spending money in the local economy", the driving was some of the most courteous and patient I've ever seen. A total of twelve hours on the road with only two incidents of note. It definitely contributed to my desire to get back up there ASAP.
The issue for me is that many drivers will regularly mentally, verbally and physically abuse other road users in a way that they would not dream of doing to another person whilst walking down the street for example. The existing laws are not acting as a deterrent.
I'm not sure about the 'pressure relief valve' argument of verbalising. In my experience, yelling and screaming, blowing horns etc makes everyone feel much more angry or more likely to escalate the situation than just taking a deep breath, counting to three and settling back down.
When they get in a vehicle, people stop thinking of other road users as people. They become an Audi driver, Cyclist etc, rather than Fred, father of two etc.
The answer is to make road rage or verbal expressions of hate against another road user a specific offence.
Such behavioural traits make you unsuitable to be allowed in a position of responsibility.
I don't think verbal expressions need to be legislated against and it could be argued that they function as a kind of pressure release valve.
Presumed Liability is what we need - the bigger vehicle is considered to be responsible for incidents in lieu of any other evidence.
Also, a tougher stance on traffic laws would help enormously as would the people necessary to enforce them (unless we can use some of those cctv cameras or maybe even footage from dashcams/cyclists).
Verbalizing a threat can be a crime. In this case, if there is evidence of the maneuver toward the cyclist (a crime on its own) and/or audio of the threat, and if it's pointed toward an individual or specific group, a crime occurred. There is a lot legal nuance that goes into it but it is a bit like writing a violent manifesto. One might not have acted on it but planning something and having materials necessary (a car in this case) could be construed as that.
Yes. That's also why I don't think a specific offence needs to be introduced as it's already addressed by existing laws.
I Did theLlincoln Gp yesterday. On our return into Lincoln, there must of been 60 or more cyclists in groups making their way into the city. A women driver in a Mercedes caming blaring past on the horn. She got stuck between two groups and a set of lights. We followed her for a few hundred yards, where she then brake tested us , with us locking up skids, then followed by a hard acceleration passed the group in front blaring on the horn again
Utter C***
did anyone the reg number and at least report it to the organisers, and ideally to the police? There are times when attack is the best means of defence.
As they saying coaching, (an) experience = what happened + how you responded to it. Your lady has entirely and unnecessarily made for herself (and you) a bad experience. Some people live that way : their narrative is “everything’s chaotic, I’m so dis-organised, the world is against me” and so on.
The Beastie Boys, although I didn’t think so at the time, were right: You gotta fight/For your right/To paaaaarrdy. Your driver is likely to have moaned about this in her social circle and my bet is that everyone around her agreed how terrible cyclists and mass cycle events are.
I think as part of a driving test one should undergo stress response tets. Put people in frustrating situations and if they can't deal with their frustrations in a non-aggressive way... no licence. If fact you could go a step further and use the test to do something good for society in general... have a James Bond type trap door for them as they leave the building. Angry chimps and hungry sharks... two birds, one stone.
Seriously though, the problem is with us. Which part of "Civilised Society" means we have to tolerate such people?
Hopefully Legs11 will be along soon imploring everyone to carry d-locks/baseball bats/bazookas, unless he's still picking pieces of his brain up after Israel won Eurovision.
OT but why is Israel in Eurovision anyway?
And, does GB finally get to walk away from Eurovision after Brexit? Pleeease?
Apparently, being a member of the European Broadcasting Union gives a country the right to enter Eurovision (as opposed to Australia simply being allowed to enter because we like them). They've been in the contest since 1973 and have been very successful.
Unfortunately, due to Israel participating, it means that several arab countries choose to not take part, even though they also have the right to do so. Morocco did take part in 1980 when Israel withdrew for Passover, and they finished 2nd last.
Lichtenstein was actually refused entry in 1976 due to them not having any television stations or transmission facilities, but the Swiss changed their entry to also represent Lichtenstein - "The Swiss Confederation and Liechtenstein" despite the full name not fitting on the scoreboards.
Weee, I have a stalker!!!!!
That's not stalking.
THIS is stalking.
(look out of your window)
interesting idea. My initial thought was to volunteer to cycle around the routes used by my local test centre on a crappy mountain bike with no helmet and do so in a vaguely irritating way. You might catch a few trainee hot-heads at that stage, the ones for whom life is one confrontation after another. But most are cuter than that: bullies cleverly weigh up the balance of power in any situation and when they are under scrutiny - so neither the lab test nor my real world test would flush them out, I’m afraid.
I can also see an obesity epidemic hitting the shark community quite quickly, so you’d have to ban fast food ads near schools.
The obvious answer is taking road rage type events a lot more seriously. People who cannot be trusted to remain calm while driving should not be driving. Just as people who cannot be trusted to refrain from drinking and driving should not be trusted to drive.
Last year I broke my arm coming off the bike after some idiot pretty much drove straight at me as I rode down a one way street for cars/both ways for bikes. The signage there is awful, but even if I was in wrong (which I wasn’t) why would you do that? Now I only commute with front and back cameras plus my Garmin for a record of my speed. What a sad state of affairs.
It is the same everywhere, social media has given a voice to everyone, that should be good thing but what if they are angry chimps?
Agreed, only well balanced intellectuals should have access to the internet.
We don't really know what was meant by "kill one of you cyclists". Was it a threat or was it a conclusion based on sufficient numbers of erratic or risk taking cyclists in the city?
Good point, however I feel sure the oaf driving the van will insist it was a comment.
If in the unlikely event he's smart enough to "think" of that as an excuse.
We don't really know what was meant by "kill one of you cyclists". Was it a threat or was it a conclusion based on sufficient numbers of erratic or risk taking cyclists in the city?
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he's recognised the inevitable conclusion of his lack of driving skills. he should still not be allowed to drive.
I can't see this going anywhere without some more evidence. I wonder if there's any CCTV around there.
I made the mistake of looking at the comments on the Bristol Post page.
Yeah, it's always the same with the Bristol Post. I just hope these sad fucks are wearing tinfoil hats and sitting in their bedsits in pools of urine and not actually in control of cars but I'm not holding my breath.
Thing is, it seems to be the same with all online local newspapers now. The commenters make Daily Mail readers look like a Rainbow Thought Shower Collective.
Public order offence at the very least based on the words and an assault. Plod will do fuck all as per.