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Still taken from YouTube road rage video A Clown Takes a Pratfall"Clown takes a pratfall" viral video cyclist talks to press
When a Reading cyclist set out on whatever journey he was taking that day, he probably didn't imagine he'd meet one of the world's angriest men, or that footage of their encounter would go viral on the internet.
Since then the anonymous man's video, titled a clown takes a pratfall, has approaching five million views on YouTube in less than two weeks, with extensive coverage across the national press, including one particularly brilliant satirical dissection of the event from Vice.
Perhaps understandably wishing to remain anonymous, the man, calling himself uphillfreewheeler on YouTube, has nonetheless come forward to talk about the issue of bad driving, and is reported by ITV news as simply saying the problem is people often fail to understand overtaking distances.
- Police caution for pratfall road rage driver
"A lot of drivers simply don't understand correct cycling procedure," he said. "They don't understand that they should take care around vulnerable road users, they should pass with 1.5 metres.
"Rule 163 in the Highway Code suggests that you would give at least as much room when you are overtaking a cyclist as you would when overtaking a car"
On the strength of the video the driver received a police caution and admitted to committing a variety of offences, including assault.
Another, altogether more civilised video, starring Chris Boardman and master driving instructor, Blaine Walsh, was released this week, demonstrating how to safely overtake cyclists in a motor vehicle. If it gets as many hits as a clown takes a pratfall we hope that will go some way to educating a significant number of people on the roads.
Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s 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 Britain’s National Cycle Network.
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26 comments
"It is the cyclist's prerogative to wobble."
Some High Court judge, way back.
Iirc, a very similar issue, where the driver was making noises about giving him/her plenty of room, but it turned out not to be sufficient. The judge pointed out that a minimum clearance should be given, allowing for a bit of wobble, as some do from time to time.
The Highway Code does not mean leave the same GAP as you would when passing another car, it means the same SPACE.
I.e. Drive around an imaginary car, forget you are passing a smaller object.
If cyclists can't understand that there is a problem.
Anyone over 40 will remember the old public information ad on the subject, pass the bike as if it's a small car.
I recall a saying about the difficulty of instilling learning into porcine products.
The freeze frame thumbnail from this video is ace.
I'll share a story from an event whilst cycling in Bristol many moons ago, which had equal poetic justice:
There is a hill in the centre of town called Park Street. For cycling down it's a freewheel or blast depending on how busy. The traffic system has changed, now 20mph with several crossings added and a traffic light control at the bottom. The old configuration was a down sweep into a bend with multiple lanes full priority to the descending traffic. Heading down the hill with a car ahead. Enter the section with multi lanes and attempt to pull into outside lane to go passed car. Car pulls into the lane. Stay on the lane and attempt to flow, car pulls back into the lane. Pull out to the outside lane and start to go passed the car, the car swerves into the outside lane (We've all been here!) and I fend off with a fist bump to the car. Car swerves back over. Car then accelerates, carves across ahead and aims for the opposite curb, slamming brakes on, forcing me over the bonnet, over the railings and onto the central reservation area. One hundred percent on purpose manoeuvre, designed to smash me off my bike. Luckily I bounced and jumped up without injury. Although, 30mph into concrete and railings is just a matter of millimetres away from a life altering possibility.
As I collected myself, to deal with the aftermath, two courses of events changed the scene completely from one of angry driver to one of instant justice.
The car in question was a 911, the driver, a middle aged doctor, wearing a suit. Where I landed was next to a gentleman with discerning taste and morals. Having been rudely interrupted from his lunchtime Chips and Mayo, with a display of dangerous driving, the person took issue with the driver. Standing square to the drivers open window, the champion bystander launched his entire tray of chips and mayo into the car, all over the sharp dressed driver. The war of attrition spilled onto the pavement and was dispatched with similar fashion to the vagrant gulls swooping and mocking.
The crowning moment was to follow, or to be more precise the crowning moment was had by the vehicle which followed. It was a white saloon with blue sign writing and distressing lights on the roof. Having followed down the road, they had observed the swerving and purposeful deflection and handed a court appearance to the driver which duly applied points and fine for bad driving.
Not quote a pratfall, but on a par!
You mean a police car was following and saw the whole thing? Why didn't you write that instead of using 200 words too many.
I was driving home yesterday and gave a cyclist up a head a full lane width in passing. Looked in my mirror so did the car following me, but the car behind that barely moved out, the pass was close. It was a red new shape VW Scirocco. There was another cyclist toiling away up a short slight hill on a bend with double white lines so I patiently held back and passed when safe about 200m on, the passing of the cyclist was again repeated equally wide and then very close by the red VW. The mercury started to rise ………….. Some people are just selfish, thoughtless and potentially dangerous nobs.
I had one today, looked back, woman in same lane seemed to have decided that she didn't need to leave the lane at all which p-ssed me off so I threw my hand out as if to turn right, that gave the stupid *** a shock.
The government really needs to educate people, some of them seem to think a couple of inches passing distance is ok.
The language in the Highway Code doesn't even matter, because most drivers don't read it and don't care. I get overtaken stupidly whether I'm on a bike or in a car, almost without regard to the speed limit. Some people just have to be in front. It's attitudes that need changing, not the words used in a legally irrelevant book.
That image of the guy with all four limbs airborn never fails to bring me happiness. I might make it my screensaver.
I might get it on a cycling jersey!
I cannot believe anyone thinks the cyclist is "as bad" as the driver - someone even said above if you get close passed but missed just ride on. Jesus effing Christ, what is wrong with you? There is NO excuse for close passing a bike - you wouldn't pass someone pushing a pram that close, or a dog walker, or someone changing a wheel on a broken down car. I hope that scumbag driver was really hurt, I hope he dies with embarrassment every time he has to explain "Yes, I was the guy in THAT video. "It is brilliant that the cyclist followed the car - if he hadn't, we wouldn't have the priceless sight of him flying through the air, and there wouldn't be nearly 5 million people watching it and talking about it
I might get it on a cycling jersey!
I cannot believe anyone thinks the cyclist is "as bad" as the driver - someone even said above if you get close passed but missed just ride on. Jesus effing Christ, what is wrong with you? There is NO excuse for close passing a bike - you wouldn't pass someone pushing a pram that close, or a dog walker, or someone changing a wheel on a broken down car. I hope that scumbag driver was really hurt, I hope he dies with embarrassment every time he has to explain "Yes, I was the guy in THAT video. "It is brilliant that the cyclist followed the car - if he hadn't, we wouldn't have the priceless sight of him flying through the air, and there wouldn't be nearly 5 million people watching it and talking about it
I might get it on a cycling jersey!
I cannot believe anyone thinks the cyclist is "as bad" as the driver - someone even said above if you get close passed but missed just ride on. Jesus effing Christ, what is wrong with you? There is NO excuse for close passing a bike - you wouldn't pass someone pushing a pram that close, or a dog walker, or someone changing a wheel on a broken down car. I hope that scumbag driver was really hurt, I hope he dies with embarrassment every time he has to explain "Yes, I was the guy in THAT video. "It is brilliant that the cyclist followed the car - if he hadn't, we wouldn't have the priceless sight of him flying through the air, and there wouldn't be nearly 5 million people watching it and talking about it
But yet again the confrontation was started by the cyclist rebuking a driver. Did anyone notice that part?
I have no sympathy for this type of vigilante head cam cyclist who give normal cyclists a bad name.
There are 2 problems with the video.
1. The cyclist could have Indecated and moved into the large empty parking space and let the car pass.
2. Not chase down the driver to confront him about his driving habits and the continue to wind up a angry man who was clearly not going to listen to you
I hope the cyclist has learnt his lesson and will change his approach
The other problem with this type of head cam is that the wide angle lens can give the impression that so thing is nearer than it is when the object passes through the angle of view.
It is a superb piece of footage. Even the Cook report in it's glory years or Donal MacIntyre or Dominic Little in their years chasing scum bags haven't got anywhere near as good. It is worthy of a BAFTA. Certainly worthy of a UBF £250 first prize. Huge grin factor. LoL!
Who is the tool doing the fall? I wanna shake his hand for being a total nob.
This language needs to change, as car drivers are used to (even comfortable) passing one another very closely in town on 30mph or less roads - the distance between thier cages is far less than than the distance between thier bodies.
This language suggests they can pass cyclist with the same size gap between vehicles. This is why drivers exclaim - 'I gave you plenty of room' when they pass a cyclist at about 2-3 feet, and cyclist is not happy.
Whole heartedly agree, it really isn't clear in its meaning, especially when in relation to overtaking a car the phrase is "not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake". How do you define too close when reading this?
I work in a Caravan park and the Fire safety guidance uses the term 'a distance from', I have asked 2 different station officers and 1 sub officer what this means and have received 3 different replies, ranging from 3' to 16'.
I wonder how people get into these situations. Nobody likes being passed closely but if your still on your bike and riding along after, then just carry on enjoying your ride. The cyclist here was looking for fame as there was no need to chase the driver down. Both were as bad as the other in this situation.
Absolute tripe.
There is no other activity where you can repeatedly put someone's life at risk and not expect to be questioned about it.
Thankfully this prick has been shamed and might think twice about doing dangerous overtakes in the future. What do you suppose would have happened if instead of chasing him down, the footage was handed to the police? Approximately nothing.
It makes you wonder how many cyclist deaths would have been prevented if people who have already killed cyclists were shamed a lot earlier.
Put your mouth shut, Sticky!
Well no, not in the eyes of the law, one got a police caution, the other didn't.
Do you really think it's right for a human being to have to meekly and continuously accept threats to their life from the aggressive and the ignorant? Doesn't your attitude of " cyclists should keep their f***ing mouths put shut" make you as bad as the driver?
Well, no, definitely not that bad. Not anywhere NEAR that bad. But it's neither as honourable or effective, and helps nobody who needs it. It's simply a wager into a pathetic game of 'who can put up with the most abuse without complaining'. It's simply submissive; cowardice dressed up as nobility.
You have the right to kowtow to the aggressor as much as you wish, but don't moralise other people about how they should behave when it's their flesh and bone being put at risk.
Dammit, I restrained myself from spluttering with annoyance over this sort-of-thing on the previous threads. But this attitude is just baffling to me.
How can recklessly bullying someone (which is what an entirely unnecessary close pass amounts to), then throwing foul-mouthed abuse at them when politely reproached for it, and finally attempting to physically assault them, possibly be considered 'just as bad as' choosing to reproach someone for behaving in a bullying and possibly dangerous manner? Even if the reproach involves chasing after them.
The cyclist may or may not be self-righteous in general outlook, I don't know (did he choose the title for the clip? I think it was a bad one, the clip speaks for itself, no need to chuck in playground derision*)
But comments saying these two are as 'as bad as each other' just suggests to me those making the comment have a very skewed outlook.
* I might sound pious, but, really, the driver had already comprehensively lost this one on every level - its surely better to show benevolence in victory?
In other news, the now-infamous retort "put your f***ing mouth shut!" seems to sound just as powerful regardless of word order.
Look;
"Your mouth! F***ing shut it put!"
"Put shut your f***ing it-mouth!"
"Shut your f***ing! Put it mouth!"
What a linguistic gem!
I laughed hard when that tool hit the deck. I also think the cyclist sounds like a self-righteous bell-end and those types do nothing whatsoever to improve relations between motorists and cyclists.