Police appeal to track down cyclist suspected of assaulting Bristol motorist

burtthebike wrote:

I still want to try my experiment of having what looks like an AK-47 strapped to my back and see what effect that has on drivers.

That's easy  :  scared drivers phone police, police phone whatever we have instead of SWAT, and within moments you would be surrounded by helicopters, armed police and big black vans (plus a selection of those scary unmarked police cars of which there seem to be an ever-increasing number).

(That said, and getting back to the original story - no way did these cyclists just decide to 'ave a go at some poor innocent motorist.  Given how badly many drive, they probably didn't even realise that they had driven poorly, but I would put down genuine money that they did, and that this incident was a consequence.)

Gourmet Shot wrote:

I ride a bike every day of the week, I am routinely nearly killed, abused and generally subjected to moronic behaviour from drivers

I drive a car every day and I have never once had a run in with a cyclist, because I give them time and space and I don't drive like a short sighted arrogant bellend

so based on experience I can imagine where the problem here lies and who is likely at fault

My thoughts too.

I have had occasional (though rare) run-ins with drivers and every single time it is due to the driver being aggressive and impatient, a prick with road ownership issues and no interest in obeying the rules or respecting other road users. And yes, I've been driving for over 30 years and understand both points of view.

Last week my 12 year old daughter was shouted at aggressively by a driver who passed too close and cut her up on the short stretch of road she uses on her way to school. The twat is lucky I wasn't there, his card would have been well and truly marked!

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

Not particularly supporting the cyclist, but

1. Whenever a car driver kills a cyclist we get reports full of hedging and "allegedly", rather than the certainty expressed in this report

2. Whatever you think of the cyclist, killing people is clearly worse, but generally excused as accidental when done by motorists, so some of us enjoy making similar ludicrous claims here

oldstrath wrote:

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

Not particularly supporting the cyclist, but

1. Whenever a car driver kills a cyclist we get reports full of hedging and "allegedly", rather than the certainty expressed in this report

2. Whatever you think of the cyclist, killing people is clearly worse, but generally excused as accidental when done by motorists, so some of us enjoy making similar ludicrous claims here

1. your issue is with the reporting? OK but I think 'Sensible' is referring to the certainty expressed in the comments that - and I paraphrase - the driver deserved it/the cyclist could not be in the wrong.

2. I'm not sure the point here - no-one has been killed. Some of the claims are certainly ludicrous though.

In contrast to most news stories, I used to find road.cc's comments sections actually enhanced my faith in humanity. Contributions were generally sensible, balanced, didn't jump to conclusions and the ill-informed and ill-intentioned were called out. But some recent stories seem to have attracted a Daily Mail-esque hate herd, full of wild tar-brushing prejudice without substantiation.

Perhaps it's what the Brexit debate has done to us?

Duncann wrote:

oldstrath wrote:

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

Not particularly supporting the cyclist, but

1. Whenever a car driver kills a cyclist we get reports full of hedging and "allegedly", rather than the certainty expressed in this report

2. Whatever you think of the cyclist, killing people is clearly worse, but generally excused as accidental when done by motorists, so some of us enjoy making similar ludicrous claims here

1. your issue is with the reporting? OK but I think 'Sensible' is referring to the certainty expressed in the comments that - and I paraphrase - the driver deserved it/the cyclist could not be in the wrong.

2. I'm not sure the point here - no-one has been killed. Some of the claims are certainly ludicrous though.

In contrast to most news stories, I used to find road.cc's comments sections actually enhanced my faith in humanity. Contributions were generally sensible, balanced, didn't jump to conclusions and the ill-informed and ill-intentioned were called out. But some recent stories seem to have attracted a Daily Mail-esque hate herd, full of wild tar-brushing prejudice without substantiation.

Perhaps it's what the Brexit debate has done to us?

yeah I bet the driver voted out, he definitely deserved a slap! 

Duncann wrote:

oldstrath wrote:

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

Not particularly supporting the cyclist, but

1. Whenever a car driver kills a cyclist we get reports full of hedging and "allegedly", rather than the certainty expressed in this report

2. Whatever you think of the cyclist, killing people is clearly worse, but generally excused as accidental when done by motorists, so some of us enjoy making similar ludicrous claims here

1. your issue is with the reporting? OK but I think 'Sensible' is referring to the certainty expressed in the comments that - and I paraphrase - the driver deserved it/the cyclist could not be in the wrong.

2. I'm not sure the point here - no-one has been killed. Some of the claims are certainly ludicrous though.

In contrast to most news stories, I used to find road.cc's comments sections actually enhanced my faith in humanity. Contributions were generally sensible, balanced, didn't jump to conclusions and the ill-informed and ill-intentioned were called out. But some recent stories seem to have attracted a Daily Mail-esque hate herd, full of wild tar-brushing prejudice without substantiation.

Perhaps it's what the Brexit debate has done to us?

More likely it's what a succession of reportts of cases where drivers who do kill people are essentially let off, and of  personal encounters with drivers who imagine they own the road, have done to us.

If the legal system essentially abandons non-motorists is it really surprising we don't feel outrage when a reaction occurs?

oldstrath wrote:

Duncann wrote:

oldstrath wrote:

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

Not particularly supporting the cyclist, but

1. Whenever a car driver kills a cyclist we get reports full of hedging and "allegedly", rather than the certainty expressed in this report

2. Whatever you think of the cyclist, killing people is clearly worse, but generally excused as accidental when done by motorists, so some of us enjoy making similar ludicrous claims here

1. your issue is with the reporting? OK but I think 'Sensible' is referring to the certainty expressed in the comments that - and I paraphrase - the driver deserved it/the cyclist could not be in the wrong.

2. I'm not sure the point here - no-one has been killed. Some of the claims are certainly ludicrous though.

In contrast to most news stories, I used to find road.cc's comments sections actually enhanced my faith in humanity. Contributions were generally sensible, balanced, didn't jump to conclusions and the ill-informed and ill-intentioned were called out. But some recent stories seem to have attracted a Daily Mail-esque hate herd, full of wild tar-brushing prejudice without substantiation.

Perhaps it's what the Brexit debate has done to us?

More likely it's what a succession of reportts of cases where drivers who do kill people are essentially let off, and of  personal encounters with drivers who imagine they own the road, have done to us.

If the legal system essentially abandons non-motorists is it really surprising we don't feel outrage when a reaction occurs?

That's exactly the Daily Mail/Fox News approach. Print only stories about true-but-(fortunately) exceptional events  (e.g. bad things immigrants/Muslims did, drivers killing cyclists) and watch the hate grow.

There's clearly more to this incident than we've been told - as is generally the case at this stage. So we a) shouldn't jump to conclusions, and b) condemn everyone who isn't one of us as being against us. Which is what most commenter have done.

oldstrath wrote:

More likely it's what a succession of reportts of cases where drivers who do kill people are essentially let off, and of  personal encounters with drivers who imagine they own the road, have done to us.

If the legal system essentially abandons non-motorists is it really surprising we don't feel outrage when a reaction occurs?

Outrage is understandable - having once more been nearly taken out by an SUV, Tuesday evening I completely concur - it's the explicit approval of vigilante action without any knowledge whatsoever what went on that worries me. Unprovoked attack ? Remotest of remote possibilities in all likelyhood, but no-one here seems to actually know what occured and once you start throwing punches you make yourself accountable for your actions as well. Worthy of a slap ? Dunno - neither does anyone else. Have I thought about something similar before ? Of course.. doesn't make it automatically pardonable.

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

Yes, there are plenty of idiots around, but this incident doesn't sound like some lone nutter going round attacking random car drivers. Firstly, there was a "group of cyclists" (maybe one of these new Hells Angels gangs that go round on cycles) and secondly, how likely is it that cyclists will chase down car drivers to attack them without provocation?

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

I think the support of the cyclists actions is down to us all forming an assumption of what happened based upon our own experiences.

The chances of this being a random nutter on a bike punching  a gent in a car are very, very slim. The chances of it being a group of cyclists being treated like shit by a twat in a car however...

Hopefully one of the cyclists caught the whole incident on camera and we can have a chuckle about it tomorrow

PaulBox wrote:

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

I think the support of the cyclists actions is down to us all forming an assumption of what happened based upon our own experiences.

The chances of this being a random nutter on a bike punching  a gent in a car are very, very slim. The chances of it being a group of cyclists being treated like shit by a twat in a car however...

Hopefully one of the cyclists caught the whole incident on camera and we can have a chuckle about it tomorrow

Exactly. Most motorists probably expect, because of it's very ability to turn you into Froome build, that they'll never get any comeback or physical comfrontation. Unfortunately for them, this guy hasn't reached Froomage just yet.

Sensible wrote:

I am surprised that people support the actions of the cyclist just because he is a cyclist. He may be a thug on a bike or be the innocent party....but we just don't know. There are idiots in cars and idiots on bikes...fact.

Oh pish.  People on a ride don't just punch drivers for a laugh.  If he had punched the guy for no reason then someone riding with him would say something.

atgni wrote:

Who took the photo?  Driver?

Moments later the driver, whilst on phone, mowed down a family of four on bikes and was sentenced to 40 hours community service and left court 'with a heavy heart'.

Meanwhile, a full scale man hunt tracked down the cyclist in question, and an early-doors forcible entry and arrest was enacted. The cyclists bike and computer were seized and the cyclist now faces further charges of being in possession of cycle-porn, with several hundred images of category 5 level bikes such as the Aston Martin One 77 found on his PC.

The judge has already warned him to expect a lengthy prison sentence despite the fact he has not yet entered court and been found guilty.