London truck driver swerves at cyclist who squirted water at him

unconstituted wrote:

When your heart rate is in Z4 and Z5 you definitely do respond differently. I get buzzed all the time and shrug it off, but as soon as I start gunning it it's like I'm begging for a fight to kick off. It's not a one off thing either, it's every week. I will bark up the wrong tree one day, for sure. Some real hard nuts around here.

I get what you're saying about reacting differently when your blood is up. To put it somewhat technically, you are primed for combat due to being sympathetically activated. You have peripheral adrenaline and central noradrenaline flowing.

I use that hyper-awareness however to ride a tight line as far to the left as possible (funnily enough, I don't have any major "close pass" incidents to speak of).. and to be hyper-aware with traffic. I go hard, but presume at all times that I have not been seen, and that they cannot judge my speed. If you do that you'll save yourself a lot of grief.

Having said that, the worst people I have encountered have been other cyclists. Pastel retro helmet wearing bearded hipsters on fixies have screamed absolute blue murder when I've undertaken them on a cycle path on my road bike, yelled insults for having a small flashing LED around dusk (?), and just the other day one yelled "nice sunglasses, wanker" (I was wearing clear ones as bug shields when the sun was shining). At all those points I was sorely tempted to dismount and pound their face in, however we don't do that as sporting gentlemen, do we. In the heat of the moment is always best to let it subside or you'll regret it massively.

burtthebike wrote:

I certainly don't make excuses for drivers, but if I was suddenly drenched with water whilst driving, it's quite possible that I would lose control and swerve a bit.  No matter what the provocation, squirting water at a driver while cycling alongside isn't just stupid, it's cretinous.  The cyclist is lucky to be alive and hopefully they've learned something from this.  Pity the video doesn't show the original incident that started the whole thing.

And that, if he plays it correctly, will be his defence. 

vonhelmet wrote:

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  No sympathy for the cyclist.  Yes, getting cut up sucks, but if you're going to squirt water through someone's window then you can't really be surprised when things escalate from there.

Right, so spraying water at someone excuses them trying to kill them with a lorry?

I suppose I do tell my girlfriend that it's her fault I'm smacking her around the face because she burnt the chips. So fair dos: excellent logic.

Bikebikebike wrote:

vonhelmet wrote:

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  No sympathy for the cyclist.  Yes, getting cut up sucks, but if you're going to squirt water through someone's window then you can't really be surprised when things escalate from there.

Right, so spraying water at someone excuses them trying to kill them with a lorry?

I suppose I do tell my girlfriend that it's her fault I'm smacking her around the face because she burnt the chips. So fair dos: excellent logic.

Pathetic straw man arguments there - the poster says nothing about excusing anyone.
If you came up to me and squirted a bottle in my face while driving a car, don't be suprised if you get a punch. irrespective of whether I've done something wrong to you before hand, if you escalate something, don't be suprised if the other person escalates it back. It's not about right's or wrongs it's about human behaviour.
Idiots come in all forms. This one happened to be on a bicycle.

IanMunro wrote:

Bikebikebike wrote:

vonhelmet wrote:

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  No sympathy for the cyclist.  Yes, getting cut up sucks, but if you're going to squirt water through someone's window then you can't really be surprised when things escalate from there.

Right, so spraying water at someone excuses them trying to kill them with a lorry?

I suppose I do tell my girlfriend that it's her fault I'm smacking her around the face because she burnt the chips. So fair dos: excellent logic.

Pathetic straw man arguments there - the poster says nothing about excusing anyone.
If you came up to me and squirted a bottle in my face while driving a car, don't be suprised if you get a punch. irrespective of whether I've done something wrong to you before hand, if you escalate something, don't be suprised if the other person escalates it back. It's not about right's or wrongs it's about human behaviour.
Idiots come in all forms. This one happened to be on a bicycle.

Totally agree.  

We all get a case of "red mist" from time to time and do stupid things to provoke reactions from drivers.  When they bite back it is never a proud moment for anyone.  It's not always easy, but the safest action is to have a bit of a swear and cycle on.

[/quote]

Pathetic straw man arguments there - the poster says nothing about excusing anyone.
If you came up to me and squirted a bottle in my face while driving a car, don't be suprised if you get a punch. irrespective of whether I've done something wrong to you before hand, if you escalate something, don't be suprised if the other person escalates it back. It's not about right's or wrongs it's about human behaviour.
Idiots come in all forms. This one happened to be on a bicycle.

[/quote]

Throwing a punch is totally different to driving a lorry at someone. A landed punch will bring water to the eyes and leave a bruise; driving into someone with a truck will kill them or leave them in a wheelcair.

No excuse for the lorry driver's behaviour what-so-ever.

Bill H wrote:

 

Throwing a punch is totally different to driving a lorry at someone. A landed punch will bring water to the eyes and leave a bruise; driving into someone with a truck will kill them or leave them in a wheelcair.

No excuse for the lorry driver's behaviour what-so-ever.

I agree with your general point:  driving a motorized vehicle at someone is similar to firing a gun or swinging a bladed weapon at them.  

But, a punch can definitely kill.  

IanMunro wrote:

If you came up to me and squirted a bottle in my face while driving a car, don't be suprised if you get a punch. 

I would like to say that you'll probably end up in gaol someday.  In any event you sound like a hysterical incompetent that should not be in charge of motorized vehicle.  Do us all a favour and take up skydiving.

brooksby wrote:

How tall was the cyclist wearing the  headcam???????? 

Dashcam in lorry, or someone very tall who keeps their head very very still.