Near Miss of the Day 160: Driver tailgates cyclist, makes close pass on brow of hill and blind bend ... and gets a call from police

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Shades wrote:

I just read a story about a Merc being driven recklessly on the M4 at 130mph which clipped another car; no significant injuries reported.  All captured on a dashcam.  Bloke got 11 mths in jail and a 2 1/2 year ban with extended retest.  If he'd knocked over a cyclist, he'd have got a 'slapped wrist'.  Then there's the couple who got jailed for manslaughter over the bouncy castle death; I doubt they went to work with the intention of killing someone but their 'negligence', despite any remorse, still got them jailed.  Not sure why cyclists are just 'lesser beings'.

'cyclist' is the new 'paki' or 'nigger' or even 'homo'. The amount of vile writings and casual threats of violence in the media and social media pretty much underpins people's hatred. Then you have the victim blaming culture by police and government as well as joe public.

The police, CPS and gov are all complicit in what happens, their failure to apply the law/keep the peace without favour as they have sworn an oath/attestation to do means they have to spend more time dealing with the outcomes of not doing so in the first instance.  The CPS undermine the law and government simply fail to change matters as a whole when it is within their power to do so. The costs in KSIs alone amount to tens of billions of pounds every year, not to mention slight injuries and all the other associated costs of motoring that are not covered by those that use them.

It's a fucking shit show.

Too much hyperbole there I'm afraid. Cyclists are not equivalent to any of those vile terms you've chosen to use. I've yet to be ignored in a shop because I wear cycling gear; or stared at in the street by middle aged and elderely "English" folk whoes hatred was manifest just because I'm ambling along in cleats pushing a bike.  These things, however, are happening more and more regulalry to my wife; who some appear to have a problem with because she has a bit of a different mix of melanin than they do. But that's the Gammons for you

Legin wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Shades wrote:

I just read a story about a Merc being driven recklessly on the M4 at 130mph which clipped another car; no significant injuries reported.  All captured on a dashcam.  Bloke got 11 mths in jail and a 2 1/2 year ban with extended retest.  If he'd knocked over a cyclist, he'd have got a 'slapped wrist'.  Then there's the couple who got jailed for manslaughter over the bouncy castle death; I doubt they went to work with the intention of killing someone but their 'negligence', despite any remorse, still got them jailed.  Not sure why cyclists are just 'lesser beings'.

'cyclist' is the new 'paki' or 'nigger' or even 'homo'. The amount of vile writings and casual threats of violence in the media and social media pretty much underpins people's hatred. Then you have the victim blaming culture by police and government as well as joe public.

The police, CPS and gov are all complicit in what happens, their failure to apply the law/keep the peace without favour as they have sworn an oath/attestation to do means they have to spend more time dealing with the outcomes of not doing so in the first instance.  The CPS undermine the law and government simply fail to change matters as a whole when it is within their power to do so. The costs in KSIs alone amount to tens of billions of pounds every year, not to mention slight injuries and all the other associated costs of motoring that are not covered by those that use them.

It's a fucking shit show.

Too much hyperbole there I'm afraid. Cyclists are not equivalent to any of those vile terms you've chosen to use. I've yet to be ignored in a shop because I wear cycling gear; or stared at in the street by middle aged and elderely "English" folk whoes hatred was manifest just because I'm ambling along in cleats pushing a bike.  These things, however, are happening more and more regulalry to my wife; who some appear to have a problem with because she has a bit of a different mix of melanin than they do. But that's the Gammons for you

People on bikes are been deliberated targetted, injured, killed, have hate speech slung their way every single day and not just by general public. Additionally police show a weaker stance in applying the law to protect but are all to eager to stretch it when it comes to people on bikes as do government, in fact the government want and do have different sets of rules that do not reflect the general harm to society, basically it's group profiling but in a different way.

"you fucking cyclists", "I hope all you cunts die" "I'm going to fucking kill you", you wankers deserve to get squashed", some of the choice language directed at me this year alone. Insert the "vile terms" above and then see how actually there is not much difference at all, you might not have got served in a shop BITD for being black or asian but at least the shopkeeper wasn't trying to mow you down with a ton plus of mass on 4 wheels!

Trouble is when it comes to hatred of people on bikes it's not just your old fashioned gammon, there's a massive cross section that hates you and wants to harm you or happily will throw in casual violent words/threats of harm into a conversation or response on a vitriloic piece in the media which happens frequently. This cross section has no boundaries of sex, age, creed, culture or social background.

How can you not see that being in fear every single day you go out as part of your group, concern that someone is going to harm you as you know there will be and police/government will do next to fuck all to stop that is not that much different to our squalid past (and it still goes on to day) regarding other race/cultures/sexual preferences etc?

I think the similarities are there to see and the harm allowed to be done to individuals and the group as a whole is massive.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Legin wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Shades wrote:

I just read a story about a Merc being driven recklessly on the M4 at 130mph which clipped another car; no significant injuries reported.  All captured on a dashcam.  Bloke got 11 mths in jail and a 2 1/2 year ban with extended retest.  If he'd knocked over a cyclist, he'd have got a 'slapped wrist'.  Then there's the couple who got jailed for manslaughter over the bouncy castle death; I doubt they went to work with the intention of killing someone but their 'negligence', despite any remorse, still got them jailed.  Not sure why cyclists are just 'lesser beings'.

'cyclist' is the new 'paki' or 'nigger' or even 'homo'. The amount of vile writings and casual threats of violence in the media and social media pretty much underpins people's hatred. Then you have the victim blaming culture by police and government as well as joe public.

The police, CPS and gov are all complicit in what happens, their failure to apply the law/keep the peace without favour as they have sworn an oath/attestation to do means they have to spend more time dealing with the outcomes of not doing so in the first instance.  The CPS undermine the law and government simply fail to change matters as a whole when it is within their power to do so. The costs in KSIs alone amount to tens of billions of pounds every year, not to mention slight injuries and all the other associated costs of motoring that are not covered by those that use them.

It's a fucking shit show.

Too much hyperbole there I'm afraid. Cyclists are not equivalent to any of those vile terms you've chosen to use. I've yet to be ignored in a shop because I wear cycling gear; or stared at in the street by middle aged and elderely "English" folk whoes hatred was manifest just because I'm ambling along in cleats pushing a bike.  These things, however, are happening more and more regulalry to my wife; who some appear to have a problem with because she has a bit of a different mix of melanin than they do. But that's the Gammons for you

People on bikes are been deliberated targetted, injured, killed, have hate speech slung their way every single day and not just by general public. Additionally police show a weaker stance in applying the law to protect but are all to eager to stretch it when it comes to people on bikes as do government, in fact the government want and do have different sets of rules that do not reflect the general harm to society, basically it's group profiling but in a different way.

"you fucking cyclists", "I hope all you cunts die" "I'm going to fucking kill you", you wankers deserve to get squashed", some of the choice language directed at me this year alone. Insert the "vile terms" above and then see how actually there is not much difference at all, you might not have got served in a shop BITD for being black or asian but at least the shopkeeper wasn't trying to mow you down with a ton plus of mass on 4 wheels!

Trouble is when it comes to hatred of people on bikes it's not just your old fashioned gammon, there's a massive cross section that hates you and wants to harm you or happily will throw in casual violent words/threats of harm into a conversation or response on a vitriloic piece in the media which happens frequently. This cross section has no boundaries of sex, age, creed, culture or social background.

How can you not see that being in fear every single day you go out as part of your group, concern that someone is going to harm you as you know there will be and police/government will do next to fuck all to stop that is not that much different to our squalid past (and it still goes on to day) regarding other race/cultures/sexual preferences etc?

I think the similarities are there to see and the harm allowed to be done to individuals and the group as a whole is massive.

Hatred is hatred; when you are not on your bike people are not trying to kill you. Whereas people would quite happily kill somone of a different creed, religion or colour whether they are riding their bikes or not. That is why you cannot compare the two.

Legin wrote:

Hatred is hatred; when you are not on your bike people are not trying to kill you. Whereas people would quite happily kill somone of a different creed, religion or colour whether they are riding their bikes or not. That is why you cannot compare the two.

But that's because when cyclists are not on a bike they're not visibly different, whereas for prejudices based on colour or in some cases religion, the differences are highly visible.  So no, cyclists don't usually get it when they're not cycling, but a lot of us are cycling enough of the time that we do still get it far too frequently.  I would therefore say with respect that the comparison is apt enough.

Incidentally, deplorable though the behaviour directed at your wife is, I think the number of people who actually "would quite happily kill" someone for the prejudices you describe is pretty small in the UK.   I also think that the number of people who are actually trying to kill cyclists is very small.  But the hate speech has its dehumanising effect whatever the target.  As you say, "hatred is hatred".

Legin wrote:

Too much hyperbole there I'm afraid. Cyclists are not equivalent to any of those vile terms you've chosen to use. I've yet to be ignored in a shop because I wear cycling gear; or stared at in the street by middle aged and elderely "English" folk whoes hatred was manifest just because I'm ambling along in cleats pushing a bike.  These things, however, are happening more and more regulalry to my wife; who some appear to have a problem with because she has a bit of a different mix of melanin than they do. But that's the Gammons for you

I've said it many times before, but if cyclists were an ethnic group, there would be so many race hatred crime cases the courts wouldn't be able to cope.  Just because we aren't recognised as a group subject to hatred just because we ride a bike doesn't mean that there isn't massive prejudice against us.

Shades wrote:

I just read a story about a Merc being driven recklessly on the M4 at 130mph which clipped another car; no significant injuries reported.  All captured on a dashcam.  Bloke got 11 mths in jail and a 2 1/2 year ban with extended retest.  If he'd knocked over a cyclist, he'd have got a 'slapped wrist'.  Then there's the couple who got jailed for manslaughter over the bouncy castle death; I doubt they went to work with the intention of killing someone but their 'negligence', despite any remorse, still got them jailed.  Not sure why cyclists are just 'lesser beings'.

I saw that too, it was absolutely appalling, willfully lethal driving.  It was a miracle people weren't killed.

For counterpoint, a young mum with cocaine in her system who knocked over a cyclist went to jail and there are other examples too where there has been a custodial sentence.

The example in this video was bad driving but in a completely different league.