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news
Filtering cyclist who was threatened by driver blamed by police
A Manchester cyclist who was threatened by a driver after filtering past stationary traffic has been warned by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) that his “behaviour in this regard is to cease.”
In the video above, shot yesterday morning, the cyclist, Sam, can be seen pulling onto Princess Street and filtering between two lanes of traffic queuing at a set of lights.
Filtering is not illegal. The Highway Code says that people should “be aware of other road users, especially cycles and motorcycles who may be filtering through the traffic.”
British Cycling gives advice on filtering on the inside, outside and between lanes.
As Sam nears the lights, they change to green, at which point he attempts to pull back into the line of traffic on his left.
The woman driving on his inside doesn’t let him in and tells him he should be riding on the left.
Sam points out he is not obliged to.
The dispute escalates and finishes with the motorist threatening to knock Sam off ‘next time’.
Sam, who said the driver had also been on the phone, subsequently sent the footage to GMP.
The officer who responded said: “This video clip shows you squeezing between vehicles and the lights changing then you being alongside entering into an argument with the driver of a moving vehicle.
“To be clear your behaviour in this regard is to cease.
“I understand your wish to help improve road safety, this is not the way to do it, it is not the intention of the service we offer and if repeated I will direct my team to consider criminal offences.”
GMP were contacted for comment.
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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57 comments
I've watched this twice. Poor driving skills by the lady, but I am more shocked, on the second viewing, by the state of the road surface.
I've watched this twice. Poor driving skills by the lady, but I am more shocked, on the second viewing, by the state of the road surface.
Thats actually not too bad for Manchester. You want to see some of the A6 leading into town, or the A56 leading out through Sale. It's like riding on the surface of the moon
Watching the video, it ever so clearly demonstrates the fallacy in the urban motorist's lament that bicycles hold up all the traffic and that without the bicycles everything would be free flowing like a car advert...
There could be a difference in the views of the police in riding carefully on the footway for safety reasons and jumping on and off the pavement to make faster progress through traffic.
I'm not sure the cyclists choices look very safe to me, but that's applying my own personal level of bravery / risk assessment / whatever you want to call it, and each to their own: based on my own (possibly incomplete) knowledge, I don't see he actually contravened the law/highway code per se.
The woman ought to be ashamed of herself for the comments though, but you can't charge her with anything for getting cross and mouthing off, otherwise half the country would be clogging the magistrates courts with similar offences!
(But seriously, where did this whole concept of it being "normal" to say foul things to each other - in public - come from? That's what's wrong with this country etc etc chunter, grumble, etc,etc.)
On a related note: In the BC video the voice over says "avoid hopping onto the pavement to dodge traffic" - I have been told (by a veteran cyclist, nothing official) that riding on the pavement for short periods to avoid hazards is acceptable / allowable IF it is safer than the road, and you are not endagering / hassling other footpath users - (although to be fair the person telling me this was talking about the context of low/ poor light conditions)...anybody have any facts to confirm / deny that?
See the guidance for police here: https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/support-for-police-discretion-when-...
In short “
The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of the traffic, and who show consideration to other pavement users.
"Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required.”
Thanks for that...interesting to note the "varies according to local circumstances" part. We all like to think the Law is consistent everywhere in this country - unlike the different American States for example - but I don't think that's the case...as these forums show!
Eh?! This is a clear case of the driver being annoyed that she has been overtaken. Anyone with even a vaugue understanding of traffic rules can see that. This GIMP officer needs educating or sacking!
I guess I'm not the only one here who has encountered exactly the same situation and it is so, so dangerous. GMP ought to take the opportunity to make the point that you should not risk the life of another road user just to hopelessly defend your position in a queue of slow moving traffic.
Police are good for nothing nowadays . We have had facial vans in the met recently, cover your face and you get fined like a chap did £90 . The police don’t prevent anything . They turn up after . The mostly power tripping idiots who with out a uniform have no self esteem. Instead of harassing cyclists or car drivers or any misdemeanour, how about actually helping people and not treating people like they have done something wrong . Police , we pay your wages start treating people with respect. The world is turning to shI& ...technocratic facist state .
Are these responses with implied threats actually being made by GMP staff with authority or just no mark admin staff who's boots are a getting too big?
I thibk this is probably the case. I suspect coppers don't actually view this footage and leave it to civilian staff, most of whom are recently retired busybodies with fuck all else to do in their lives who like to feel important by 'volunteering'. Basically, Gammons. Suspect that, if there's a complaint made about this, GMP will respond and apologise - and the Mail reading muppet who got ideas above his station will be redeployed to something more commensurate with his (and it's pretty much universally a 'him') abilities (making the desk sergeant a cuppa)
You have to understand, the review of footage from cyclists will be seen as so low down the force's priorities as to register as nothing more than an annoyance to them - the more they can hive off to unpaid, untrained volunteers, the better. Small price to have to pay if they only have to investigate, say, 20 a year out of 1000 incidents submitted to them and summarily rejected by the fool acting as a glorified shit filter
This Manchester cop threating a vulnerable cyclist with illegal action only proves how anti-cylist fascists cops are and guilty of inciting hatred and should be disciplined as should this maniac female driver and charged with threatening to murder with a life driving ban. However, we know cops will only take action against dangerous drivers when one of there own is hurt or threatened untill then, they'll continue picking on cyclists and aid and abet dangerous drivers.
I'm just wondering if a driver who obtained video of cyclist threatening them would have the case dismissed by the police if they were seen exceeding the speed limit, or encroaching on an ASL or parking on double yellows?
By engaging in conversation whilst in charge of moving vehicles both driver and cyclist equally leave themselves open to the carelessness charge of "without due care and attention"
Max penalty £1000.
2500 and 3-9 points for a driver.
You've less chance of a judge handing out that penalty to a motorist than you or I getting touched up by Mother Theresa of Calcutta!
#MeToo
So anyone driving that has a conversation with any of their passengers is up for the same charge then right? Christ there are some morons about
i wont bother reporting anything to the police- they dont care, and if they even did, they havent got time for it. Rider is 100 percent right, lady is actually breaking the law herself. It is illegal to obstruct a highway without good excuse or reason. This lady is driving at an average speed below a walking pace, obstructing faster road users and people who NEED to be there, such as bus and van drivers. She should be prosecuted for not using the bus service that is provided for her and getting in EVERYONES way, not just the cyclists.
It's just one officer. I've used GMP's online reporting portal a few times now, so far this year I've had two drivers pay for and attend expensive courses for their angry close passes. I've also used Cheshire Police's portal and they've also accepted my footage, although I haven't heard back from them yet.
I probably wouldn't have reported this lady because I tend to focus on the deliberate, "holy shit that was frightening" stuff. I'd have been tempted to unscrew my water bottle and chuck the contents in her face though.
...and get yourself charged with assault?
This reminds me of the video showing a cyclist being passed by a Jag far too close and then riding down a cycle route, submitted to the Met, then the police told him he would be prosecuted for riding on the pavement. Anyone remember that one, anyone have any idea how it got sorted? Did the officer apologise proffusely?
I did do a bit of a search and came up with some interesting old road.cc stuff, one featuring our friend cycling.mikey riding a recumbent. Interesting comments about that one
I remember that one
Also less clear cut but that one but the one where the cyclist held onto the car and was literally rammed into the building at the end of the bridge and they would only prosecute the car driver if the cyclist accepted the prosecution against him for holding onto the vehicle to argue.
Isn't the cyclist in the right turn lane, but then goes straight on? Really he should have dropped in behind. Cyclists shouldn't bully cars into giving them space either!
The driver was being an arse too. I'd say 50:50 on this one. It's similar to the bus from yesterday.
he's filtering to get to the ASL. ASLs were invented so that cyclists can filter to them and get a head start, removing them from a conflict and danger zone. It's 0:100 on this one.
I think the cyclist should reply to the police, cc:ing Cycling UK, Chris Boardman and others, to ask for clarification about what behaviour is to cease, and on what authority the police are saying that, what laws has he broken, what criminal offnces would they consider, and to find out if they have (and if not, why not?) also instructed the car driver not to enter into an argument with and threaten the driver of a moving vehicle (the cyclist) while in control of her own moving vehicle, and why they think the intention of their service is not to help improve road safety.
Urgh. Ugliest accent in the English speaking world, without a doubt.
Urgh. Ugliest accent in the English speaking world, without a doubt.
“We’ve got enough to deal with without cyclists upsetting the natural order of things that we all grind along together and cyclists stay in the gutter” goes the chat in the GMP staff canteen.
The way I see it, each of us uses our advantage - in the cyclist’s case, we use agility and size to weave in and out ( of this situation entirely created by the car, but let’s not talk about that). When he gets a clear stretch of road the motorist puts his foot down and goes.
We catch him in the next queue - his is merely an illusion of speed - so it goes on.
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