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news
Ecclesall Road South, Whirlow (Google Maps)"Intimidating" cyclist angered by close passes should be investigated by police, claim mum and daughter... who both admit close passing rider
A mother and daughter who both admit having close passed the same cyclist two months apart, the younger of the two motorists accepting a training course following her driving "without reasonable consideration", believe the cyclist on the receiving end should be investigated by the police for "intimidating, aggressive and abusive behaviour".
Tracy Haigh and her 21-year-old daughter both close passed the same cyclist on the same stretch of Ecclesall Road South at Whirlow, in Sheffield, the mother telling The Star she "pulled in a bit" to avoid a traffic island. Two months later her daughter was involved in an apparently identical incident, for which she was reported and South Yorkshire Police sent a letter offering a training course or a fine and penalty points for the "driving a vehicle without reasonable consideration to others — close pass on a cyclist" which was "recorded on camera".
However, they have now accused the rider on the receiving end of their close passes of "intimidating, aggressive and abusive behaviour", for which they believe he should also be investigated by the police.
Tracy said that after her close pass the rider had "screamed and shouted" at her after catching up at a set of traffic lights and had told her he "had it on camera" and she would get six points and a £1,000 fine. Her daughter said the rider was "furiously verbalising" after she close passed him as well.
"I'm a cyclist myself and when a car passes at less than 1.5m it can be scary. But his behaviour was despicable. He was very intimidating and aggressive, there are much better ways of getting your message across. If he hadn't been like that I would have apologised," Tracy said, accusing the man of "targeting motorists".
She went on to claim that close passes "should work both ways" and questioned: "How many times have cyclists 'close passed' cars to get in front at lights?"
"Under UK law, aggressive behaviour, intimidation, and harassment, including shouting at females, can fall under various laws depending on the circumstances and therefore merits an appropriate investigation to ensure another female isn't abused," she said.
> Here's what to do if you capture a near miss, close pass or collision on camera while cycling
Responding to the request for an investigation, South Yorkshire Police confirmed that no offence had been committed by the cyclist.
"Although you perceived the male's behaviour to be aggressive, this on its own would not be an offence in these circumstances and no threats, abuse or insults were made," the force explained in a written reply which also stated that the number of complaints made by the cyclist against motorists, and how many were against women, could not be disclosed as it would breach the Data Protection Act 2018.
Yesterday, we shared a video reported by a cyclist in Scotland showing the moment a motorist earned themself a £300 fine and six penalty points on their driving licence after blaring the horn at a pair of cyclists riding two-abreast before overtaking across solid double white lines and cutting back across one of the riders.
A 2023 survey, conducted on behalf of Cycling Scotland found that 97 per cent of drivers agree that close passes of cyclists put lives at risk, however over a third admit that they don't think of someone cycling as a person, being more focused on getting past and getting on with their journey.
Eight out of ten drivers said they worry they could seriously injure someone cycling if they do not give them enough space. However, again, 30 per cent said they did not agree that people cycling have equal rights on the roads as drivers, while 83 per cent confessed to feeling frustration when trying to overtake people on bikes.
Were you the cyclist involved in the close pass incidents in Whirlow? Email us at info [at] road.cc
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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74 comments
Good comments on the story in the Sheffield Star.
Yes, most unexpected. I was so surprised at not seeing the usual Gammon bollocks under a cycling-related story that I nearly stopped for a red light.
Intersting article in The Spectator advocating drivers who have a dashcam to "snitch" on littering/flytipping by other drivers.
I assume the same writer (and the paper) is happy for drivers (and cyclists) to use video evidence against dangerous driving too...
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/long-live-the-litter-lout-snitches/
worth reading the full story in the Sheffield Star to be remided of the phrase: “peddled like billy-o”. Hope to hear this being used on team bus talks in the future and during podium interviews.
the article would appear to be a good argument for parents not to teach their children to drive
i did once suggest to a little old lady that she shouldn'd open her car window when someone bangs on it...not everyone is as pleasant as me
...She had failed to stop at a Give Way (with a reminder sign "GIVE WAY TO CYCLISTS" and then due to vehicle congestion had come to a stop across the shared path with me less than a metre away and didn't ever look in my direction...angry yes but I reconciled the situation knowing its always the cyclist appearing out of nowhere that is the problem and that the cause of the line of cars was the existence of the shared path.
She went on to claim that close passes "should work both ways"
I am frankly astounded at the level of stupidity in this country.
That is one the reasons for using twitter as you find these sorts of statments all the time !
I'm not. Neither am I surprised at their desire to publicise it either.
This is quite a good insight into the mindset of drivers whatever our views on it. I would wager that a massive majority of drivers would say that a cyclist giving this woman grief was the worse "crime" out of that and the close pass.
I absolutely lose my shit when I've been close passed.
Every fucking time.
It's called adrenaline.
If the dozy buggers can't work that out they really don't have a clue.
I think the best answer is a Cipollini bottle throw. That way you can keep your composure and still get your message across.
Could not agree more. Have just deleted my Twitter account because I am so sick of seeing "There was no need for you to be so angry" in comments on close passes, either experienced by yours truly or by others. With a seriously bad fast close pass one is inches, and one flinch from oneself or the driver, away from death or life-changing injuries, and they wonder why one is a wee bit agitated about it?
I'm confident you won't regret it! Although I'm passing judgement in some ignorance (being rather a social media hermit barring this site).
Some folks on Twitter might reget your decision of course. Either for fellow-feeling or someone else to get in a lather about. Of course they can always do that here, and they do.
I deleted mine, not long after it was renamed to the meaningless 'X'.
I was just fed a hatred filled stream to my timeline tailored to wind me up. It's all engagement to Elon Musk, so he doesn't care.
I really, don't miss it.
Must say, two days without it and feeling better already. Realised just how much time I wasted checking back for replies et cetera.
I'd like to follow your example, but I never got on the Twitter train in the first place. When it transitioned to X, I almost considered signing up for it just so that I could close my account.
I've never been on Shitter or LookAtMeAGram.
The only reason I'm still on Facebook is the Club announcements and messenger - otherwise I'd have jacked that in ages ago too.
Social media is full of egotistical, narcissistic, gob-shite cockwombles.
I still check it occasionally for bike Twitter, and of course the World Bollard Association... but it is definitely trying to feed me some disturbingly toxic content. Videos that would reinforce some pretty unsavory stereotypes or conspiracies, such as:
That, and a crazy amount of "watch people (almost?) die" videos. I don't interact with this stuff, and just scroll past it once I figure out what it is, but I don't know why the algorithm "thinks" it should serve it to me.
If I can figure out elsewhere to get my bollard fix, I think I'll delete my account today.
Wow! This could be the birth of the Unsubscribe movement! (Or is it de-platforming?)
Bikestorms not Twitterstorms?
WBA is too good just to be confined to one platform (from what I see here). Hope they consider diversifying - if they haven't already?
Oh yeah, and chemtrails, anti-vax, etc. garbage. Account deactivated.
Is that like when Russia complains every time Ukraine fights back?
No, Israel not Russia. Palestine not Ukraine.
President Putin says thank you for your contribution.
Israel thanks you for the continuing support of their genocide of women and children.
Yawn.
So you support Israel then? Who have murdered far more than what the Russians have?
Or do you lap up everything the msm tells you? What a good little patriot you are.
back at ya.
He's right though, however you feel about Russia's invasion, you are supporting Israel's genocide of the Palestinians.
So Ukraine are allowed to retaliate but not Israel and before you (possibly) sprout the whole appropriate response BS, please share what you think an appropriate response would be? Are you ok with the israelis being kidnapped or killed or is that an acceptable loss in your view because as it wasn't a huge number so we can let it slide.
"So Ukraine are allowed to retaliate but not Israel"
Neither of them is.
"not Russia", "not Ukraine"?
He's not right at all. And neither are you.
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