Switching off someone else's ignition

brat

AdrianC wrote: »

How about we stop letting the mode of transport pre-judge what actually happened...?

Road users rightfully get angry at the wilful or reckless lack of consideration of some other road users, especially when the road user has to take evasive action to prevent injury or worse to themself or others.

I'd have thought that a road user should be happy to take the lecture if the alternative was likely to be serious injury or a year or more off the road for dangerous driving. Many don't see it that way because their pride and self importance gets in the way of common sense.

All agreed on that? Great.

But the OP was talking about a cyclist being put at risk by a motorists dangerous driving, hence my comment. Motorists do get angry at the behaviour of some cyclists, I agree, but that wasn't what was being discussed.

Geodark

I cycle, ride motorbikes and drive cars - and although there are faults with all I have to say that Cyclists seem to be the worst. most of the incidents I see point to the fact that the incidents occurred due to a lack of defensive driving skills. To drive a car or ride a motorbike you have to pass a test to show that you are safe to be on the road - anyone can buy a bike and head straight out. I don't mean to generalize here as I know that the majority of cyclists are safe proficient cyclists - but from the incidents I have seen the majority are down to a lack of skill on the cyclists part.

And as for speeding up to have a word with the driver that is beyond a joke! Imagine if a driver did that every time someone cut them up, or someone wasn't looking and stepped into the road. And as for these bloody helmet cams, they are causing more problems than they are fixing. They are giving false confidence and safety to riding. Yes, they *may* help with insurance and prosecution if something happens, but they aren't going to stop you being bounced along the ground if you do get hit.

d123

Tobster86 wrote: »

I have.

A very serious case of dangerous driving occurred. The cyclist then pursued the offending driver, switched off their ignition, and told them off; and is now facing the dilemma of whether or not they themself will be liable for prosecution if they make a complaint, by their own admission of the events.

Depending on the drivers version, yes, you could be prosecuted for a Public Order offence.

AdrianC

brat wrote: »

But the OP was talking about a cyclist being put at risk by a motorists dangerous driving

The OP was talking about a cyclist perceiving having been put at risk by a motorist's dangerous driving. They may be right, they may not. Another poster has already given a scenario with a very similar perception, which was actually nothing of the kind.

One thing's for certain - almost every dashcam/headcam video I've ever seen of such incidents show the reality to be MUCH more shades-of-grey than the original claims.

Joe_Horner

sinizterguy wrote: »

[...] If you think there is another thread that will benefit from this post being replicated there[...]

How about just about any one that starts "<insert road user group A here> did something bad to <insert road user group B here> "

AdrianC has it spot on with his post just above. There are idiots using all forms of transport, including their own feet - if you take some of the behaviour around here as typical ten pedestrians should require licences, regular retesting, and insurance!

Generally, motorists are (rightly) held more accountable because they have the ability to inflict greater damage, and to survive better, than motorcyclists, cyclists, or pre-school nuns carrying kittens.

That doesn't in any way excuse poor cycling or pedestrianing, even though it's often used that way by assorted people / groups with axes to grind.

Similarly, the fact that it's to do with road use doesn't in any way excuse seeking out confrontation and risking inflaming the situation into something much worse than it was - although it's often used that way by assorted people with dash / helmet cams.

If you were coming out of a pub, someone threw a punch at you, missed, and then walked away, the police would take a pretty dim view of you following them down the street and trying to "have a word" at the next road crossing. You could even be seen as the one who started the ensuing fight!

sinizterguy

Joe_Horner wrote: »

How about just about any one that starts "<insert road user group A here> did something bad to <insert road user group B here> "

Sorry. Going looking for threads to troll on is way too much effort - and would give me way too many options for me to handle given the number of hours in a day and the rate at which new targets are spawned.

But, I am happy to click through and post if you link them.

brat

sinizterguy wrote: »

My intention was to post here. In reply to a rather childish post. Not directly related to the OP, as discussions on these forums go.

If you think there is another thread that will benefit from this post being replicated there, please post a link and I will pop over and do what is needed.

Your knee jerk response - your desire to redress the balance, or believing you're teaching (a child) a lesson - are well recognised features of the psychological and behavioural responses of motorists when dealing with cyclists on the road. Indeed it is where the main battleground for cyclist safety lies - namely the misguided, often subconscious belief that the motorist has superiority.

sinizterguy

brat wrote: »

...the psychological and behavioural responses ...

The same as your wish to get the last word in then ?

Dan-Dan

straighttalker wrote: »

By your flawed logic, if I walk down the High Street, I am in the public domain so someone can walk up to me, put their hands down my pants and have a fumble?

Only if your very lucky

Tobster86

Well, since arguments seem to be going in 'that direction'; the cyclist in this case has no axe to grind against motorists, and they themself drive a 300 horsepower BMW 5-series.

They would just rather that all users would share the roads and get along, and that the minority of really bad road users who value a few seconds over human life wouldn't use the roads.

And apparently, they get rather angry at being presented with a near death experience caused by one of the aforementioned road users; although are able to appropriately control their anger once they catch up with the driver to discuss the incident.