Cyclist v Motorist that's actually worth watching

bazster

facade wrote: »

It hasn't been road tax since 1937 if you want me to be pedantic

If you want a battle of pedantry it's actually never been called "road tax" in any formal sense. Since it is in fact a tax on vehicles using the roads then "road tax" is as good a shorthand as any for the cumbersome moniker "Vehicle Excise Duty". "Car tax" is even shorter, but less accurate because it's not a tax on cars as such, it's a tax on vehicles which are on the road (i.e. the public highway).

facade wrote: »

The point is it is not spent on the roads, they are funded from general taxation, which is the pot that VED goes into I suppose.

And where did I suggest otherwise?

facade wrote: »

Having 5or 6 cars does not mean someone pays more towards the roads than a cyclist.

Road tax is a tax on using the roads, regardless of what it actually gets spent on. Someone with 5 or 6 cars on the public highway is paying hundreds of pounds p.a. in tax as a result of using the roads. A cyclist pays no tax as a result of using the roads.

And as a cyclist too I don't have the slightest problem with it. I actually raised the issue to make exactly that point: as someone who pays more tax than most private individuals as a result of using the roads, I'm perfectly happy that cyclists (me included!) have just as much right to use them as anyone. You might've noticed this if you hadn't been so keen to get pedantic about terminology.

facade wrote: »

The cyclist could be a 45% taxpayer on £300K, then he would pay more towards the roads than the motorist, and therefore have more right to use the road that he "paid" for.

I never said anything about paying for the roads. You conflated the term "road tax" with outdated terms such as "road fund" or "road fund licence" and simply assumed (wrongly) that's what I was getting at.

Norman_Castle

uphillfreewheeler 1 day ago (edited)
The driver was arrested by Thames Valley Police today. He admitted a public order offence, threats to commit criminal damage, and assault. He received a caution.

bazster

Norman_Castle wrote: »

uphillfreewheeler 1 day ago (edited)
The driver was arrested by Thames Valley Police today. He admitted a public order offence, threats to commit criminal damage, and assault. He received a caution.

Judging by the number of videos he's uploaded it seems that this cyclist goes out looking for trouble.

Car_54

Johno100 wrote: »

And how do the maximum penalties compare?

The maximum penalties are higher for drivers:

DD: 2 years jail, unlimited fine, mandatory ban
CD: £5,000 fine, discretionary ban or 3-9 points

DC: £2,500 fine
CC: £1,000 fine

The maximum fines may have increased since my HC was printed (2007), but it's a bit academic. Fines are income related, and the maxima affect only the very high earners.

Johno100

It seems my local police force are going to roll out a scheme very similar to the Roadsafe scheme in the Met area, where video can be submitted to the police of badly behaved road users and which can result in a warning or prosecution.

Interestingly the police have said this.

But traffic officers are keen to warn drivers that submitting camera footage could be risky and the complainant could themselves be subject to legal action.

The spokesman explained: "The obvious benefit is, in the event of a collision, it can show the reason for the collision and liability. But this could work in favour of both the camera user and the non-camera user."

The footage will have to show the period before and after the incident and the spokesman warned drivers who might want to submit a video: "The standard of your driving or riding prior to an incident will be looked at, your demeanour prior and post incident will be scrutinised, everything about you will be questioned.

"Footage from a dashcam that reveals blaring in-vehicle music, a mobile phone conversation, or the road user displaying an aggressive demeanour using language littered with profanities all paints a picture and will affect both liability, prosecution and court decisions. So, if you're running a camera, it's best behaviour at all times."

Traffic officers also warned motorists about deliberately trying to ensnare other drivers and overtly criticising people's ability behind the wheel.

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/west-midlands-police-use-dashcam-9710772

ChumLee

Johno100 wrote: »

It seems my local police force are going to roll out a scheme very similar to the Roadsafe scheme in the Met area, where video can be submitted to the police of badly behaved road users and which can result in a warning or prosecution.



http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/west-midlands-police-use-dashcam-9710772

And the same tools come in every week with yet more footage.

Norman_Castle

bazster wrote: »

Judging by the number of videos he's uploaded it seems that this cyclist goes out looking for trouble.

If you look at the videos many simply show others mistakes. Not incidents provoked by him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY_5YMYxnm4

Unfortunately the others don't show an irate idiot land on their head :rotfl:.

bazster

Norman_Castle wrote: »

If you look at the videos many simply show others mistakes. Not incidents provoked by him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY_5YMYxnm4

And how many could've been avoided by a bit of defensive riding on his part? Motorcyclists who grow old (like me) do so because they learned before it was too late to treat every other road user like an idiot and expect them to do the stupidest things imaginable.

Take the car pulling out of a junction in front of him: an everyday experience for riders of two-wheelers, and one you learn to deal with. Firstly you look at the driver not the car. Look for his face, and unless/until you see it and you are sure he has seen you then you slow down, you get ready to use your horn, and you get ready to stop. You do not carry on belting along at your cruising speed and shout "whoawhoawhoawhoa" when it's too bloody late for you to stop if need be. Unless of course you want another juicy video to put on YouTube.

Retrogamer

bazster wrote: »

Take the car pulling out of a junction in front of him: an everyday experience for riders of two-wheelers, and one you learn to deal with. Firstly you look at the driver not the car. Look for his face, and unless/until you see it and you are sure he has seen you then you slow down, you get ready to use your horn, and you get ready to stop. You do not carry on belting along at your cruising speed and shout "whoawhoawhoawhoa" when it's too bloody late for you to stop if need be. Unless of course you want another juicy video to put on YouTube.

Ahhh the old "blame the victim for someone else's negligence"
Classic.

arcon5

Cyclist is an idiot provoking a moron.