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Sydney drivers at their best - incident this morning, Alfred St Milsons Point
Morning All.
Had a rotten commuter ride this morning on the run to work through North Sydney and Milsons to the bridge. To the chap in the green shirt that went down near Lavender Miller Sts intersection, I hope your grazing is OK. But then...
I'm hoping some one else witnessed the incident on Alfred St South, heading southwards between Lavender St and the Harbour Bridge stairs between a Focus road bike (me) and a black late 2000's Honda CRV. The bloke in the CRV has been weaving all over the bike traffic area on the road really close to the parked cars - about 1-2 feet away from the vehicles. I've been directly behind the CRV when he has brake slammed with seemingly no traffic ahead. I've grabbed my brakes and my front tyre has come into contact with the rear left side of the CVR's bupmer and I've leant on the car hatch to balance as I nearly went OTB.
I'm not proud, but what followed was my half hearted return to his tyrade of abuse and threats. I admit I have yelled out "who do you think you are when you drive a Honda CRV". I've walked off the road to the footpath and he's stopped the car in the middle of the road down near the lights, got out and stormed up and started the verbal threats face to face. I wish I'd let him hit me rather than stand my bike between us.
The local Police have said it's not enought to report as a traffic incident or collision, but said a road rage report may be appropriate. I grabbed his licence plate, a good description of him, but no photo as I couldn't fumble the phone with the shakes. I can go to a local Cop Shop to report later today but am not sure how to go about it from here.
Your thoughts, NOBMOBBERS - is a knock on the door giong to make it more dangerous for other riders around this tool, or is this come-uppance that should be enforced?
Many thanks in advance Guys.
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Even if nothing eventuates from your little mishap at least then if this guy gets reported for another incident, it starts to paint a picture to the local police.
You would be at fault as you hit his rear end, regardless of whether he was acting like a tool or not.
Still no need for him to be a dick though.
@Logan, that's what I was conerned about. Even though hes swerved right over the cycling side of the lane (as in my road bars could fit between his car and the parked vehicles if I really had to) and brake slammed from about 35KMs to zero, I was still behind. It wasn't even enough to cause a rubber scuff on the bumper - just a massive heart palpitation.
North Syd Police recommended reporting as road rage, but I don't want that to result in all of being moving targets for this bloke.
I'm with FOB. It needs to be reported as road rage so there is a history. Otherwise if something happens, it's 'first offence'.
It's worth reporting as road rage even if nothing eventuates from it. If this driver repeats this behaviour with another cyclist (or any other road user) and gets reported the police will see a history. At best it might just make the individual realise he went too far if he gets contacted by the police. If it makes him target cyclist more then he's a nutter, but that's highly unlikely.
Sunday at 7am start of McCarrs creek rd at Pasadena's some guy reverses out of his spot and nearly hits a cyclist. The cyclist yells oi to avoid a collison and the guy stops but starts waving his arms getting irate - you see him wind down his window to begin the serve when he realises there is prob 20 cyclists watching and he speeds off. The guy was so completly in the wrong but still wanted to defend the indefensible. Madness
@GiantNut. All the red and yellow jerseys from the Easy Riders group rode past barely after the CRV drove off. A few minutes later and he may not have been threatening to kick the crap out of me.
We all make mistakes or fail to pay attention at times on the bike and in the car. Getting out and hurling abuse and threatening people (whether in the right or wrong) isn't really excusable.
Thanks anyway Guys.
And sorry about the misspelt "tehir" (their) in the title. I still had the shakes when typing.
It runs every commute.
Fortunately these incidents are rare, but when they do happen you want independent corroboration. Knowing they are being recorded often acts as a deterrent to these nincompoops going out of control and hurting you.
Regardless that you hit him because he brake-tested you, I'd still report the road rage incident. If I can be bold, I'd say you *must* report it.
These psychos go through a career progression. You might not get him now, but having a report on file will help the cops slam him later if some poor unfortunate gets in his crosshairs and gets seriously hurt. He can't then claim "out of character".
If I had reported the first incident with the turquoise Commodore when he intentionally (as he confesed when we had words at the next set of traffic lights) tried to squeeze me into the gutter entering the roundabout next to the shops on Allambie Road, it might have sustained a criminal prosecution instead of the measly 6 points off his licence when he deliberately knocked me off my bike and put me in hospital with a shattered hand a few months later in December 2009.
There was a case in the last 18 months in the US where a doctor made a career out of brake-testing cyclists on the mountain road near his home, and was jailed in no small part because of the history of the behaviour going back a few years the police were able to demonstrate by calling on witnesses who had filed earlier road rage reports.
It might not help you now, but it might help someone else get justice later. And it also goes into the statistics count, which influences government policy. If a rise in this kind of incident is seen, then it will be more likely to get some attention
To avoid your report being filed in the bin, I'd recommend rather than filing the report in person that you send it by registered mail, adapting the following template for your road rage report:
http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?...
It avoids you wasting time with a disinterested desk jockey, and the receipt of a document instead of a verbal report means ignoring the matter and failing to act on it is much more difficult. You need to be prepared to go to court and testify if required, and you need to let them know that. Unless you are, the Police will (rightly) do nothing.
Just be aware that you could be held liable for damage to his car. I know that you state that no damage occured but it's just something to be mindfull of. Smile and move on he will get his karma one day. Police don't seem overly intrested in traffic incidents these days.
"Smile and move on" was what I did the first time.
This guy getting out of his car and threatening the OP is a different order of magnitude from your run-of-the-mill "get a car" type of verbal abuse.
Regarding damage to car, there needs to be physical evidence. If he's backed into something, that will be easy to scotch: his chances of making it match up with the physical dimensions of the OP's bike will be pretty slim.
My tuppence; We typically all can react out-of-character sometimes, when faced with a fright. More so if the other person involved is heated up and also having a bit of a 'go'.
So, was this guy being consciously threatening, or was he just reacting out of shock?
If you believe he exhibited an inherent 'bad attitude', especially a complete disregard for cyclists, report him; no doubt.
If the situation just got the worse of both of you, I'd be inclined to park it and use it as (another) lesson on being aware of the potential idiocy of drivers.
We're all road users; showing respect cuts both ways. We don't want to antagonize drivers who simply need a reminder to be more aware of cyclists.
Thanks for the support Peeps. Much appreciated.
Report filed in person last evening at the local Cop Shop. Follow up phone call from the Constable early next week when she's back on shift, and have details to make contact with her and get the COPS reference number.
@hawkeye, missed your post and went in person. Feel comfortable and confident it's at least taken seriously.
@AdrianG, when I walked the bike towards the Harbour Bridge stairs on the foot path, he got out of the car at the red light at the pedestrian crossing, hazard lights on and stormed the 40 metres back up the path to confront me. A verbal out the window, fair play. To walk out of your way, hurling threats and abuse and eyeballing me with only a few feet between us as I backed away... I think that's definite intention and not a shock reaction.
Back on the bike today, a half hour earlier than yesterday, and the usual calm traffic, waves from bus drivers letting your pass and a lovely sunrise bring back the equilibrium.
Ride safe, All.
You should feel sorry for people like that, he obviously has some issues and he isn't coping.
Lets hope he resolves them before he hurts himself or someone.
Glad you didn't get hurt and I like how you didn't try to stand and fight, worse option. If you fight you lose in the eyes of the law and socially.
I don't get agro every time I ride but it happens once in a while, I just think to myself I don't want to turn into someone like that!
Anywho the sun is shinning and the trails are drying up woohoo!
Article form this morning, www.smh.com.au/executive-style/fitness/blogs/on-...
I feel for you, there certainly are some tools out there but I get the feeling that it's not just cyclists, they'd be that angry and confrontational with just about any road user. I really do try to ignore them, indicate that i can't hear what they're saying, etc. these days as I've realised that these sorts of people don't care what you say or do and even if you get away unscathed, some other poor road user may come across this lunatic's rage. Luckily this meas that people generally keep driving which is great because I am reasonably sure of the result if someone got in my face like that.