close passing and complaining to the Police

ScottDougall

I am blighted on my commute with a driver that makes a deliberate close pass each time he passes me.

I am starting to dread him now and feel relieved once he has gone.

Its a rural road so the cars are fast and as such I dont as you would expect in London for instance catch up at the lights and so I have no way of getting to this guy.

So I have been calling the Police - I made the second call today and I am of the feeling that I am just going to keep calling them each time this guy does this, but I have the sinking feeling that this is not going to do any good - in fact I feel that its just a matter of time before this thing escalates and the twat hits me...

Because the Police cant really do anything really until that happens so in effect this guy is free to drive like that until I am either injured or dead... and even then the penalty would be laughably disproportionate - like a fine or a 3 month ban or something equally pathetic

Its so cowardly on his part - given that there is no prospect of me confronting him with his behaviour apart from me getting up earlier and waiting at the other end of this road - but to do what? - if I hit him or damaged his car then I would be in trouble not him... and in my experience these people are very difficult to reason with - correct me if I am wrong but this sort of behaviour rises in inverse proportion to IQ

I cant even fathom his perceived justification as any time he is held behind me or slowed by me is easily corrected with a quick squeeze of his throttle - its just pure territorialism, intolerance, stupidity utterly anti social.

So I want to record this today - that the red coupe M308JRG is likely to at some future date either injure or kill me and if he does then - someone somewhere read this and make sure the twat driver gets his just deserts.

cntl

I would record the close passes on video. If you do not have a helmet cam, use standard camara (you can tape it to handlebars). Take a CD with the video to the police, I am pretty sure the guy would receive a visit from them. Personally, once I had a couple of video recording, I would take the guy to court.

el_presidente

https://www.mycarcheck.com/check/M308JRG/

1995 Ford Probe hmm, classy

PhilTheFish

Just keep reporting it every day to the police. The police get monitored on closing out of repeat reports. Even if it takes 20 phone calls over a few weeks, they will eventually have to go and see him.

Agree with the above poster though, if you can get video footage of his antics then they'll act on it. Can't beat hard evidence.

t4tomo

You probably want to get a shot from behind of him approaching you, maybe try the camera taped to rack if you have one.

WyS

keep foning the cops seeing as you have started.

I would defo sort a camera out and do it all by the book. time stamped etc. get a few of them under your belt. see if you can get witnesses. or try getting plod to wait up the road from where he does it and pull him over. then you can all have a natter.

personally i wouldnt have gone to the cops. id hoof a half brick at him as he passes, hope he stops for a ruck and chin him with my dlock.

what a cock.

hope he gets his m8 good luck.

fosmaal

You sure it's not Gareth Cheeseman driving.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gareth_Cheeseman

secretsam

el_presidente wrote:

https://www.mycarcheck.com/check/M308JRG/

1995 Ford Probe hmm, classy

That's truly scary that it's so easy to get details of the car...but the trick is finding out where he lives :twisted:

But as noted...Ford Probe? He (and it will be a HE) has probably got a 1" d1ck and has to compensate somehow

I'd keep on at the cops, eventually they'll get p1ssed off with you and go and throw him down the stairs or something...or maybe throw you down the stairs...do you reckon he's speeding? Or DD'ing? They'd be MUCH more likely to go after him for that, especially DD'ing...

ScottDougall

I wonder if there is a limited if amusing narrative we could speculate on in the style of "Cracker"

a profilers view of this sad persons life based on his choice or otherwise of car and mode of behaviour

Im guessing something manual and repetitive as a job - and an ugly domineering wife, children who are underachieving on drugs and who hate him...

WyS

a sly method to get his address is to go up to a copper on foot and say you saw some people nicking a red ford reg. blah blah. maybe csu would be better as they are generally a bit stupider than the police.

If you are lucky they will radio it in there and then and check, if they do chances are plod on the other end will relay back the car owners details to the officer over the radio.

remember the address and go pay him a visit.

el_presidente

SecretSam wrote:

But as noted...Ford Probe? He (and it will be a HE) has probably got a 1" d1ck and has to compensate somehow

if you're trying to compensate for below-standard genitalia, a 12 year-old Ford Probe doesn't really help much imho

Eat My Dust

Don't call the police, visit them. Don't leave until someone takes you seriously, if they're not, take their details and complain about them as well.

Gussio

el_presidente wrote:

SecretSam wrote:

But as noted...Ford Probe? He (and it will be a HE) has probably got a 1" d1ck and has to compensate somehow

if you're trying to compensate for below-standard genitalia, a 12 year-old Ford Probe doesn't really help much imho

Nah, what you want is 3-year old Mondeo ST220

el_presidente

Gussio wrote:

el_presidente wrote:

SecretSam wrote:

But as noted...Ford Probe? He (and it will be a HE) has probably got a 1" d1ck and has to compensate somehow

if you're trying to compensate for below-standard genitalia, a 12 year-old Ford Probe doesn't really help much imho

Nah, what you want is 3-year old Mondeo ST220

IF i had some compensation requirement I don't think I'd choose that

Garry71

What's the location and road? Someone else on here might have come across him before and so consider making a complaint. Location details might also serve to give a heads up to other cyclists in the area.


Garry

alfablue

You can request details of registered keepers from the DVLA if you have the reg number, for a small fee. This is normally when your car gets damaged by another, and you just have reg number. The data protection act means that tehy must have "reasonable cause" to release the information; your case may or may not meet these requirements. The form is at http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/forms/v888.pdf

But keep complaining, and get the camera set up, although it is a hassle you may save yourself and / or some other poor cyclist the ultimate grief! Good luck!

cntl

Please keep us posted regarding any developments.

Professorlandslide

Call the plod and tell them that someone in the car tried to sell you drugs... :twisted:

bigdrew1

Put something across the back of your bike which is wider than your bars as a temporary measure. I am sure I saw something you could buy with a reflector thing on the end but I can't remember or I may just be going crazy

But yeah keep pestering the police, It may be a good idea to go in and talk to them personally but I wouldn't know...

Failing that give his car a good punch/kick...(Properly not the best ideas)

ScottDougall

this is the route in question - I bodged a camera today and started filming the journey - did not see him though and for the first time was disappointed...

http://www.bikeradar.com/routes/?bpath= ... e-to-Lewes

Wooliferkins

Put it in writing. Send it signed for. If you save it on computer you will only have to update the time and date of the incedent. If you are still ignored push the address further up the food chain until someone does act. I'm pretty sure Chief Superintendents would be a tad miffed to get a letter on this subject especially if you send copies of the previous mails with it.

ScottDougall

I started recording today - I bodged a mount for my digital camera that also has a movie feature...

did not quite get it right though as the focus and exposure was fixed so the results were blurry - but Ill get it right next time...



so the next time he comes past too close Ill be visiting the police armed with a CD and all my previous call references

I still dont know though ultimately what they can do to this guy before he hits me...

Having said that I feel better having taken proactive steps to gain some control of the situation.

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Gambatte

try taking this in, you've provided the No plate details yourself.

The fact that you're concerned enough to do this should carry some weight with them.

WyS

thats a red peugeot, not a ford probe.. is he running dodgey plates? or is that a different guy?

ScottDougall

its a random example from my first blurry attempt at filming my ride in to the station, its quite an eye opener what goes on behind you on your bike - scary !!

WyS

aaah i see.

shame you have to resort to this, but hopefully you'll get hima seeing to from the po po before he ends up causing you or someone else a serious injury.

I know whenever i have my cam mounted nothing remotely intersting happens!

ScottDougall

got a call from the police this morning

they have talked to the driver and called to tell me that - they told me he said he had made every effort to give me the most room available !! at which point I asked her why she thought I made the complaint in the first place - she then suggested that I may be cycling too far out in the road as he had said I was often seen cycling in the "middle of the road"

I feel aggrieved that I had to spend a good portion of that conversation defending my presence on that road at that time - it feels like a sort of institutional intolerance toward cyclists with an underlying feeling that we are in the way... frustrating.

I ride generally about 1/3 of the way into the lane - I go further out through blind bends and ahead of a busy left turn to discourage overtaking and left hooking but other than that I think Im a fairly normal assertive cyclist...

el_presidente

ScottDougall wrote:

got a call from the police this morning

they have talked to the driver and called to tell me that - they told me he said he had made every effort to give me the most room available !! at which point I asked her why she thought I made the complaint in the first place - she then suggested that I may be cycling too far out in the road as he had said I was often seen cycling in the "middle of the road"

I feel aggrieved that I had to spend a good portion of that conversation defending my presence on that road at that time - it feels like a sort of institutional intolerance toward cyclists with an underlying feeling that we are in the way... frustrating.

I ride generally about 1/3 of the way into the lane - I go further out through blind bends and ahead of a busy left turn to discourage overtaking and left hooking but other than that I think Im a fairly normal assertive cyclist...

I would write back to the police, cc-ing their boss with this link

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /DG_070314



The picture clearly shows what is expected - we all know this may be slightly unrealistic in the real world but it shows the cyclist 1/3rd of the way across the road.

Might also be worth cc-ing the Police Complaints Authority although that may be a bit strong at this point. And anyway the fact that the police have spoken to the driver may mean he moderates his driving.

ScottDougall

Im going to wait and see what he does - ironically since I fitted the camera to my bike I have not seen him but if he does do it again there will be no room for interpretation as the images Im getting now are really clear... time will tell.

Gambatte

Basically if he couldn't give safe room, he shouldn't pass.

I reckon this would wind me up enough to complain the coppers aren't aware of the highway code and how cyclists should behave on the road (we've seen that with the PCSOs in Manchester!) :evil:

The BIG GT

I don't think that bikes are taken that seriously at all by police (generally!). Earlier this year I was in London and needed to get down a specific road in order to not get lost but it was one-way, the wrong way for me. I dismounted and walked along the pavement, in the dark, with my hi-viz jacket, helmet-mounted lamp and numerous bike-mounted lights and noticed two police officers walking towards me.

As I was passing them the male officer called out that I was probably the "safest, most well-lit cyclist I've seen", to which I responded, with a laugh, that I still had motorists not notice me and put me in danger.

He then told me that my lights were the reason he was going to let me off pushing my bike on the pavement (trying to impress the, seemingly, new, female officer) !! I thought he was joking so smiled back only for him to again tell me I should not be on the pavement with a bike as it was illegal! I then said something like "But I'm not riding it?" but he just repeated himself again, with a 'aren't I impressive and powerful' glance at the woman.

I just said "Thanks" and carried on walking....

What an idiot, I bet he thought he was being all manly to the wierdo in the bike gear! I suppose I was supposed to carry the bike over the pavement??

Sometimes you can't win whatever you do.
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