Screwdriver wielding bus driver protected by bus co.

beelzebomb

The other week, my mate was knocked off his bike in Chelmsford, Essex by a bus pulling out - this after he'd already just had an altercation with the same bus for driving dangerously & carelessly.

The outcome was that my friend obviously made his feelings known, only to have a screwdriver pulled on him & invited to sort the matter out.

He took (admittedly hazy) pix of the incident including a clear one of the number plate. Police investigated but did nothing, while the bus co actually laughed when he reported the incident to them.

What hope do we have on uk roads when no-one takes an incident like this seriously?

schmako

Harsh, I treat buses like elephants. Stay the hell away from them!

Briggo

The question is, why was he even on the road.

sheepsteeth

Briggo wrote:

The question is, why was he even on the road.

good question.

Arkady001

I'm with Sean Connery on this one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ScvAJG51V4

sheepsteeth

very good

supersonic

Need to know the bus drivers version of events, I bet they differ lol. I guess the police just have no evidence to go on.

Arkady001

supersonic wrote:

Need to know the bus drivers version of events, I bet they differ lol. I guess the police just have no evidence to go on.

He's damn lucky to be alive...he obviously hasn't come across the 'right' cyclist yet.

Simply put: if someone threatens you or another person then you are entitled under UK and EU law to defend yourself or the other person using 'reasonable force'.
If a person threatens you with a 'bladed instrument' capable of causing serious injury or death (people have been murdered with screwdrivers, let us not forget) then you are perfectly entitled, if you genuinely believe you are in immenent danger of death or serious injury and there was no other way to avoid the situation (like running away), to use lethal force to protect yourself.

However you may only use such force as is deemed appropriate to the situation and must desist immediately the threat is removed (which is why you can't shoot someone running away from you in the UK or Europe - they no longer pose an immediate threat).
You may not use lethal force to protect property in the UK or EU (unlike in the USA where you are allowed to do so).

You will in any case be called upon to defend your actions in a court of law.

But as long as you 'genuinely believed' your life was in danger - who's to prove otherwise?

supersonic

It seems the cyclist may have threatened the bus driver first - as you say, who knows really? I bet the bus driver would say that he was cycling like a loon, and hit the bus, then threatened him so he wielded a weapon in self defence.

I guess this is the problem with these incidents - while I have no reason to disbelieve the OP, and he knows his mate far better than me, what the driver's perspective is and story will be different and, with the police having zero evidence, there is not much they can do. Though threatening without provocation is still assault I believe {though I could be wrong}.

getonyourbike

If he was riding straight down the road and the bus driver pulled out in front of him then it was the cyclist's right of way. so it was the bus drivers fault.

sheepsteeth

so after this did your mate go gobbing off at the bus driver?

bearfraser

report the tw@ and his company to the local authority/region they will be licenced in and try and create a shitstorm

allthegearnoidea

dont most busses have an emergency Stop button on the back?? if so, bus driver does something dangerous like pulling out infront on purpose, then wait for next set of lights, poke the stop button and ride off quickly!! :shock:

MountainMonster

beelzebomb wrote:

The other week, my mate was knocked off his bike in Chelmsford, Essex by a bus pulling out - this after he'd already just had an altercation with the same bus for driving dangerously & carelessly.

The outcome was that my friend obviously made his feelings known, only to have a screwdriver pulled on him & invited to sort the matter out.

He took (admittedly hazy) pix of the incident including a clear one of the number plate. Police investigated but did nothing, while the bus co actually laughed when he reported the incident to them.

What hope do we have on uk roads when no-one takes an incident like this seriously?

It could be highly exagerated, he could be not mentioning the part how he wasn't riding legally and riding like an idiot, and is only saying what the bus driver did wrong. Of course "he's not at fault" cause noone these days can take blame themselves.

jonnyc2420

he wasn't the guy in MBUK who raced accross Bristol this month was he?

paulbox

Amazing, people are even taking the bus driver's side on here... :roll:

supersonic

We don't know the full story! I think mny are playing "Devil's advocate".

sheepsteeth

PaulBox wrote:

Amazing, people are even taking the bus driver's side on here... :roll:

he sounds like he was defending himself against an angry road rider.

MountainMonster

sheepsteeth wrote:

PaulBox wrote:

Amazing, people are even taking the bus driver's side on here... :roll:

he sounds like he was defending himself against an angry road rider.

Who had one of those i'm a cyclist6 so whatever I say is right attitudes.

welshkev

i had a bin lorry drive straight towards me once and deliberately try and kock me off with all his mates laughing at it...until i turned around and followed them to the next place they stopped and challenged him (not to a duel) they were giving it the big one until i got off the bike and politely asked the driver to come and sort it out like a man *(it wasn't polite at all) they soon shut up and swore blind it was an accident.

ok, so not the most sensible thing to do but it made me feel better, and if he'd pulled a screwdriver on me i would have stuck it up his @rse!!!!

sheepsteeth

welshkev wrote:

i had a bin lorry drive straight towards me once and deliberately try and kock me off with all his mates laughing at it...until i turned around and followed them to the next place they stopped and challenged him (not to a duel) they were giving it the big one until i got off the bike and politely asked the driver to come and sort it out like a man *(it wasn't polite at all) they soon shut up and swore blind it was an accident.

ok, so not the most sensible thing to do but it made me feel better, and if he'd pulled a screwdriver on me i would have stuck it up his @rse!!!!

i dont believe any of that.

welshkev

sheepsteeth wrote:

welshkev wrote:

i had a bin lorry drive straight towards me once and deliberately try and kock me off with all his mates laughing at it...until i turned around and followed them to the next place they stopped and challenged him (not to a duel) they were giving it the big one until i got off the bike and politely asked the driver to come and sort it out like a man *(it wasn't polite at all) they soon shut up and swore blind it was an accident.

ok, so not the most sensible thing to do but it made me feel better, and if he'd pulled a screwdriver on me i would have stuck it up his @rse!!!!

i dont believe any of that.

well maybe not the bit about sticking it up his @rse but the rest is true i was fooking fuming!!!!!!

ol\'gregg

sheepsteeth wrote:

welshkev wrote:

i had a bin lorry drive straight towards me once and deliberately try and kock me off with all his mates laughing at it...until i turned around and followed them to the next place they stopped and challenged him (not to a duel) they were giving it the big one until i got off the bike and politely asked the driver to come and sort it out like a man *(it wasn't polite at all) they soon shut up and swore blind it was an accident.

ok, so not the most sensible thing to do but it made me feel better, and if he'd pulled a screwdriver on me i would have stuck it up his @rse!!!!

i dont believe any of that.

Having known Kev for 31 years that does sound like something he'd do..... Short man syndrome and all that

cavegiant

I am a big guy so love winding up aggressive drivers.

They expect a cyclist to shout at them if they tailgate.

They do not expect the cyclist to slow to a few mph and do a bum dance at them.
On occasion even got off the bike and done the hula.

What are they going to do, run me over? not likely.
Take a swing, awesome, I am quite literally a giant.

I only do this if they are being very antisocial (the bus driver was tailing me at 20mph less than 2' from my back tyre) So I hit the brakes, he almost hit his windscreen. What a cunt.

So I stand by my rules of never hurting anyone, but doesn't mean you can't make them really uncomfortable.

supersonic

I hope you don't run into my 6ft 11, 22 stone mate ;-)

DCR00

i suspect both parties are partly to blame here

if a bus had already pulled out in front of me, im not sure i would chance overtaking him as you will always come off worse

no excuse for pulling a screwdriver on someone, but given that the guy was working at the time, presumably with people/witnesses sat on the bus, he must have felt sufficiently threatened to do so

and now the bus driver hates cyclists more than he did before the altercation, so what happens to the next one he comes across ?

when out running i like to run on the road (cause its easier on the legs) and i run towards the traffic. Some drivers hate this and flash their lights and beep. I used to give them the finger until someone pointed out that they will just take their anger out on the next runner they see.

Same principal applies here

So yes, it’s is sh*t that some people can’t drive to save their lives and don't consider other road users, but by being aggressive towards them, they will more than likely just take it out on the next cyclist they see

welshkev

DCR00 wrote:

when out running i like to run on the road (cause its easier on the legs) and i run towards the traffic. Some drivers hate this and flash their lights and beep. I used to give them the finger until someone pointed out that they will just take their anger out on the next runner they see.

i do hate this, why do it? you wouldn't ride your bike into the traffic would you?

i'm sure you're a nice guy but that really gets on my nerves after i nearly hit a guy in the dark, he had on dark clothes and it was on a street with no lights and all of a sudden there's some numpty running towards me!!!

scared the shit out of me :shock:

DCR00

tarmac is easier on the legs as it has some give in it, whereas concrete doesnt

running away from the traffic would be more dangerous (and illegal i think)

i generally hop up onto the pavement if its dark, or if the road is narrow, but if the road is wide enough, then most drivers dont seem to mind moving over a bit

welshkev

DCR00 wrote:

tarmac is easier on the legs as it has some give in it, whereas concrete doesnt

running away from the traffic would be more dangerous (and illegal i think)

i generally hop up onto the pavement if its dark, or if the road is narrow, but if the road is wide enough, then most drivers dont seem to mind moving over a bit

i didn't mean to have a pop at you personally, just that it scared the poo out of me when there's been a guy running towards me

jonnyc2420

and now the bus driver hates cyclists more than he did before the altercation, so what happens to the next one he comes across ?

Which is why I made the comment about the (in my view) irresponsible MBUK article this month.

The writer makes it clear on a number of occasions that he wound up motorists when racing accross Bristol, in my mind its not responsible writing. more of a long advert for Voodo Bikes than an interesting article, shame 'cause i was looking forward to reading about an area quite local to me.
(to offset this though the Triscombe article was great )

NatoED

a friend of mine went through a red light on a ride . after i had caught up with him i had a rant at him and headed off home.

I wont ride with people tat will anger drivers and put myself in danger from actions by infuriated drivers. He had weaved his way to the front of the line of stationary cars. He didn't see what he had done wrong saying well the junction was empty . He didn't see that his actions effect how motorists perceive other cyclists.