Rider Down, Brixton Road - Me!

kelsen

Setting off from ASL on Brixton Road southbound (opposite to McDonalds) towards Brixton Hill, I notice a car, a white BMW 1 Series, overtaking on my right with inches to spare. Before I could finish thinking "that's really close", it suddenly pulls towards the left whilst I am still alongside. I try to swerve away but the passenger side collides with my right arm and I go down. Thankfully I manage to unclip my right foot and plant it on the ground to take some of the impact but still end up doing a spectacular roll. I look up and see the car driving away but after about 200 metres it slows and pulls over. Realising they might drive off again, I pick my bike back up, jumped on and sprinted furiously over. I stop in front of the car and put my bike on the ground to discourage them from leaving. Before I could even say a word, the driver, a woman, opens the door and starts shouting furiously at me! She rants on about me swerving into her path and that I shouldn't be cycling the way I was back there! Meanwhile, the male passenger has gotten out and is backing her up and saying it was all my fault. Whilst this is happening and I am trying to get a word in edgeways, a car has stopped behind the BMW and the two occupants get out. The driver pulls out a badge and shows it to the woman to reveal he's a plainclothes DC. He explains to the woman that they were sitting right behind and saw the whole incident, and that she was completely at fault. A girl who I noticed earlier riding a SS also comes over and backs up the DC saying she witnessed it as well. Unbelievably, despite having 3 independent witnesses, 2 of whom were police officers, telling her she was in the wrong, the woman and her passenger continue to argue the toss. In the end, having checked myself and my bike over, I get the woman's details and tell her although I think me and the bike are ok, I would be in touch again if anything was amiss and I also have witnesses to back me up.

I gave myself and the bike another check when I got home. The only damage appears to be a grazed elbow and knee, and a twisted right shifter (now rectified). I'm aware of all the advice about adrenaline masking injuries and getting a proper A&E check but I'm pretty sure there isn't anything more serious. On the advice of the DC, I have filled in a Road Traffic Collision form at the local nick just so there is a record. I'm pretty sure I won't be taking it further but the one thing that p*sses me off is that the stupid cow probably still thinks that she has done nothing wrong and there won't be any repercussions for her stupidity.

Very grateful that the two plainclothes officers came over. I think that was what kept me calm throughout the incident otherwise things might have escalated. Also thanks to the girl on the SS for stopping to check I was ok and provide witness details.

SimonAH

Lucky escape mate, glad you're OK

peat

Glad your alright.

What can ya do? Some people are just a waste of blood and organs.....

veronese68

Glad they were police. I suspect things could have taken a turn for the worse if not.

team47b

HC Rule 163: give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car.

So what's the point of the highway code if motorists don't have to read it or can ignore it and still be in the right.


"but still end up doing a spectacular roll"

9.8

sketchley

Speak to a solicitor you probably have a claim even for a graze, take pictures. Also check for bruising, scratches on bike etc. The claim would be against her insurance even if the amount is small her premiums will go up, hopefully making her think twice.... If you don't want to use a solicitor just write to her insurance company the police should provide the details if she didn't.

phy2sll2

That was very lucky having two cops in the car behind you. On the rare occasions I've run into trouble, no one even stopped.

bails87

I would definitely push for something to be done about it.

And after I was hit in May I thought "it's only a graze and a bruise, I'll be fine". But I'm still off the bike due to bruised cartilage. It's cost me loads in diesel driving to work and I've missed a MTBing weekend to Wales and two gravity enduros (with an entry cost of £60 each) as well as a load of other rides, plus the general fun of cycling to work.

PS: Glad you're okay.

dhope

As above, don't be too quick to assume you're fine, though sounds fortunate you are. Make the insurance company aware of the situation and let them know the police are aware too.
What bike is it btw? I had an off that cracked my carbon frame under the lacquer and was only a month later when I got sat back on the bike the lacquer split and showed the damage. Had spoken to the insurance company already and preemptively got enough to replace the bike in the event there was a failure.

bigmat

Bet she was glad she had actually stopped when the rozzers showed up!

optimisticbiker

+1 on filing a claim...

I was knocked off by a guy pulling into a parking space across the cycle lane. Some grazing and bruising, no damage to bike but his insurance were happy to pay out £1500 in compensation and get a full doc report to cover themselves against any future claim. Plus it bumps his premiums... he'll be more aware next time...

If she went 200m before stopping there was obviusly some discussion in the car... she could/should have been done for 'failing to stop'...

cyclingprop

When I had mine, whiplash took two weeks to show its painfully ugly face. Get checked out.

jds_1981

kelsen wrote:

I notice a car, a white BMW 1 Series, overtaking on my right with inches to spare.

1 Series always make me nervous, as do old BMWs driven by young people.
Smart cars tend to be driven like go-carts.

Anyway, good story

bobinski

Glad to hear that you seem alright mate but like others have said get yourself checked to be sure. I was nudged from behind by a cab a year or so ago and after a few days developed a persistent pain in my chest. A little worrying at the time and prompted hospital tests etc and finally diagnosed as internal bruising. But it persisted for months. Never got the cabbies details because he sped off. Even if i had the difficulty might have been linking the nudge with the injury.
That is a bloody tricky junction when the lights change. I always bear left towards Tulse hill anyway en route home but if i do need to go up Brixton hill actually prefer to bear left as usual and then right after the church or the right after that onto Brixton hill. Unless theres some scr of course but then there is relative safety in numbers.

vermin

1. Bad luck - glad you're ok
2. Great instantaneous reaction - did the right thing
3. Please, please, please follow this up and press a claim of some sort, any sort - don't let her and her partner think that they can get away with it and continue to treat cyclists with such disdain with impunity.

cookeeemonster

vermin wrote:

3. Please, please, please follow this up and press a claim of some sort, any sort - don't let her and her partner think that they can get away with it and continue to treat cyclists with such disdain with impunity.

+1

No, +1000000000!!!!!

How many more times will she potentially do this if she gets away with it this time despite having police as witnesses against her?

Gussio

+another1 for following up. The driver sounds rather unpleasant.

Similar thing happened to me back in Spring. Police saw an incident and their intervention (thankfully) stopped me getting a hiding from two builders.

jonny_trousers

Glad you're ok. There does seem to be a culture of aggression and blame among many people in that part of London.

il_principe

Another +1. Defo claim, she needs to be taught a lesson. Hopefully her premium going up will sort that. Bloody lucky that the cops were there.

SimonAH

vermin wrote:

3. Please, please, please follow this up and press a claim of some sort, any sort - don't let her and her partner think that they can get away with it and continue to treat cyclists with such disdain with impunity.

Hmmmmmm.......I believe you are a lawyer are you not? Hmmmmmmm.....

Still, I agree.

vermin

SimonAH wrote:

vermin wrote:

3. Please, please, please follow this up and press a claim of some sort, any sort - don't let her and her partner think that they can get away with it and continue to treat cyclists with such disdain with impunity.

Hmmmmmm.......I believe you are a lawyer are you not? Hmmmmmmm.....

Still, I agree.

Ha! Not my speciality, but I guess it makes me less reticent about such things. I'd happily try to help out pro-bono though.

People can laugh off a cyclist shouting at them. It's harder when it hits you in the wallet; harder still if a judge shouts at you.

kelsen

There was more damage than I first suspected! Went to pack my bag this morning which I'd left unopened from last night. Stuck my hand in and grabbed a handful of goo! A stick of roll-on deodorant had taken the brunt of the fall and cracked open. All my clothes and the inside of my rucsack is covered in the stuff :evil: Smells nice though.

I am a member of BC so will give their legal team a call. Not really fussed about the compensation side of it as I think it could've been a lot worse. However, what gets me is her driving off thinking she did nothing wrong and not being punished for her ineptitude and ignorance. Even a little acknowledgement of her part in causing the accident would've meant something because she might learn from it, but instead she turns the table round, shouts at the world, and blames it all on me! As people rightly point out, another cyclist might not be so fortunate next time.

vermin

kelsen wrote:

Not really fussed about the compensation side of it

Great attitude and I always feel the same way. Bear in mind, though, that she WOULD be fussed about having to pay you even a penny. It's about the principle and changing peoples' attitudes, not trying to make a fast buck. Not all lawyers are 'ambulance chasers'!

noodles71

I'm with you on the compensation thoughts.... It should be chased up only when needed and todays victim culture really peeves me off.

What does make me really annoyed are people who won't say sorry when they have plainly f**ked up. I'd be making a claim against her, even just for what got trashed in your bag. This is so you can take pleasure in knowing each time for the next 5 years she renews her insurance she has to write it down and admit to being a prat to her insurance company.

Like doing lines in school.....
I will keep my eyes open in future for cyclists because at the very least it will cost me more in insurance.
I will keep my eyes open in future for cyclists because at the very least it will cost me more in insurance.
I will keep my eyes open in future for cyclists because at the very least it will cost me more in insurance.
I will keep my eyes open in future for cyclists because at the very least it will cost me more in insurance.
I will keep my eyes open in future for cyclists because at the very least it will cost me more in insurance.........

Origamist

Glad you and the bike are OK, Kelsen. It's lucky you ride slowly and wear black, otherwise it could have been nasty...

At the v least, I'd want the driver (who was clearly in denial or just a liar) to receive a knock on the door from the police and her insurers reimburse you for any injuries and damage to the bike.

Take it easy.

kelsen

Origamist wrote:

It's lucky you ride slowly and wear black

Why you....! (shakes fist)

Actually guilty on both counts. I pulled away from the lights slower than I normally would as I was admiring the...erm...view, and I was wearing black, however, my (black) rucksack has a 6 inch strip of fluorescent tape across it. I don't understand why it didn't help...?

Wrath Rob

Glad to hear you're OK. Definitely follow up the legal route as the next rider might not be so lucky.

jonny_trousers

Worth pressing the police to send her on a driver awareness course? Loss of face if nothing else...

Cafewanda

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Glad you're ok. There does seem to be a culture of aggression and blame among many people in that part of London.

Oy! I'll have you know 'that part of London' as some very very nice people. Clearly that idiot driver and companion were from elsewhere and were only passing through :P

Glad it wasn't worse Kelsen. I agree with the others that you should press some kind of 'claim' on the witch.

Fireblade96

A BMW driver not accepting they're in the wrong, whatever next ?!

Glad you're OK. I'm very much against compensation culture, but in this case I do think the driver needs to feel some pain, not so much for her actions as her attitude.

Good luck !

anonymousblackfg

Make sure you follow it up fully, from experience as of late tacklings correctly on day one saves you a lot of hassle at the back end. Some people believe it's acceptable to behave like her, but sadly it's the society we live in.