Assault!

Crawler2

Morning all, on the way in this morning, at about 8:45-ish, I was nipping along Broadhurst Gardens and went up the inside of a line of stationary traffic halted at the zebra crossing where Broadhurst Gardens joins Canfield Gardens. At head of the stationary traffic was a white van. I think you can guess what's coming next...

As I'm comming up to the van I could see that the last pedestrian was clear of the crossing and put in a bit of effort to get ahead of the van - it's slightly uphill for the next 25 yards to the traffic lights outside Finchley Road Station. As I get level with the van it starts off, and narrows the gap between vehicle and kerb, but I've got the momentum and get ahead. I can hear shouting from within the van, and as I come up to the lights I move into the right hand lane to turn right he comes alongside to turn left.

We're now alongside each other, waiting for the lights to change, me to go right down the A41, him - for I now see it's a white 55+ heavily built man - to go left. A fair degree of back and forth swearing takes place, before I resort to making ape noises.

At this point he gets out of his van and punches me in the ribs.

I fall over, he gets back into his van and dives off.

Now I must point out that I wasn't in anyway hurt, there's no mark on my body and the bike had no noticeable damage.

A couple of pedestrians came over, one who saw the whole thing gave me their contact details and the registration of the van.

What's the consensus of the forum as to whether or not to report the incident?

I can't help but feel that had I not made ape noises at him he'd have stayed in the van and it wouldn't have escalated, so I feel partly culpable. And there's no damage sustained to me or bike. On the other hand, it's assault, a road rage incident, and the next cyclist that enrages him might not get off so lightly...

mainsy

I would definitely report the incident, assault is wrong even if it was slightly provoked.

Koncordski

Firstly, bad luck.

Secondly, report it and make a right fuss so they follow up.

Thirdly, watch the police do sod all about it.

Sorry mate.

UndercoverElephant

If I read this correctly, you undercut a van that was just about to turn left, got into an argument with the driver, insulted him and got punched. Sounds like you were the one in the wrong right until the end (when he took things too far). Don't think I'd report it, but I wouldn't undertake a left-turning vehicle - I also try not to insult silverbacks, especially when I'm in the wrong.

Crawler2

The vans wasn't turning left, it was going straight on, as all the traffic has to do in that lane. The left/right turn options are a bit further up the road. But otherwise, yes, that's certainly a way to describe what happened.

PBo

I think you should report it - getting out of the van to punch you is a big escalation from name calling/swearing/ape noises.

But it sounds like you're also a little contrite about your behaviour, which is probably a fair lesson too....(preaching over )

jonnyboy77

no doubt he was wrong to assault you, I don't think that's in question. I would report it simply because while exchanging verbals is ugly, if he's prone to thumping everyone who he engages with in that situation it might not be long before it escalates beyond a 'friendly punch'.

Personally I do my best to avoid confrontation, not just on the bike.

- Jon

Origamist

As you have a witness, I'd report it. Hopefully, they will provide an account that tallies with your version of events!

jedster

Have to say that while the van man was totally out of order I can imagine the look on the Police Sergeant's face when he takes your statement...

Incidentally, how could you see that the ped crossing was totally clear if you were up the inside of a van?

peat

Personally, when i'm in a car, i loathe people filtering on my left. The near-side mirror requires a turn of the head and naturally gets neglected. As such, when i'm on my bike, i am wary about trundling down the inside of vehicles, even at the lights.

As for him hitting you, that's pretty serious. However, in his simple mind, you openly mocking him is probably the same as assault.

I'd be inclined not to report it, if it were me. I'd take on board the lesson not to poke a caged bear with a stick.

arthur_scrimshaw

if you report and you go to court, how are you going to feel giving evidence and being asked by the defence lawyer to demonstrate your ape impersonation of his client?

Put it down to experience, luckily you weren't hurt.

estampida

well you both made mistakes

but he violated your personal space, if he cant keep his hands to himself at 8.45 am he has no hope

report him, as this must be the tip of the iceberg for this drivers behaviour, if he gets away with this he might kill someone 1 day

greg66_tri_v2.0

You over did it; in old fashioned terms you were taught a lesson.

Nowadays that sort of teaching is heavily frowned upon. So, yes, you have something to report.

Would I? No. Your call though.

Kieran_Burns

I will admit I had complete sympathy until the ape comment came out. Personally I would think that someone would deserve a slap for that kind of idiocy.

If I were a witness to that, and all you got was one half-hearted punch, I would pick you up and let you know you deserved it.

Sorry, but that's how I personally see it.

Crawler2

re ped crossing clear - I could see through the windscreen of the van via its side window - the side window was just at head height( it was a transit sized vehicle). Also, before I got up to the van I noted the number of peds, their nearness to the crossing, and judging our relative speeds whether they'd be clear by the time I got to the crossing.

As for filtering on the left, I'm in wholeheated agreement; it's dangerous, there's seldom space, there's every chance you'll hit a drain cover. I don't like it there and I prefer to be on the outside. But here, most of the traffic pulling away from the ped crossing pulls over to the right to turn right onto the A41. So if you're on the outside you tend to get pined against the parked cars/traffic joining on the right fron Canfield Gardens. Which isn't much fun either.

Thanks for all your advice - be careful out there and NO APE NOISES.

Wrath Rob

So, you were on your bike. He was a fat, 50+ man in a van. Yet somehow you couldn't escape him? You need to MTFU and learn how to ride a bike in traffic properly

jedster

"I could see through the windscreen of the van via its side window"

Fair enough.

anonymousblackfg

You did bring it on but the assalt was not necessary. Report it. I had similar which came back to bite me as I didn't make a full police report.

Wallace1492

Imagine he turns up in court all boot polished up and with an afro wig, after you give your account of what heppened, it might be you that ends up doing some time....

extrusion

Peat wrote:

Personally, when i'm in a car, i loathe people filtering on my left. The near-side mirror requires a turn of the head and naturally gets neglected.

Adjust your mirror?

I started on motorbikes before passing my car test so when I started driving it took me a while to start naturally using the rear view mirror, I could see everything I needed to out of the wing mirrors. Now, I use them all, but I'm aware that not many drivers do ...

walkingbootweather

Would you still have made ape noises if the driver had happened to be black I wonder?

DonDaddyD

Crawler2 wrote:

I can't help but feel that had I not made ape noises at him he'd have stayed in the van and it wouldn't have escalated,

You answered your own question.

dhope

walkingbootweather wrote:

Would you still have made ape noises if the driver had happened to be black I wonder?

Doubt it, the driver would have assumed racism rather than just being rude. Damned racists, ruining it for the rest of us.

tgotb

What most of the others said... The driver was out of order, but you brought it upon yourself. If I'd been the driver wouldn't have punched you, but I'd have definitely felt like doing it.

When you were at school, did you goad other kids into beating you up, and then report them to the teacher?

DonDaddyD

TGOTB wrote:

When you were at school, did you goad other kids into beating you up, and then report them to the teacher?

Exactly what the OP made me think of.

"Sir, Ramond hit me"

"Raymond, why did you hit Kelvin?"

"I hit him because he said my Mum was so fat that her BMI is measured in acres"

"....hahahaha. Um, Raymond, say sorry for hitting Kelvin. Kelvin you deserved to be hit. Good one though... his mum is fat..."

mattwood

Well, I must admit, until the bit where you got hit, this has made me chuckle!

The good news is that you're relatively unscathed, and I think that perhaps its not surprising the bloke hit you. But I'd still report it on the basis that if you see him again and he decides to have another go (he will remember the bloke that made ape noises at him I would expect?!)? That way you're sort of covering yourself just in case and you need not rise to the provokation that may follow. You could simply report it and say that he was having a go for something that happened previously, which is victimisation I think?

Either way - you still got hit for being as big a douche as him on this occasion :P Put it down to experience.

bails87

I wonder if the OP would have done the same to an angry bloke he met in a pub?!

The driver's a pratt for punching him, but there's a point where you think "what did you expect would happen?"!

Gazzaputt

Sorry you deserved it.

As previously said put down to experience and keep you gob shut in future as you clearly cannot back it up.

Tricycleboy

Gazzaputt wrote:

Sorry you deserved it.

As previously said put down to experience and keep you gob shut in future as you clearly cannot back it up.

thats harsh.

The OP was a wally but the driver is the one actually in the wrong, and the one who committed a criminal act of violence against a stranger who made some noises at him.

kelsen

Gazzaputt wrote:

Sorry you deserved it.

As previously said put down to experience and keep you gob shut in future as you clearly cannot back it up.

An appropriate response to being taunted is to punch them in the ribs? Really?!

tgotb

Tricycleboy wrote:

The OP was a wally but the driver is the one actually in the wrong, and the one who committed a criminal act of violence against a stranger who made some noises at him.

Actually, they're both in the wrong. One may have been less wrong than the other, but that doesn't really put him in a position to take the moral high ground.

Chalk it down to experience. The police probably have more important things to spend their time on, and the van driver will almost certainly consider the incident "resolved"; in the very unlikely event that you see him again, swallow your pride and offer him a conciliatory wave. *That* will give you the moral high ground.