Assault by Taxi

[Rad]

That contradicts the above statement ("...all humans...").

It was a question, not a statement.

Agreed. Comforts and privileges are not rights.

Which is kind of what I was driving at. Prison isn't always the answer, but neither is cosseting those that blatantly flout the law.

As for having the same rights inside than out? Human rights yes. Can't argue with that. Anything else, no, sorry mate, you gave up any such rights when the crime was committed.

 

[carigada]

I take it that you don't believe that prisoners have any human rights?

Prisoners do have human rights and quite rightly so, but we will have to agree on a definition of human rights. The most fundamental human right is the right to live. If we broaden the description, I would say that things like the right to have food, water and shelter would come into it. All of this I agree with for prisoners.

You can add other things but then we start getting to the grey area. For example, televisions and games consoles in prisons are not a fundamental human right, although the PC brigade would probably say different. I think that prison should be a deterrent, and should be made to be as hard and unpleasant as possible to achieve this aim.

Our taxi driver example has by his actions indicated that the human rights of others in society are not important to him. I believe that those who have by their actions rejected the fundamental principles of our society do not deserve anything from this society but the most basic of 'human rights’ in return. This happens already. For example, we deprive a prisoner of his ‘liberty’ even though liberty is one of the rights laid down in the Universal Declaration.

 

[rooel]

While we await the sentence of the court (which, as the weapon was a motor vehicle, is unlikely to be condign) perhaps it would be instructive to consider how best to avoid a similar confrontation at a similar road junction.

I am not familiar with the scene of the crime, and we have only the brief court report about what happened, but there is apparently a roundabout with centre islands at the entrances. The assailant overtook the cyclist at one of these centre islands and passed too close for safety.

How to avoid this? First thing I would suggest is a bar mirror for a brief observation 50 to 100 metres away from the junction to see what if anything is about to enter the same junction. Second thing to do, having checked the mirror and turned the head, would be to move out to the "prime" riding position (60 cms from the kerb according to the woeful Highway Code, 100 cms according to experienced cyclists, but in my own opinion in such a situation, preferably the centre of the relevant lane, to block any following vehicles).

I would advise this position also on approaching a left hand bend, which is what in effect we encounter at the entrance to a roundabout, with the added danger that drivers will be looking to their right to give way to traffic already on the roundabout. If the cyclist is positioned in the middle of the lane the following vehicle cannot overtake, and the driver, looking to the right, will still be able to see the cyclist out of the corner of his eye (assuming no tunnel vision, mobile phone to left ear, or drug induced blindness, of course).

There is the possibility, if there has been a preceding incident causing road rage, that the driver will deliberately run down the centre-of-lane cyclist, as the assailant did in the instant case at the exit from the roundabout. I would suggest that the best thing to do, if at all possible, after an incident of the near-miss kind is to dismount at the side of the road and wave the offender on with a fascetious grand Regency fop type gesture, but with only two fingers extended in a horizontal V sign. Be ready of course to remount and race off in the opposite direction in case such a give-way gesture is wrongly (or should I say correctly) interpreted.

 

[The Maestro]

I'd say 2 year driving ban, short prison sentence and compulsory anger management rehabilitation. I also think that the government has something to answer for as this wouldn't have happened but for the appalling provisions made for cyclists and the gridlocked nature of the roads in general which can make many people do irrational things and 'moments of madness'.

 

[john]

... the gridlocked nature of the roads ...

Surely this is due to the number of cars on them! Let's have more congestion charging!

 

[eddieo]

Just in from work in central London. I crossed blackfriars bridge in my car and stopped at red traffic lights heading south. There was a car to the left of me and an empty lane to my right (3 lanes heading south) 2 cyclists pushing their bikes started crossing from my right...they passed the first car and came to a halt in front of me as they saw a car pulling up and waited till he stopped. My point is, this is what normal people do, they access the risk and act appropriately not like the moron in the video....

On the subject of positioning yourself in the centre lane while turning right or at a roundabout.....How may accidents happen between cars at these junctions? a lot is the answer... as the car behind glances left and assumes the car in front has speed of as well and smack into the back of them......

Me, i'll stick to the left thank you very much.

 

[rooel]

"Me, i'll stick to the left thank you very much."

My post was for those of us who, on approaching a roundabout, or crossroads junction, or T junction, wish to avoid being put under the back wheel of a motor vehicle turning left or entering the roundabout.

A number of women cyclists have been killed at such junctions because, being apparently more diffident than males, they wait close to the left of the left lane, allowing motor vehicles to draw up alongside and then turn left in front of them, dragging them under the rear nearside wheel.

At such junctions it is essential to be either full square in front of, and ahead of, the line of motor vehicles, or if further back to be full square behind the vehicle in front.

Electrical assistance is useful in making a quick getaway when the line of traffic moves. At the other side of the junction move gradually over to the prime riding position, keeping an eye on the mirror for vehicles who will then take the opportunity to overtake. If they appear to be coming too close for comfort use that one metre between you and the kerb as an avoidance space.

 

[john]

rooel, I agree with what you say about positioning. However, I do travel quite quickly (20+ mph) and I can understand slower cyclists wanting to stay further left.

One semantic point, Cyclecraft calls the middle of the line the "primary position" and the other position you describe as the "secondary position".

 

[rooel]

Taxi driver sentenced

See here for the final outcome:


Taxi Driver Jailed For Knocking Over Cyclist (from The Herald )

Not a bad result given the general tendency of the courts to be more lenient regarding assaults by motor vehicle.

 

[Rad]

I'd say justice has been served. Nice to see the mention of a motor vehicle being used in that way in the summing up too.

 

[flecc]

Very close to what I asked for, so I'm satisfied too. Justice served.

He certainly should lose his licence for a year and therefore his livelyhood, and a short prison sentence would be appropriate in addition.

 

[Footie]

Jailed for four months and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

I'm glad the courts have seen this for what it was; "a very serious attack".
Lets hope it serves a lesson to other idiots on the road ....

Keep your distance - from ALL road users
.

 

[flecc]

Keep your distance - from ALL road users

Yup, buy an island.
.