Car Bullies Bikes, Cyclist Bullies Driver, Passenger Responds With Left Hook

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

Well, this is certainly an interesting situation. When an Audi A7 decided to snag some of the empty space in a “bike box” at a central London intersection, a couple of cyclists decided to give the driver of that Audi some forthright feedback. Naturally, the situation escalated.


Jack Baruth
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  • Slow_Joe_Crow Slow_Joe_Crow on Jan 28, 2014

    As a cyclist, I'll point out that the car driver was an asshat for horning into the bike box and buzzing the bikes, so he could get tho the next red light 1/2 a second sooner. The cyclist was a fool to push the issue beyond the initial remonstration. Anecdotally I have had more close calls with assholes in cars almost killing me on my bike than I had cyclists doing dumb stuff in front of my car so I lean towards the driver being at fault.

  • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Jan 28, 2014

    There's a web site listing inmates in London's Old Bailey "gaol", going back to the early 1800s. I noticed, looking through it once, that the penalty for theft of what were/are trivial amounts of cash, was often hanging, as in, by the neck until dead. The Euros have tried to stamp out capital punishment, but before charging anybody for anything, I'd have to look at the penalties involved, just to make sure.

    • Chevron Chevron on Jan 29, 2014

      You really need to read more if you believe that the justice system of the UK in 2014 in any way resembles that of the Regency. Blimey.

  • Jacob Jacob on Jan 29, 2014

    On a tight London street, the car goes over maybe a foot of "bicycle box" area. Big deal. That bicyclist was a bit nuts to get so vocal and upset about that. I am surprised and glad that the car driver had the balls to go outside and punch the whinny bicyclist. I had biked to and from work every work day for seven years, so I don't mean disrespect to all bicyclists, but sometimes they are nuts.

  • CRConrad CRConrad on Feb 03, 2014

    JB: "Are they thinking that they would prosecute for the offense of “entering the box”? They have evidence for it now." Yup. So they could. And should. Why shouldn't they? JB: "Surely, even in Cool Britannia one has the right to drive down the street without being screamed at in a threatening fashion by black-clad anonymous bikers." Was the guy in the Audi any less "anonymous" -- I didn't see him stop to introduce himself before throwing the punch; did you? Or is it a crime to wear black nowadays? Sure, the assailant wore lighter shades; does that make him a knight in shining armour, or is it just that he can do that because he's sheltered from spattering dirt inside the car? And no, one does not have even a moral right to drive in an illegal and potetntially life-threatening fashion and expect not to be told off for it. JB: "Sadly, I suspect it’s the actual punch for which they’d be willing to prosecute." Yeah, well, what with that actually being assault, and all, it stands to reason. JB: "Which makes the London Metropolitan Police no better at unraveling a crime/punishment situation than my fourth-grade Catholic-school teacher, who would frequently punish me for finishing a situation started by another student. I never got the knack of doing that stuff when her back was turned." So are you saying the cyclist punched the Audi driver, only that didn't get caught on film? If not, then you're talking bullshit. (Probably intentionally, for the clicks.) And if you went around punching people in the face when they'd "started a situation" by NOT punching you in the face, then hooray for your teacher, who did exactly the right thing! JB: "I have very little issue placing the blame for the confrontation on the cyclist." Then you're being a fuckwit. (Probably intentionally, for the clicks.) JB: "Yeah, the Audi driver was in the box. No, he wasn’t impeding or threatening any bikers. To the contrary, he wanted to get around them and out of their way." You mean he wanted them out if HIS way. To the extent that he illegally encroached on their space, and YES, potentially impeded and endangered them. JB: "He didn’t want to drive down the road behind a clump of road-hogging bikes. This is a legitimate if perhaps intemperate goal." In traffic, you're stuck behind whomever you're stuck behind. Overtaking them by driving where it's illegal for you to drive can hardly be "legitimate", since it is illegal. Sheesh, Jack. I know you need the clicks to make a living, but how fucking low will you stoop for them?

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    • Grinchsmate Grinchsmate on Feb 06, 2014

      @CRConrad I know I'm very late but I want to say you have nailed this one. No thinking person can watch that video and see a critical mass situation, it has to be bait. But then we all know Baruth is a master baiter.

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