http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Tag: Dangerous Driver - Recent Posts en Wed, 13 May 2026 05:09:56 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134518 Tue, 26 Nov 2013 00:11:37 +0000 wee folding bike 134518@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Someone in the crowd shouted "Ron Mael ya sexy spectacled man".</p> <p>That made Ron smile. He also danced in a way only Ron could.</p> <p>I may just a little hyped after seeing him this evening. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134492 Mon, 25 Nov 2013 19:56:15 +0000 531 134492@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Just a follow up to say that I did report this. No I don't expect too much to happen, but as some have mentioned it might be one more piece of evidence against a bad driver.</p> <p>I think people should avoid red fiats as a sensible precaution. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134415 Mon, 25 Nov 2013 12:04:53 +0000 wee folding bike 134415@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>PS, </p> <p>Did Ron laugh or say anything? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134396 Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:33:00 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 134396@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>What DaveC said, 100%.</p> <p>The police are obliged to keep personal data confidential (as anyone is). I'd have serious doubts it would ever get anywhere near the driver being charged, unless it's on video. Obviously, as is pointed out, you have two of you to provide separate witnesses. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134394 Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:27:14 +0000 PS 134394@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@wfb I saw Sparks at the Picture House earlier in the year. You're in for a treat. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134377 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 23:36:14 +0000 wee folding bike 134377@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well I am that easy to spot.</p> <p>Tomorrow for the second time in 8 years I'll be using a car for work. I'm going to see Sparks with a friend in the evening after school.</p> <p>Yes, THAT Sparks. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134362 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 22:03:53 +0000 chdot 134362@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>So good they named it twice. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134361 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:58:17 +0000 wee folding bike 134361@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm easily identifiable in Airdrie and I've still reported these things. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134360 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:58:14 +0000 wee folding bike 134360@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm easily identifiable in Airdrie and I've still reported these things. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134357 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:38:04 +0000 DaveC 134357@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Report it. Report separately with other two as witnesses as snowy said. Don't be afraid of any reprisals as the police won't give your details unless it comes to court. Also say your nervous about reporting as you feel vunerable about a reprisal and they'll treat you carefully.</p> <p>More importantly the perpetrator may not just scare another cyclist so its important to report it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134350 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 19:43:42 +0000 slowcoach 134350@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd advise reporting it to the police asap. It would have been better to report it at the time - even an anonymous report then might have got police watching for driver and stopped to check for drink/drugs as well as behaviour.<br /> As others say, the police might already know about this driver and need just another report to be persuaded to take action. You might be asked if you are willing to go to court to testify and if you are not that might prevent any charges being brought. But even so the Police might be able to identify and advise this driver not to be so stupid (at the very least) in future. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134344 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 18:54:43 +0000 rbrtwtmn 134344@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My thought would be to approach the police in as formal a way as possible (partly so they have had a chance to think how to respond before you talk, and also so its clear that you are serious about the issue), but to actually raise this issue with them before passing on the registration details. You may then decide not to take things further - but at least you may have left a formal record behind you that cyclists are sometimes too scared to make a complaint. </p> <p>Also be careful with your language. 'Literally attacked' and 'rampage' are quite strong. I do understand why you say this, but it might be better to stick to a description of what happened and to note how it made you feel. Don't misunderstand me - I'm not trying to take away from the seriousness of this, just thinking that a description of how this made you feel will carry across to non-cyclists better than the words you used above. Also suggest you report this ASAP and that you each sit down independently and write down what happened now (before telling the story to anyone else). In the event that something ended up in court you don't want it to be possible for anyone to suggest that your story changed after on-line chatter. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134337 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 17:37:39 +0000 Snowy 134337@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The fact you are afraid of reprisals will tell the police something about exactly how scary this person was.</p> <p>Each of you should make a complaint, with the others as witnesses. If the driver was doing this to you, they sound quite likely to have been doing it to others either today or previously.</p> <p>Think of it this way - the police may have a note against this driver already and your own complaint may significant help get them off the road. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134334 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 17:13:10 +0000 custard 134334@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>unless others report it. I doubt it would hold weight without a name behind it. Why woud you be worried? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11709#post-134332 Sun, 24 Nov 2013 16:46:17 +0000 531 134332@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Three of us were cycling out of town this morning on Milton Road W. We were literally attacked by a small red fiat. He swerved toward each of us in turn (we were in the bus/cycle lane), in my own case coming within a foot of my pedal. It was clear he was on some sort or rampage. </p> <p>The odd thing is that this was completely unprovoked. I think he joined the road at Duddingston Park and found himself behind my partner (wearing hi viz, and peddling steadily along in the green paint), then he started honking his horn and decided he would 'teach the cyclists a lesson' by giving them a scare. It was very scary, I would say, but even more for the car he almost hit when he swerved back into the roadway after buzzing me...that car also had to brake suddenly and swerve to avoid a collision.</p> <p>The thing is I got a license plate number, but I am slightly worried about filing the report. This is a dangerous individual. Will the police protect our anonymity? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112550 Fri, 31 May 2013 18:44:13 +0000 barnton-to-town 112550@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Headcams give some level of publicity to bad driving habits, the like of which are only ever going to be resolved by;<br /> More driver training prior to licensing<br /> More frequent checks on driver competence<br /> More punishing consequences for significantly bad driving, e.g. test resits</p> <p>The only other way pressure will be put on the Government is by cyclist injuries/deaths. I'd rather see far more video examples of bad driving as a mechanism to put pressure on our politicians. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112536 Fri, 31 May 2013 16:51:54 +0000 Cyclingmollie 112536@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>WC: <em>"it's a bit like the cycle chic debate - wearing normal clothes and not using a cam are 'effects' of a good cycling culture, not the 'cause'. Correlation rather than causation"</em></p> <p>Hear hear. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112533 Fri, 31 May 2013 16:46:59 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 112533@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Interesting, mentioned this to DaveC just this very morning. Completely the opposite to subconsciously going looking for trouble I actually feel the cam keeps me more relaxed - if anything happens I know I don't need to confront anyone cos I can check the footage later, and 99 times out of 100 it's meaningless to put online. I post incidents incredibly infrequently. </p> <p>Though I find the complaint that people only post bad incidents slightly odd. To be frank, videos without incident would be immensely dull to watch.</p> <p>Not sure my cam marks me out as 'not normal' either (well, no more so than being on a bike in the first place). The cam is mounted on the bike and looks like a light... I'd have thought a helmet, bright yellow jacket and only two wheels would mark someone out as 'not normal' (if the definition of 'normal' is driving a car) more than a small cam. </p> <p>And no, they don't use cams in Copenhagen. There's one very obvious reason for that, but on top of that there's a presumption that it's people using cams that are therefore stopping us becoming like Copenhagen (because we're not thinking about where we want to be) - I know exactly where we want to be, it's somewhere where I feel I can leave the cam at home, and I'd argue we get to that point more readily with better infrastructure, better training and awareness, and better enforcement. In fact reaching a Danish utopia probably has 'not filming my commute' pretty far down the list of reasons (it's a bit like the cycle chic debate - wearing normal clothes and not using a cam are 'effects' of a good cycling culture, not the 'cause'. Correlation rather than causation. </p> <p>P.s. I've also filmed poor infrastructure to highlight what it's like to ride on (moving pictures being so much better than google map screen grabs) and a gaggle if riders ascending and descending the spiral car park ramp behind the St James Centre with the Chipmunks singing 'You Spin Me Round' over the top - so it's not quite 'all' bad incidents. ;) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112532 Fri, 31 May 2013 16:40:22 +0000 Cyclingmollie 112532@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>algo: <em>"but in fact suffers from the failing of all anonymous posting forums"</em></p> <p>How true. I think the real value of those videos is when helmet-cam bloggers like <a href="http://mccraw.co.uk/">Dave</a> and <a href="http://www.magnatom.net/">Magnatom</a> use them to reinforce the points they are making. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112527 Fri, 31 May 2013 15:28:07 +0000 algo 112527@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>thanks :-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112526 Fri, 31 May 2013 15:27:30 +0000 steveo 112526@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I didn't really mean to start a debate about</em> ...</p> <p>Welcome to CCE, thread drift is somewhat inevitable and not really something we worry about here. :) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112525 Fri, 31 May 2013 15:21:09 +0000 algo 112525@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hello,</p> <p>I didn't really mean to start a debate about headcams here, but while we're at it I'll stick my two pennyworth in.</p> <p>The vast majority of my rides are very enjoyable, and I think by being unambiguous, looking at drivers, signalling, and thanking them it reinforces the idea that we can share the roads amicably - this works well in the case of drivers who already think about cyclists or those that are fairly indifferent. To those (few) that take exception to cyclists I don't see any point remonstrating with them, but if they are genuinely dangerous then a headcam is a useful tool for bringing them to account if necessary.</p> <p>My problem with a lot of the videos on youtube is that the intention is to promote better education, but in fact suffers from the failing of all anonymous posting forums - people say appalling things they would (hopefully) never say in reality because they are protected by their own anonymity and this just drives a fatter and more acrimonious wedge between those that love cycling and those that hate cyclists, by somehow making you feel you have to take a side.</p> <p>I'm not sure how much use public posting really is, but I think headcams are a useful tool when it comes to making people accountable for their actions - as I think has been shown in Dave's video. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112522 Fri, 31 May 2013 14:41:34 +0000 steveo 112522@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Not sure how you define this: Vast majority of my rides are incident free. (touch wood) I dont find the majority of road users are demonstrably inattentive. Indifferent ? Perhaps, although I find I'm given space and time. (again, touch wood) </em></p> <p>As are mine, but there are plenty of "incidents" in a day to prove that drivers don't pay enough attention to what they are doing. Not all incidents involve cyclists and not all even get as far as damaging paint. </p> <p><em>Normal road users are motorists. </em><br /> So if a "normal" road user is a motorist surely the fact the helmet cam user is on a bike <em>single(s) cyclists out as not-normal-road-users</em> far more obviously... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112521 Fri, 31 May 2013 14:29:26 +0000 sg37409 112521@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>&gt;&gt; we live in a city which contains an element of road users aggressive to cyclists</p> <p>This is a very small minority. (merc drivers, per this forum)</p> <p>&gt;&gt; and a majority who are indifferent to cyclists and demonstrably inattentive. </p> <p>Not sure how you define this: Vast majority of my rides are incident free. (touch wood) I dont find the majority of road users are demonstrably inattentive. Indifferent ? Perhaps, although I find I'm given space and time. (again, touch wood) </p> <p>Normal road users are motorists. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112518 Fri, 31 May 2013 14:08:29 +0000 steveo 112518@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em> Helmet cams already single cyclists out as not-normal-road-users and this is very much something to avoid. </em></p> <p>The majority of road users wouldn't recognise a helmet cam until its pointed out, look at the files on the web. </p> <p>Any way what is a Normal-Road-User? If you define normal as average its not a squishy person on a bike its a person in a car. </p> <p>If helmet cams raise the profile of how bad the roads are and start down the path to <strike>Valhalla</strike> Copenhagen, great. But lets remember we live in a city which contains an element of road users aggressive to cyclists and a majority who are indifferent to cyclists and demonstrably inattentive. </p> <p>Cameras can provide information to help the individual and until culturally this isn't required its up to the individual to do what they feel helps them. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112517 Fri, 31 May 2013 14:07:55 +0000 Min 112517@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>And remember where we currently are... </em></p> <p>Hear hear. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112516 Fri, 31 May 2013 13:56:50 +0000 sg37409 112516@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Eddie-H says using a helmet cam means your subconsiously looking for trouble. Easy to come to that conclusion as the only postings from them are of "incidents" and not (IME) the huge majority of incident free rides. &lt;-(SteveO - this is where we are currently) Helmet cams already single cyclists out as not-normal-road-users and this is very much something to avoid. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112514 Fri, 31 May 2013 13:54:20 +0000 steveo 112514@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>We need to ask ourselves where we want to be.</em></p> <p>And remember where we currently are... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112512 Fri, 31 May 2013 13:43:21 +0000 neddie 112512@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I agree that a few high profile* cyclists with headcams is probably a good thing.</p> <p>But do we really want to see all cyclists wearing cameras? IMO, that's as bad as all cyclists wearing h*****s!</p> <p>Do they wear headcams in Holland, Copenhagen? We need to ask ourselves where we want to be.</p> <p>*with large Twitter followings, good media contacts, etc. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10311#post-112510 Fri, 31 May 2013 13:33:49 +0000 Dave 112510@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>No way. I'm on to my second camera after quite a long hiatus (around two years, when I mainly rode recumbent) but it makes a huge difference in terms of incidents IME.</p> <p>Obviously it's not actually true that wearing a camera causes people to drop their phones or instantly sober up (although tbh I think they are getting to be more and more widely recognised) but I wouldn't like to be without one again - at least not unless I switch back to recumbent and stop having to worry about 99% of bad driving.</p> <p>Incidentally, in the end the police did get involved with the driver in the clip referenced above. I won't go into details, but I was happy with the way it was handled (apart from the fact that the EEN needed to run a story to get it out of the long grass in the first place). </p>