Police caution one cyclist and seek two others in connection with violent road rage attacks on drivers

I don't think there are many folk pit there that would follow a person hone to simply wallop them ... I'm sure there is far more to this than the published accounts.

I think the lesson however should be a reminder that following someone home, no matter how noble your intentions may be, puts you into a n indefensible position. Best avoided.

Obviously, thumping someone isn't a good answer. Its only going to work if you are bigger than they are, for one thing (there might be moral issues involved as well!).

Its just that, if this were treated in the same way motorist behaviour was, all we'd hear on every forum (including motoring ones) would be token disapproval of the thumper at most, with people quickly moving on to what the motorist did wrong in order to 'make himself a victim';

Plus lots of slightly patronising and point-missing advice as to how to keep safe by not upsetting fist-users or getting in the way of fast-moving fists. The primary responsibility for not getting punched in the face lies with the owner of the face, they would inform us.

A lot of angry people on here - punching or abusing a driver is not right, good or going to help cyclists. At the very best it may make someone a bit cautious but stories like this one do no end of harm to our image.
As most sensible people on here realise, life is not fair, not even but the way to make it better is to work with the authorities - it takes a lot longer than punching someone, is more frustrating and has probably an equal number of setbacks but in the end is more likely to get things done and a safer road for us all to use.

By the way - 70 million people in the UK, archaic overcrowded road system means that we have to cooperate for success, competition will end in failure.

i sympathise but frankly if i hit everyone who spat at me, honked their horn, bumped me with a mirror, tailgated me or just decided to shout abuse, or the guy who car doored me or the one who broke my wrist ..id be spending a lot of time in the nick....
What we should do is start our own religion and turn the other cheek...hm How about the Church of Sir Bradley Wiggins...??
it worked for Jesus.. who needs Romans and a cross when you can be laminated to an HGVs Bonnet.

I had a woman beep a few times and then wave and shout at me to get out of the way the other day in the town centre. Loads of traffic and red lights. The best thing is to wave at them, like you know them and smile. They seem to shut up then.

One side of the story here, we'll not know what happened, but nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies riding after someone in their house and hitting them.

I love it when people beep the horn at me, my first reaction is to acknowledge that they have my attention by turning my head and looking at them. The second action is totally involuntary as I'm no Pendlton or Hoy on the track, that is to drift into the middle of the lane. The third action is to slow down as I'm now focussed on the car behind.

And there they are held until I get bored or neck ache! Maybe just once maybe they'd realise that holding back for a few seconds and passing safely is better.

It doesn't mention (as far as I can see) the age of the driver. The cyclist was 51, so I'm presuming was a (hardman) with many years of cycling under his belt...and most likely felt justified in his actions...maybe one too many similar incidents and he snapped...
He must have been a really slow driver/fast cyclist...or was stupid to have honked his horn too close to home...
either way it's not 'correct' or 'championing the cause of all cyclists' in what the cyclist did...
it's all a case of he said/she said...no coroborative evidence provided...
as a cyclist AND driver...i've often felt the urge to run other road users off the tarmac (justifiable/not justifiable) or punch them about the head/body...I haven't actually done it...but I may just snap one day... surely most have felt the same urge...

As many have noted, we don't know the full facts here. But to follow someone home and attack them is absolutely wrong and can only only serve to make things worse for the rest of us.

Simple fact, policing only works if people accept the legal system. There can never be enough police to stop every action if the population decides to ignore the law on mass.

Motoring offences are crimes, but a huge proportion of the population doesn't see it that way, the legal system doesn't see it that way. If groups affected by motoring offences give up believing the legal system will help them, there is only one logical conclusion and that is vigilantism. No it doesn't make it right, but if there is no functioning system of protection then one will be created.

http://road.cc/content/news/118538-help-police-catch-driver-someone-kill...

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This i think underlines the problem, drivers believe they can get away with it. Cyclists believe drivers will get away with it.

What options are there?

I think that many of us agree that you shouldn't go round thumping people, most of the time the people doing the thumping are a**holes. It can get you a criminal record and generally the person doing the thumping looks like an idiot for doing it.

But that doesn't mean that some people don't deserve a punch in the face, and we understand why someone did it in this case. Revenge is sweet as they say.

Justice should:
Compensate the victim.
Punish the criminal.
Teach the criminal the error of their ways.
Act as a deterrent.

Our justice system clearly isn't doing that for cyclists right now.

Sounds like some duff driving.

Difficult one. The horn ought to be used to alert people to possible danger but is mostly used nowadays to indicate annoyance. I remember last year I was driving and I spotted that a sportive was coming the other way. Along that road I knew well there was a narrow downhill section with bends (fantastic fun on a bike but beware) which I would be going up. So naturally I drove slowly up there and used my horn before bends to alert any possible oncoming cyclists. Also naturally my proper use of the horn got me dirty looks from some riders. I'd rather have a dirty look than cause an accident.

Anyway, cyclists getting a rep for going around beating people up who may or may not have done something wrong is not going to be good. I can understand it given the behaviour of some drivers and the inaction of the police/CPS, but if you apply Hanlon's razor to these interactions (do not attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity) then that helps to calm down and think rationally.

That said, if a tradesman's van menaces a group of us and the police decline to do anything, I'm quite happy to phone up HMRC and claim that they quoted me 20% less "if I'd pay cash".

"He said he hooted his horn to let the riders know that he was about to pass."
I can't remember exactly where this is in the Highway Code but I do remember my driving instuctor commenting on good use of the horn as I overtook other cars. Or...

Even the Daily Mail recognises that something is rotten in the state of Denmark when it comes to plod investigating driver vs cyclist "accidents"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2583277/Widows-fury-police-said-...

Come to that, even Kent police recognise it....

Funny how many drivers, when caught and confronted use the "I was using my horn to let you know I was there" line.

I was dangerously tailgated by a driver who then leaned on his horn as he close passed me. I'm afraid I followed him and confronted him (pretty stupid as a lone woman) and he used this line.
Well do you know what? I already knew he was two inches off my rear wheel before he leaned on his horn.

Sounds like some drivers got their comeuppance

On one occasion, a 51-year cyclist followed a driver home and punched him in the face for hooting at his group ride when he wanted to pass.

I don't condone violence but boy how I understand what he's done.

How did the cyclist find out where the driver lives ?

only two time i get beeps from drivers when cycling, first i have moved over, waved them through, etc. Tends to be short distinct, alternative is the use of hazards or indicators quite clear it means thanks.

The other is when directly behind and means get the f*** out of my way.

...

Is it right to punch a driver, of course not, if you have just been almost run off the road, the adrenaline is flowing, you know that no one gives a s*** what happens?

Solution?

Proper punishment and enforcement of driving laws for a start. Respect from drivers and no punishment passes, abuse etc.

Have to wonder how you narrowly miss someone in a lay-by... that must have been an impressive bit of crap driving!

I appreciate there are times when the red mist comes down, but there's really no justification for punching out a driver. The cyclist was lucky not to get more than a caution. The cops may not be too good at following up on incidents that happen on the road, but vigilante behaviour cannot be tolerated either. It's a cliché but two wrongs don't make a right.

Oh, and I had a punishment pass this morning as me and my son cycled to his football training. My son was on the pavement but I was on the road, taking the lane as there were a lot of cars parked. A guy in a silver Merc seemed to think he was within his rights to roar past at speed, leaving about 30cm between his car and the end of my bars. If I'd carried on that road I'd have caught him at the lights as there's always a tailback. But the thing is, it's not worth shouting at people like that. They'll still be d*cks whether you swear or land a punch on them.

Take the registration number and report it to the cops, then swallow it down and move on.

On Wednesday I was riding along the Uxbridge Road into West Ealing. It's a stretch of road where cars park during the evening to visit the swathe of Persian restaurants. At places there are pinch points (central traffic islands, bus stops etc) so I pull out wide to control the road and avoid the opening car doors of diners intent on stuffing their faces.

A car sits on my tail for 40 metres flashing its lights to get me to pull over and as it passes the driver stares at me disapprovingly. I must have been having a bad day because as I saw the car slow at a red light I pulled up alongside and swore at the driver in front of his elderly parents for a good 30 metres before turning left into my road. I'm not particularly proud of my actions but I'm sure he'll think twice before acting in such an aggressive manner in future. Just because he has a metal box around him doesn't make him invincible.

The war on cyclists continues, didn't you know motorists can do as they wish?

I cannot believe the number of people on here condoning attacking someone, whether they are a cyclist or not. Its a shame and a sad reflection of our modern lives when this sort of action is deemed acceptable. The even sadder thing is the 14 or so likes attached to the first post supporting this action.

It makes me want to give up cycling!