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Driver threatens to run over Bristol cyclist and his nine month old daughter

Cyclist who was carrying daughter in cargo bike angry after man drives into his rear wheel

A Bristol man is keen to identify the driver who threatened to run over both him and his nine month old daughter on Prospect Place, Whitehall on Friday morning.

Jon Usher, an area manager for Sustrans, told road.cc how he was looking to park the cargo bike bearing his daughter  – a Bakfiets from Holland, which is specifically designed to carry children – when the incident took place.

“The road was narrow with parked cars on either side. I was looking for a space to pull in to park up to pick up a parcel. I'd slowed down and signalled to manoeuvre into a space – the bike's about the same length as a Smart car – and that's when I heard the car behind shouting at me to speed up and get out of his way.”

It was then that the driver drove into Usher’s back wheel.

“I shouted at him to back off as I had my daughter in the front and gestured towards her. He said he didn't care and if I didn't move he'd run me and my daughter over. He then started to get out of his car, so I moved into the space and he drove off.”

Usher, who is currently on paternity leave, says that he is angry that he and his daughter Annabel were endangered in this way. Having taken a picture of the car as it drove off, he hopes that the person involved – a thin black male with a short beard – can be tracked down. “I'd like this driver to be identified so that someone can speak to him about the potential consequences of driving in such an aggressive manner, for his and everyone's benefit.”

Usher went to Trinity Road Police Station to report the incident and Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesperson told the Bristol Post: "The incident has been reported. We are investigating it and trying to find the driver of the silver Ford Fiesta."

“I've long worked and campaigned for an environment where we can all live in freedom from the fear of motor traffic,” says Usher. “I won't be put off riding my bike for everyday journeys. My bike means my freedom to destinations beyond where my feet will take me.”

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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24 comments

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a.jumper | 8 years ago
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That's the same Jon Usher who whipped up cycling hate by blaming the Bristol and Bath Railway Path's design and capacity flaws on road bike riders? http://road.cc/content/news/109548-bath-bristol-path-not-place-reckless-...

I'm sorry he suffered an attack but maybe he'll understand now why so many people, even faster than average, don't like his advice to go mix with motorists? And be a bit more understanding of other cyclists in his press comments?

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fukawitribe replied to a.jumper | 8 years ago
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a.jumper wrote:

That's the same Jon Usher who whipped up cycling hate by blaming the Bristol and Bath Railway Path's design and capacity flaws on road bike riders? http://road.cc/content/news/109548-bath-bristol-path-not-place-reckless-...

Some of what he said made sense - people do ride too fast down there, regardless whether it was a factor in the accident. As has mentioned endlessly before, it's not suitable for a being a major commute path at 'normal' road speeds (or 'victim of its own success' as it's often phrased) - something it is particularly appealing for if constructed to cope with the amount and type of traffic. Alas it's not been - but that doesn't mean people should abdicate all responsibility and blame it all on the design (although clearly at least some of the minority of idiots do).

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a.jumper replied to fukawitribe | 8 years ago
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fukawitribe wrote:

...something it is particularly appealing for if constructed to cope with the amount and type of traffic. Alas it's not been - but that doesn't mean people should abdicate all responsibility and blame it all on the design (although clearly at least some of the minority of idiots do).

Aye, but shouldn't he have been also calling for it to be upgraded in line with use and/or relief routes built, rather than only fanning the flames of hatred in the Bristol Post and similar rags?

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PonteD | 8 years ago
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I have always thought that the final straw would come when a driver threatened the life of a baby and that people would finally see sense. The comments on the Bristol post clearly prove me wrong.

I'm ashamed to have ever lived in Bristol and shared the same air as the inbred idiots who seem to think its ok to threaten babies because they were on a bike!  14

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Redvee | 8 years ago
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As soon as the Bristol Post publish an article with the word cyclist in it alarm bells go off in the homes of trolls and they all wake up and post inane comments, usually the same as they did last time, on the article.

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Airzound | 8 years ago
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Cyclist should have D-locked the fecker. Don't take any more of this shit.

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Must be Mad | 8 years ago
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Quote:

Alex Jones is Bill Hicks, now there's an eye-opener (google it).

Thats actually offensive.
Bill was articulate, intelligent and intentionally funny.

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srchar | 8 years ago
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The world is full of asshats like this chump.

I crossed a busy road today. The driver of a car slowed down and waved me across. As I stepped out, his passenger leaned over and honked the horn three times and shouted "get out of the f*cking way" out of the window.

Such mouth-breathers leave me speechless.

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kie7077 | 8 years ago
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I think the fair thing to do would be to stick the driver in an insane asylum, for a long time.And never let him drive again ever.

PS, Hopefully autonomous cars will succeed and replace driving everywhere other than race tracks.

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Sedgepeat replied to kie7077 | 8 years ago
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But this account is only from one side. Sustrans? Yep I believe he sounds the sort to dominate drivers with his machine.

Sustrans are totally about manpower transport. Interesting that, for him, this mode of transport is when it's beyond walking distance, but 'within 5 miles' seems to be taboo to use a car!

In both cases it's all about load/time/purpose/distance.

This guy will live near his work -if Sustrans can be counted as work that is- and buy his lentils in the local corner shop. He will certainly deny that his life is still totally dependent on motor transport, including private cars, which link and serve our whole system. Sustrans? More like Suspect.

But yet another sticks and stones handbags story. Man up.

I suppose it must be nice to be a Sustrans type dreamer.  1

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bikebot replied to kie7077 | 8 years ago
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kie7077 wrote:

I think the fair thing to do would be to stick the driver in an insane asylum, for a long time.And never let him drive again ever.

PS, Hopefully autonomous cars will succeed and replace driving everywhere other than race tracks.

Taking control away from the driver is already starting to become a rights issue in America.

Oh, and here comes the crazy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjugRb7A6kw

You'll want to stop at 1:22, rewind and play that bit again a few times. It takes a few moments to sink in.

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Dropped replied to bikebot | 8 years ago
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bikebot wrote:
kie7077 wrote:

I think the fair thing to do would be to stick the driver in an insane asylum, for a long time.And never let him drive again ever.

PS, Hopefully autonomous cars will succeed and replace driving everywhere other than race tracks.

Taking control away from the driver is already starting to become a rights issue in America.

Oh, and here comes the crazy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjugRb7A6kw

You'll want to stop at 1:22, rewind and play that bit again a few times. It takes a few moments to sink in.

Fantastic -Alex Jones is a proper nut job. Even the 'chem-trail' douche bags look sane compared to him.

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kie7077 replied to Dropped | 8 years ago
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Dropped wrote:

....
Fantastic -Alex Jones is a proper nut job. Even the 'chem-trail' douche bags look sane compared to him.

I think that's his purpose, make all conspiracy theories look bad.

Alex Jones is Bill Hicks, now there's an eye-opener (google it).

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Joeinpoole replied to kie7077 | 8 years ago
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kie7077 wrote:

Alex Jones is Bill Hicks, now there's an eye-opener (google it).

You idiot. Bill Hicks was a genius, sadly taken from us well before his time. Alex Jones is just a useless, fat cunt who spouts utter nonsense in a pathetic bid to be controversial and justify his existence on the network. TV 'click bait' essentially. And you fell for it.

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kie7077 replied to Joeinpoole | 8 years ago
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@ Joeinpoole

I didn't say I believed the conspiracy, I don't know why everyone is getting so worked up. I liked Bill Hicks too. I just take an interest in conspiracies, 9/11 for instance - the official conspiracy - the gov't version does not add up what-so-ever, there are a lot of unanswered questions.

And you fell for it.

Fell for what? You're jumping to conclusions. I don't like Alex Jones's stuff.

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Housecathst | 8 years ago
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This country has a problem with cars in the same way that US has a problem with guns.

The only answer is to get a bigger and bigger car to keep yourself "safe" for all the other nut cases in cars and to hell with anybody that doesn't conform to this, their just cannon fodder to swept to the side of road all in the interest of the traffic flow.

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bikebot | 8 years ago
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Lots of people on the Bristol Post questioning the safety of a Bakfiets. Maybe they should think about the source of that danger, unless they think Bakfiets is likely to explode.

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mrchrispy | 8 years ago
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I am sick to the back teeth of arseholes in cars bullying people on the road, would treat people that while on foot but the over protective sense of self worth people get in cars does strange things to those of low self esteem.

He wont get identified and the police wouldn't be interested as nobody got hurt. I suggest a Fly6 (from wiggle), shaming the fecker on the internet seems to be on the only realistic option we have.

 14

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Judge dreadful | 8 years ago
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Trolls will be trolls.

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mrmo replied to Judge dreadful | 8 years ago
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Judge dreadful wrote:

Trolls will be trolls.

That may well be the case, but it doesn't make the task of getting people out of cars and using other forms of transport easier if the general opinion is that drivers are arseholes and there is no prospect of police/CPS/etc protection.

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Das | 8 years ago
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Some hilarious comments on there. Mean while another child is killed by a Dog. People just sometimes can't get things in perspective, can they? The only reason that roads are unsafe is because there are too many shite self rightoues drivers out there.

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levermonkey | 8 years ago
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The Comments under the article on the Bristol Post website have to be read to be believed.

The "Davey_Smith" ones are truly 'special' if you know what I mean.

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Housecathst replied to levermonkey | 8 years ago
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levermonkey wrote:

The Comments under the article on the Bristol Post website have to be read to be believed.

The "Davey_Smith" ones are truly 'special' if you know what I mean.

It's a amazing how the worst comments always come from somebody who "claims" to be a cyclists.

Right up there with "I'm not a racist, but"

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Sedgepeat replied to Housecathst | 8 years ago
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Be fair. Anti driver cyclists love to claim they're drivers. Pot to kettle?

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