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Video: Close-passing, ultra-sweary driver takes a tumble after chasing and kicking out at cyclist

Dispute about close pass ends with driver chasing cyclist down the street

Helmet cam footage of disputes between cyclists and drivers isn’t exactly thin on the ground these days, but this is a particularly striking example. After a close pass, an extraordinary volume of swearing, a pavement pursuit and a kick at the cyclist’s rear wheel, the driver involved takes a face-first swan dive into the road.

The video, shot in Reading, begins with the familiar scene of a car passing dangerously closely to a cyclist. A short distance later, the uploader, uphillfreewheeler, stops next to the driver and tells him he’d been too close when overtaking. This elicits a quite spectacular barrage of swearing from the driver, the gist of which is that he feels the cyclist should have pulled to the side to let him past. He also has an interesting view on what the Highway Code says about cyclists.

After a short debate about the finer points of road safety, the dispute escalates from swearing to threats before culminating in the driver chasing the cyclist down the pavement and launching a kick at his rear wheel. This causes him to lose balance, after which he stumbles, soars through the air and lands face first in the road.

Please note, unless you mute it, this video’s not remotely safe for work.

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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149 comments

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paulfrank | 8 years ago
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I thought the fat prick was going to have a coronary, that would have been the best ending, his heart exploding in his chest after his gymnastics. Hilarious video  24

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BikeBud | 8 years ago
1 like

I wouldn't normally condone confrontation, but sometimes I have been so pissed off by a close pass that I've wanted to tell the driver just how dangerous it was. Why? It might be the second or third incident in a single ride, or because it was deliberate, or because my adrenaline is pumping after nearly being knocked off. Between the wide angle lens and the cyclists move to the left that was very close, and I can understand the cyclist wanting to confront the driver about it. No, we shouldn't really do it, but then we shouldn't be subject to such dangerous driving.

The driver's attitude was utterly shit from the start, and got even worse. I'd suggest that's why the cyclist started goading him.

Did anyone notice it looks like there's a young person in the passenger seat of the car? What a wonderful example of humanity he's just witnessed!

I don't like these videos at all, but have to admit that this one is bloody funny!

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BikeBud | 8 years ago
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I wouldn't normally condone confrontation, but sometimes I have been so pissed off by a close pass that I've wanted to tell the driver just how dangerous it was. Why? It might be the second or third incident in a single ride, or because it was deliberate, or because my adrenaline is pumping after nearly being knocked off. Between the wide angle lens and the cyclists move to the left that was very close, and I can understand the cyclist wanting to confront the driver about it. No, we shouldn't really do it, but then we shouldn't be subject to such dangerous driving.

The driver's attitude was utterly shit from the start, and got even worse. I'd suggest that's why the cyclist started goading him.

Did anyone notice it looks like there's a young person in the passenger seat of the car? What a wonderful example of humanity he's just witnessed!

I don't like these videos at all, but have to admit that this one is bloody funny!

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3wheelsgood | 8 years ago
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My philosophy concerning close passes is "a miss is as good as a mile" and I really can't see the point in pursuing the clearly ineducable and ignorant for the sake of expressing my righteous indignation and risking a violent confrontation or, indeed, actual affray.
This cowardly strategy has evolved over many years and miles of high octane street riding; the furthest I would go by way of admonishment would be the administration of a severe finger wagging followed by a disconcerting cheery wave (don't we all love a mixed message?). The hapless recipient of my gestures is thus invariably left confused and bewildered to the point of complete inertia as I quietly pedal away humming ''always look on the bright side of life - dee dum dee dum dee dum dee diddy dum".
Most aberrant vehicle drivers are not psychopaths they are merely simple bigots who deserve our benign pity (and sterilisation to prevent the propagation of their genetic material) (or hanging) (or shooting) (or being sentenced to life chained to a Boris bike). Not so chilled out now are we? Oooopsie!  14  1

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cyclist67 | 8 years ago
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Although the cyclist shouldn't have crusaded and trailed the motorist, I'm glad he did, otherwise we wouldn't have seen the pratfall
Hahahaha !! Laugh !?

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FluffyKittenofT... | 8 years ago
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While on the subject - what would it take to get the highway code officially amended so as to make the section on passing cyclists clearer as to what it actually means?

Surely it can't be that difficult a task? Its not like changing the US constitution or something, and as it stands is absolutely obvious that its a badly written passage, given its daft ambiguity.

Having done that, the next step would be for the police to actually do their job and enforce the rules. But even without that, perhaps just stating the rules more clearly would improve things a bit?

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bike_food | 8 years ago
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It's great to see a parent setting a good example to his kid by playing in the street although I'd stick to kerby rather than roly polys on concrete.

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Judge dreadful | 8 years ago
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That wasn't even that close. Nothing to see really, I've had wing mirrors twanging my bars before now, in the back street bits of Reading.

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Jacq Iveski | 8 years ago
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Oh dear, that driver needs to attend anger management and be banned from being in charge of anything bigger than a shopping trolley. I did LOL at the end, especially the slow mo.

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Airzound | 8 years ago
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Anyone got a name for this tosser yet?

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daddyELVIS | 8 years ago
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Cyclist needs to chill - when chasing down the car he took a left-turn at speed and passed a pedestrian a bit close! Did she spin on her heals and start chasing down the cyclist? Driver was a twat, but come on, chill a little!

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caaad10 | 8 years ago
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I can't take much more of this.

If you are starting out in cycling and act like the idiot who appeared to be baiting the driver in order to catch some heated action on camera, the results will be all to predictable.

I'm sorry, but I have to assume the cyclist was out looking for something juicy for his toy cameras, and deliberately started the confrontation in order to get a few youtube hits.

Chapeau for helping improve the image of cyclists amongst the general public.

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WolfieSmith | 8 years ago
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I love the way drivers are in such a hurry that they don't seem to notice the way they pass me - but they always see me shake my head in their rear view mirror and find the time for a hand gesture or even to take time out from their important lives to pull over and threaten me.

More than once I've asked a driver how they have no time to overtake me safely but suddenly all the time to stop and start shouting when their mastery of their machine is questioned?

Self righteous? Nope. I really want to know why their life is more valuable than mine on UK roads.

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Didge | 8 years ago
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I admire the quick thinking by the cyclist.
Lobbing that decoy Mars Bar into the gutter whilst beating a quick retreat.

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vonhelmet | 8 years ago
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Well, it's made it onto Facebook via huffington post so I now get to see car drivers bitch about cyclists on there... So cheers for that.

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gareth2510 | 8 years ago
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That there is Mother Karma at her best.
 24

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silkred | 8 years ago
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this is the best I have yet seen of the discussion with drivers genre - utterly fantastic...

I had similar happen yesterday - but it was a bus - I stood impassively in front of it till the police came only to listen to their victim blaming assessment of what went on...

In the end however they did listen and the conclusion was that no one could really do anything meaningful to stop drivers like this who dont hit and injure you and even then the official response is often lacking...

so seeing this tosser dive head over heals all over the road makes life that little bit more amusing - thanks so much for publishing this one... made my day  21

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Skinner-_-88 | 8 years ago
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Lol

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bornslippy | 8 years ago
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From the guy's YT page: "The driver was arrested by Thames Valley Police today. He admitted a public order offence, threats to commit criminal damage, and assault. He received a caution"

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OldRidgeback | 8 years ago
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It would have been rather droll if the cyclist had then returned to the car while the driver was on the deck, taken the keys out of the ignition and dropped them down a drain. That would have been an offence however.

I wonder if the police also pointed out to the driver that the cyclist was cycling safely and that the driver had made a close pass? The piece says the driver was cautioned for a public order offence, not for the close pass or for not wearing a seat belt.

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Awavey replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 8 years ago
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but youve almost answered your own question, it doesnt matter how its written if theres no-one around to enforce it, and there are so many parts of the highway code that are already clearly written, box junctions or using mobile phones being prime examples, that on the whole are totally ignored because its only enforced through cctv, Ive even seen the police park in a box junction and block a road up, so if they dont care about following the rules it kind of whats the point in writing more rules.

some angry nutter in a car on a back street in Reading isnt going to give two hoots what the highway code says whether its clearly written or not.

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atgni replied to WolfieSmith | 8 years ago
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MercuryOne wrote:

I love the way drivers are in such a hurry that they don't seem to notice the way they pass me - but they always see me shake my head in their rear view mirror and find the time for a hand gesture or even to take time out from their important lives to pull over and threaten me.

More than once I've asked a driver how they have no time to overtake me safely but suddenly all the time to stop and start shouting when their mastery of their machine is questioned?

Self righteous? Nope. I really want to know why their life is more valuable than mine on UK roads.

It is odd how the rear view mirror is so much clearer than the windscreen.

Cynics might say their close passes were deliberate and they were inspecting the result of their high japes!

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DocO replied to caaad10 | 8 years ago
0 likes
caaad10 wrote:

I can't take much more of this.

If you are starting out in cycling and act like the idiot who appeared to be baiting the driver in order to catch some heated action on camera, the results will be all to predictable.

I'm sorry, but I have to assume the cyclist was out looking for something juicy for his toy cameras, and deliberately started the confrontation in order to get a few youtube hits.

Chapeau for helping improve the image of cyclists amongst the general public.

I don't know the chap personally, but on his YT page he has about 4 videos, none of the others showing a confrontation.
Maybe chasing the driver round the town was taking it a bit far, but worth it for that ending!

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mrmo replied to bornslippy | 8 years ago
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bornslippy wrote:

From the guy's YT page: "The driver was arrested by Thames Valley Police today. He admitted a public order offence, threats to commit criminal damage, and assault. He received a caution"

On the basis I do think the cyclist didn't help, I believe it would never have survived court. This is however a good result and hopefully the driver will think twice before trying a dodgy overtake next time.

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BikeBud replied to OldRidgeback | 8 years ago
0 likes
OldRidgeback wrote:

I wonder if the police also pointed out to the driver that the cyclist was cycling safely and that the driver had made a close pass? The piece says the driver was cautioned for a public order offence, not for the close pass or for not wearing a seat belt.

Agreed. This is the important bit!

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to Awavey | 8 years ago
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Awavey wrote:

but youve almost answered your own question, it doesnt matter how its written if theres no-one around to enforce it, and there are so many parts of the highway code that are already clearly written, box junctions or using mobile phones being prime examples, that on the whole are totally ignored because its only enforced through cctv, Ive even seen the police park in a box junction and block a road up, so if they dont care about following the rules it kind of whats the point in writing more rules.

some angry nutter in a car on a back street in Reading isnt going to give two hoots what the highway code says whether its clearly written or not.

Are you replying to me? (the reply function on here really doesn't work properly, does it?).

If so, yeah, you may well be right. But it just irritates me that the powers-that-be can't even be arsed to take a moment to think about what they are writing when it comes to the bits of the highway code that are about the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. It just indicates that they don't really care.

I mean, that document has been around for a long time, and revised many times, yet its still got badly-written bits like that that they've never fixed.

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Russell Orgazoid replied to WolfieSmith | 8 years ago
0 likes
MercuryOne wrote:

I love the way drivers are in such a hurry that they don't seem to notice the way they pass me - but they always see me shake my head in their rear view mirror and find the time for a hand gesture or even to take time out from their important lives to pull over and threaten me.

More than once I've asked a driver how they have no time to overtake me safely but suddenly all the time to stop and start shouting when their mastery of their machine is questioned?

Self righteous? Nope. I really want to know why their life is more valuable than mine on UK roads.

I cannot put how I feel any better than how you just did.

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Scoob_84 | 8 years ago
0 likes

 21  21  21 i can't stop laughing  24  24  24

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Bikebikebike | 8 years ago
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Before the confrontation there was evidence that the driver was a standard-issue rubbish driver. Roughly 5% of them out there, using a statistic I've plucked out of the air.

After the confrontation there is evidence that the driver is violent, and if this is taken further hopefully some action can be taken to get him off the road / have something on his record, so that if he does it again then he'll get a bigger (some?) punishment.

So I'd say well done to the cyclist, really.

The guy is already driving dangerously: can't see how confronting him is going to make him drive any worse.

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Chris | 8 years ago
0 likes

Can you imagine how angry he would have been just after he hit the deck? Would have liked to see that bit.

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