vol

Link. Couldn't make out what they were saying in the video, mostly beeps

kickstart

Its seems obvious that the driver has issues with cyclists, is selectively ignorant of the law, and was looking for trouble, but the video also makes it look like the cyclist was trying to stand his ground rather than mitigate the situation.

keyven

It almost seems like a situation where if a *** was available someone would get shot.

JonnyHK 

That driver has issues, period.

He's totally in the wrong. Send the footage off to the cops...

Daniel4

This re-confirms my view that it should be a requirement to have 8 hours of in-traffic cycling experience to own a motor vehicle licence.

genec

All slow motion... the driver used the size of his vehicle to intimidate the cyclist and pulled over to the curb... clearly a move that would not have been well tolerated if the SUV driver had done the same thing to a motorist.

The cyclist, a bit taken aback by the move, and with SUV in his face, slapped the rear window as the SUV glided by.

Was anyone in danger... probably not, but the attitude of the motorist, expressed by him simply using the size of his vehicle to go where he wanted, regardless of the cyclist in a marked bike lane... well, the motorist further expresses himself in words...

I-Like-To-Bike

What is your view about the requirements for all individuals to be authorized to ride a bicycle in traffic? What training regimen would you dictate be required for all bicyclists as a result of seeing a video of a bicyclist violating traffic laws?

howsteepisit

I'd say the chance of this being acceptable to the general public is just about 0. Are you proposing providing a bike to those who do not own one? How are they to document the 8 hours? Maybe a tandem with a paid ride along observer?

bikecrate

Having watched a handful of these types of videos my one conclusion...if you touch (the slap) these hotheads cars get ready for a confrontation. That really sets them off.

Hypno Toad

Yep, insane people.

I had something happen like this at a gas station years ago. I was walking around my car while at the pump and from behind me an F350 came within inches of me at 10 to 15 mph (WAY TOO FAST). I extended my arm and slapped his rear quarter panel, it was so close it required very little movement from my arm. The guy slammed his brakes, jumped out of his truck and started going off like this video. Pounded his fist on the trunk my my car, shouting "how do you like it!". I stared at him and plainly said, "I don't care, it's not my car, but I let the rental car company know who damaged their car."

Or at a ski resort when guy didn't want to share a chair lift on a busy day, I made a gentle comment that we are all here to ride, not wait in line. At the top of the lift, he took off his snowboard and got right in my face, wanting to fight. I'm there with 20 to 30 friends for a snowboard competition, so I just stood there, hands at my side and told him to calm down... and pointed out that his snowboard was going down the hill. After he found out that I would not get physical, he walked down the hill to find his snowboard.

The more I think about it, the more stories I can tell like this. It is truly shocking to see these kinds of reactions from people, so unbalanced.

B. Carfree

It's very sad that this moron, like far too many motorists, probably actually thinks his turn signal gives him some magic right of way. I guess this shouldn't be surprising. When California used to require that motorists take the knowledge test to renew their license, most of them failed the test even though the standard for passing is quite low. The state's initial reaction to this was to look into how to make the test even easier, but I think they settled on just not requiring it any longer.

RomansFiveEight

Yep. Although I'm a believer in the "right of weight", meaning that we sometimes need to swallow our pride and stay safe; which means being cautious of other vehicles even when we know we have the right of way (and there's no reason to hit a vehicle OR engage a person like that; but I TOTALLY understand the outburst. I wouldn't have engaged with the driver though, fleeing might've made him get back in the van and try to run down the cyclist, so I probably would've ignored him completely and called 911. But then, it's easy to be an armchair quarterback isn't it? I'm sitting here on my couch, no adrenaline flowing!). It's just safety, if you think someone might violate your right of way, even if you have the LEGAL upper-hand, they have the more potential to seriously injure you upperhand, so it's probably best to just stay out of the way. But that's me.

But all that said; turn signals aren't permission slips. I was sitting behind a lady in a van, with a car behind me, at a stop sign. When an 18 wheeler began making a right turn. I tried to back up, but the car behind me didn't budge so I could only move a few inches. Then the lady in front of be backed up, and hit my car. She later said she just didn't know what to do. And sure enough, SMASH, the 18 wheeler hits this car pushing her back even further (at this point the car behind me reversed hard so I didn't get pushed into them). The trucker gets out spitting fire, and kept saying "Didn't you see my signal? Don't you know that these things make wide turns?" He's saying all of this as if we merged into him or something like that. But the three of us were stopped, behind the white 'stop' line (the white line just before a stop sign; where you are supposed to stop), between the yellow and white lines of the lane. We were right where we were supposed to be. He just figured, because he's a big truck, we'd all just get out of his way. And we would have if car number 3 had reacted in time. Not that we had any legal obligation to. If he can't make the turn, that's his problem. He needs to find another way. (The road leads to an industrial park, but there are other routes that don't rely on such a sharp turn onto a narrow road) But somewhere in his mind, that all made it okay to proceed in making a turn he couldn't physically make. He spewed all kinds of profanity before the police showed up (Car 3 had called, and notified me before I did, because I was about to). Naturally, he got all sorts of tickets. Unfortunately, since Car 1 hit me before he hit her, they called that her fault. But it didn't do any meaningful damage to my car, which at that time was an older Saturn I had for a long time. So I told her not to worry about it. She panicked, and was worried about her own safety.

Heck, if he had begun to make the turn, then STOPPED, we might've still gotten out of his way. Maybe just assumed he misjudged the turn and it was all an honest mistake. Back up a few feet, let him through, maybe he'll give us a nice wave. No harm no foul. It happens. But he decided to keep on going, and THEN play the victim.

And I've heard several stories of folks getting hit when someone is changing lanes, and the drivers excuse is "I had my signal on". The signal isn't the right of way. You still need to make sure it's clear!

johntrev

The reader comments in support of the motorist are almost as disturbing as the video itself.

Chris516

I have never had an encounter, like in the video. That I hope that guy was ticketed at least. For an unsafe lane change.

I am sort of not surprised. Why it is shown on the website for the London Daily Mail, and not the websites' for the San Francisco Examiner, or the San Francisco Chronicle.

OTOH: While I agree with the cyclist's frustration. He didn't need to slap the vehicle.

ATST: Like others have mentioned. The driver sure seems' to have issues' with cyclists'.

lopek77

I got into heated discussion about bicycles on the roads, with road users before... If it was on YouTube - the number of thumbs up or down was showing how people feel about this issue. It was always a "win" for cyclist haters with number of thumbs... OTOH, if we count the percentage of cyclists vs regular folks/car drivers/cyclist haters, the numbers are in favor of cyclists. We are a small percentage of road users, and it will be hard to change people's closed minds about sharing the road in a safely manner.
Sadly, I believe that the only way people will think about us as a "regular" road users - is when more people die in a stupid, preventable accidents, and media follow all of the stories as much as death of the silly pickle lady aka Anna Nicole Smith...
Media people don't see it as a big problem in today's world. They either don't know about it, or its just not exciting and not commercial enough for them.
With bike industry growing strong, more and more people buying bikes for fun, health reasons or even commuting - we all need to recognize the needs of a growing group of slow road users. Tougher laws, additional driver training and better road infrastructure is needed to help minimize this issue.
Driver on this video was at fault for sure...it's obvious. The more scary thing is that no matter what we do - stupid, sick and dangerous people will still have the access to the drivers licence and the roads...

lopek77

So there is no way you can understand the frustration of some cyclists, that have to deal with stupid drivers like that one from the video, each and every day...
Sometimes drivers even doesn't know that they almost killed someone, even if they know they drive like monkeys...
Hitting their car will make them pay attention, and it may save someone's life down the road.

Here are two examples of distracted driver, and driver who doesn't understand the meaning of Stop sign.

kickstart

Road rage is a crime in many locations, and intentionally hitting someones vehicle is exactly that. Our primary obligation is to avoid contact with others even if they are a mental case or just a jerk.

Vigilante "education" is illegal, counter productive, and dangerous. Don't be stupid, don't do it

Daniel4

To have a bike to ride. We should encourage bicycling. The video indicates that it's the motorist who needs to be reminded of his driving lessons and responsibility as a driver. I bet most cyclists today already have a valid driver's licence - so they are already subject to the jurisdictions Highway Traffic Act and so no further regimen required.

Daniel4

Safety is about responsibility not popularity.

Some drivers have managed 8 hours of in-traffic experience without owning a car. I know I did when I was 16.

howsteepisit

Not for free, car paid for by parents, school system, or other. Bikes would also have to be paid for. The general public will not support. This would also precude some physically disabled.

GP

The cyclist should have beat the crap out of the driver as soon as the driver exited the vehicle.

B. Carfree

You really went into that swamp? Newspaper comment sections only exist to make A&S appear to be sane and polite and are not meant for actual humans.

B. Carfree

Hmm, an out of control motorist attempts to run down a cyclist, or at least run him off the road or force him to stop, makes vehicle to vehicle contact and you think the light slap of the cyclists hand on the cage was the road rage? I believe the term for this is motorhead.

kickstart

I've done things in the heat of the moment as a cyclist that I'm ashamed of, to stoop to their level by intentionally escalating the conflict is a failure of self control as it can be just as threatening to life and limb as the act that precipitates it. To condone it in the cool of an internet forum is a failure of character.

So Yes, I agree, even someone who is carfree can indeed think like a "motorhead".

k_obeastly

It was to my understanding that I don't own one. It may have my name on it but it is state property.