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I was talking earlier about this, and have posted this link so that people can see what I was on about. The footage is quite shocking, but it is better than some other links because it shows the prelude to what was, really, attempted murder, or at the very least assault with a deadly weapon.
But as it was a motor vehicle, "that's different"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17069235
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102245/Bus-driver-u... is the Daily Hate's article, and the comments are as to be expected. For example:
"The cyclist was clearly at fault. Watch video from 4 seconds in to 9 seconds before the collision. The cyclist was deliberately putting himself in harm's way by riding directly in front of the bus, and, just inches from the front of the bus at that. I strongly believe it was his goal to have a collision with the bus and then win a huge insurance award from the bus company. Pedestrians have been deliberately colliding with cars for years to collect huge insurance awards. Drivers work in tandem to create accidents and collect insurance money. This has been occurring for decades. The cyclist in this story was doing the same thing. I want to know how much he collected from the insurance company. I feel sad for the bus driver who got very poor advice from his lawyer. He should never have pleaded guilty. So much for the justice system. Justice certainly did not prevail on that sorry day in court."
I love the logic that the leading vehicle is responsible for how close the following one is. Further words fail me.
Comments
As the lady from Cyclelife
said, all road users need to be aware of each other and exercise some self discipline and hopefully some courtesy towards each other.
However, as roads become increasingly congested tempers will flare and then reason goes out the window. We all have a right to use the roads but none of us own them.
Angharad.
Angharad
NO excuses
I saw this well before I saw the blog (though the blog was a complete non-surprise).
I have three JP friends, and all took the view that what lead up to the attempted murder was irrelevant. The case was about the deliberate swerve, and that was the case, the whole case and nothing but the case.
Missing from most of the coverage was the fact that anyone for whom there was even a possibility that s/he could take such an action should not be permitted to hold a PSV licence. And no news medium seems to have paid any attention to the passengers on that 'bus. Even if no cyclist had been involved, that swerve would be very frightening and dangerous to the passengers, who are not belted.
FWIW I believe the driver's 'brief' was correct - under tariff, if the driver had pleaded "not guilty" the sentence would be heavier, simply as a result of the plea. (25%?)
That said, as in any walk of life there are a tiny minority who by their selfish and aggressive actions foul things up for everyone else in the same "class", and cyclists are no exception. Nor apparently are bus drivers...
... so please spare a thought for all those other, conscientious, PSV operators who don't act like that, but who have had their own reputations tarnished by 'reflected ignominy'.
Xi
BTW I'm a regular 'bus passenger, not an operator