Hit and run .

[Wonky]

He’s eaten to many pies for lunch 

Edited May 18, 2018 by Wonky

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

On 11/05/2018 at 12:29, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

A tragedy for someone...

 

I've done a bit of cycling and a bit of driving (and been an idiot and seen idiots in both settings) so not coming at it from a pro/anti position for/against either group...

 

Sounds like a busy, high volume, high speed road, I wonder if the cyclist was 'lit up like a Christmas tree' or wearing black, on a black night, on a black bike....

 

Our very good friend and nearby neighbour's ex-husband has just been in court for killing a cyclist.  

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-43729449

 

Certainly a tragedy for the cyclist's friends and family, but the impact upon the extended family of the driver is also significant.   The driver was a self employed delivery driver.  Van seized, no money coming in, rent to pay, family to support, pending loss of licence,  potential loss of liberty, etc, etc... It was in court recently and referred to Crown court.

 

The cyclist was racing on the road, was 'old', might not have been focussed on peripheral situation....

 

It could happen to anyone of us road users and have life changing implications....  Scary stuff.

Sentenced on Thursday last week....

 

I heard from the neighbour it was 24 months suspended for for 48, dis-qual from driving for 18 months and community service (can't remember if he said 100 or 200 hrs.)

 

 

[Ty Korrigan]

On June 11th I appeared at the Tribunal de Police in Rennes concerning an incident whilst I was out training on my velo over a year ago on bank holiday here May 26th 2017.

A car driver objected to my presence on the road as there was a 'cycle path' available. A shared footpath unsuitable for 30kph riding with cars, bins and old ladies with dogs on extending leads.

In France there are few legal obligations for cyclists to use cycle tracks and none which apply to ones of this catagory.

I ignored the drivers verbal abuse but he swung his car into me forcing me to hop onto the pavement and dismount badly, pulling leg and back muscles as I unclipped and tried to prevent a fall.

Driver gets out, a bawling match ensues, driver grabs my shirt and raises his hand, I was truly terrified at this point and reacted, punching him in the mouth, driver lets go, runs behind me and starts attacking my bike, earns another punch.

This idiot works as quarry lorry driver. And although he was wrong to engage me, wrong on his interpretation of the 'code de la route' Wrong to use his car to force me to stop. Wrong to abandon his 2 kids in the car to confront me. Wrong to attack my bike. The driver denies everything else, claims he just wanted to have a chat to me about why I was blocking the road (in his statement driver rants cyclist was at least 50cm from kerb) Driver went off sick for 127 days over 60 of which in a psychiatric ward being treated for depression as a result of me giving him a split lip (4 stitches).

I pleaded self defence, as I couldn't run away, not wearing carbon racing shoes with cleats. 

Driver also has a previous history of mental illness. Already classed as a disabled worker due to his anxiety and depression. A side effect of his meds can be spontanious violence, aggression and anger.

Yet...

 It is I who will be charged with a classe 5 assault, fined as well as pursued in a civil case for medical expenses, lost salary, corporal damages, compo for his 2 kids who where passengers in the car in a case possibly lasting years.

If this is the case then I'm leaving France and moving to Morocco.

I can't even hang myself as they will sue my corpse and take from my estate and kids future inheritance.

 I've gone over the day of the incident time and time again and draw the same conclusion every time.

I should not have stood up to the driver but have given him free reign to beat me up.

I might have just recieved a few bruises, broken ribs or I might now be fed via a tube with 24hr care.

But at least I wouldn't be waking up to the merdre I find myself in.

Dammed if I didn't but dammed because I did.

My life is in an unholy legal mess.

I've legal dossiers filling waking hours.

Liquidating my business and facing a criminal and civil action at the same time.

 Stuart

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

[Ty Korrigan]

On 11/05/2018 at 20:54, benedmonds said:

Assuming this is this stretch of road.  There will be more gravel in that cycle lane and there are definitely drains and other road furniture, you don't want to hit them on your 25mm tyres.  The cyclist might have to weave and dodge...  It goes back to the defensive riding, if you are in the blue section the cars, trucks busses are going to pass you no matter what, if something big is coming the other way that means they will squeeze though the gap, there is a cycle lane, they certainly won't leave the safe distance required in the highway code....   

 

Also it looks flat the "pro lycra" riders will be doing about 35mph down that section, even us Mamils will be in the 20's... It's a 30mph zone, sat behind them it only adds seconds to your journey..

I'm from Chichester area.

Used to time trial on this road.

In fact, I won the Antelope Hilly 25mile race in 1990 which used this road.

Been over 2 years since I last rode on it during a visit to my parents.

That cycle lane not only needs sweeping but has a very rough and disagreable surface to ride on.

  Stuart

Edited June 17, 2018 by Ty Korrigan

[Haironyourchest]

How many man-hours are lost every year to cyclists? When driving to work, on a clear road, I can get there in half an hour. If I am delayed by a group of cyclists, it could add 15 Min to my journey. Bare in mind, these are windy country roads where you cannot safely overtake for stretches of miles. When a brief straight patch comes, your chance to overtake can be scuppered by oncoming vehicles. While there are frequent and convenient lay-bys for the cyclists to pull over and let me past, they never, ever do. So, there I am, trundling along at a safe distance behind them (in case one of them should take a tumble and come to a sudden stop) further decreasing my chances of overtaking. There I am, doing 15mph when I should be doing 40. My van is in second, and revving the same as it would be in fourth at proper speed, so I'm still producing the same emissions, and for a longer time than necessary. The cyclists have actually caused 2 things to happen to me: they have delayed my journey, by a considerable amount, thus decreasing my productivity and wasting a bit of my lifespan. They have also caused me to burn more fossil fuel than necessary. They have also increased my risk of killing them accidentally, thus potentially burdening me with lifelong guilt. My question is, how many collective man-hours are lost each year to vehicular commuters stuck behind cyclists? And how much extra CO2 etc is released as a result? I have tried googling this and can find nothing, it's almost like a Google black-out.

[Ty Korrigan]

Cycle clubs don't normally meet on a daily basis. 

Weekends and traditionally Wednesday mornings.

How often is this happening to you?

Seems very unfortunate that you are so inconvenienced by cyclists.

  Stuart

 

 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, Ty Korrigan said:

On June 11th I appeared at the Tribunal de Police in Rennes concerning an incident whilst I was out training on my velo over a year ago on bank holiday here May 26th 2017.

A car driver objected to my presence on the road as there was a 'cycle path' available. A shared footpath unsuitable for 30kph riding with cars, bins and old ladies with dogs on extending leads.

In France there are few legal obligations for cyclists to use cycle tracks and none which apply to ones of this catagory.

I ignored the drivers verbal abuse but he swung his car into me forcing me to hop onto the pavement and dismount badly, pulling leg and back muscles as I unclipped and tried to prevent a fall.

Driver gets out, a bawling match ensues, driver grabs my shirt and raises his hand, I was truly terrified at this point and reacted, punching him in the mouth, driver lets go, runs behind me and starts attacking my bike, earns another punch.

This idiot works as quarry lorry driver. And although he was wrong to engage me, wrong on his interpretation of the 'code de la route' Wrong to use his car to force me to stop. Wrong to abandon his 2 kids in the car to confront me. Wrong to attack my bike. The driver denies everything else, claims he just wanted to have a chat to me about why I was blocking the road (in his statement driver rants cyclist was at least 50cm from kerb) Driver went off sick for 127 days over 60 of which in a psychiatric ward being treated for depression as a result of me giving him a split lip (4 stitches).

I pleaded self defence, as I couldn't run away, not wearing carbon racing shoes with cleats. 

Driver also has a previous history of mental illness. Already classed as a disabled worker due to his anxiety and depression. A side effect of his meds can be spontanious violence, aggression and anger.

Yet...

 It is I who will be charged with a classe 5 assault, fined as well as pursued in a civil case for medical expenses, lost salary, corporal damages, compo for his 2 kids who where passengers in the car in a case possibly lasting years.

If this is the case then I'm leaving France and moving to Morocco.

I can't even hang myself as they will sue my corpse and take from my estate and kids future inheritance.

 I've gone over the day of the incident time and time again and draw the same conclusion every time.

I should not have stood up to the driver but have given him free reign to beat me up.

I might have just recieved a few bruises, broken ribs or I might now be fed via a tube with 24hr care.

But at least I wouldn't be waking up to the merdre I find myself in.

Dammed if I didn't but dammed because I did.

My life is in an unholy legal mess.

I've legal dossiers filling waking hours.

Liquidating my business and facing a criminal and civil action at the same time.

 Stuart

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

That's a sad state of affairs!  Can't say I'd have reacted any differently than you did.  How did he ID you?  In hindsight, might have been better to pommel him and leg it....?  (maybe that is the 'new' solution where the law seems increasingly to protect the wrong-doer rather than the victim.)  Does France have an extradition treaty with Morocco?  Since topping yourself wouldn't solve the problem, just as well forget that line of thought and try something else. 

[Gary Prentice]

4 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

Since topping yourself wouldn't solve the problem, just as well forget that line of thought and try something else. 

Ever thought of joining the Samaritans? 

[Haironyourchest]

27 minutes ago, Ty Korrigan said:

Cycle clubs don't normally meet on a daily basis. 

Weekends and traditionally Wednesday mornings.

How often is this happening to you?

Seems very unfortunate that you are so inconvenienced by cyclists.

  Stuart

 

 

Yes it is very unfortunate. For me and everyone else who are trying to get on with their day...these are not cycle clubs, but random groups of tourists mostly. In the summer it's terrible, winter not too bad.

[eggsarascal]

1 minute ago, Gary Prentice said:

Ever thought of joining the Samaritans? 

He isn't known as Mr Sympathy for no reason.