Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Bicycler
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by Bicycler »

kwackers wrote:
Psamathe wrote:And in the video it looks like the cyclist is tugging at his bike like the cab driver is holding on to it. So, ignoring the moral aspect (and assuming the "not legally obliged to exchange contact details" is correct), then the cabbie is in effect illegally detaining the cyclist.

Ah, that would explain it. I couldn't figure out what was going on! I'd be interested in knowing how the driver could prove the damage occurred earlier and not whilst trying to detain the cyclist. (It can't be easy hanging onto a bicycle like that and not sustaining paint damage).

or it could have occurred at the time that the car moved 25 secs in
Psamathe
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by Psamathe »

Bicycler wrote:
kwackers wrote:
Psamathe wrote:And in the video it looks like the cyclist is tugging at his bike like the cab driver is holding on to it. So, ignoring the moral aspect (and assuming the "not legally obliged to exchange contact details" is correct), then the cabbie is in effect illegally detaining the cyclist.

Ah, that would explain it. I couldn't figure out what was going on! I'd be interested in knowing how the driver could prove the damage occurred earlier and not whilst trying to detain the cyclist. (It can't be easy hanging onto a bicycle like that and not sustaining paint damage).

or it could have occurred at the time that the car moved 25 secs in

That is assuming it didn't happen earlier that day/earlier in the week/earlier in the month/etc.

Ian
beardy
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by beardy »

He has posted the lead up to the incident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YEhEc4u ... e=youtu.be
Psamathe
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by Psamathe »

beardy wrote:He has posted the lead up to the incident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YEhEc4u ... e=youtu.be

Well there's a few minutes of my life I'll never get back. Adds nothing to suggest if/who caused what/anything/etc.

Ian
Bicycler
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by Bicycler »

To be fair to the OP we have no reason to suspect the cyclist didn't scrape his taxi.

I think he did quite well out of the incident. I wish I was given a perfectly serviceable bike for every scratch I've had on cars over the years.

The cyclist was clearly wrong to hit the car and it was almost certainly careless cycling. However, if the police actually do something about that when they routinely fail to do so about genuinely dangerous driving for which far better camera footage exists then I think it is disproportionate. Yes, the cyclist should have offered to pay for any damage he caused but this really is a trifling little incident and investigating it would be a waste of the police's time and limited resources
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Mick F
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by Mick F »

If the cyclist said, "Sorry" and was genuinely sorry, that would have been the end of it.
The police could have been called, but not for the scratch/incident, but because of the resulting fracas and the anger of the taxi driver deliberately blocking the road. If the police were interested at all it would be because of the taxi driver's attitude and actions.

Even if the cyclist was sorry, there's no way that he could be obliged to pay anything. Morally, maybe, but what happens if he has no money to pay?

I'm afraid that the taxi driver doesn't have a leg to stand on and should realise it's a jungle out there on the streets. Hard luck if your precious car gets scratched, if you are that pernickety about a pristine car, you shouldn't be taking it into the "jungle".
Mick F. Cornwall
reohn2
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by reohn2 »

I've watched both videos a couple of times,what I'm puzzled about is the taxi stopping where he did ie;smack in the cycle lane :? .
It's a compulsory left turn only and on the approach there's no obstruction to the taxi's left that would make him move to the right of the lane(which is quite wide).The Transit van looks as if he's about to set off but is on the pavement so if he's entering the traffic flow the taxi should've stopped in lane behind him.
The cyclist can't be excused for scratching the taxi(if he did)but puzzlements of puzzlements,why did the taxi stop where he did? :?
What's more bizarre is the cyclist removing his bag from the bike and just walking off :?

I wonder if there's more to this incident than meets the eye :?

All very odd,or is this normal behaviour in London? :? :? :?
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Graham
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by Graham »

The video only really hints at the circumstances, thus speculation and rumour prevail.

Here is my guess. . . . . . .

Cyclist approaches taxi and sees that the taxi has unnecessarily blocked the cycle lane.
He gets annoyed and tries to squeeze through the minimal gap.
At that very moment the taxi moves forwards slightly ( for no apparent reason, as the traffic light is still red ).
This causes some sort of minor collision.
Cyclist assumes that the taxi deliberately moved to block him - thus he blames the taxi driver for the incident.

The taxi itself is a major source of income for the driver. It is a precious asset.
It may be completely owned by the driver or under some sort of finance agreement ( that may require it to be kept in tip-top condition ).
kwackers
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by kwackers »

reohn2 wrote:I've watched both videos a couple of times,what I'm puzzled about is the taxi stopping where he did ie;smack in the cycle lane :?

Is the right answer: "because it's a taxi"?

I once saw a taxi stopped BEHIND the first stop line on an ASL - I was almost tempted to stop and congratulate him.
The bike lane next to Lime St station in Liverpool is used as parking for taxis - despite it being there for safety (road is one way but the lane provides a contraflow for cyclists to get to the station) and being behind a solid white line which means they shouldn't be able to cross it.
Flinders
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by Flinders »

reohn2 wrote:I've watched both videos a couple of times,what I'm puzzled about is the taxi stopping where he did ie;smack in the cycle lane :? .
It's a compulsory left turn only and on the approach there's no obstruction to the taxi's left that would make him move to the right of the lane(which is quite wide).The Transit van looks as if he's about to set off but is on the pavement so if he's entering the traffic flow the taxi should've stopped in lane behind him.
The cyclist can't be excused for scratching the taxi(if he did)but puzzlements of puzzlements,why did the taxi stop where he did? :?
What's more bizarre is the cyclist removing his bag from the bike and just walking off :?

I wonder if there's more to this incident than meets the eye :?

All very odd,or is this normal behaviour in London? :? :? :?


My guess would be that there is more to this than meets the eye.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Lots of editted out sound...
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MikeF
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by MikeF »

Can't concluded anything from either of those videos. It's what you see that can count for any conclusion, not what you didn't see. We didn't see the cyclist scratch the taxi so how do we know he did it? The videos rely on suggestion. Could the whole episode be a fake?? The odd thing is the taxi seems to be stopped in the cycle lane when there wasn't any reason to do that.

So TaxiWarrior has posted his own video on this forum?!
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661-Pete
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by 661-Pete »

MikeF wrote:So TaxiWarrior has posted his own video on this forum?!
That's quite in order, he hasn't broken any forum rules (besides, anyone's first post is pre-moderated, I believe, to keep out spam).

Also the taxi driver wasn't in the wrong to be stopped in the cycle lane: it has a dashed dividing line hence making it advisory only.

But what happened is indeed unclear: my best guess was that the cyclist, singularly inattentive, ploughed into the side of the taxi. But the most significant feature is that the cyclist then abandoned 'his' bike and did a runner. I think anyone who's had a bike stolen in London recently, should take a long hard look at the image that the OP has thoughtfully provided at the end of his video...
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mercalia
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by mercalia »

No sympathy for the cabbie. The number of times that my motor bike(s) have been knocked over when parked by cars trying to park in too small spaces ( in London ) One time the fall was so violent that petrol was left gushing from the tank & the bike just left there. What is this cabbies number, I ll look out for him to get a pic of his mug.
firedfromthecircus
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Re: Hit and Run - Cyclist Wanted !

Post by firedfromthecircus »

I never liked that bike anyway. :twisted:
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