Please report dangerous drivers to the police - Roadsafe. Report to plod, not just whinge here.

Re your email, medical schools and Trust hierarchies have awful records for maintaining confidentiality. I'd be careful before revealing your name to anyone that might whisper round to people with responsibility for your academic or clinical progression.

One option might be, if you can find out who it is (hospital parking will have a record you could maybe ahem completely legitimately sneak a look at), to go and see them in clinic and just explain who you are and why you're talking to them. Chances are faced with a real person and a "colleague" they'll feel ashamed more than angry.

So I was nearly killed by a truck. Then the driver swears and tells me I'm wasting my time making a complaint. I tweet the company and ask how to file a complaint, they give me an email address.

This is where it gets a little weird.

That was last week, and I did nothing until just now when I emailed the guy. Within minutes I get a reply saying that the driver has been dealt with. I ask how so quick, and get this:

"I was informed of a twitter feed and then used our tracker to narrow down the field. The next day as more information came to light I acted accordingly. As I said currently on holiday and will investigate and speak with you on my return."

What does that mean? How does a large company track that down from a tweet that just asks for an email address, gives no location and no reg number? It doesn't, right? Is he spinning me a yarn?

Probably covering up their arses as it's easier to make that claim than to go through with it.

But what they've done now - possibly - is tell a transparent lie. I'll be interested to hear more from this chap after his hollibobs.

He could just have asked his drivers if they were involved in an altercation and one owned up. Not sure about the tracker thing tho.

Ask him to tell you the reg of the vehicle before you tell him.

Or the driver simply moan about a cyclist getting shirty with him.

Sorry if OT but I read a blog post that implicated lorries servicing The Shard construction in cyclist fatalities. I forwarded it to The Shard press office and asked if the report was accurate, got a very friendly phone call dismissing the claims, it was all very polite, I thanked the chap and hung up and after a while realised my mobile number wasn't included in the email, nor is it listed, anywhere.

It was nearly all cordial, at the end I said; 'One last thing, does Sellar wear a wig? Ha ha!'

There was silence, then; 'Have you met him?' the bloke said. 'No no' I stammered, 'It was a joke!'

'Mmm' said the bloke.

LV12 CVZ

Don't have a go at me when you're driving at me on the wrong side of the road, you dozy bitch.

2x mark luck ltd tipper trucks riding convoy around thornton heath pond at 10:30ish tell the back guy to pay more attention to the road and less to following the front guy, some very aggressive accelerating and driving to catch up

So I was nearly killed by a truck. Then the driver swears and tells me I'm wasting my time making a complaint. I tweet the company and ask how to file a complaint, they give me an email address.

This is where it gets a little weird.

That was last week, and I did nothing until just now when I emailed the guy. Within minutes I get a reply saying that the driver has been dealt with. I ask how so quick, and get this:

"I was informed of a twitter feed and then used our tracker to narrow down the field. The next day as more information came to light I acted accordingly. As I said currently on holiday and will investigate and speak with you on my return."

What does that mean? How does a large company track that down from a tweet that just asks for an email address, gives no location and no reg number? It doesn't, right? Is he spinning me a yarn?

Tiny company with not many trucks? Either way there's some preemptive striking going on here and your contact might be spinning porkies.

I will dig into it.

Does their twitter contact with you inform them that you're a journalist?

Yup.

Sort your gloves out mate.

re fucking port that motherfucker. in his stupid fucking face. twice.

Sort your gloves out mate.

Have you tweeted that? Please send me link so I can RT. Amazing.

Is that officially sanctioned uniform?

On the way home this evening about 18:15, black saloon Mercedes Addison Lee Cab stops before the ASL at the lights outside Tai Tip Mein in the left hand lane, ready to turn left down Walworth Road. All fine and dandy until the driver swings his door open, gets out and lets his passenger out of the rear right door into traffic. I was already passing (wide enough, thankfully) to go into the ASL and was then in too much disbelief to get the number plate. I was off down Walworth Rd. before I had fully processed what he had just done.

WR08 EZZ

White van, eastern European male with wife and child in the front. Dangerous pass then has a go at me for being on the road.

Oh just remembered I drafted this. Before I submit.... anything corrections?

To AA,

On the morning of Tuesday the 1st of July at 07:35am I was cycling on Skinner Street EC1R London, I was repeatedly honked at, from behind by the driver of one of your AA driving instructor vehicals.
There was no danger that the driver was alerting me to, I was not blocking the road, nor was I stopped. This was an act of intimidation. He proceeded to come along side of me, note that that there was enough space to doso, so he could have overtaken safely without hinderance, and then yelled out of the window for me to get in the cycle lane, and kept honking his horn.

I know my rights as a cyclist and according to the government rules - https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82/overview-59-to-71:

63
Cycle Lanes. These are marked by a white line (which may be broken) along the carriageway (see Rule 140). Keep within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check before pulling out that it is safe to do so and signal your intention clearly to other road users. Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

I proceeded to tell him that I have a right to be on the road and it was not compulsory for me to cycle in the cycle lane.
The reasons as to why I was not in the left-side cycle lane are irrevant, but I know that it is full of glass and did not want to risk getting a puncture. I was also turning right at the end of it.

He then said, "I am a driving instructor, I know!" and brandished, he actually waved, whilst driving, a copy of the Highway code at me.

I request that you take this complaint with full seriousness and initiate an investigation. His attitude towards cyclists in unacceptable, intimidating smaller road users with his actions and words.

He thought he was correct, that I must be in the cycle lane.
He thought it was right to honk his horn at a cyclist who was doing nothing wrong and to yell at them through his window.
I request that he is made to retrain to qualify as a driving instructor because his actions call into doubt his ability to do his job.
My additional concern is that he is training a new generation of drivers, this attitude would be passed onwards creating more dangerous road users.

The description of the driver is as follows:
Male
40's
Black or African
Number plate begins with G?3

I look forward to your reply and a report on the incident and will be seeking help from Road Safe London.
Please contact me at the above address or by phone....

Oh just remembered I drafted this. Before I submit.... anything corrections?

To AA,

On the morning of Tuesday the 1st of July at 07:35am I was cycling on Skinner Street EC1R London, I was repeatedly honked at, from behind by the driver of one of your AA driving instructor vehicles.
There was no danger that the driver was alerting me to, I was not blocking the road, nor was I stopped. This was an act of intimidation. He proceeded to come along side of me, note that that there was enough space to do so, so he could have overtaken safely without hindrance, and then yelled out of the window for me to get in the cycle lane, and kept honking his horn.

I know my rights as a cyclist and according to the government rules - https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82/overview-59-to-71:

63
Cycle Lanes. These are marked by a white line (which may be broken) along the carriageway (see Rule 140). Keep within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check before pulling out that it is safe to do so and signal your intention clearly to other road users. Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

I proceeded to tell him that I have a right to be on the road and it was not compulsory for me to cycle in the cycle lane.
The reasons as to why I was not in the left-side cycle lane are irrelevant, but I know that it is full of glass and did not want to risk getting a puncture. I was also turning right at the end of it.

He then said, "I am a driving instructor, I know!" and brandished, (he) actually waved, whilst driving, a copy of the Highway code at me.

I request that you take this complaint with full seriousness and initiate an investigation. His attitude towards cyclists in unacceptable, intimidating smaller road users with his actions and words.

He thought he was correct, that I must be in the cycle lane.
He thought it was right to honk his horn at a cyclist who was doing nothing wrong and to yell at them through his window.
I request that he is made to retrain to qualify as a driving instructor because his actions call into doubt his ability to do his job.
My additional concern is that he is training a new generation of drivers, this attitude would be passed onwards creating more dangerous road users.

The description of the driver is as follows:
Male
40's
Black or African
Number plate begins with G?3

I look forward to your reply and a report on the incident and will be seeking help from Road Safe London.
Please contact me at the above address or by phone....

A few spelling things which no doubt you'd pick up on before sending, but I underlined/corrected them anyway.

I'd include something when you're talking about the horn along the lines of:

"Use of the vehicle's horn under these circumstances is a breach of the highway code, see rule 112, as there was no need to warn other road users of the presence of the vehicle. I feel sure that the horn was both aggressively and to attempt to intimidate/scare rather than for any safety purpose.

112

The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. "

Personally I would cut out this section:

"His attitude towards cyclists in unacceptable, intimidating smaller road users with his actions and words.

He thought he was correct, that I must be in the cycle lane.
He thought it was right to honk his horn at a cyclist who was doing nothing wrong and to yell at them through his window.
I request that he is made to retrain to qualify as a driving instructor because his actions call into doubt his ability to do his job."

It would be their job as his employer to assess the accusation and if appropriate take disciplinary/training action, but this bit sounds a little like you're telling them what to do - I'm suspicious that whoever is on the other end, working for a motor organisation, probably doesn't like cyclists, so being told what to do would rub them up the wrong way. I would maybe simply request "that my complaint is investigated fully, the driver identified (which should be possible given partial plate, description, and location), and appropriate action taken to ensure that dangerous driving is not tolerated while representing the AA".

Just my thoughts..

The AA have generally been very good when it comes to cycling, mainly because their president cycles -http://autumn2012.theaamagazine.com/edmund-king.php
So I'd imagine they'll take a complaint very seriously.

I'd calm your complaint down a little as the post above suggests (and omit 'black or African' because that's a weird thing to say).

And I'd also CC in Edmund King whose email is here http://www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=76468 and who replied to me in person (or at least his P.A. did) when I mailed to compliment them on their attitude to cycling.

It's useful to mention ethnicity for ID purposes, I suppose a more objective description like "dark skin" or "Afro-Caribbean appearance" could be used...

It's tricky because there actually aren't functioned but not politically charged words. On application forms under ethnicity I normally have to put "Asian British" which rankles massively, since it's just a continent and a nationality - you could look like anything and be from any background!