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

Oh yes, I finally wrote up the email I got from roadsafe over a year ago about how to give them a video sucessfully - linky to my blog post on it - http://goo.gl/cNN1V

Good post, MrDrem--perhaps, with your permission and if he thinks it's a good idea, James could edit it into the OP in this thread?

a week or so ago I was riding between Camden and Euston. At the lights I was a bit retarded at clipping in quickly so the drivers behind had to wait a few seconds (literally about 5) more than they might have had to. This was fine with most drivers but one dickhead in a merc obviously had places to be, people to see, so he blasted through, almost taking me out and hammered it down to the next set of (red) traffic lights at silly speed. I rode up at a leisurely pace, a bit annoyed but not combative or looking for a fight or anything. As I rode to the green bike box at the lights I motioned to him to slow down a bit. He stuck his middle finger up, tapped his watch, spread his hands in a 'whaddya gonna do' gesture and then grinned.

'hmmm' I thought. 'A man who has something so important to get to that he is quite as nonchalant about possibly killing someone in the act of getting there is surely a massive crunt.'

Responding to this thought, I placed my bike very purposely in front of his car looked at him spread my hands in a 'whaddya gonna do' gesture and grinned back. This was probably a silly thing to do but i am a silly person.

Lights go green, he revs the engine, rams my back wheel so i am unseated, reverses and speeds off round me.

All the way to the next set of (red) traffic lights.

I catch him, hopping fucking mad and this time very ready to fight. I grab his wing mirror and start screaming at him and he winds down the window, trying to make out that he did nothing wrong, hes just in a hurry.

Then the rozzers, who just happen to be passing by pull up next to him, order us on to the kerb side and each of us are questioned. They were ace. The guy who was hearing my story was very sympathetic and supportive and after chatting to the driver the female constable comes up and says, 'hes all bullshit. full of excuses, you can smell that one a mile off.' Ha.

As I wasnt injured or my bike broken (somehow) I told them that I just wanted the guy to understand that it wasnt ok to do that to cyclists. I wasnt too bothered about hanging around for 30 mins to provide a statement etc when nothing would really come of it. The police were understanding and then said, 'dont worry we will scare him a bit and keep him here for a good while, at least hes not gonna be on time for his appointment'.

Top stuff from the police. From the word go they were on my side, not the drivers, which is unusual in my experience. and that guy was such a crunt

Oh you.

If James wants to extract the bits that are relevant (the email from the officer mostly), he should feel free. The better the info we give them, the more that they can do with it.

Sorry, already edited my OP with a quote from your post.

That's fine James - links are even better :)

To the woman in the silver BMW Chelsea tractor, ineptly turning it through a junction because you had your pink mobile phone in one hand,

One day your child will leave the confines of their child seat in that metal box and will want to get about on London's streets. They will definitely walk, they may even choose to ride a bike. When they do, I sincerely hope that the drivers around them are more sensible and considerate than you.

had a nice chap telling me today that he had the 'right of way' as I dont pay road tax.

the street I was riding along is wide enough for a single car and it has cars parked on both sides, I entered the road first however the driver (coming from the other end) did not wait to let me past and then got angry about it.

Am I in the wrong or the driver?

If you're in the road first then you have right of way.

Besides, it's not called "road tax" anymore. It hasn't been for years.

Next time tell him he doesn't either - it's called "road fund license".

There is also no "right of way", but you had priority if you were there first, I had a rare little shout at someone the other day for doing the same to me.

"Road fund license" is bollocks. Someone's been abroad too long :p

It's Vehicle Excise Duty. Based on emissions, therefore fart in the driver's face and give them 20p. Then tell them to fuck off.

Ha!

Driver beeping furiously at me as I held the lane going through a road narrowing, he then passes by when I let him as there was now safe room to do so and shouts "there isn't enough room for your bike in the middle of the road there" and he then took a swing at me with his van.

Cunt.

had a nice chap telling me today that he had the 'right of way' as I dont pay road tax.

the street I was riding along is wide enough for a single car and it has cars parked on both sides, I entered the road first however the driver (coming from the other end) did not wait to let me past and then got angry about it.

Am I in the wrong or the driver?

he's a tool!

As ever, most facts pertaining to vehicle taxation can be found on Carlton Reid's site here:

http://ipayroadtax.com/

This thread makes really depressing reading. For all the aggro, violence and excuses from drivers the basic facts are most don't like having to slow down to accommodate other road users, especially cyclists, even for a few seconds. Some I suspect don't fully understand their actions. But, the frightening fact is some actually do and just don't care. 'If you get in my way and you get hurt then its your fault, you shouldn't be there' - seems to be the prevailing attitude.

I just find it really sad that there's so much venom directed at cyclists for just riding on the road. Years ago someone I know got caught speeding and they had the option (as it was a first offence) to either pay a fine or attend a talk about the dangers of speeding. They took the talk option and said it was actually far more beneficial than just paying a fine in preventing them from doing it again. Something similar for someone who has committed an offence against a cyclist could maybe help? Im not talking about cycle training but something hard hitting like hearing from someone who caused a road fatality to actually make people stop and think about how their aggressive, dangerous driving can have life long repercussions for them and others.

The 3 points on the licence or what ever the fine is now doesn't really do much.

This all assumes that the police get involved and take some action in the first place...

^^
Beneficial my arse. I took it so I wouldn't get fined and points anyone who tells you otherwise does the porky pies.

Police generally couldn't give a fuck, do desire do to anything, about the attitude and actions against cyclists, occurring on a hourly basis in London. Based on my multiple personal experiences with them, the police.

Normally I wouldn't bother posting up the shitty driving I see every day as I would never get any work done, but last night was something special.

First of all a massive fuck you to the driving instructor who seemed to think it was ok for his pupil to creep up alongside me and squeeze me into parked cars as I was coming up to stationary traffic at lights and signalling right so I could filter up the outside. I wouldn't normally get too wound up as this sort of thing happens all the time, but when it's a professional "advanced" driver who is responsible for teaching others it really pisses me off.

I'm still annoyed with myself that I didn't make a note of the driving school to put in a complaint, as he seemed to think there was nothing wrong when I called him out on it. I did tell the pupil she should get a different driving instructor before I rode off so I'd like to hope that's given her something to think about. Doubt it though.

That was followed by a near death experience as a twat doing about 40 in the opposite direction turned right across my path, missing me by just a couple of inches. I like to think I ride pretty defensively and most of the shitty driving I see on the roads I can take measures to avoid but this was completely out of the blue, I didn't even have time to react and hit the brakes. The only thing that stopped me being wiped out was the fact that he was actually cutting the corner. He came to a stop and looked genuinely concerned after I shouted at him so I assume he just didn't see me (despite the huge bright flashing front lights). I didn't bother stopping and conversing with him as my blood was boiling and I didn't want to end up saying or doing anything I might immediately regret...

Fucking driving instructors.

That is really bad though, I'm guessing as you didn't get the school you missed whether they had a pink triangle badge or green octagon one, (or none) being displayed in their window, could of been a trainee (or illegal). No excuse though, anyone who is even thinking of becoming an instructor should be a pretty considerate road user to start with.

Yeah and everyone who wants to be a policement should be moral...

They should indeed. The amount of immoral policements I've seen in my time.

Fuck the policements