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

A friend of mine reported an aggressive driver to his boss:-

I'd like to report one of your drivers for bad and aggressive driving today, 1st Feb in your van BF10 VRV near the Oracle at approx 14.05. I was cycling in a narrow piece of road and 1st of all your driver sat behind me revving his engine, then at the first opportunity overtook very close to me and immediately swerved into the kerb forcing me to brake hard.

I'm always amazed when people drive in such an aggressive way in a sign written van. Do they not realise the impact this is having on your business? As a local home owner I would never consider your business if this is the kind of person you employ.

And got this reply:-

From Berkshire Carpets and Blinds
berkshirecarpets@btconnect.com

Thanks for all the trouble you went to to make the above - I must say that personally if I were to bother to complain about every bit of contentious everyday driving that I come across I would have little time left to carry out my normal day. There are two sides to every story, though not saying in this case you did anything wrong, but I also find many, many cyclists think they 'own' the road and attempt to ride with some kind of inbuilt immunity to harm and therefore my sympathy is somewhat tempered by this.

However, I will pass your comments onto the fitter concerned, whose side of the incident I have not yet had the opportunity to hear and would just add that, fortunately, my business does not rely on people making similar status judgements to yourself.

Regards,

Geoff Cox
Berkshire Carpets and Blinds

FWIW I think (in addition to putting this out there on review sites and a bit of google bombing) a disarmingly polite reply is often worthwhile. This kind of wanker is often wrong-footed by people not getting into the fight he so obviously wants. Something along the lines of:

Dear Geoff,

I was quite astonished by your email. Most businesses understand the value of a positive public image and, on this front, your reply has done your company nothing but harm. From the tone of your email I have a fairly clear image of how your meeting with the fitter involved will proceed, and I have no great expectation of a positive outcome. Nevertheless, in closing our correspondence I would like to clarify a few things.

As an experienced and regular cyclist I am only too aware of the harm that can come to cyclists and I'm under no illusion that I am immune to it. Quite apart from the fact that you cannot judge my road behaviour from your overall impression of cyclists, in the vast majority of cases harm comes to cyclist from the incompetent or aggressive driving of motor vehicles ([ref whatever study showed this]), cyclists do not simply hurl themselves under the wheels of larger vehicles.

Unfortunately, what can be brushed off as merely "contentious everyday driving" from the safety of a car is much more dangerous, distressing and infuriating when experienced from a bike (or, indeed from the point of view of a pedestrian). In this particular incident, there is only one side to the story, since there can never be any justification for the aggressive driving displayed by your fitter. I was riding in a manner designed to keep myself safe (contrary to your comments above) exactly as described by all cycling guides and as allowed by the highway code. Cyclists do not own the road any more than drivers, but cyclists have the right to ride in a position and at a speed that maintains their safety. Your fitter's ignorance of this fact and his obvious impatience to get past can be no excuse for his bullying another road user off the road and risking serious injury to them.

Finally, it's not entirely clear what you mean by your business not relying on "people making similar status judgements" to me. Since you know nothing of this incident other than what I've told you, you can't possibly know whether I've judged it reasonably. Nevertheless, with more people using bikes every day, and many of those having homes and business interests, your business may well rely on being postively judged by someone on a bike. The people to whom I've described your email, both cyclists and non-cyclists, have been astounded by your indifference to the safety of someone who was merely trying to get to work [assuming he was]. I hope for the sake of your employees you'll bear this in mind in future.

Hoping you stub your toe on your bed tomorrow etc. etc. etc.

adroit's mate