Car vandalism

Cute as a bug and dumb as a stump...and should be in jail awaiting attempted manslaughter charges.

Here is a list of things that are considerably more difficult when you have the use of only one arm:

- almost everything.

I'm at work today. Won't get better any quicker by being at home, although I am at the mercy of other people giving me lifts, until I brave the car anyway, which I certainly don't feel like attempting today.

Thanks for kind words and sympathy. He simply didn't see me, and was actually accelerating in consequence. I cannot claim that I have never missed things when driving - although thankfully never with any ill-effects - so I'm going to chalk it up to experience. As long as I get my bike fixed (or new bike if the frame is bent) and taxi refunded, I'll be okay.

I have a long haul flight coming up next week, you never know I might get a sympathy upgrade...

Anyone want my place at the Monaco Grand Prix?

Mark,

That is a most rediculous remark.

IMHO we should try to separate :-

• this stupid girl's twittering
• her actual involvement in an accident.
• whether cyclists should pay to use the road network (in a similar way to car owners)
• whether cyclists should be allowed to use the road network for racing (which car users are not permitted)

I don't condone her gleeful twittering. But at least by doing so it has brought this problem into the open.

I personally don't like her nasty attitude towards cyclists. It might (or might not) be indicative of threatening behaviour towards cyclists, or deliberately causing actual bodily harm, or even worse, as you suggest, attempted murder
The police are investigating an accident. They will be better placed to assess whether this was attempted murder or not.

Cycle road-racing should be banned.

Cheers

Don

Commendable attitude Rod. Speedy recovery.

Steve

That's an extremely open-minded, phylisophical attitude Rod, and probably the best one to have. I'm sure it will greatly aid your recovery, both mentally and physically. Take things a bit easy, i'm sure that a balanced mix of steady, relaxed, occupation will help, although Bruce and one or two others are better placed than me to make recommendations here.

Get well soon

Cheers

Don

I would agree with Dr. Mark on this one. But yes, it will likely be decided in the courts. In most jurisdictions, murder is legal, provided you are driving a car, your victm is a cyclist and you have an excuse. I am therefore sceptical whether this will come to anything.

Mass start racing was in fact banned in the UK for many years. Time trialling existed only in a murky, secretive early morning world.

Not that I care, but don't cars race on the roads? What about motorcycles?

No, cars don't race on the roads and nor do motorbikes, at least, not in the same way as those organised cycle races we are referring to.

You race your car or motorbike and you are breaking the law and probaly invalidating your insurance.

Cheers

Don

I think you are in denial winky, reference the deleted items. But of course, the second item is more important than numbers 1 and 3. That is why I separated them out, to help others identify the real issue in this specific case.

Lets be clear.

Nobody died, so its not murder or manslaughter.

Despite her stupid lack of remorse, there is no evidence (yet) that she deliberately attacked the cyclist, so probably no case for attempted murder. Failing to report an accident ? possibly but unlikely, given the supeficial injuries to the cyclist and the fact she did eventual get in touch with the police.

The cyclist only decided to make an issue of the event because of the twittering. Sour grapes ? teach the stupid cow a lesson ?

I can't see this one comming to much.

meanwhile, IMHO bike races on the highway should be banned. its too dangerous.

Cheers

Don

Cheers

Don

Yes, or better still, take her licence and car away from her [with a 5 year ban]

and the money raised from auctioning the car can be paid out to the victim.

Debs

Ther is a short (sort of neutral)  article on the bbc website at present about cyclists v drivers.

if you are interested you can easily find it without me posting a link.

Cheers

Don

So your argument is that if drivers don't concentrate and can't control their vehicles due to sudden shocks as they awake from their daydream/texting/phone call/distraction such that they are a risk of killing other road users, then the solution is ban cycle racing? These people should be banned from driving. Motorists simply do not take their responsibility seriously enough. As this stupid girl has amply demonstrated.

And as I said, regardless of the cyclist's actual injuries, or the cause of his indignation, she nearly killed him. Killing is what cars tend to do to cyclists when they hit them. If someone accidentally fired a bullet into your house through your lounge room window, would you only be a little annoyed because, after all, it didn't injure you?

I like the way that one guy who is quoted doesn't like cyclists because we wear lycra. As good a reason as any, I guess.

"Manslaughter" (at least in USA legal vernacular) is not murder, it is unintentionally (usually through carelessness or negligence) killing someone.  She did not kill anyone, therefore it could be construed as "attempted" manslaughter.

And Debs idea is good either way - no license for the little brat.

, or better still, take her licence and car away from her [with a 5 year ban]

and the money raised from auctioning the car can be paid out to the victim.

Better Idea -

5 year ban.

Compulsory auction her car, and with the proceeds buy her a new bicycle, helmet, shoes, sunglasses, lycra shorts and jersey...

She would look pretty cool in lycra!

Debs

Does "Attempted Manslaughter" exist in Common Law?  Sounds very much like an oxymoron.

You can't 'attempt' Manslaughter in the UK. The definition of Manslaughter is such that it precludes it. Mind you, I'm surprised that it hasn't been changed to 'Personslaughter' in our current political climate.

We all suffer from momentry lapse of concentration. Its a fact of life. It is sometimes referred to as the "Alpha" state. Come to terms with it.

I did not refer to daydreaming, texting, phone calling or other distraction.

In this particular case, the injured cyclist initially had no intention whatsoever to follow up the incident. He only decided to do so because the silly cow started twittering.

Cheers

Don

Agree to some extent with the concept that a momentary lapse in concentration is human and hence this shouldn't be condemned disproportionately. However if my son or daughter were killed whilst cycling in a responsible manner by a driver I don't think I'd be laid back about it. I suspect that if one of Don's loved ones were killed similarly he might be slightly miffed!

What Don needs to understand is that cyclists are not obstructing legitimate traffic, they ARE legitimate traffic with as much right to use the publicly owned highway as motorists. The financial argument he uses is completely irrelevant as VED isn't hypothecated - we all own the roads!

I don't see what that has to do with anything. She came around a corner on the wrong side of the road. Hit the cyclist so hard it tore off her mirror, and then failed to stop. The cyclist's subsequent actions are absolutely irrelevant with respect to her culpability. Perhaps he is just the fatalistic type who was cynical with respect to the likelihood of her ever being tracked down. Doesn't mean that he's "fair game".

Maybe none of us should be behind the wheel, eh? Back to one of my earlier points....

what Svetty needs to understand is that

Don know what the current status is

Don is proposing a change

Cyclists don't like the changes that Don is proposing.

cheers

Don

I never suggested he was "fair game" and I never would.

She is probably culpable of something, the police will no doubt sort that out, but IMHO its unlikely to be attempted murder !

The cyclist and others could have reported the accident to the police, but didn't. I bet someone would have been able to identify the car. Clearly he couldn't be bothered.............until he saw the twittering.

Cheers

Don