Bristol bus driver 'used vehicle as weapon'

doozerie

Incidentally, according to the BBC Bristol online article the bus driver pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and grievous bodily harm. The maximum sentence for dangerous driving is 2 years and for GBH is 5 years. I've no idea whether he could have had both max penalties applied but I guess he was looking at a maximum of either 5 or 7 years in prison, and an unlimited fine. As such, he did get off lightly. In the articles I've read there has been no mention of a fine having been imposed so perhaps he dodged that bullet too.

If the cyclist had died then the driver could have been looking at a maximum of 14 years in jail. So not only did he get off lightly, the driver was very lucky too.

reallyunique

This is one of the most dangerous areas in Bristol and tensions run high. I've often seen cars, buses and bikes cutting each other up on this section but there's usually only light contact, if any.

The bus driver had no good reason to act as he did and I'm sure he realizes this. He stops the bus immediately after hitting the cyclist and doubtless knew that he had gone too far. He did a terrible thing and a prison sentence is never getting off lightly. Incidents like this haunt people for the rest of their lives and rightly so.

The good side of this is that it is newsworthy, it is vanishingly rare and despite the vitriol shouted by road users generally we all tend to stop short of violence. The bad side is that whilst we stop short of actual violence our anger can cause us to act recklessly and cause less serious accidents. The story would never have hit the news if the driver had simply passed a little too close to the cyclist and clipped him, a more common occurrence.

It benefits us all to ignore the urge to punish those who don't use the roads the way we do (or should). Getting annoyed by people who cut into "our" lane or use the bus/cycle/car lane in a way they shouldn't all contributes to the sort of inconsiderate behaviour that causes accidents. If we learn anything from incidents like this it should be to just "let it go".

VanhireBoys

reallyunique wrote: »

If we learn anything from incidents like this it should be to just "let it go".

Best advice of the thread.. Ive seen some daft things happen on my commute but if you let it go it will be all over in 10seconds and the other person concerned will move on and away...

I have found that if you show a bit of courtesey on the road that courtesey 9 times out of 10 will be shown back to you. If you ride like a goon that will be shown back to you.

You never know what is going on in peoples heads - they could have had a massive row with their partner or boss, Could have recieved bad news and trying to get home, any number of scenarios and then meeting an inconsiderate road user is the tipping point...

Just take a deep breath, smile and let it off for there is always someone else harder and heavier that will give that person what they deserve !

That row between the cyclist and bus driver just escalated out of control. All it took was one of them to pull back a bit. The primal instict to be number 1 in the argument took over and both lost control and things just got more frenzied until one got hurt and one ended up the clink !

Let this be a lesson to us all - Keep your cool and let it off !
Lets be careful and courteous out there !

DirkVoodoo

I wonder sometimes about people...

If two men are arguing in a bar, calling each other names and eventually pushing each other, maybe one guy knocks a pint out of the other's hand...

...how many people would say "he asked for it" if the beer soaked guy pulled out a knife and stabbed the other guy in the chest, leaving him with either life threatening wounds or a lengthy stay in hospital.

Seriously, whatever about the argument or behaviour leading up to it, you really need to wonder about society sometimes when people would condone assualt with a weapon for some petty argument.

That bus driver clearly has issues and whether it is a "moment of madness" or "I was drunk and didn't know what I was doing", people who resort to these kinds of acts need some serious counselling. And clearly he shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of ANY vehicle again.

rollingscone

There's a strong thread of caveman logic running here from the "Motowists good, motowists strong" crowd.

The cyclist must be found somehow wrong at any cost, because if he wasn't they'd have to re-evaluate their own actions and attitudes.

And thinking is so hard.

Was there a civil case taken does anyone know?

opti0nal

doozerie wrote: »

Incidentally, according to the BBC Bristol online article the bus driver pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and grievous bodily harm.

One factor that's not been covered here is that this case opens the way for more appropriate prosecutions to be taken against drivers who attack cyclists. Until the widespread availability of security cameras, there's not been enough evidence and incidents went unprosecuted or got dealt with as mere driving offences.

doozerie

reallyunique wrote: »

He did a terrible thing and a prison sentence is never getting off lightly.

I agree with you, a prison sentence is not something to be taken lightly even if it seems on the face of it to be relatively short (though if I were facing a prison term of 17 months myself I wouldn't view it as short). My mention of him getting off lightly was really just in relation to the maximum term that he could potentially have been hit with.

No matter which way you look at it, a prison sentence is likely to change your life dramatically, and not for the better. In fact, even a criminal conviction with no prison sentence associated with it can put a stain on your life that changes it permanently - that's certainly been the experience of someone that I know. The bus driver is going to pay a heavy price for his stupidity - I'm not sure what price would constitute "justice", no punishment can really square things, but I would imagine/hope that the bus driver now appreciates the real stupidity of his actions and that's at least a (small) step in the right direction. Mind you, his actions seem to be acting as some kind of rallying cry for the sociopaths if some of the offensive posts seeming to support the bus drivers actions (particularly in the other thread in the Commuting & Transport forum) are anything to go by, which is a large step in the wrong direction.

gbee

doozerie wrote: »

Mind you, his actions seem to be acting as some kind of rallying cry for the sociopaths if some of the offensive posts seeming to support the bus drivers actions

It just shows the level of deep emotion that exists on our roads and motorists and cyclists in particular would do well to understand it as best it can be understood.

I'd call for a cycle license and test with provision to endorse such license and give penalty points and as more an more roadway is given over to cycling, a separate cycle tax to cover it should be introduced too.

monument

gbee wrote: »

It just shows the level of deep emotion that exists on our roads and motorists and cyclists in particular would do well to understand it as best it can be understood.

Maybe start with thinking to yourself why you are still blaiming the victim....

gbee wrote: »

I'd call for a cycle license and test with provision to endorse such license and give penalty pints and as more an more roadway is given over to cycling, a separate cycle tax to cover it should be introduced too.

Logic fail!

Driver who is licenced, ensured and taxed attacks cyclist with a bus and you call for regulation and tax on cyclists!?

oflahero

gbee wrote: »

It just shows the level of deep emotion that exists on our roads and motorists and cyclists in particular would do well to understand it as best it can be understood.

I'd call for a cycle license and test with provision to endorse such license and give penalty pints and as more an more roadway is given over to cycling, a separate cycle tax to cover it should be introduced too.

So your contribution, on a cycling forum, to this debate about a bus deliberately ramming a cyclist has consisted of "He was probably asking for it. Reg and tax cyclists!"

You manage to veer magnificently from the insulting to the profoundly imbecilic. Do you honestly believe that your genius lightbulb moment has not been endlessly talked over already ad nauseam in numerous other threads, had you bothered to do a perfunctory search?

SerialComplaint

opti0nal wrote: »

One factor that's not been covered here is that this case opens the way for more appropriate prosecutions to be taken against drivers who attack cyclists. Until the widespread availability of security cameras, there's not been enough evidence and incidents went unprosecuted or got dealt with as mere driving offences.

Not just security cameras - the low price of helmetcams is making it very easy for cyclists to gather evidence for the police;


See this article and video and this video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zyQBbrdhGA

AstraMonti

oflahero wrote: »

So your contribution, on a cycling forum, to this debate about a bus deliberately ramming a cyclist has consisted of "He was probably asking for it. Reg and tax cyclists!"

You manage to veer magnificently from the insulting to the profoundly imbecilic. Do you honestly believe that your genius lightbulb moment has not been endlessly talked over already ad nauseam in numerous other threads, had you bothered to do a perfunctory search?

You are using many big words, do you honestly expect an answer? :pac:

gbee

oflahero wrote: »

So your contribution, on a cycling forum, to this debate about a bus deliberately ramming a cyclist has consisted of "He was probably asking for it. Reg and tax cyclists!"

I'll agree to anything you say, if you want to put blinkers on, so be it, there is an opportunity here for all to see.

This is like religion TBH, I'm not really interested in your goals and ambitions, the video should be shown to every road user and it should be the subject in the next leaving cert.

Wheely GR8

Joggers who jog on Cycle lanes ?
Will they have to get a tattoo on their foreheads ? ,in case they jog on tax paid cycle lanes
Pedestrians ,get tattoo's in case they walk out in front of a car ?

Nope ,because cyclists are the problem:rolleyes:

gbee

Wheely GR8 wrote: »

Nope ,because cyclists are the problem:rolleyes:

And on that bombshell, I'm off out in me 4x4 and chunkies, but don't worry, I only go mad off road. Seeyas.

DirkVoodoo

gbee wrote: »

And on that bombshell, I'm off out in me 4x4 and chunkies, but don't worry, I only go mad off road. Seeyas.

I knew it. Cllllaaaaaarrrrkssssooooonnnnnnn!!!!

Batsy

A lot of these cyclists deserve being knocked off their bicycles. Many of them seem to think that the laws of the road don't apply to them.

Chips Lovell

@Batsy. Any more trolling and there'll be a ban.