This story begins with Essex bus driver, David Sherry, AKA "Sueperb". You'll find Dave on his bicycle over on his youtube channel chasing taxis down on his patch, busting texting bus drivers and the usual things cyclists with cameras get up to.
David is a 'policewitness' camera cyclist.
Cycling in the UK can at times be a hostile experience compared to our European neighbours and it's not surprising that more and more people are mounting cameras on their bikes and on their helmets. This use of video technology is primarily for protection; it is hoped this video evidence will show legal use of the public highway by the cyclist and prevent a 'my word versus your word' in the event of a serious incident or accident with a vehicle.
Some run cameras 'just in case', some post their videos on youtube; here in the capital some engage the Metropolitan Police's Roadsafe division and some will also post videos onto forums seeking advice and comment on the subject of urban cycling and what they can do to avoid dangerous situations.
Well that's the idea anyway.
On the 16th July 2013, Dave posted a video of himself being assaulted by a white van man, not just on youtube but on the Cyclechat forum. The incident began with a van apparently hitting him as it overtook him closely. After the cyclist's natural instinct to shout at this danger, the driver got out and thumped Dave. It was definitely shocking, though unfortunately it is a more or less a typical sequence of events for many cyclists.
CCStev runs into a thumper of a driver
Recently Birmingham cycle-cammer CCSteV suffered a physical assault and other cycle-cammers have been party to incidents that have featured in a recent documentary themed around a 'War' on our roads.
There was only one problem though; from the outset Dave was claiming in his video that the van had actually hit him. He claimed that the van hit the back of his head and that his right elbow was in a bad way. Ouch!
In reality he had struck the van with his hand when the vehicle came too close. Firstly let me be very clear that nothing excuses the behaviour of this driver for assaulting Dave, not even slapping his van, I have done that myself. However to report this as fact to the police is a completely different matter. Worse still the video he had posted himself clearly showed his arm reaching out to make contact with the passing vehicle.
As more people on Cyclechat watched his video Dave's story essentially unravelled and he disappeared forever from the forum.
He had claimed he would be going after damages and making a formal complaint to the police for a delay in taking his statement! More seriously he claimed that the severity of his injuries were such that he 'couldn't drive for weeks' Now that must hurt!
Cyclechat user Mugshot was the first to smell something fishy; * Also why did you say "If I can touch your van mate you're far too close." why didn't you say "If your van can touch me you're far too close." I'm not trying to be an internet warrior and I'm certainly not a roadside warrior but I know I would have shouted, screamed or more likely squeaked, "YOUR VAN HIT ME!!!!!" *
But why lie? To gain a stronger case with the police? For a dubious compensation claim?
Video evidence can be pretty hard to argue with, which is why camera cyclists choose to collect it.
I and others would like an explanation from Mr Sherry as to his motives but he has refused to answer any questions in relation to this and has since made his video private.
But as we all know, nothing dies on the internet.
Watch the video and make your own mind up.
No comments:
Post a Comment