Cyclist Deliberately Smashes Car Window Over Baby

[joustmaster]

Well he sounds like a knobber and I'd be hard-pressed to say that isn't a reason to smash his window at that moment because you were understandably angry. It also sounds like attempted GBH (or murder? IANAL). Smashing his window could have made you look like the aggressor if that incident ever seen a court.

70% thinking it was the best way to survive
30% thinking I'm going to get this fucker

I don't think drivers ever get more than a fine, even when doing stuff like that.

Nothing came of it when he stopped though. He sort of realised what he was doing and fucked off sharpish.

 

[keybored]

70% thinking it was the best way to survive

I dunno, we could go round and round on this one. For me in any incident with a psycho the best way to survive is to get clear of them. If someone is mental enough to try to knock me off a bike with a car it's fair for me to assume they'd be mental enough to produce a knife and stab me if things escalated. I'd rather let things go these days.

 

[editor]

It's time cyclists started registering their vehicles and showing some clearly visible number plate.

Why is it 'time' for this?

 

[8ball]

Why is it 'time' for this?

It truly is a conundrum.

 

[editor]

It truly is a conundrum.

What time is love?

 

[joustmaster]

I dunno, we could go round and round on this one. For me in any incident with a psycho the best way to survive is to get clear of them. If someone is mental enough to try to knock me off a bike with a car it's fair for me to assume they'd be mental enough to produce a knife and stab me if things escalated. I'd rather let things go these days.

Fine.

70% getting the fucker
30% survival.

 

[classicdish]

Spymaster
editor

re. 'borderline psychotic behaviour'

Would you call this "borderline psychotic" behaviour?

Generally any kind of stabbing rampage over minor damage would be seen as an indicator of all not being well with someone, but I'd have to run a quick survey on all the posters here
and then boldly declare an opinion on their behalf to be sure.

For the sale of reducing prejudice against people with serious mental health issues and making people with these conditions feel less excluded I also support the idea of using these words a bit more carefully, for the following reasons:

Psychosis is most commonly linked to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and is not necessarily - or even very often - linked to being violent. Psychosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Psychopathy on the other hand does have a linked to violent behaviour. Psychopathy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Psychotic, as well as its original medical meaning (first reference 1885) is also used in a more loose manner, eg:

adjective
1.
Psychiatry. characterized by or afflicted with psychosis.
Synonyms: (in nontechnical usage) insane, psychopathic, lunatic,mentally ill; mad, disturbed, deranged, demented, non compos mentis.
Antonyms: sane; compos mentis, clearheaded, lucid.
2.
Psychiatry. of or relating to psychosis: psychotic symptoms;
psychotic delusion.
3.
(loosely) mentally unstable:
The man who threw a stone through the convenience store windowmust be psychotic.
Synonyms: loony, crazy, nutty, nuts, bonkers; kooky, cuckoo, daft,batty, screwy, potty.
4.
intensely upset, anxious, or angry; crazy:
My dad gets so psychotic when I come home even a little bit late.
Synonyms: crazed, furious, enraged, wrathful, irate, incensed,infuriated; livid, pissed off.

source: the definition of psychotic

However I'd hope that people here on urban75 we aspire to a slightly more socially-aware level of language use than some of the above usages, even if they are still commonly used and understood by the average man-in-the-street and even when there is no intention to cause offense, humilate or exclude any individual or group of people.

Here's a Guardian article about the general issue: Time to change the language we use about mental health | Mind your language

*Sometimes* people with bipolar and schizophrenia (and other illnesses) are violent: "It is true, of course, that any psychotic or neurotic person can commit a violent act, but only because any person at all can commit such an act. The fact is that violence is an uncommon complication of mental illness" link: The Relationship Between Violence and Psychotic Disorders or [URL='http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/obsonline/psychosis-and-violence-arent-strongly-linked.html']Psychosis and Violence Aren’t Strongly Linked[/url] or People with schizophrenia are far more likely to harm themselves than be violent toward the public. Violence is not a symptom of schizophrenia.

However with "psychopathy" and "sociopathy" there is often (although not always) a link with violent behaviour, eg: Psychopathy | Psychology Today

nb
About 2.4% of people around the world have had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder at some point in their lifetime source: U.S. has highest bipolar rate in 11-nation study - CNN.com
About 1% of people have a diagnosis of schizophrenia Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics

Moreover, although I don't have exact figures I do know the rates of both of these are a lot higher in Brixton, for various reasons.

 

[mauvais]

I'm going to run with, 'Artist Makes Baby Smile By Creating Impromptu Mosaic With Fantastic Results - One Simple Trick Insurance Underwriters Don't Want You To Know, But Which Conversely Automotive Glaziers Are Probably Quite Keen To See Popularised'

You can just call me Buzzfeed Bob from now on.

 

[keybored]

Why is it 'time' for this?

For the reasons I stated in the rest of the post that you quoted.

 

[editor]

For the reasons I stated in the rest of the post that you quoted.

Compelling cyclists to register is overflowing with fail.

https://www.bicycles.net.au/2014/10/reasons-bike-rider-cyclist-registration-stupid/

Bicycle registration is not the answer for bad behaviour

Copenhagenize.com - Bicycle Culture by Design: The Folly of Bicycle Licences

 

[keybored]

Compelling cyclists to register is overflowing with fail.

https://www.bicycles.net.au/2014/10/reasons-bike-rider-cyclist-registration-stupid/

Bicycle registration is not the answer for bad behaviour

Copenhagenize.com - Bicycle Culture by Design: The Folly of Bicycle Licences

Well no. Using "fail" as a noun is a failure, as is linking to some obscure Australian site as a citation for your position against mine, which I think is pretty fair.

 

[keybored]

I mean... www.bicycles...

It's not going to be unbiased at all is it?

 

[editor]

I mean... www.bicycles...

It's not going to be unbiased at all is it?

Seems a bit pointless attempting a debate if you're going to dismiss arguments purely based on the URL rather than the content of the article. What about the other two links? How are you going to dismiss them?

Or these?
18 reasons why registering bicycles is a bad idea
Busting 5 Myths About Cyclists - The Driver Vs. Cyclist Debate
Licence to ride | RideOn
The kneejerk non-solution of bicycle licences

 

[keybored]

Seems a bit pointless attempting a debate if you're going to dismiss arguments purely based on the URL rather than the content of the article. What about the other two links? How are you going to dismiss them?

Or these?
18 reasons why registering bicycles is a bad idea
Busting 5 Myths About Cyclists - The Driver Vs. Cyclist Debate
Licence to ride | RideOn
The kneejerk non-solution of bicycle licences

Instead of frantically searching for confirmation-bias sources, why wouldn't you tell me in your own words why making cyclists as identifiable as car drivers is a bad idea, especially in light of the subject of this thread?

 

[editor]

Instead of frantically searching for confirmation-bias sources, why wouldn't you tell me in your own words why making cyclists as identifiable as car drivers is a bad idea, especially in light of the subject of this thread?

Apart from the major problem of affixing registration plates to bikes in a manner that means that they will be easily visible, it would be a huge and immensely costly logistical exercise that would be unlikely to prevent much crime and have the net effect of putting people off cycling. Who do you think should be paying for all this? And what police resources would you like transferred over to bike registration and how would you justify it?

I believe this quote sums up the impracticality of such a scheme:

“a bicycle registration scheme would have considerable impact on the community without being able to deliver the outcomes frequently claimed for such an initiative” Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into Cycling

Licence to ride | RideOn

 

[joustmaster]

Well no. Using "fail" as a noun is a failure

Sorry - correcting grammar, especially to ignore common slang, is an instant way to lose the argument.

 

[keybored]

Apart from the major problem of affixing registration plates to bikes in a manner that means that they will be easily visible, it would be a huge and immensely costly logistical exercise that would be unlikely to prevent much crime and have the net effect of putting people off cycling. Who do you think should be paying for all this? And what police resources would you like transferred over to bike registration and how would you justify it?

>Apart from the major problem of affixing registration plates to bikes in a manner that means that they will be easily visible, it would be a huge and immensely costly logistical exercise that would be unlikely to prevent much crime and have the net effect of putting people off cycling

That seems like hyperbole. It's as easy as it is for any other vehicle.

>Who do you think should be paying for all this?

We, the taxpayer.

>And what police resources would you like transferred over to bike registration and how would you justify it?

I doubt police resources would be transferred to this task; it would be a DVLA thing. But it would save a lot of police time having to search out psychopath nutters like the one in this OP.

 

[editor]

Here's the full text of the government study into bike registration in Queensland. I hope the URL is acceptable to keybored

7.3 Committee comment The Committee has examined the various arguments put in submissions and at public hearings regarding the impacts and benefits of bicycle registration and understands that this issue causes a considerable amount of tension between motorists and cyclists in Queensland. The Committee notes the claim made that because cyclists do not pay bicycle registration they are not contributing to the cost of road or cycling infrastructure.

However, the Committee does not accept this argument based on the following facts:
 more than 80% of cyclists pay car registration and are not driving their car when they are riding thereby reducing the impact of motor vehicles on the road infrastructure
 council rates and federal taxes (such as the GST) are the main source of road revenue and cyclists pay rates and GST along with other road users
 cyclists save the community $0.60 for each kilometre they ride instead of drive.

345 The Committee acknowledges the concern that it is difficult to hold cyclists accountable for their actions if they breach the road rules as there is no way of identifying them unless they are “caught in the act”.

However, the Committee is of the view that the significant negative consequences of introducing a registration scheme far outweigh the limited benefits of such a scheme. The Committee is therefore recommending against the registration of bicycles, or the licensing of cyclists, in Queensland on the basis that:
 the registration or license fee is likely to be a disincentive to cycling with all the associated health and environmental benefits
 there is little evidence that registration would improve road safety
 it would not be cost efficient due to the administrative resources required
 most adult cyclists also own a car and pay registration and regardless, most road funding comes from council rates and federal taxes

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/committees/thlgc/2013/inq-cyc/rp-39-29nov13.pdf

 

[editor]

 

[editor]

This site pretty much shows how wildly impractical bike registration schemes are, and why several countries abandoned them:
Why do some from the motorised majority want cyclists to be taxed, licenced & have number plates?

You know who really liked bicycle registration schemes? The Nazis during World War Two.

 

[keybored]

Seriously though, why wouldn't you want to be identifiable? Like cars are.

 

[keybored]

(I say "you", sorry I have no idea if you even ride a bike).

 

[editor]

Seriously though, why wouldn't you want to be identifiable? Like cars are.

Seriously though, why wouldn't you want to have a number printed on your clothing?

 

[keybored]

Seriously though, why wouldn't you want to have a number printed on your clothing?

Because we're talking about vehicles. Not clothing.

 

[editor]

Because we're talking about vehicles. Not clothing.

Why don't you try and address the conclusions reached by the government study? They state the arguments against cycle registration very clearly indeed.

I've already told you why I think it's a fucking stupid idea, and that study supports my points. Now you tell me why the conclusions of so many studies and articles are all wrong.

 

[keybored]

Why don't you try and address the conclusions reached by the government study? They state the arguments against cycle registration very clearly indeed.

I've already told you why I think it's a fucking stupid idea, and that study supports my points. Now you tell me why the conclusions of so many studies and articles are all wrong.

I'm not interested in "government studies", or your links to such. I'm asking you, as a person who I assume has the intelligence to think for himself, why it's such a crazy notion that cyclists should be as accountable as any other road user if they are going to smash car windows etc.?

 

[editor]

Here's what has happened to bicycle registration schemes and proposals in the past:

Ottowa:

A committee of bylaw officials from the former municipalities decided a bicycle licensing system would cost too much to run and have little impact to the costs of stolen bicycle investigations. At the time, staff estimated the licensing system would cost at least $100,000 annually but only generate up to $40,000 in revenue each year.

Toronto:

Major reasons why licensing has been rejected:

• The difficulty in keeping a database complete and current
• The difficulty in licensing children, given that they ride bikes too
• Licensing in and of itself does not change the behaviour of cyclists who may disobey traffic laws

Ann Arbor:

Implemented, but revoked 15 days later

Minneapolis:

Registration is no longer required or available through a state program in Minnesota. The Minneapolis City Council made the registry optional and as a result, participation in fell off. The program was run by the Dept. of Public Safety.

The administrative costs were more than the revenue generated, so the state abandoned the program. After administrative costs were paid for, excess revenue was to be spent on infrastructure.

Tucson:

Tucson City Council voted to investigate requiring Tucson cyclists to register their bikes and pay a $10 per-bicycle licensing fee.
According to the proposal document, the licensing program would actually cost the city money.

Why aren't cyclists licensed? | Bike Calgary

 

[editor]

I'm not interested in "government studies", or your links to such. I'm asking you, as a person who I assume has the intelligence to think for himself, why it's such a crazy notion that cyclists should be as accountable as any other road user if they are going to smash car iwndows etc.?

No, you're arguing that a national cycle licensing scheme should enforced because of a truly microscopic amount of such incidents, even though the cost/benefit ratio is wildly skewed. It would be a costly disaster all round, as evidenced by the links I have patiently provided for you.

 

[keybored]

No, you're arguing that a national cycle licensing scheme should enforced because of a truly microscopic amount of such incidents, even though the cost/benefit ratio is wildly skewed. It would be a costly disaster all round, as evidenced by the links I have patiently provided for you.

The links you provided all point to disasters in places like Australia and Canada. When the fuck do they ever get anything right?

It's not difficult. Put a small registration plate on a bike.

 

[Orang Utan]

It's not difficult. Put a small registration plate on a bike.

u srs?