Driver filmed having ‘total meltdown’ with Carmarthenshire cyclist
A Welsh Government minister has called for Dyfed-Powys Police to look at a video that shows a driver having a “total meltdown” when confronting a cyclist.
Matt Page was riding his bike outside of Llandovery on the A483. The video shows the unidentified driver stopping to confront the cyclist, who films the encounter.
The motorist yells “Do you remember smacking my car?” When Matt Page says he’s from Llangadog the man responds: “Llangadog, do you? So you don’t f*cking live here, you live in Llangadog, now f*ck off!”
Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters, who is a keen advocate of sustainable transport such as cycling, tweeted to say that the incident was “really horrible” and called for Dyfed-Powys police to look into it.
Matt Page said that he had already reported the matter to the police.
“I was riding with a friend at the time and doing a good pace and it’s a dead straight road with no traffic and that is why I have absolutely no idea why he was so irate as he passed initially,” contributor Matt Page told road.cc.
“He close passed us tooting, then stopped in the middle of both carriageways 100 metres later and started shouting, so obviously has a big issue with cyclists in general.
“After driving off he was stopped, waiting for us to come along and his stance and manner, I knew he was about to start something, which is why I started filming.”
The argument centred on whether Matt Page and a fellow cyclist were allowed to ride two abreast on the road, which is legal under the Highway Code. The man in the car however claimed that one of the cyclists had hit his car.
Matt Page said that he was later confronted by the same man in Llandovery town centre.
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If a driver is close enough to a cyclist for contact to be made, the driver is too close.
Intrigued about how that insurance claim would have gone.
Take all idiots like that of the Road
Bloody motorists, as a pedestrian who regularly walks to and from work I know how cyclist feel. For example, you would have thought that motorists would know that they are supposed to stop at a zebra crossing if I’m waiting to cross but the number who drive straight through (and considerably faster than the speed limit I might add) is unbelievable. I’ve also seen them do this to schoolchildren. Such people should be fined and get points off their licence and if necessary have their licence revoked.
As I understand it, drivers are not strictly obligated to stop at a zebra crossing, though it is a common practice and general courtesy to do so.
The Highway Code states that a driver must stop should a pedestrian step out onto the crossing. They have no obligation to stop if someone is waiting to cross however. Which is sort of ridiculous, but still.
The takeaway here is that ALL drivers should be going so slow when approaching a zebra crossing that stopping as a pedestrian walks out isn’t an issue. Rarely the case in Swansea, mind.
That’s why zebras are rare these days and being replaced by pelicans. Drivers only have to stop for people actually on the zebra crossing not someone waiting to cross. If a pelican red light is showing then there’s no choice.
From the driver’s point of view, I’ve stopped a few times only to find the people waiting at the zebra crossing had only happened to stop there to check their phone or have a chat and didn’t want to cross the road. All about consideration (or not) for others.
A single link further on from the road.cc link in the article shows the foul old man to be a racist & sexist ex-copper. You can find some of his rants in web.archive and probably more on Facebook.
Anyone from Dyfed-Powys reading this? I’ve got £50 that says you’ll do nothing at all about the ar**hole.
Rule 163 of the Highway Code states: Overtake when it’s safe and legal to do so. You need to give motorcyclists, cyclists and, horse riders, at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car.
To me, that equates to around 1.5 metres at least!
Wait. Llagadog is here. WTF?
Hope dyfed powys police have a word with him caution him for his behaviour language very threatening and intimidating idiot I will remember the registraion and the face like to have a little chat with this man he will soon go very quickly when I’ve said what I have to say he will go pretty quick and won’t argue with me that I guarantee
Section 5 Public Order offence. The video is about as incriminating as it’s possible to be, particularly given the driver’s past career.
I’d imagine even an A-level law student could suggest half a dozen more without breaking a sweat.
Threatening or abusive behaviour is a chargeable offence, and after seeing the video, he was most definitely abusive, unless of course you deem his language normal.
Quite simply this is road rage on the part of the car driver who probably saw red when coming across two cyclists riding, as they are allowed to, two abreast, thus posing no more an obstacle than a car. The driver’s aggressive manner and foul language were unacceptable. There are idiot road users of all categories, but it seems to be that there are a small minority of car drivers who seem to think that there is some kind of hierarchy, with them pretty high up in the pecking order, conceding only to lorry drivers grudgingly, and then only because… Read more »
You mate didn’t fancy his chances using violence on two grown men. What’s going to happen when he stops a lone woman or a child?
Someone with a large John Deere needs to meet that driver on a small lane!
An arrogant, entitled bully. I would imagine he’s as welcome in Sir Benfro as a dose of Covid. Matt Page handled him very well under difficult circumstances. The local heddlu need a word with this moron. Zero tolerance.
What a n***e
An Englishman shouting at a Welshman about where he is from in Wales? I guess that same entitled snobby attitude has come along with him to Wales. I would certainly like to see what would happen if he behaved like that to a few other boys I know on bike. The arrogance would have been wiped from his face
Smack on! Not a police issue! Good entertainment though
As a cyclist, pillion passenger and walker i feel that the time has come for all drivers to have regular mandatory refresher sections. Firstly that the L driver spend a week having to walk or cycle along our main roads in order for them to experience the idiocy of speed and bad manners. Secondly to ride pillion on a motorcycle so that it makes them more aware of the vulnerability of non car road users. It would open their eyes. Seriously, the mentality of some drivers is questionable. We were harangued and cut up by 3 drivers, whilst in a… Read more »
Having now watched the videos I can see what the fuss is about! This guy has serious anger management issues and needs sorting out before he kills somebody. I get annoyed about cyclists riding two abreast on roads where it is very difficult to overtake them safely but it isn’t illegal and nothing you can do but wait until the safe to overtake moment arrives. I’d be interested to know whether PE70MUA, Grey 1995cc Ford, had been stuck unable to overtake the cyclists for a long time (a few minutes), in which case they had shown a lack of consideration… Read more »
PE70 NUA. It’s a hybrid. The car I mean, not the man, although you never know…
Hyundai Tucson Se Nv48v Mhev Crdi. Electric Diesel.
PE is Preston, so I reckon Matt from Llangadog is a bit more local than Mr Road Rage Diva.
Pricks like this are a danger on the roads, to all road users, maybe someone will key his new car for him?
Brand new car? Looks like a 70 plate which would make it year old
Always amazed how theaggresiv e Brits can get into these kind of in your face loud and aggressive and walk away untouched. Somewhere around minute two, in the states, someone would have been knocked on their ass.
In the states they have guns too – and if the cyclists had been black …..
This begs the question: Did the ex-police officer acquire that obnoxious behaviour and self-righteous attitude in the constabulary?
The b*llend also appears drunk.