WARNING - courier rage

[XP@]

From a cyclist friend, if you can help...

got run off my bike on thursday by a courier driver (he slammed his brakes on in front of me after i'd told him to look when he`s changing lanes, he overtook me and then swerved in & stopped dead)

I've got a broken hand & bikes parts but only a partial reg number & van description.

if anyone sees a courier van (yellow & red, about 4 companies use those colours I think)
with a reg plate which I wrote down as YI1614 but it came back as wrong on the police check. I'm sure about the 1614 bit but the first bit could have been V or U or something. So if you see a van with a reg like that can you send me a full plate or company name so the batsrad can be had up, for assult & leaving the scene, plus pay for my broken bike.

As you'd guess the courier companies all say none of there vans have reg's like that.

The police have been very good but with out a name or reg I a bit stuffed.

http://www.mountainbike.co.nz/forum/...=44090&t=44090

Last night i also had a sub 60 courier shout obsenities and threats at me for, as far as I could tell, leaving about 2 car lengths between me and the stopping line of traffic ahead...

[bugjuice]

those fuckers spend too much time on the road and think they're it..
they need to get fired when they get that bad. before they kill someone

[Buster]

Yeah, thats a sackable offence alright! If your mate went up the back of him then wasnt he following too close? Im in no way blaming the cyclist, just thought that was the law?

[nudemetalz]

I assume this is in Wellington CBD XP@.

I work in town and am often out at lunchtimes so shall keep an eye out for.

[sAsLEX]

Yeah, thats a sackable offence alright! If your mate went up the back of him then wasnt he following too close? Im in no way blaming the cyclist, just thought that was the law?

He wasn't following to close, then the guy cut in from that bit of text, couriers fault!

[Postie]

Yeah, thats a sackable offence alright! If your mate went up the back of him then wasnt he following too close? Im in no way blaming the cyclist, just thought that was the law?

its considered dangerous driving. If you slam you brakes on deliberatly to cause and accident and not to avoid an object in your path, its dangerous driving.

[Buster]

Just read the post again, my bad. I wonder how many dodgy things this driver does every day? Can be sure it wont be the last, especially if he gets away with this.

[Darryboy]

Yeah, thats a sackable offence alright! If your mate went up the back of him then wasnt he following too close? Im in no way blaming the cyclist, just thought that was the law?

Sounds like the courier overtook, pulled in front and then slammed the brakes. So not really following too close.

[ManDownUnder]

If (WHEN!) the idiot get's seen again, take a note of the van ID and put a formal complaint in with the courier company, and take it to the Police. Don't let them take things into their own hands

Internal discipline is entirely appropriate, but it in no way addresses what happen in respect of the law.

I understand the in town couriers drivers often have a reasonably set route, so if you're in the same bat place at the same bat time on a different day, the chances of spotting him should be reasonable.

Good luck getting the pillock off the streets. I had a couple of taxis do a nice U-turn right in front of me the other day - got the chance to get nice and close and deliver 130 dB of air horn through the open driver's window. He looked shocked, and I was a strange combo of pissed off and really amused... go figure.

MDU

[Monsterbishi]

It should be a fairly simple exercise to track the driver down, you know what the colours of the van were, and roughly what the plate was.

So, go to each of the courier companies that run those colours and politely arrange a meeting with the Manager/owner of the company, explain the situation, and request his/her assistance in tracking the driver down. There isin't a business owner out there who would find the drivers actions acceptable.

It won't take 5 minutes to go through their list of vehicles to find any that have a similar plate, and confirmation can be easily made by the injured cyclist and the corresponding damage on the rear of the vehicle.

[Squeak the Rat]

The cyclist gave the courier driver the good old "use your eyes" signal after being cut off. The driver reacted by pulling in front of him and hitting the anchors.

Interesting thread on the nz mountainbike website. The guy wasn't sure what courier company it was but thought it might be sub60. The manager of Sub60 logged on to sthe site and gave her version of the story to all the mtb'ers (full credit to her, sounds like she was co-operating as much as possible with the cops and that it probably isn't even a Sub60 driver). Amazing what a bit of public pressure can do.

Also probably something that we need to keep in mind before abusing drivers for almost killing us - I've heard a lot of these stories lately, seems people are reacting with violence. "Sorry sorry [bi/motor]cyclist, I didn't kill you the first time....":slap:

[imdying]

Couriers have common routes, they're likely to be in a similar place at a similar time every day. Sit up high with an RPG...

[skelstar]

I thought it was good that all the mtb-ers werent talking about retribution of the physical nature as some of us are know to do . Still, although a mtb-er until recently, Im sure a group of mtb-ers sitting outside you house is not quite as intimidatory.

[HenryDorsetCase]

posted on the wrong cycling forum thats for sure.

I have reposted on vorb...

[Colapop]

Cowboy couriers don't last long fortunately. Unfortunately there's always more where they came from. Although there are (bi)cyclists that have a bit to answer for as well. They don't own the road because they're more fragile. It goes oth ways...
In this case it looks like the courier is just a nut case. Got my eyes open.