From: Derek C on
I knew this would have to happen sooner or later, given Doug's hostile
attitude to vehicle drivers in general.

This is his version of events (from uk.rec.cycling):
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"This is a new twist. We are used to cyclists being rammed but
strangled? And of course, surprise surprise, the cyclist victim is
blamed as usual.

On Tuesday March 9th at around 4-5pm, I was cycling west along Oxford
Street, London, near Dean Street, when a taxi suddenly swerved across
the front of me to pick up a fare and we collided. Following a brief
verbal exchange, the taxi driver grabbed the scarf around my neck and
strangled me until I was unconscious. When I regained consciousness
the police and ambulance were on the scene.

What seemed an open and shut case in my favour has gone horribly wrong
in light of the appalling fact that the subsequent investigation
failed to retrieve CCTV footage before it was erased and also failed
to secure the details of a witness who saw the entire incident, and
who looked after me throughout and assured me and the police he would
be my witness. The police now have no record of his details.

The taxi driver's defence is that I attacked him. A passenger in the
car behind saw a scuffle and believes he may have seen a singular
punch thrown, although crucially states he didn't see a punch connect
(there certainly was a scuffle, I was having the life strangled out of
me at the time) and on that basis, regardless of damning photographic
evidence that shows vicious swollen bruising around my neck plus a
police doctor's report that indicates the same, because I have no
witness or CCTV evidence to corroborate my story, the CPS has taken
the taxi driver's version of events and charged me with assault.

In a week's time I will enter a plea of not guilty. My solicitor has
warned me that legal costs could reach £5,000, and that's just if the
CPS find me not guilty. I left employment just two months ago having
finally saved enough money to focus on writing full-time, and was
supposed to leave the country this week on a long-planned research
trip, which now looks to be on hold indefinitely.

This is a huge kick in the teeth to everything I have worked towards
and leaves me on the brink of a criminal record for a crime I did not
commit, while the person who was extremely violent towards me hasn't
even been cautioned. Somewhere out there in this wonderful London town
is surely a cyclist, motorist or pedestrian who was passing on that
day and witnessed an enraged taxi driver strangling me. If so, I
really hope you are reading this.

I have canvassed all shops in the area for witnesses and private CCTV
and return this week to speak to opposite shifts and put up notices. I
have queried Westminster CCTV, along with their Traffic Wardens &
Refuse Collectors who were working in the area at that time, and also
queried London Transport about static and vehicle cameras. I am aiming
to get ads and letters in the London press this week.

Someone out there must have seen something. The sooner I find a
witness the sooner I can bring an end to this unfairness and
escalating costs."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bad news is that the taxi driver failed to kill him, and also that
he won't be able to leave the country as he intended.

Derek C

"You reap what you sow"
From: Brimstone on
"Derek C" <del.copeland(a)tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:48303108-e043-4d4c-8613-109ff681ac15(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
> I knew this would have to happen sooner or later, given Doug's hostile
> attitude to vehicle drivers in general.
>
> This is his version of events (from uk.rec.cycling):
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> "This is a new twist. We are used to cyclists being rammed but
> strangled? And of course, surprise surprise, the cyclist victim is
> blamed as usual.
>
> On Tuesday March 9th at around 4-5pm, I was cycling west along Oxford
> Street, London, near Dean Street, when a taxi suddenly swerved across
> the front of me to pick up a fare and we collided. Following a brief
> verbal exchange, the taxi driver grabbed the scarf around my neck and
> strangled me until I was unconscious. When I regained consciousness
> the police and ambulance were on the scene.
>

> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The bad news is that the taxi driver failed to kill him, and also that
> he won't be able to leave the country as he intended.
>
The obvious lesson to take from this episode is not to wear a scarf when
riding a bicycle.


From: JNugent on
Brimstone wrote:
> "Derek C" <del.copeland(a)tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:48303108-e043-4d4c-8613-109ff681ac15(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
>> I knew this would have to happen sooner or later, given Doug's hostile
>> attitude to vehicle drivers in general.
>>
>> This is his version of events (from uk.rec.cycling):
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>> "This is a new twist. We are used to cyclists being rammed but
>> strangled? And of course, surprise surprise, the cyclist victim is
>> blamed as usual.
>>
>> On Tuesday March 9th at around 4-5pm, I was cycling west along Oxford
>> Street, London, near Dean Street, when a taxi suddenly swerved across
>> the front of me to pick up a fare and we collided. Following a brief
>> verbal exchange, the taxi driver grabbed the scarf around my neck and
>> strangled me until I was unconscious. When I regained consciousness
>> the police and ambulance were on the scene.
>>
>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> The bad news is that the taxi driver failed to kill him, and also that
>> he won't be able to leave the country as he intended.
>>
> The obvious lesson to take from this episode is not to wear a scarf when
> riding a bicycle.

## Isadora Duncan... worked for Telefunken... ~

Two references for the price of one there.
From: Derek C on
On Jun 8, 9:20 am, JNugent <J...(a)nonexistentaddress.com> wrote:
> Brimstone wrote:
> > "Derek C" <del.copel...(a)tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:48303108-e043-4d4c-8613-109ff681ac15(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com....
> >> I knew this would have to happen sooner or later, given Doug's hostile
> >> attitude to vehicle drivers in general.
>
> >> This is his version of events (from uk.rec.cycling):
> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> "This is a new twist. We are used to cyclists being rammed but
> >> strangled? And of course, surprise surprise, the cyclist victim is
> >> blamed as usual.
>
> >> On Tuesday March 9th at around 4-5pm, I was cycling west along Oxford
> >> Street, London, near Dean Street, when a taxi suddenly swerved across
> >> the front of me to pick up a fare and we collided. Following a brief
> >> verbal exchange, the taxi driver grabbed the scarf around my neck and
> >> strangled me until I was unconscious. When I regained consciousness
> >> the police and ambulance were on the scene.
>
> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> >> The bad news is that the taxi driver failed to kill him, and also that
> >> he won't be able to leave the country as he intended.
>
> > The obvious lesson to take from this episode is not to wear a scarf when
> > riding a bicycle.
>
> ## Isadora Duncan... worked for Telefunken... ~
>
She was killed when her scarf got tangled in the spoked wheels of a
Bugatti sports car.

Derek C
From: Adrian on
Derek C <del.copeland(a)tiscali.co.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

>> > The obvious lesson to take from this episode is not to wear a scarf
>> > when riding a bicycle.

>> ## Isadora Duncan... worked for Telefunken... ~

> She was killed when her scarf got tangled in the spoked wheels of a
> Bugatti sports car.

An Amilcar, actually.
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