Cyclist rage, another setback for us

I do not understand who it is a setback for. It is not clear what even started this incident. The videographer indicated that the cyclists warned the guy to back off yet the buy kept coming at the cyclist. The cyclist showed restraint by only hitting him while the guy was in his face. He did not chase after him after the guy finally gave up.

What is surprising is how little damage the lock did. I always imagined that if you whack someone with a u-lock it would knock them to the ground. As a weapon in this video, the U-lock seemed kind of clumsy.

I consider it a setback for the image of cyclists, I'd rather have us seen as above violence.

I wouldn't say walloping the guy is showing restraint, he could have walked away.

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you need better RESOURCES! or information

When defending yourself the law states that you need to use reasonable force - bashing an unarmed man in the head with a steel lock seems excessive.

i thought that fred's comment was awful, it didn't give me any useful information at al!
you need better RESOURCES! or information

Self-defence against unprovoked assault

1. (1) Every one who is unlawfully assaulted without having provoked the assault is justified in repelling force by force if the force he uses is not intended to cause death or grievous bodily harm and is no more than is necessary to enable him to defend himself.

Extent of justification

(2) Every one who is unlawfully assaulted and who causes death or grievous bodily harm in repelling the assault is justified if

(a) he causes it under reasonable apprehension of death or grievous bodily harm from the violence with which the assault was originally made or with which the assailant pursues his purposes; and

(b) he believes, on reasonable grounds, that he cannot otherwise preserve himself from death or grievous bodily harm.

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 34; 1992, c. 1, s. 60(F).

Self-defence in case of aggression

1. Every one who has without justification assaulted another but did not commence the assault with intent to cause death or grievous bodily harm, or has without justification provoked an assault on himself by another, may justify the use of force subsequent to the assault if

(a) he uses the force

(i) under reasonable apprehension of death or grievous bodily harm from the violence of the person whom he has assaulted or provoked, and

(ii) in the belief, on reasonable grounds, that it is necessary in order to preserve himself from death or grievous bodily harm;

(b) he did not, at any time before the necessity of preserving himself from death or grievous bodily harm arose, endeavour to cause death or grievous bodily harm; and

(c) he declined further conflict and quitted or retreated from it as far as it was feasible to do so before the necessity of preserving himself from death or grievous bodily harm arose.

R.S., c. C-34, s. 35.

Provocation

1. Provocation includes, for the purposes of sections 34 and 35, provocation by blows, words or gestures.

R.S., c. C-34, s. 36.

Yes, walking away is the best thing to do. Sometimes you cannot. It appears this cyclists was being backed into traffic and the guy was still advancing on him. Not much you can really do, turning your back at this point could have been dangerous. We still do not know what precipitated this but the poster claims that the guy took the cyclists sunglasses and tossed them beneath a passing cab. This occurred prior to the cyclist using the u-lock. It is always nice to tell people to walk away but not everyone keeps their head level when threatened- who knows in situations like that if you are fighting for your life or just mixing it up because someone is getting their kicks out of it.

The cyclist should good restraint. He did not continue after the guy backed away.

Wow. What a intense altercation. From the small amount of info available it looks like the lashing with the lock was warranted. If someone was being agressive while I was in the roadway (i.e. traffic) then I would respond with force or if possible cycle off from the asshole in question. In the video though you can clearly see the cyclist trying to walk away from the Man and the man keeps shadowing him and touching him, it then escalates to pushing and thats when the messenger pulls his New York ver Kyrptonite out of his back pocket and gave him some bashes to the head with it.

Someone said earlier that it looked clumsy and it didn't knock the guy to the ground but you could see the pain on the mans face as he stumbled away. A u-lock to the face isn't gonna do you any favours.

As a bike messenger myself I feel that the cyclists actions were warranted, you see some really insane people working 9/5 in the downtown core.

As well that bike courier seemed to be a veteran, he was riding fixed gear, he had a 200 dollar water proof courier bag as well his lock was one of the best he could get.

Last week, while cycling home in the dark, I passed a cyclist with no lights. In order to let him know I was passing - for his safety as much as mine - I let out a short ring of my bell.

He started yelling at me that I shouldn't ring my bell when I pass someone, and that if cars did that, the city would be full of honking. His suggestion? I should slow down to pass. I'm not exactly sure of the physics behind slowing down in order to pass someone, but he seemed very confident in the idea. I argued with him that I was just letting him know I was coming and he called me a "kid" and an "idiot."

Maybe he'd just been fired or his wife left him... who knows? It seemed pretty weird to me. I'm used to getting yelled at by ignorant drivers, but this was a first for me.

I suppose my story isn't that relevant to this video, but I was surprised by people who assume cyclists are some kind of shining light of humanity. People can act like jerks no matter what they're doing... while working in hospitals, for the Red Cross, as Peace Keepers, whatever.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/316889

I also ring my bell as a courtesy when I pass people, still there are a significant # who are dreaming/preoccupied and they're always startled - regardless of what one does. You can also yell "rider up" or "heads up" or "on your left" if the bell doesn't do anything but, with those warnings the city would be full of yelling!

Another instance are the i-pod listeners who usually always get surprised.

Anyways, I'm pretty sure the city is full of honking currently, sounds like you startled the old fart while his mind was elsewhere triggering a fight or flight reaction. Seems like you got the fight but don't take it personally even an errant squirrel would have received the same tongue lashing.

The pedestrian was clearly injured, the person who posted the video also wrote that he was bleeding profusely from his head wound and struggling to stand up-right.

In the least it's a severe concussion.

The moral of the story is always ride/walk away, it would have been tragic had that cyclist accidentally kill the man with his lock. What if it had struck him in the temple while he was swinging it wildly? Street tough, whatever, stupid cyclist and stupid pedestrian. What did they solve?

Getting hit in the head with a 15lb lock and ending up dead or getting charged with manslaughter is going to ruin your commute(yes, commute, the consensus on the various sites was that he isn't a courier but a fixie/hipster kid).

the consensus on the various sites was that he isn't a courier but a fixie/hipster kid).

Whatever I dont give a shit what some stupid bloggers say. I know the gear he was using and it was courier gear. Perhaps he wasn't on the clock but I will bet money on him being a courier based on style of bike, courier bag and mini-kryptonite (mini-locks are usually used by couriers mainly due to the pocketability of them [easy access]).

Im sticking to my guns and saying he was a courier as well he was just defending himself from someone harassing/assaulting him.

I just look at it as if it is an episode from "animal planet", without any moral judgment.
Just two male specimens in their natural habitat.

Although, admittedly (perversely?) the sound of the impact of that Kryptonite on the head of the unrelenting "encroacher" is kind of satisfying...

Are you kidding? If a man approaches me with the intent of doing physical harm, I will use any weapon at my disposal to defend myself. What if the attacker pushed him into traffic?