Twitter

[Zimmerman]

Counter productive? To what end?

It must be possible to track down the cyclist (seems to be a member if a club); so it will be easy to corroborate the story (or at least a 2v1 scenario).

[Spencer4]

Counter productive? To what end?

It must be possible to track down the cyclist (seems to be a member if a club); so it will be easy to corroborate the story (or at least a 2v1 scenario).

But that's my whole point, we have been asked to go out and find this chap based on what?

Of course we can spend days getting the story from the 'victim' and and ask for eye witnesses but we haven't been asked to do that have we. Isn't that what the police are for?

It's not much removed from vigilantism, and although well-meaning, I think it's dangerous to just believe a tweet based on nothing other that 140 characters and an ambiguous photo.

[Zimmerman]

i'm still not seeing negative of tweeting?

Surely the aim is to locate the man, then pass the details to the police?
He isn't going to be hung as a result of that tweet.

[blahblah]

In theory the police will be told, but he could face a lynch mob as some other victims of Twitter have; and some have been prosecuted for breach of the peace or some such idiocy because of the mob.

[Zimmerman]

Mmmm not sure on the validity of that last bit Blah. Sounds a bit anecdotal/urban mythish.

No different to anyone any where (ever), making an accusation.

[Zimmerman]

If its spurious/it's libel and mr Twitter account holder can be found and prosecuted.

He knocked someone off their bike is hardly going to illicit vigilantes.

[Surprised]

If its spurious/it's libel and mr Twitter account holder can be found and prosecuted.

He knocked someone off their bike is hardly going to illicit vigilantes.

Were you there to see him knocked off?
Or are you just taking a tweet from a 3rd party as absolute proof?

[blahblah]

Mmmm not sure on the validity of that last bit Blah. Sounds a bit anecdotal/urban mythish.

No different to anyone any where (ever), making an accusation.

I posted links to a few from the BBC somewhere on here, I'll try and dig them out.

One involved someone saying something along the lines of all soldiers being evil and should rot in hell. Another was a distasteful joke about the Welsh girl who was murdered recently. Both had mobs in their street and faced prosecution (I think the latter was breach of bail\suspended sentence or some such.)

[Zimmerman]

But that's the police using any excuse to pacify the masses.
I think I've discussed those with you. I'm totally against people being done for bad taste jokes (there was a tshirt about a dead copper and the muamba joke i think); but the rozzers can't charge you with making a bad joke so use some other jumped up charge.


Surprised: like I said, if its spurious, action against one. If its not, then catch him.
The tweet is to identify him. A tweet won't send a man to the gallows.

[Surprised]

Surprised: like I said, if its spurious, action against one. If its not, then catch him.
The tweet is to identify him. A tweet won't send a man to the gallows.

And if a Twitter dullard finds the car and vandalises it?
If the cyclist was knocked down it is up to him to do something about it and not a 3rd party who doesn't have a clue what happened.

The danger of tweets like this is that it legitimises unfounded allegations and turns them into facts for many.

[Zimmerman]

A woman accuses a man of rape. Now what? Ignore because there's no witnesses?

The man took the photo from across the road. He alleges what was said, so presumably the cyclist told him?

So shall we never offer help again because there are idiots out there?

There's a poster for a missing cat, shall I call the number... Or could it be some sick cat-napper? Best ignore it.

Someone posts on Facebook there daughter hasn't come home, should we look for her or not? She might have left home for a reason? Tricky this Good Samaritan business.

[Surprised]

A woman accuses a man of rape. Now what? Ignore because there's no witnesses?

The man took the photo from across the road. He alleges what was said, so presumably the cyclist told him?

So shall we never offer help again because there are idiots out there?

There's a poster for a missing cat, shall I call the number... Or could it be some sick cat-napper? Best ignore it.

Someone posts on Facebook there daughter hasn't come home, should we look for her or not? She might have left home for a reason? Tricky this Good Samaritan business.

So you think it is OK for a 3rd party to make an allegation of rape on behalf of someone else when they have no facts? Surely the first step of a rape victim is to go to the police and not make allegations on social networks?
All your examples are about the direct victim making the claim and not a 3rd party. That is a huge difference.

Someone takes a pic and posts it on Twitter claiming you knocked a cyclist over. You car is vandalised as a result. Even though all you did was stop and talk to a cyclist friend you accept the vandalism

If it was the cyclist making that tweet then fair enough. But it as a 3rd party and we have no idea what happened.

[blahblah]

Or you bought the car and it was trashed.....

[el_pappje]

Maybe the cyclist has contacted the police. Just because the tweet that got picked up and circulated came from a "witness" doesn't mean sensible process isn't being followed.

I saw this photo on my timeline as well as it happens, coincidence who you happen to follow.

[Spencer4]

Which takes us back to the initial point...it's a post on here asking for help in identifying a man who may have done nothing wrong.

Funnily enough there was a video recently doing the rounds where a cyclist was knocked off his bike by a car, then got loads of abuse from the driver. The basic point was how terrible the treatment was after being knocked off.

But, as a cyclist and one of 30+ years, I can say the actions of the cyclist were crazy and although the car was being driven badly and they were appalling to then give out the abuse, the cyclist really needed to take more care. These things are never black and white, as the earlier post might have us believe.

[Zimmerman]

The guy knocked down also tweeted it…

https://twitter.com/RobALockhart/status ... 01/photo/1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Surprised]

The guy knocked down also tweeted it…

https://twitter.com/RobALockhart/status ... 01/photo/1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No problem with that at all

[Spencer4]

But, how do we know it? Do we just believe it? Do we trust anything, anyone says just because they tweet it and have a camera?

There are any number of different scenarios that could have played out here. It may be the driver's fault 100% or the cyclist's 100%, or 50/50, just because the cyclist posts it, doesn't mean he's blameless.

What if the driver tweets "overtaking cyclist, who suddenly swerves into me and falls off", do we now assume the driver's innocent? It's madness to believe anything when you only hear one side.

[el_pappje]

Why should you automatically believe anything you read on Twitter any more than any other medium of communication? I don't see threads getting angsty about incorrect information in the papers, for example.

The incident has been reported to police with 3 witnesses, correct channels followed. For me there is an OTT reaction on here.

As an aside, given the theoretical conspiracies being floated, has anyone asked why you would want to grab your phone from across the road and a distance away? Perhaps because you realise your photo could be critical in providing evidence?

[blahblah]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... on-2260599" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope the police are after Ella...

[Moist von Lipwig]

well it seems the driver has been identified (although not named here) and an account of what happened from the cyclist.


http://road.cc/content/news/93155-cycli ... -his-story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DrBunker]

Worryingly it sounds as if the driver was correct:

Later on that evening I contacted the Police and reported the incident. The next morning I was told that the police could not trace foreign registered cars for a minor incident.

Prior experience?

[Moist von Lipwig]

the use of the word minor indicates they could do for a major incident. So presumably its down to cost and they choose not to?

[unc.si.]

I've removed the name from my earlier post

If I was that cyclist I'd be mightily pissed off that the fact that I'd just ridden into the back of a parked car has now been splashed all over the internet.

As for the person who sent the original tweet. I suspect the fact that his tweet said that the car 'knocked off' the cyclist makes his status as a reliable independent witness a little dubious as well.

[Moist von Lipwig]

not seen the name, did it turn out to be a footballer?

[blahblah]

Depends if the car slammed on the brakes in front of him, or it had been parked for long enough for it to be noticed?

[Darbyand]

I've removed the name from my earlier post

If I was that cyclist I'd be mightily pissed off that the fact that I'd just ridden into the back of a parked car has now been splashed all over the internet.

As for the person who sent the original tweet. I suspect the fact that his tweet said that the car 'knocked off' the cyclist makes his status as a reliable independent witness a little dubious as well.

Hardly a parked vehicle if the driver had just over taken him then slammed on to illegally stop next to a cash point. Another example of social media distorting the facts!

I used to live about 400 yards from the scene so can picture it pretty perfectly.

[DrBunker]

I used to live about 400 yards from the scene so can picture it pretty perfectly.

Sounds like your evidence would be at least as reliable as the other 'witnesses'!

[Darbyand]

That is to say that the cyclist's description of the route and circumstances fit. No, I wouldn't be putting myself forward as a witness

[unc.si.]

I used to live about 400 yards from the scene so can picture it pretty perfectly.

You used to live in Hale? How's the Aston Martin these days?