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'I'd happily run him over': Cyclist who took part in controversial BBC documentary inundated with hate messages and death threats

By Steve Nolan PUBLISHED: 22:23, 6 December 2012 | UPDATED: 16:40, 7 December 2012

Gareth Williams, 24, provided footage from his helmet camera for The War on Britain's Roads which aired on Wednesday night
Angry motorists and cyclists took to Twitter accusing Williams of being 'antagonistic' and 'confrontational'
One Twitter user said that Williams 'deserves to be knocked off his bike and die!'

A blogger who took part in a controversial BBC documentary highlighting the daily battle between drivers and cyclists on Britain's roads has become the target of death threats and vile abuse from motorists.

Gareth Williams, 24, provided the BBC with footage filmed using a helmet camera for The War on Britain's Roads which was aired last night.
But the urban cyclist has since been inundated with hate messages with many taking to Twitter accusing him of being 'antagonistic' and 'confrontational' towards drivers.

Scroll down to watch [follow the link to watch ALL the various videos] ADMIN
Abuse: Gareth Williams, pictured, was inundated with abuse following his appearance on BBC1's The War on Britain's Roads on Wednesday night

Anger: In one of the film's most controversial moments, Williams slapped the side of a taxi and then captured his confrontation with driver Michael on his helmet camera
Fraying tempers: Williams call the cabbie a 'mug' and then accuses him of assault for poking the helmet camera

In one of the most heated scenes on Wednesday night’s BBC1 programme, he was shown slapping the side of a passing taxi before antagonising the driver on camera by sarcastically applauding him and calling him a 'mug'.
Williams also accused the driver, a 52-year-old cabbie of 19 years called Michael, of assault after he poked the camera on the top of his head.

Even when the driver, who also took part in the documentary, had got back in his car Williams followed on his bike shouting through his window: 'You don’t own the road or the bus lane - you don’t own anything but your cab.'

In a later segment, Williams said he was not afraid to annoy drivers by riding in the middle of the road if it was safe to do so.
VIDEO: Gareth's helmet camera footage prompted hate messages - Play Video
The rider, who estimates he cycles up to 300 miles per week in the London rush hour, said: 'If I can try and improve one driver and get them to drive a little bit safer then I think that’s a good achievement.'
His attitude incensed both motorists and cyclists watching the show, who took to Twitter to attack the blogger.
One Twitter user, known as Diesel, said: 'The white guy in glasses arguing with the black taxi driver is going to get himself killed one day. Arrogant provocator.'

While Shelby Sadler said: 'I want to smack this guy with the glasses he's an idiot.'

Punch-up: The show featured several confrontations between motorists and cyclists filmed on helmet cameras

Violent confrontation: Simon Page, who was in a group of seven cyclists en route from Dover to London, was knocked to the ground in Bexley Village, South London
Street fight: Driver John Nicholls, right, was charged with assault - but escaped with a fine

But some went further, even posting messages which said they would mow down the cyclist if they ever saw him out on the road.

One viewer, who called himself ‘Jerry’ on the social networking site, Tweeted: 'Anyone watching the cyclist thing on bbc1... I f****** hate the guy who’s a cyclist with glasses. I’d happily run him over, thinks he’s mint.'

Another message said that Williams deserved to die for his attitudes toward drivers.

A viewer called Kate Bailey, said: 'This cyclist with glasses on BBC panorama actually deserves to be knocked off his bike and die!!!! Arrogant little t***'

While a third, who identified themselves as a cyclist said: 'I am a cyclist, but that first t**** in the glasses deserves to be run over.'

Previews of the hour-long documentary had been condemned by the joint chairman of the Parliamentary Cycling Group and Labour MP for Dudley North Ian Austin.
He described the programme as 'stupid, sensationalist, simplistic, irresponsible nonsense.'

Blogging before the programme, Williams, who has 10,000 YouTube subscribers and more than 3,000,000 online video views, said: 'So is it a war?
'It could be described as such. I wouldn’t say it was cyclists vs motorists though, more good road users vs bad road users.
'It’s not just cyclists who are using cameras - motorcyclists, horse riders and motorists use them to record what they experience on the roads.'

The BBC's description of the programme read: 'From everyday incidents that get out of hand between cyclists and motorists, to stories of near-death experiences and fatal collisions, this timely documentary shows the battle between two wheels and four has never been so intense.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z2EOXgqupz
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CYCLIST KILLED AFTER LORRY CRASH IS THIRD DEATH THIS WEEK
A cyclist who died after a collision with a lorry yesterday has become the third bike user to die in just a week.
The man, believed to be in his 30s, was hit on a busy road into east London in the morning rush hour and pronounced dead at the scene.
The lorry driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and is being questioned by police.
Commercial Road was closed for five hours after the accident and buses were diverted.
Jonathan Lopez, a journalist who lives nearby, said: 'Commercial Road doesn’t have any bike lanes, but it’s a very, very busy road. That man’s family is going to be destroyed.'
The latest casualty comes after an 87-year-old cyclist died in Cheltenham and a 48-year-old man in Bicester on Tuesday.
It means 114 cyclists have been killed on the country’s roads this year alone.

Many cyclists would benefit from watching the "Silly Cyclists" series on YouTube - made by a keen cyclist.

Indeed, made by Gareth Williams himself, the subject of this thread title.

The guy with a death wish?

He says if he changes the attitude of one driver for the better then he will consider that a success, well he won't, all he will do is get people more angry than they already are. That was amply demonstrated by the cab drivers comments "I was nowhere near him" despite having presumably seen the video evidence.

Sorry but I saw the program, it was one bunch of idiots vs another bunch of idiots, and the internet we already know has more than enough idiots.

As for the "cyclists" squeezing down the side of HGVs, where are they going that is so urgent?