Pedestrian who swore at Jeremy Vine stands by verdict he is a 'p****'
EXCLUSIVE: Pedestrian filmed swearing at Jeremy Vine says cycling BBC star was endangering HIM – and stands by his verdict that presenter is a ‘p****’
- EXCLUSIVE: Tony, 50, spoke out after being abused by Vine’s 800,000 followers
- Father of two suspended from job while his employers investigate the incident
- Warehouse worker says he regrets nothing after furious clash in Hammersmith
A pedestrian filmed swearing at Jeremy Vine today insisted that the cycling BBC star had endangered him – and stood by his words that Vine is a ‘pr*ck’.
Tony, 50, who didn’t want to give his surname, spoke out after being abused by dozens of Vine’s 800,000 social media followers after the presenter shared film of him haranguing the BBC Radio 2 host.
He said: ‘He called me an Amazon driver when I don’t even work for them and I was on foot – and he nearly cycled into me’.
Speaking to MailOnline, Tony, a warehouse worker, said: ‘I regret nothing. I called him a pr*** because he was acting like one so I told him straight.
‘He’d cycled around a white van which had pulled out of the junction and was trying to eye-ball the driver as he came past and so wasn’t concentrating on where he was going.
Tony, 50, pictured, who didn’t want to give his surname, spoke out after being abused by dozens of Vine’s 800,000 social media followers after the presenter shared film of him haranguing the BBC Radio 2 host
Their furious row took place after keen cyclist Vine (pictured) had ridden around a white van that was stopped across a cycle lane in Hammersmith
‘I thought he was going to crash straight into me and I hurried up a bit over the road.
‘He then stopped and looked at me but didn’t apologise so I stared back and called him a “pr***” twice. He asked me why I called him it and I so I shouted back the reason.
‘On his video he only highlights the word “f***” but for some reason the audio of what I actually said to him is distorted – and what I really told him was ‘because you nearly f***ing hit me’
‘His face was covered with a scarf and he was wearing glasses but I knew immediately it was Jeremy Vine because he’s the only cyclist around here who has a giant camera poking out his head looking like some sort of Teletubby!’
Their furious row took place after Vine, a keen cyclist, had ridden around a white van that was stopped across a cycle lane in Hammersmith.
Tony, a father of two, was stood behind the van holding a pile of Amazon parcels as he tried to cross the road.
Vine then rode towards Tony who scowled at the BBC star for riding towards him.
Mistaking Tony for an Amazon delivery driver, Vine, 57, tweeted the video with the caption: ‘I know Amazon say they give a personal service, but this is bloody ridiculous.’
Father-of-two Tony (pictured) has been suspended from his warehouse job while his employers investigate the incident
Speaking to the MailOnline, Vine (pictured) described his expletive-laden confrontation with Tony as unprovoked and ‘weird’
Tony, who has been suspended from his warehouse job while his employers investigate the incident, went on: ‘I’d actually just picked up a load of my post and was heading to the sushi place over the road at the time.
‘But I got an email from work yesterday when the video went viral informing me I was suspended pending an investigation.
‘I’d obviously been recognised and the email said my behaviour was not befitting of the company. It doesn’t look good to be honest.
‘I’ve had that job for a couple of years and like it.
‘I’m a private person, really, I don’t seek attention. I was going about my day minding my own business and he nearly careers into me at speed on his bike but acts like I’m the one with the problem.
‘He’ll no doubt turn his attentions to the next motorist or pedestrian who winds him up but for me I could lose my livelihood on the back of all this.
‘Ironically most of the comments people left were critical of him and not me and many said I actually had the right of way.’
After watching the video, a man tweeted Vine: ‘So the guy’s crossing the road, you appear to ride your cycle towards him, he’s not happy calls you derogatory name, and you want to plaster him over social media, tagging his presumed employer and what for… to get him sacked, take away his living, how sad that you behave this way’
Another tweeted: ‘Standard Vine tactic…
‘Ride at your victim rather than make an attempt to avoid a confrontation.
‘What if there had been a car pulling out from behind that van ? You could have been seriously injured.
‘Your roadcraft is abysmal. Your victim’s description of you was spot on.’
There was some support, though, with one man saying people were ‘blinded’ by their dislike of Vine.
He tweeted: ‘Bike was in the road first. Legally, cyclist had the right of way. He can’t see through a van, but was cycling slowly. The pedestrian was an idiot for crossing at a junction and would’ve had no excuse if he’d been hit.’
Speaking to the MailOnline, Vine described his expletive-laden confrontation with Tony as unprovoked and ‘weird’.
He said: ‘I can’t be sure the guy was Amazon but he walked to a front door behind me and waited with the parcels for someone to answer.
‘It’s lovely to be acknowledged in the street but this is not quite the personal service Amazon promise.
‘I’m hoping they’ll get in touch and explain if he’s one of theirs.
‘The weird thing was, the insult came without any explanation and I’ve never seen the guy before, so I have no idea why he got his boxers in a twist. Just another day commuting in London.’
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