Cyclist slaps pedestrian after collision, netizens call for police action
A dashcam video showing a cyclist slapping a pedestrian at a road crossing after a collision has gone viral, sparking calls for police action.
The 57-second clip, recorded by a stationary vehicle on Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3 on Sept 25 at 5.18pm and shared on Facebook page SGRV on Sept 28, shows the pedestrian looking at his phone while crossing the road. Moments later, a cyclist rides into him.
With only one other pedestrian seen at the crossing, the cyclist could have easily avoided the man. Instead, he pushes the pedestrian and appears to shout at him before slapping him across the face.
The pedestrian staggers as his cap falls off while the cyclist continues to berate him and point at him before riding off.
The dazed pedestrian picked up his cap and looked back before walking away in the opposite direction.
At press time, the video had garnered over 82,000 views, 315 reactions and more than 230 comments. The original video was also shared on Reddit, which received more than 200 upvotes.
Most netizens were outraged by the cyclist's behaviour, with many calling for him to be identified and charged.
"Big bully sial. Used force. Must report police!" said a Facebook user.
"That's uncalled for. He had all the time in the world to also alter his course... That's assault," another netizen said on Facebook
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"How much more unreasonable can this cyclist get?? Would he have punched a child, a woman or a senior if bumped into by them?" said yet another Facebook user.
Some speculated that the pedestrian, who made no attempt to retaliate, was a foreign worker.
"Probably foreign worker to me so he dared to bully, if local he try la. Sure fight back until police come," said a Facebook user.
Others said it was the responsibility of the cyclist to be careful.
"Cyclists on the move should be the ones looking out for pedestrians and their safety before passing and when passing them," said one. "What is more appalling was he followed up with hostility and aggression. That's totally unacceptable."
A few others felt the pedestrian was at fault.
"0 sympathy for oblivious pedestrians, about time," said a Redditor.
"The phone zombie couldn't even walk straight," said a Facebook user.
And one netizen felt the cyclist's actions tarnished the reputation of an entire group of road users. "Giving all cyclists a bad name," said a comment on Facebook.
