A taxi driver has sparked controversy online by posting a video where he appeared to be throttled by a woman’s partner for refusing to reverse so she had more room to park.
Stephen Russell posted dashcam footage after the altercation in a village near Kingsbridge, Devon, in August.
It showed a female driver trying to park a white Land Rover Discovery outside a cottage along the side of a narrow road.
But the short clip divided opinion on social media, with some commenters praising Mr Russell for keeping his cool while others questioned why he could not have been a ‘gentleman’ and just reversed so that the woman did not feel so ‘under pressure’.
Stephen Russell posted dashcam footage after the altercation in a village near Kingsbridge, Devon, in August. A man appeared to put his hand around the driver’s neck
The video showed a female driver trying to park a white Land Rover Discovery outside a cottage along the side of a narrow road
In the video, a man standing at the open cottage door helped the driver to manoeuvre into a parallel space. When she struggled, he politely asked Mr Russell if he could reverse to give her more room.
But Mr Russell responded with a volley of abuse, shouting ‘if she [the driver] can’t get in there, she shouldn’t be driving’, followed by ‘f***ing hell’.
As the female motorist continued to struggle with parking, the man walked over to Mr Russell and said: ‘I asked you nicely, move your f***ing car back’.
Mr Russell asked the man where his mask was and to ‘keep six feet away’ before repeating that the driver in front was ‘ridiculous’ and ‘shouldn’t be bloody driving’.
Suddenly a hand grabbed Mr Russell’s throat and someone said ‘listen you c**t’.
After Mr Russell pointed out his dashcams, including one that filmed the hand grab his neck, the man let go.
As the female motorist continued to struggle with parking, the man walked over to Mr Russell and said: ‘I asked you nicely, move your f***ing car back’
Mr Russell told him he would be reporting the incident to the police and he could expect a call.
During the altercation the Land Rover driver gave up on her efforts to park and headed along the road to let Mr Russell pass.
But as Mr Russell drove away he was again stopped by the car as it tried to turn around in the road.
Strongly feeling he was in the right, Mr Russell uploaded both his front and back facing footage to social media with a caption that read: ‘Do we need people in their Chelsea tractor that can NOT drive in Devon.’
Defending himself against those who disagreed with him, Mr Russell said in his comments he had ‘been driving for 37 years’ including ‘tractors with trailers full of bales’.
Strongly feeling he was in the right, Mr Russell (pictured) uploaded both his front and back facing footage to social media with a caption that read: ‘Do we need people in their Chelsea tractor that can NOT drive in Devon’
A commenter suggested Mr Russell could have simply reversed a ‘few yards to help’, joking that ‘who said chivalry is dead’
Mr Russell said: ‘In my judgement it was a simple parallel parking manoeuvre and she had plenty of space to do.
‘I said nothing until he started waving his arms and barking orders at me and in less than two minutes he had me by the throat which I felt was a bit unacceptable.’
Some questioned why Mr Russell was so ‘impatient’ and said by refusing to move it would have been ‘intimidating’ to the other driver.
Another commenter suggested Mr Russell could have simply reversed a ‘few yards to help’, joking that ‘who said chivalry is dead’.
Some didn’t understand why Mr Russell was ‘getting impatient and shouting out of the window’ and that it was ’50/50 you shouting and him losing his rag’.
During the altercation the Land Rover driver gave up on her efforts to park and headed along the road to let Mr Russell pass. But as Mr Russell drove away he was again stopped by the car as it tried to turn around in the road (pictured)
Mr Russell responded to those who disagreed with him, revealing he had been a taxi driver for 23 years and thought it was a ‘simple parallel parking manoeuvre’
One commenter said: ‘Have to be honest and say you could of reversed a little to help her out, be a gentleman but instead you put her under pressure which is pretty sad.’
Mr Russell replied: ‘There is always one, she under no pressure there was plenty of room even you could have got in there.’
In response, the commenter said: ‘You can take that stance Steve however he asked you if you could reverse and you decided not to do so, it was your choice.
‘It was a lady driving the car it’s not for you to decide what she should or shouldn’t be able to do you’re not the police.
Others were on Mr Russell’s side, adding: ‘How the f**k can they not get into that space. That’s so out of order’
‘You could of simply reversed a few yards to HELP but instead you decided to create something. Who said chivalry is dead eh!’
Others were on Mr Russell’s side, adding: ‘How the f**k can they not get into that space. That’s so out of order.’
Another commented: ‘Never should be on the road mate and that p***k I would have lamped the p***k; well done for keeping cool son.’
When approached, Mr Russell declined to comment on the footage, saying it was ‘done and dusted’, despite the footage still being shared online.
Devon & Cornwall Police said they had no record of a report being made on the date of the incident.