Police said that they would take no further action after appealing for help to identify a cyclist who snatched a taxi driver’s car and house keys.
The cyclist, Alexander Sallons, took the keys from the ignition at the New Church Road and Boundary Road traffic lights in Hove.
He handed the keys in to Sussex Police at John Street police station, in Brighton, the same day.
Mr Sallons, who is currently a candidate in elections to the Green Party’s national executive, tweeted about the incident on Wednesday 14 July.
He said: “I refuse to be intimidated off of the roads by any motorist, especially not ‘professional drivers’ who think they own the road.
“They know the police won’t deal with them, and they assume we’re too scared to do anything. So yeah, hand their keys to the police.”
Mr Sallons also shared details of the incident with a cycling publication, road.cc.
Road.cc said: “The cyclist who was the subject of a police appeal we reported on yesterday after taking the keys from the ignition of a car in Sussex has got in touch to clarify what really happened – including that he handed them into a police station immediately afterwards.
“The rider, Alexander, told road.cc: ‘The case is closed because I didn’t commit theft, because I handed the keys into the police on the same day, and I gave them my details on the same day. So it’s just a disconnect between the two departments.
“‘The police have updated that I haven’t done any wrongdoing and that no action would be taken against me.’”
Mr Sallons is currently running to the Green Party of England and Wales’s internal communications co-ordinator. He stood in the Brighton and Hove City Council elections in North Portslade in 2019, coming ninth out of nine with 154 votes.
Road.cc added: “Under the Theft Act 1968, ‘A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.’
“However, as Alexander points out, ‘I haven’t committed theft because I didn’t intend to permanently deprive him of any property. I took the keys straight to the police station.’
“As a side note, the fact he handed the keys straight into a police station, rather than throwing them down the nearest drain – tempting as some may find that in the circumstances – is an important one to make, given the legal definition of theft.
“‘I don’t intend on making a habit of this,’ Alexander continued. ‘The entire episode has not been fun in the slightest.’
“In our report yesterday, we mentioned that what was not known was what might have preceded his decision to take the keys, something Alexander has now clarified.
“‘The reason I took his keys was that he buzzed me at 5cm, and when I asked whether he thought he could intimidate people on the road, he said “yes”. That’s what tipped me over the edge,’ he explained.
“Alexander told us that he has recently returned from spending six months in The Netherlands – The Hague, to be precise – so unsurprisingly, the behaviour of some motorists here compared to their Dutch counterparts comes as something of a culture shock.
“‘I could ride from one side of the country to the other without thinking about this for a second and now I’m back in the UK this kind of driving is a regular occurrence and I hate it,’ he added.”
I refuse to be intimidated off of the roads by any motorist, especially not “professional drivers” who think they own the road.
They know the police won’t deal with them, and they assume we’re too scared to do anything. So yeah, hand their keys to the police.
— Alexander Louis Sallons (@sallonsax) July 14, 2021
Another bonkers member of the Green party. That says it all. So if anyone were to steal something from another person, and then hand it in to the police, that is not classed as theft? And what about the inconvenience, and possible danger, to other road users, including cyclists, if the driver has to leave his car at that junction, while he obtains another one?
It is difficult to comment much on this incident as the only eye witness whose been quoted is the cyclist. No witnesses are interviewed and the opinion of the taxi driver has not been sought. The worst incident I have personally ever experienced whilst riding a bicycle in Brighton and Hove was when a taxi cut across me turning left. I was forced to break hard and was within about a foot of being knocked off my bike. The taxi driver had seen me because he had just overtaken me at speed. He then failed to stop and sped off.
But that doesn’t mean all taxi drivers are bad.
What I also know is that the cyclist in this incident is a very frequent and often angry commentator on cycling matters. In social media discussions and debates around the Old Shoreham Road (very topical at the time of this incident in mid-July) Mr Sallons was one of the loudest voices arguing for the lane’s retention and expansion. His disdain for all motorists is very apparent and the fact he has become involved in an angry road incident came as no surprise.
This once bullied, permanently angry, trigger happy tongued, coffee pourer is everybody’s favourite Green advert. I hope he gets the job. Alex (get it right), do your customers who take sugar know that you ridicule them behind their back?
What an idiot, just adding fuel to the fire and hatred for this council by pulling stupid misguided stunts like this and proving how childish they are! Yet another nail in the coffin for their credibility!!! Vigilate actions such as this should not be supported by police, especially as it would’ve resulted in that vehicle left in the middle of the road causing congestion and potentially other danger to road users, he ought to be accountable for that and also any towing/recovery costs at least for his out of proportion actions. Yes maybe the driver did pass him 5cm away from his bike at speed, however that seems anecdotal evidence, it could equally be a cyclist that hates cars and felt getting into the news about how unsafe it all is here would help the cause. Perhaps as a final cry out against the OSR cycle lane being removed. If everyone could just learn to use the roads like grown ups and obey the law then we would not have this us and them attitude and give people like Alex an excuse to behave this way!
I think Alex really needs to see someone about those anger issues, this sort of behaviour is not OK. Can the taxi driver sue for loss of earnings?
I think it is funny how arrogant this guy is that he thinks posting to Twitter will mean the driver knows how to get his keys back. He will know he also had the house key and therefore made it impossible for the driver to enter his house to get spare keys to move the car.
If this selfish person has an issue with the way the car was driven – report. Not lower themselves to a criminal level in selfish retaliation.
This is not a “Green” attitude. This is just selfish. Not caring about all the people sitting behind the taxi. This kind of person does so much damage to “Green” politics. I’m a floating voter, but the more I watch the attitude of people accepted to the Green party the less likely I’d give them a vote.
taxi driver sounds arse
Sooo glad I have escaped the sixth form debating society that has been given the levers of power but has never had a proper job in the real world and thinks they are Rick from the Young Ones and have no clue as to how to run a successful city. Now enjoying a creative life in the West of England, far away from the green jingoism of Phelim and his bunch of tree botherers. Pip, pip
Nr. Sallons’s phrase “I haven’t done any wrongdoing” is scarcely grammatical. What’s more, where might his view of the incident lead? If one is annoyed by a neighbour’s television, can one nab it and hand it in at a police station? And why did he go all the way with the ignition key to Brighton police station when there is one at Hove Town Hall? Mr. Sallons appears to advocate rough justice – which is contrary to the Hague Convention.
This said, I am no enthusiast for taxi drivers. One deliberately flicked his wing mirror against my right elbow while I was cycling along New Church Road a few years ago. There is no doubt that they are a truculent breed. When I was on the Council there was a Report about taxi drivers which included the fact that 97% of taxi drivers thought there are too many taxi drivers. I asked how many of that 97% thought themselves superfluous to requirements? The answer was, er, none of them.
You do realise he is “one of your own”? Alex (not Alexander as calling him Alex winds him up) is a very active and potty mouthed member of the Green party. He tells us all how vital the Old Shoreham Road cycle lane is to his daily commute. That vital that he clearly travels on the cycle lane free New Church Road to get to and from his job as the “mad, bad and dangerous to know Barista of Boundary Road”. This enables him to engage with car drivers who he can verbally abuse if, in his opinion, they have not given him the road space his highly inflated ego deserves.
You ask, er, key questions.
I don’t see a problem with this. Cyclists should be doing this more often. I can relate to their frustration.
Really sensible did we learn nothing from the Tony Magdi incident in Portland Road. Taking the keys can soon amplify into something far worse. If the taxi driver was being a dangerous driver report him, share the head cam footage with the police but don’t take the law into your own hands.
Agree with this but we should also take cyclist’s bikes to the police station. As a regular runner, i frequently get yelled at by cyclists who think think its ok to cylce through stop signs or red lights and the poor jogger (me)!
I think the police are more concerned with this lot! Speeding, parking the wrong way at night, on yellow lines, on zig zags, outside schools, pavement parking, obstructing traffic by inconsiderate parking, driving while drunk, on mobile phones, with no car tax, no licence, no insurance, no MOT, illegal plates, overtaking on double lines, due care, bald tyres, faulty brakes, one eyed monsters, no rear lights, no brake lights, no indicators, fog light abuse, faulty steering, windscreen obscuration, darkly tinted windows, child seat abuse, no seatbelts, insecure load, one way street abuse, amber/red light jumping, cycle box abuse, bus lane abuse, box junction abuse, death by dangerous driving, excess smoke and noise from exhaust, duff suspension, leaking oil, cash for crash fiddles, underage child in front, lights causing glare, over weight limit, ignoring no entry signs, parking without permit, not having control of your vehicle, improper use of horn, using horn at night, no in date photo licence, no licence application after long ban, without prescribed eyewear, failing to stop for police/lollipop/zebra etc – ran out of space.
With the exception of the pollution (of cpourse not taking into account that prodcued in China where most of the UK’s bike’s are made) most of Simon’s comments could equally apply to cyclists as well…
The cyclist should be using a cycle lane which does nothing for the environment as the traffic is so slow vehicle engines are not performing ecologically.The cycle lane in front of the Brighton centre causes so much more pollution now as cars queue 2 lanes into 1. Why im on the subject of the planet. If we taught people to drive , walk, cycle properly with courtesy and manners we could do away with the majority of traffic lights ped crossings as the electricity they consume is a waste. Brighton is far from green only recycling 26% of its waste which should be nearer 70 -80%. The cyclist has created an unecessary obstruction of the highway. No thought for the taxi passenger or the fare he was on his way to collect. That person may have been relying on being picked up for something important for example a job interview , hospital scan. Also the cyclist has comitted an offence of Section 5 5under the public order act of causing harassment alarm and distress which i hope the taxi driver pursues as if the taxi driver had removed the cyclists front wheel and deposited at the Police station i am sure the police wouldnt let him off. The cyclist has taken the law into his own hands and therefore should not be allowed to be a political party candidate as has fallen below the standard of respect and courtesy of others. If he continues to think he owns the road he will undoubtedly become a bonnet mascot one day.
Proving that you can cover a turd in glitter but it remains a turd.
Welcome to the Brighton Green party.
Yet another cunning stunt from a member of the Green Party.
Yours is a tired Spoonernisn!
That said, this geezer Alex Sallons’s behaviour has brought disquiet in Hove. As I find in walks around it.