In a debate in the House of Lords on the 10th January 2008, Baroness Sharples told of an encounter with a cyclist as she was using a pedestrian crossing. She said she swiped the cyclist with a bag, and asked Road Minister Lord Bassam of Brighton whether she did wrong. He considered she acted correctly. See debate

In a considered response to these remarkably provocative statements in favour of vigilante action that could result in serious injury or death, CTC's Campaign Manager Roger Geffen responded:

“Anti-social behaviour is unacceptable whoever it comes from, and jumping red lights is against the law whether you do it on a bike or in a car. However, given that most cyclists’ injuries are due to drivers crashing into them at junctions, is it any wonder that some cyclists would rather have a brush with the law than put their own safety at risk?” He added: “A Government Minister advocating vigilante action is extremely disturbing and can only increase the levels of violence on our roads. He would doubtless be quick to condemn cyclists who showed the slighted display of aggression towards drivers who cut them up, use mobile phones or break the speed limit. Yet these are the sorts of threats which cyclists’ face every day.”