"Yoofs" on mopeds - a warning.

[Mile195]

Twice in two weeks, i've had two moped riders (you know the type - hoodies, nike trainers, moped is probably stolen, no number plate (I'm not talking old ladies going to the shops on their Honda Melody)) attempt, or at least gesticulate as if they were attempting, to push me off my bike.

Neither was successful, and quite honestly far too far away to reach.

Anyway, I know someone on here DID get pushed off down Masarla road in Lewisham not too long ago.

This might just be a series of co-incidences, but my concern is that this is going to become a new "thing", in the same way that "happy slapping" was a "thing" amongst these kind of people a few years ago.

Anyway, I just thought I'd give everyone a heads up that they might want to pay a little extra attention to any scooters they hear approaching at speed from behind whilst on quiet residential inner-city roads, especially after the evening rush hour. That's when these sorts of people seem to appear mostly, well in my experience.

Ride safe....

 

[mjr]

Report the scoundrels to the police. Then if it is becoming a "thing" they might spot a pattern and catch a few.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Happened to me last year. It was lunchtime, near the one of the vocational colleges in Leeds. One of the group came right up alongside and playfully punched me on the arm. Piss-takers.

 

[Mile195]

There's not alot to report. Two of them, on a moped, no plate. I see such vehicles all the time in South East london. Oddly, the ones yesterday I made (I think) eye contact with one of them as they were creeping across someones drive 10 minutes earlier and I cycled past. He had sunglasses on and a snood over his mouth. It wasn't that cold or sunny. I suspect they were actually looking to break into the house - it was quite a rural area (Knockholt). I wouldn't be able to identify them though, and my video camera ran out of memory about 10 minutes before. Typical.

 

[Rooster1]

I would not allow myself to be intimidated by such ignorant morons.

 

[StuartG]

Oh well Lewisham is always behind the times. In neighbouring hipster cool downtown Sydenham they were last year's problem. The winter cool appears to have driven them away to be replaced by quad bikes doing more or less the same. Probably because the greatest danger is to themselves as competency to balance on two wheels was not always present. Here is a typical incident just up the road from us:
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...uilding-and-triggering-gas-leak-10366764.html

 

[Crandoggler]

I'd punch the daffodil off his farking moped.

 

[Drago]

Feel free to kick them back -with those diddy wheels and extra mass they'll be going over long before you do. They must be a bit stupid to take a knife to a gun fight.

 

[Arjimlad]

Sounds like legitimate self-defence to me.

 

[Vantage]

I'd imagine the folk who are advising to 'hit back' in self defence are either hard as nails or don't have family/kids/wives/husbands who might miss them if it all goes pear shaped.
It's easy to think of being the tough guy behind a router, quite another to be it in real life.
Unless one is carrying a 5lb+ chain lock with the ability to get to it quickly and use it or has training in self defence, I'd say stay away from the scrotes and get the hell out of there. A bike is faster than a pair of legs and 5 mins late for work because of a detour is better than not arriving at all.

 

[sidevalve]

I'd imagine the folk who are advising to 'hit back' in self defence are either hard as nails or don't have family/kids/wives/husbands who might miss them if it all goes pear shaped.
It's easy to think of being the tough guy behind a router, quite another to be it in real life.
Unless one is carrying a 5lb+ chain lock with the ability to get to it quickly and use it or has training in self defence, I'd say stay away from the scrotes and get the hell out of there. A bike is faster than a pair of legs and 5 mins late for work because of a detour is better than not arriving at all.

True - these s--t heads have fears about 'getting even' and that can be anything from a lobbed brick to a full on hit and run. You are in Britain, you cannot protect yourself, they don't play fair - queensbury rules' is not really on their agenda and using any form of weapon to even thing out will only allow you to be arrested [ especially as their mates will simply back them up] and the more serious charge of assault will take precedence over the simple theft of a motor vehicle one

 

[Crandoggler]

Grown men being requested not to react to 16 year old scrotes on scooters who try to push them off. Are we that weak of a nation now? Surely we all have the ability to analyse a situation and make our own minds up. If you don't believe you're strong enough then by all means, carry on. But me? No chance mate.

 

[Mile195]

You don't have time to react if this happens really. If someone makes contact, they'd be 100 meters down the road before you even realise what's happened, and if you lose control and bin it, by the time you've picked yourself back up off the tarmac they'll be long gone.

That's why I've posted it as a "be aware" really. If you notice over your shoulder there's a scooter approaching at speed, on a quiet residential road in a not-so-nice area, then in the unlikely event that it's also carrying some unsavoury characters you might be able to avoid something happening in the first place. If you didn't notice it then you can't.