Bad cycling incident today from two bight rastards.

[swee'pea99]

I am sorry to read this. But I would not report it, the chances of successfully apprehending the idiots must be negligible and you will only think about the incident more and then it'll have a disproportionately negative impact. It's a crappy incident but let it (mentally) go.

I know what you're saying, but I'm definitely with the 'report it' camp. For one thing, such incidents go on the kind of tables that determine where plod focuses energy - enough incidents like this, and it moves up the priorities list. For another, as others have said, they may have previous - you could end up being asked to an id parade, where chummy is clearly #4, and that's it: you're the third, which tips it over the edge, and chummy's off to see what m'lud has to say about it. As for 'putting it behind you', I think personally I'd rest easier precisely if I had done everything I can to get the scumbags sorted.

 

[Arjimlad]

Glad you were not injured by these cretins.

You never know what information the Police may already have, so I'd report it just in case.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

It's the one time you wish there was a red traffic light around the next bend

 

[PaulB]

Right, here's our considered decision; we're NOT reporting the incident.

We talked it over and my son was beaten up by a car driver while on his bike a few years ago. He had the registration number and went to the police. The police were less than worthless and the best they could do was to tell him they'd spoken to him and given him a warning! All he's had since then is unsolicited calls from companies asking if they can get involved to try and get some compensation or criminal injuries compo. He's declined them all. But in case anyone is thinking he's some young lad, he's not. He's a grown man of 30 years old and takes after me so is no shrinking violet.

We are of the opinion that if the police were useless when given make, model and reg. no. of vehicle in the past, they'll be even less use without the reg, no and as it was a very rural road, there is definitely no CCTV for miles and miles around. It was up near Fewston for anyone who knows that part of N. Yorkshire. And the bowl that hit him was a white plastic thing with no manufacturer's name on it.

So lastly, my son is fine with it, uninjured and to try and glean some satisfaction from the stupidity he'd been shown, he said that if anything, the surge of adrenalin he felt immediately after the incident was what got him over the steep hill we were engaged on. Neither of us would ever back down so we never thought to stop, only to confront the imbeciles so we pushed on and on cresting the summit, raced down the other side in the hopes that the Merc would have pulled over to await us at their earliest opportunity. They were too cowardly to have done so but by then, we were in full flight and decided to press on to home.

Thank you for all your contributions and I apologise for bringing a negative story to these cycling pages. Ride safely and always be alert.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Thank you for all your contributions and I apologise for bringing a negative story to these cycling pages. Ride safely and always be alert.

No problem on bringing it up, good to know that they are around and a lot of people are cycling in Yorkshire this weekend.

See where you're coming from with the decision, at the end of the day you need to do what makes you happiest.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Even with a registration number i don't think the police would approach the driver,unless he's "well known to them". They once told me after a similar incident that it's your word against their's and if you have no evidence it happened then...

I've had a similar reaction after reporting that I'd been punched in the back by the passenger of a passing car (make, model, colour and reg number supplied to police).

The police who came to see me the next day did their best to put me off pursuing it, spouting nonsense about having no way of identifying the driver etc. But worse was to come: once I'd explained to them how to use their powers under the RTA to require the registered keeper to name the driver, who would most likely name his mate as the culprit, they were a bit miffed that I'd given them the solution they already knew. As they stood to leave, one asked me how many youths were in the car. "Maybe three", I said. He said sternly, "I have to warn you that I may be returning to charge you with an offence". His explanation for this was that as there were more of them in the car than me, they could claim I'd done something illegal and the police would have to charge me with it.

It's depressing that there are cops like this who try their best to wriggle out of doing their job, especially where a cyclist is the victim. I don't know why it should be the case.

The police did later identify the youth and I agreed that it be dealt with by a warning. Incidentally, the car was owned by the driver's father who was a local policeman, but that surely couldn't have influenced their handling of this... Could it?

GC

 

[Archie_tect]

The Police need to know about the incident Paul, even if you don't pursue it, after all they are cereal attackers...

 

[glenn forger]

Whoever did this will almost certainly do it again, the next cyclist may not be so lucky.